sweet things | a whisk and a spoon

Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Chocolate-Olive Cookies

May 3, 2022 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, DC, groups, savory things, snacks, tuesdays with dorie | 4 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies, savory, snacks

Chocolate-Olive Cookies…I know what you’re thinking. Sounds strange, right? I think so, too, and having made them, I can confirm that is indeed the case. A barely sweet cocoa shortbread-style cookie with chopped cured black olive bits mixed through, this is the last “cocktail cookie” recipe we had left to tick off the list. You get the bitterness from the cocoa and a salty funkiness from the olives, and while they weren’t bad alongside the red wine Dorie recommends to go with, I don’t think I’ll make them again.

For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!

Everyday Dorie: Eton Mess

April 22, 2022 at 8:18 pm | Posted in everyday dorie, general pastry, groups, other sweet, puddings, custards, mousses, sweet things | 3 Comments
Tags: everyday dorie

Eton Mess is a traditional British dessert with whipped cream, strawberries and broken up meringue…it reminds me of a pavlova someone took a mallet to, but it’s beautiful it’s own messy way. Light and summery, Dorie’s version uses a strawberry-rhubarb compote and meringue with Biscoff spice cookie bits swirled through. And my version of Dorie’s version uses puréed mango, sweetened raspberries and meringue with crispy Lazzaroni amaretti cookie bits. The meringue is baked off in a sheet, which is then broken up into crumbles. I bake at home with golden sugar rather than white, so I am assuming that’s what gave my meringue it’s golden hue, as I didn’t neglect it in the oven. It was delicious with the almondy flavor from the cookies, and I was glad to have extra to nibble on. I assembled my Eton Mess parfait-style, which looked quite tidy for photos, but rest assured that as soon as the camera clicked off, I stirred it up and made a mess of it.

For the recipe, see Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, and head over to Cook the Book Fridays to see all of our messes this week.

Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Almond Crackle Cookies

April 19, 2022 at 3:01 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, DC, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 2 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies, nuts

Since nobody seems to mind the cookie tin, here it is again, this time filled (partially) with Almond Crackle Cookies. This recipe is an easy little three-ingredient number to stir together– just sliced almonds, sugar and some egg. Make it five ingredients and add a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla if you want to.

I used Dorie’s muffin tin baking method for these, because those who made them free-form last time reported much spreading. Baked in the tin, they kept a nice hockey puck shape. Most of them did anyway. I lost three that fused to the tin and then shot around the kitchen in an exploded mess while trying to pry them out with a baby offset. Lesson learned to grease the tins well. Slightly caramelized around the outside, these are crispy-crunchy and good! I tried sprinkles on a couple of them, but they didn’t look as cute as I thought they would.

For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: French Riviera Lemon Tart

April 12, 2022 at 7:31 am | Posted in BWD, groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 9 Comments
Tags: baking, tart

Ah the French Riviera…can’t say that I’ve been, but I imagine it to be a place of casual elegance, oversized sunglasses, floppy hats and endless sunshine. It’s no wonder Dorie calls this fabulously sunny beauty her French Riviera Lemon Tart, and it does come to us by way of her friend in Nice. It’s a dessert that’s put together so quickly that she calls it a “magic trick.” You can make it and not even break a sweat…save that for the beach, and then cool off with a glass of rosé (with ice, if you like).

I don’t know if Meyer lemons are a thing in the French Riviera, but they were a thing in my fridge. I bought a couple of them over a month ago…they seemed “too good to use” for my normal lemon needs, and just sat there neglected. (Why do I do that?) I decided that this was their time to shine– their invitation to Cannes! Many lemon tarts are popped in the oven to set the filling, but not this one. Here, with the help of a tiny bit of cornstarch, a quick curd enriched with butter and olive oil goes into a fully baked press-in shell (I chose to strain mine first to make it completely smooth), and is then simply refrigerated until set. It’s cool, creamy, delicate and light, but still slices nicely. This tart is effortlessly chic, and if you’re not trying to play it low-key, leave it as-is, but if George Clooney is stopping by and you are looking for something more high-glamour, add freshly whipped cream and raspberries.

If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan yet, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!

Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Espresso Chocolate Sablés

April 5, 2022 at 4:05 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, DC, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 6 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies

I feel like I may be over-using this metal cookie tin is as a prop, but it’s a real-like look into what I’m keeping around for sweet snacks…lift off the lid right now, and you’ll see Espresso Chocolate Sablés. Dorie’s sablés are always winners, and when they’re flavored with my two favorite things (espresso and chopped chocolate), I wonder why we’ve waited so long to make them! Well, they are pretty similar to the Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from BFMHTY, but heck, that post was in 2010.

