Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  While everyone in our family would give you a different answer if asked to name their favorite dessert, no one can pass up a good cookie. We have been on a cookie baking streak lately, and in addition to some old favorites I recently tried these oatmeal raisin ones from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery cookbook. Previously, oatmeal raisin cookies were in the second choice, "does not contain chocolate" category, but this recipe has most definitely changed our minds.

 They are big and buttery, crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. The spices are subtle and warm, while the raisins are soft and sweet. It's true that there is no chocolate, but we love these cookies just as they are. I have already made them several times at the request of my chocolate loving family, and that's a sure sign that these are delicious and deserve their turn in the cookie spotlight. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 Thomas  Keller

144 grams   (1 cup 1 teaspoon ) all purpose flour

7.7 grams  (1 tablespoon)  ground cinnamon 

7.4 grams  (1 1/2 teaspoons ) baking soda

3.6 grams (1 1/4 teaspoons) kosher salt

140 grams (1/2 cup + 3 1/2 tablespoons) light brown sugar

69 grams (1/4 cup +1 1/2 tablespoon) granulated sugar

155 grams (5.5 ounces) unseated butter room temperature

62 grams eggs (1 large)

7.7 grams vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla

155 grams (2cups) old fashion oats

156 grams (1cup) mixed raisins* we used craisins

1. Place flour,salt,baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment . Beat the butter on medium low until it is the consistency of mayonnaise . Add the sugars and mix for 3-4 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low for 15-30 seconds.do not over whip.

3. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed for 15-30 seconds after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the flour is completely incorporated. Add the oats and mix for a minute or two. Quickly fold in the raisins. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Baking: heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment or use silpats . Using a large scoop place the cookies about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet . Bake for 15 minutes turning pans 1/2 through baking. Cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes than transfer to a rack to cool completely.

printable recipe

Link:Foodie Friday

Peanut Butter Cranberry Energy Bars

When Mini Me started college, she found her schedule packed with long days on the go with little time for a substantial breakfast or lunch. I wanted to make her a portable snack that would give her energy and brain power throughout the day, but without crazy ingredients or the protein powder after taste. Mini Me loves peanut butter which is a good source of protein and healthy fats, so that was a good starting point in searching for a recipe to try. During my search for a portable snack bar I came across this Sunset Magazine article on homemade energy bars and decided to give them a shot.

I have been making these bars for the last 4 years while she has been in school, and I know I will make them long after she graduates. They are moist and soft, and packed with good for you ingredients. These bars are quick to make and travel well. With approximately 210 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of protein in each bar, these make a perfect grab and go item on your way out the door at the beginning of a busy day. I wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap, put them in a gallon sized ziplock bag and send them to Mini Me every few weeks. She keeps them in the freezer and tosses one in her backpack as she heads to class and I'm happy knowing she has a tasty, healthy snack in her bag just in case she doesn't have time to stop and eat during the day. 

Peanut Butter Cranberry Energy Bars
adapted from Sunset Magazine

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup oat or wheat bran
3 Tbs ground flax seeds
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp each baking powder and salt
1/2 cup each chopped peanuts, dried cranberries, and finely chopped dates
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup low fat milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup honey
Zest from one orange
1 Tbs fresh orange juice.

Line a 9x13 pan with plastic wrap. In a large bowl, stir together oats, bran, flax, flour, baking powder, salt, peanuts, cranberries and dates.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, milk, egg, honey, orange zest and orange juice until well blended.

Add flour mixture and beat until completely blended. Scrape dough into prepared pan and with wet fingers or a rubber spatula, pat to fill pan completely and evenly. Chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 300 F. Invert pan onto a work surface, lift off pan, and peel away plastic wrap. Using a bench scraper or knife cut straight in half length wise. Then cut each length into 8 bar about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place bars about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with a slip at or parchment paper. Bake bars until lightly browned and somewhat firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
printable recipe

 

Foodie Friday

TWD:Cranberry Lime Galette

 Whitney, April, and Elizabeth of Celestial Confections chose Cranberry Lime Galette to make this week. When I first read the recipe, I thought that there were a lot of individually assertive ingredients. Ginger, lime, and cranberry can all be pretty strong on their own, so I wasn't too sure how they would be when combined. We were pleasantly suprised at how beautifully everything came together. The hint of lime in the background was a nice contrast to the slightly spicy ginger and sweet/tart cranberries.  

