recipe: (irresistible) sticky buns

if you’re as much of a sweet tooth as i am, then i can guarantee you something. you will not, i mean, WILL NOT be able to resist these sticky buns. i first saw them on an episode of throwdown with bobby flay, then read about them on serious eats, then heard from a friend who tried them that they were life-changing. i was basically ready to take a trip to boston’s flour bakery to buy these sticky buns of my dreams. but wait! i got ahold of the recipe in the flour bakery cookbook (it is also in the throwdown cookbook) and knew instantly that i need to bake this treat as soon as possible. and what better excuse to eat sugary things than valentine’s day?

i adapted the recipe slightly by omitting the pecans and substituting whole wheat flour for bread flour. i must admit that this recipe was a ton of work. not  a throw-everything-in-a-bowl-and-mix type of project. this is definitely a weekend event, as the dough needs time to proof and such, but if you ask me (and my deliciously happy belly), it was completely worth it. these sticky buns were the best i’ve ever tasted! the brioche dough is super soft and moist, with a cinnamon-sugar filling, oodles of goo on the bottom and some more goo spooned on top. these are best served warm, but are quite easy to reheat in the oven.

the dough (below) was quite easy to roll out

the “goo” was incredibly easy to make (and involves more butter and sugar than i cared to tell the people who were eating the buns)

the goo pours right into the bottom of the pan, and the cinnamon rolls just bake on top of it, soaking up all of the decadent flavor

the finished product, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top

recipe for sticky buns courtesy of flour bakery

ingredients for the goo:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (345 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (110 grams) honey
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) water
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Basic Brioche Dough, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (100 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped

First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that’s ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.

On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and half of the pecans. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. Trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.

Use a bench scraper or a chef’s knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2-inches wide. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.)

Pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.

Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.

The buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

ingredients for brioche dough:

• 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 2 1/4 cups (340 grams) bread flour
• 1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1-ounce (28 grams) fresh cake yeast
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (82 grams) sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 6 eggs
• 1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.

Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

the c’mon get happy meal: telepan

the thought of restaurant week lunch is enough to make me cheery throughout my entire workday. instead of sitting at my desk, cramming down a boring sandwich, i get to indulge in a three-course sit-down lunch at a nice place that is probably outside of my normal lunch budget. so when anita and i were choosing our annual restaurant week lunch this winter, we decided on telepan, a locally and seasonally driven restaurant from chef bill telepan, on the upper west side.

the walk to the restaurant was freezing, but i knew it would all be worth it once we were feasting on the winter’s goodies. the restaurant’s interior was simple and clean, but not overly designed. anita and i sat at a corner table and quickly chose our meals, knowing, of course that we would share everything. also, i should note that anita will be adding her comments to this post, so keep an eye out!

we started with house-smoked brook trout and chickpea pancakes. the trout was served over a buckwheat potato blini with black radish sour cream and was simply divine. i have never had better trout in my life. the smoky flavor lingered in my mouth long after my bite was over, and was perfectly complemented with the buckwheat blini. the chickpea pancakes were paired with spicy carrots, root vegetables, spinach and a carrot puree. they were definitely the more simple of the two dishes, but perfectly executed nonetheless.

anita’s note: i had been having a terrible, stressful week and arrived at lunch without much of an appetite–which was even more distressing as allison and i had been trying to make it to telepan for months. was i going to miss this chance?

but after one bite of this trout, i understood this meal was going to be special. it was going to be my “c’mon get happy” meal. my senses snapped to attention.  this trout glistened, piled prettily and high — you could have mistaken it for dessert. it was exquisite...

of "the sea": house smoked brook trout, buckwheat-potato blini, black radish sour cream

chickpea pancakes, spicy carrots, black kale & oregano

next up, the entrees. i ordered the wild striped bass with artichokes, farro, shell beans and arugula. the generous serving of bass was seared, slightly crispy and cooked beautifully and the shell beans still had a bite to them, which i love.

anita ordered the kobacha squash pierogi with aged balsamic and walnuts. usually, my family pigs out on endless amounts of potato cheese pierogies on christmas, but let me tell you, these were ages beyond your normal pierogi. they were so delicate, sweet, and indulgent, without being too heavy. the balsamic countered the sweetness of the squash and the walnuts added a crunch to the otherwise smooth texture of the dish.

wild striped bass, artichokes, farro, shell beans and arugula

of the earth: kobacha squash pierogi, aged balsamic, & walnuts

anita’s note: the kobacha squash pierogi were earthbound, but no less delightful. emphasis on light. and the firm walnuts were a terrific contrast.