These make me think of the McDonald’s chocolaty chip cookies that came in a little box and were such a treat when I was a kid. Today, those probably wouldn’t actually taste anything like they do in my memory, but I can’t check that because it seems they don’t even sell them anymore. I am totally dating myself with rosy memories of fast food cookies from the ’80s, but the point is that I really liked these sablés, and they should pop up in the tin on the regular.

For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!

TWD BWD Rewind: Swirled, Spiced Sour Cream Bundt Cake

March 30, 2022 at 2:40 pm | Posted in bundt cakes, cakes & tortes, DC, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 4 Comments
Tags: baking, bundt, cake

Few things delight me more than a Bundt cake, and few things excite me more than cutting into a swirled or marbled cake and seeing how things played out in the oven. This Swirled, Spiced Sour Cream Bundt had all my neurons sparking. It features a sturdy but moist sour cream cake with fudgy ripples of spices, nuts and chocolate. I added a little powdered espresso to the swirl sprinkle, and to the thick glaze I topped the cake with. As I lifted out the first couple of slices, I was pleased to see that the swirl had behaved itself. This was great as a dessert cake and as a coffee cake.

For the recipe, see Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Leckerli

March 15, 2022 at 5:22 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, DC, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 3 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies

One of the many things I’ve liked about baking from Dorie’s Cookies is finding out about cookies from far off places. I haven’t gone anywhere in ages, but I can still explore the sweets of the world. Here, we have Leckerli, a spice cookie from Switzerland. With plenty of mixed spice, candied orange peel, honey, almonds and kirsch, the dough is made, rolled into a slab and rested for up to two days before baking to “age” the flavors. Then it’s baked, glazed (more kirsch!) and cut into tiles. They might look like firm, crisp cookies, but they are actually dense and chewy, and while they do have those holiday vibes, I’d be happy to have them in the cookie tin anytime of year.

For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Glenorchy Flapjacks

March 8, 2022 at 6:14 pm | Posted in BWD, cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 7 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies

Turns out I like flapjacks of all kinds, whether we’re talking pancakes or these Glenorchy Flapjacks. This style of flapjack is a traditional British treat (although Dorie actually picked up this recipe while traveling in NZ). It’s a lot like a chewy granola bar, with oats, dried fruit, coconut, seeds and plenty of candied ginger, all bound together in a sticky mix. I really liked the zingy pops of ginger in here. These are yummy, sturdy squares that would be great to pack up for school or for an outdoor adventure. They were also great to snack on at home, so mine didn’t even make it out the door.

Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Cocoa-Cayenne Cookies

March 1, 2022 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, DC, groups, savory things, snacks, tuesdays with dorie | 7 Comments
Tags: baking, cookies, savory, snacks

We find ourselves today in the Cocktail Cookies section of the book. We only have one savory cookie left after this! Dorie created these Cocoa-Cayenne Cookies to go with red wine. They are barely sweet, have a bit of a kick and a very tender crumb. I think I rolled mine a tad too thin, as a couple of them crumbled to bits when I moved them around. That’s our secret because I ate the bits. It’s almost a mind trick to bite into one of these cookies and get the spice of chili powder and the bitterness of cocoa, rather than the chocolatey sweetness you’d expect by looking at them. They do, in fact, go well with red wine, so maybe the real trick is to just pour another glass.

For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan (it’s also here). Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and please join us anytime!

Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Two-Bite Cinnamon Puffs

February 22, 2022 at 9:47 am | Posted in BWD, general pastry, groups, other sweet, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 5 Comments
Tags: baking, choux

I think choux pastries are some of the most fun, from the cooking of the dough itself to the excitement of seeing how it sprouts and poofs in the oven, they are a delight to make and eat. Dorie’s One-Bite Cinnamon Puffs are cinnamon-spiced chouquettes, French sweet snacks that are pearl-sugared cream puffs without the cream. The recipe makes 100 little popable babies– a bit too much for the two of us here, even though we are pretty hard-core snackers. I cut the recipe back to just 1/4 and made her Two-Bite Cinnamon Puffs variation. Since it was such a small amount of batter, I just mixed it by hand right in the pot I used to heat the liquid. I also started my oven at 400˚ and turned it down to 350˚ at the half-way point. I figured the larger sized puffs could take that extra-hot steam boost without getting torched (not sure about the tiny ones, though). This gave me eleven chouquettes that were a nice coffee nibble. And, if you want to experiment, the two-biters also had enough room inside to squirt a little canned whipped cream or to hold a small scoop of ice cream.