Since I had some pie dough in the fridge, and it only rolled out to a 10 inch circle, I used 1/2 the filling ingredients and the galette was the perfect size for the four of us.

Dorie says to use her "good for just about everything" pie crust. I have made this several times and it is good, however I have found a better pie crust- Cooks Illustrated Foolproof Pie dough. It's much the same as Dorie's but you replace some of the water with vodka. The alcohol cooks out and leaves no flavor, and the result is the best pie crust I have made. This dough is so forgiving, even the scraps which I rolled together came out light and flaky. 

If you are not familiar with Cooks Illustrated, pick up their Holiday Baking issue and enjoy. I have had success with all the recipes from there, and can't wait to pick something to try from the holiday issue!

Cranberry Lime Galette
Baking- from my house to your- Dori Greenspan

Pie Dough for a single crust , chilled
3 TBSP ground nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans or skinned hazelnuts)
3 TBSP dry bread crumbs (unseasoned, store bought)
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (let thaw and pat dry)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup moist, plump dried cranberries (optional)
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
a 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped*

grated zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
3 Tbsp raspberry jam or jelly
decorating (coarse) or granulated sugar, for dusting
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment (see below) or a silicone mat.

To make it easier to move the pie dough onto the baking sheet, roll it between sheets of parchment (in which case, you can use one of the rolling sheets to line the baking sheet) or wax paper or plastic wrap. Alternatively, work on a well-floured surface, taking care to keep the dough moving by turning it and flouring the surface often.

Roll the dough into a large 1/8-inch circle. Using a pastry wheel or a paring knife, trim the dough to a 13-inch diameter. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and keep it covered in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Mix together the nuts and bread crumbs.

Toss together the remaining ingredients (except the decorating and confectioners' sugars for dusting) in a bowl, stirring just to mix.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator. Using a cake pan or pot lid as a template and the tip of a blunt kitchen knife as a marker, gently trace a 9-inch circle in center of the dough--this is the area for the filling. Sprinkle the center circle with the nut and crumb mixture and top with the filling. Now gently lift the unfilled border of dough up and onto the filling: as you lift the dough and place it on the filing, it will pleat. Brush the dough very lightly with a little water, then sprinkle it with a teaspoon or two of decorating or granulated sugar.

Bake the galette for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is brown, the cranberries have popped and the filling is bubbling. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Very carefully slide a small baking sheet or a cake lifter under the galette and slip the galette onto a rack to cool. Serve the galette with it is just warm or when it has reached room temperature, lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar.

* We used a micro-plane and grated the ginger, it seemed much stronger than when we chopped it so we did not use the entire amount. Use your own judgement on how much to add.


Foolproof Pie Dough via Cooks Illustrated
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water

1.Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, sugar until combined.  Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to clump (it will look like cottage cheese curds with no visible flour) scrape bowl of processor. Add remaining flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around the bowl and the mass of dough has been broken up.  Empty mixture into a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture.  With a rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide into 2 even balls, flatten into a 4 inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.
*Note this pie dough is very wet and need a bit of flour when rolling it out.

foolproof pie dough printable recipe

If you want the recipe for the galette, visit Celestial Confections.  To see what the other TWD bakers made
visit our blog roll.

Cranberry Lime Galette printable recipe

TWD: Cranberry Shortbread Cake

  This week Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen chose Not-Just-for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread cake

 Fresh, tangy cranberry and orange jam sandwiched between two layers of soft sweet cake made for a delicious fall treat. We loved that it was a combination of two of our favorites- shortbread and cranberry. The cranberry filling still had enough of the tart and slightly bitter flavors that we love in the fresh berries, and the cake had the perfect amount of sweetness to complement the cranberries without making them too sweet. We thought that they tasted even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.