and can i even begin to tell you about the desserts without drooling over my keyboard? we shared the apple fritters with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce and the dark chocolate bread pudding with malted chocolate cream, and black & white ice cream. each was excellent; the fritters were crispy with succulent pieces of apple inside and the bread pudding was gooey, crusty and oozing with dark chocolate flavor. these certainly satiated our need for both a fruit-based and chocolate-based treat.

apple fritters, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce

of the heavens: dark chocolate bread pudding, malted chocolate cream, and black and white ice cream

black and white ice cream--is that a fancy way of saying "milk chocolate" ice cream"? love the chocolate top hat.

these sweetsaltythings would 100% revisit the upper west side gem.

note from anita: i definitely want to go back with allison. she is a gem. between her company and the exceptional fare, i left telepan happy, indeed…

reservations can be made through opentable

location: 72 west 69th st. between columbus and central park west

***

all photos © anita aguilar

easy cranberry & apple cake

i really love that the name of this recipe begins with the word “easy.” when i am searching for a new dessert recipe, i am frequently overwhelmed by the number of steps and ingredients many entail. sometimes i’m up for a challenge, but sometimes i just want something quick, delicious and….easy.

leave it to ina garten to create such a thing. this easy cranberry & apple cake comes from her new book, how easy is that? and the name of the recipe did not mislead me. the cake truly was a cinch, and the tart cranberries in this cake complement the sweet apples so well.

recipe:

easy cranberry & apple cake

serves 6 to 8

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11⁄8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. with the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. on low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1⁄8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. serve warm or at room temperature.

while baking this cake, i wondered if cranberries were a fruit or vegetable. i figured they were a fruit, but i thought i’d check nonetheless.  indeed, they are a fruit (a cousin of blueberries). i am probably the only one who didn’t know that.

the cake slides easily out of the pan, only leaving behind a few lone pieces of fruit (which i gladly ate).

moist, fruity, not too sweet and still warm from the oven. the perfect slice!

bringing the cheer: pumpkin empandas

as i write this, i have no idea what punxsutawney phil is going to say about winter, but i do know that some spirits are sagging under the weight of all the snow, shoulders are tired from being hunched up against the wind, the sight of muddy snowpiles isn’t terribly inspiring, and slush is just a treacherous mess. i’m not going to even mention the ice.

allison and i tested this recipe, courtesy of chef alan bergman, a new twist on a comfort food that just may revive a little holiday spirit to lift us through the next few cold ones (hopefully it will be mere days, and not weeks more of this wintery mix). and, since this is our first cooking endeavor together for the blog, we’re going to team up for this post. so look for allison’s notes here, too!

if you can get your hands on fresh or frozen pumpkin meat, you will appreciate the deep caramelization from roasting it in the butter and spices. but these empanadas will be popular with pumpkin pie fans if you use good quality canned stuff.

a note about chef bergman’s recipe.
it calls for 1 pie pumpkin. this seemed alarmingly vague to me, being not so familiar with fresh pie pumpkin purchasing. should it be 5 lbs? 2 or 3, before peeling? but as my boss likes to say, when confronted with an uneasy situation, “i view this as an opportunity…” and so it seemed like allison and i could “play” with the proportions, and adjust the balance of pumpkin to apple, according to our own taste. *note from allison: we ended up doubling the sugar, too, to bring out the sweet flavors of the pumpkin. we should note that these empanadas are not for fans of the super-sweet. they’ve got a faint hint of sweetness, but it really seems to work perfectly with the dough.

i would say, err toward something small (though if you wind up with extra roasted pumpkin you can either freeze the leftover filling, or incorporate it into some other dish or savory side). *note from allison: we were so inspired by the idea of savory pumpkin empanadas, that we’ve decided to use the rest of the pumpkin filling we have leftover to create a savory version of the empanadas. possibly goat cheese and walnuts? possibly fontina cheese and hazelnuts? stay tuned for “round two.”

we doubled everything–two apples, twice the amount of spices and butter– and it turned out we had twice the amount of filling we needed for the amount of empanada dough that we made.

as for the dough–chef bergman’s recipe is tailored for a store bought empanada or puff pastry dough. we sweetsaltythings wanted to make our own. we decided to use “mad hungry” lucinda scala quinn’s recipe. *note from allison: using a puff pastry dough would probably give these empanadas a much lighter texture, and we preferred using something a little more substantial.

i have made many an empanada in my day (my mom used to do a bit of catering and i used to help make the empanadas, filled with beef or chicken or a sweet walnut paste) and this cream cheese-based recipe is very similar to what mom and i have worked with before. *note from allison: i did not know this fact about anita and am thoroughly impressed (and will now be requesting batches of empanadas from her frequently).

i creamed the butter and cream cheese with a mixer, and mixed the rest by hand–and you really can do it all by hand, which is nice.
it’s easy to make and work with–you can feel confident rolling the dough many times, pinching and poking it, too. intense manipulation by the most inexperienced hands will not compromise the flakiness, though you may want to keep the dough on the cool side, it’s easier to shape that way. and of course, keep the board and rolling pin floured.