The rich jewel tones of the jam and the soft ivory cake make for an eye catching dessert and a very pretty addition to a holiday dessert tray. I made ours in a 9x9 square pan instead of the round spring form pan called for in the recipe, dusted them with powdered sugar and cut them into bite size bars, which I liked because you were able to see the layers really well in each piece. 

I love to cook with fresh cranberries while they are in season, and this will definitely be added to our list of cranberry treats we look forward to every year!

Not-Just-for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread cake

Baking: from my home to yours Dorie Greenspan

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

13 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Jam filling

1 large navel orange

About 1/4 cup orange juice

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

Make jam:
Grate zest of orange into a medium saucepan. Slice off the peel, removing white pith, slice between membranes to release segments, cut segments into 1/4 inch pieces and toss into the pan. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into a measuring cup and water or juice to measure 1/4 cup. Pour it into the pan. Add the cranberries to the pan, stir in 3/4 cup sugar and set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Cook, stirring almost constantly, until cranberries pop and your spoon leaves tracks, about 5 minutes. Scrape jam into a bowl, taste it if it is too tart add more sugar to taste. Cool to room temperature. Store I fridge up to 2 weeks.

Cake:
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter on medium speed until soft and smooth. Add 1 cup of sugar and continue to beat until it dissolves into the butter. Reduce speed to low and add the egg and yolk, beating until they too are absorbed. Beat in vanilla . Add flour, mixing only until it is incorporated, do not over beat. Dough will be thick.

Turn dough on to a work surface and gather it into a ball, then divide in half and pat each half into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate 15-30 minutes.

Pre heat oven to 350f. Lightly butter a 9 inch spring form pan. I used a 9 inch square pan fitted with a parchment sling.

Work with one piece of dough at a time. For the bottom layer, roll or pat 1 disk of dough into bottom of pan. Spread the cranberry jam over the dough. Unwrap the second disk leave on plastic wrap and roll or press until it is the dimension of your pan. Carefully lift the dough and invert it onto the filling, lift off the plastic wrap and use your fingers to even it as necessary so that it covers the filling. Brush the top of the cake very gently with water and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly golden and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes. Release from pan (lift out sling or run a knife around the inner edge of spring from pan, remove sides)and let cool to room temperature.

  Visit Jessica for the recipe and visit our blog roll to see just what the other TWD bakers thought.

printable recipe

TWD: Holiday Bundt Cake

The last TWD recipe for November is the All in One Holiday Bundt Cake, picked by Britin of The NittyBritty. This easy cake was a big success at our house. Every bite was full of the flavors of fall-apples, pumpkin, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and the cinnamon powdered sugar glaze has become a new family favorite. Paired with a mug of warm mulled cider, this was the perfect fall dessert.
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If you want to make this delicious holiday cake jump on over to The Nitty Britty or get yourself a copy of Dorie's book.

Cran-Apple Crisps

TWD: Cran-Apple Crisps

 Em of The Repressed Pastry chef selected Cran-Apple Crisps for one of the November recipes. This was the perfect autumn dessert- sweet juicy apples paired with tart and tangy cranberries, covered in a crispy brown sugar oatmeal topping. You can add black berries, pears, dates, or invent your own yummy combination. Use your imagination with this one since apples lend themselves to pairing well with so many different things. As an added bonus, your house will smell terrific as this is baking, making it even harder to resist digging in!

Cran-Apple Crisps

Baking From My Home To Yours – Dorie Greenspan

For the topping

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
½ cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces

For the filling
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, don’t thaw)
½ cup moist, plump dried cranberries or raisins (dark or golden)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter eight ovenproof cups or bowls, each with a capacity of about one cup. Pu the cups on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

To make the topping:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms big curds, about 1 minute. (You can make the topping up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight bag.)

To make the filling:
Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Divide the fruit evenly among the cups then spoon an equal amount of topping over each portion of fruit. Bake the crisps for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling up around it. Transfer the cups to a rack and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This would be a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table, or for any time you want a fast and delicious dessert. Thanks Em for picking this easy and great tasting crisp.