you don’t even really need a rolling pin, but i like to roll any chance i get.

you also don’t need to use a biscuit cutter (my mom and i used to roll the dough into balls of a roughly even shape, pound  and stretch them out with our fingers, and crimp the sides by stretching and folding the edges)

we used two kinds of apples (granny smith and fuji) *note from allison: we roasted the apples until they were soft, but not falling apart. we wanted them to still have some bite!

we decided to opt for the cinnamon sugar topping

but we got so carried away, chatting away over coffee, with the i love lucy marathon on in the background, we forgot to add the cinnamon sugar to the first batch…so most of our empanadas received a dusting of confectioner’s sugar…

a finished cinnamon-sugar dusted empanada

our first batch…

***

a note about the baking time: if you use the lucinda scala quinn cream cheese pastry dough recipe or another rather sturdy dough recipe, your oven temperature and baking time should correspond to the instructions for the dough.

stick to chef bergman’s timing, of 15-20 minutes, if you use a delicate or store-bought puff pastry…

***

pumpkin empanadas, courtesy of chef alan bergman of johnson and wales university

Yield: 20

Ingredients

Filling:
Pie Pumpkin 1
Apple: Green or Honey Crisp 1 medium
Cinnamon 1 T
Nutmeg 1 tsp
Brown Sugar 2 T
Granulated Sugar 1 T
Butter, softened 3 T
Egg, beaten 1

Method of Preparation

1. Peel the pie pumpkin and remove all seeds.

2. Cut the pumpkin into one inch cubes and place in medium sauce pot. Cover with water and simmer over moderate heat until tender.

3. Meanwhile, peel the apple and chop into small pieces. Place the apple in a small bowl. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and softened butter.

4. Next, drain the pumpkin and add to the seasoned apple mixture. Use your hands to toss the pumpkin and apple in the holiday spices until they are thoroughly covered.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Place the filling mixture in a shallow baking pan and roast in oven for approximately 25 minutes or until fork tender.

7. Remove the caramelized filling and slightly mash with a fork. Once finished, the filling should remain chunky and have a stringy texture.

8. Roll out the empanada dough on a floured surface. Use a four inch round cookie cutter to make twenty circles of dough.

9. Place one rounded tablespoon of pumpkin filling in the center of each dough round. Fold the dough over the filling and secure the edges with your fingertips. Finish the empanadas by pinching the edges with a fork.

10. Place the empanadas on a piece of parchment paper over a baking
sheet. Lightly brush with the beaten egg.

11. If you are serving the empanadas as a dessert, you can sprinkle each with additional cinnamon sugar before baking.

12. Bake the empanadas in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

***

holiday sweets (belated)

the best part about the holidays? the massive amounts of delicious desserts.

butterscotch blondies

carrot cake mini cupcakes adapted from food & wine’s january 2010 issue

“honeymoon cake”  with grand marnier (from my aunt maria)

my aunt alida’s famous annual cookie plate (including, but not limited to, cardamom crisps, chewy ginger cookies, linzer cookies, chocolate mint cookies and lemon cookies)

coconut sandwich cookies from martha stewart cookies

a festive pumpkin log

my personal (new) favorite cookie of the year: toffee millionaires from martha stewart

gooey chocolate butter cookies from paula deen (not a favorite – these tasted a little bit like cakey prepacked brownies)

bacon bits: chocolate chip-bacon-pecan cookies

my first time (with bacon): the  cowboy cookie at cowboy ciao, in scottsdale…october 18, 2007

***

while the origin of the cowboy cookie isn’t clear, if you’ve ever had one you’ll understand why its aptly named.
it’s hearty (enough to provide sustenance…during a long ride across…the great plains).
it’s sturdy (enough to survive…being tossed about in your pocket… during a rodeo).
coconut and pecans provide a boost of energy (for all that wrangling).
chocolate soothes the (lonely) soul.
bacon makes it…american?

oh, let’s just say bacon makes it.

i understand if you think the idea of bacon in a cookie sounds a bit gimmicky. but if you love the stuff and are intrigued by the idea of marrying it with something sweet, i’ve tested a recipe for chocolate chip-bacon-pecan cookies, courtesy of susan russo that will most assuredly win you over.

these share the vigorous flavor of cowboy cookies, but they’re crisp and  slim. (the cowgirl cookie?)

the recipe requires only 5 slices of bacon; the effect is seductive, not overpowering.

semi-sweet chocolate chips, pecans, and finely chopped bacon

***

susan russo’s chocolate chip bacon pecan cookies

yield:  about 18 thin-and-chewy cookies

5 strips bacon

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until just blended. Add the dry ingredients; beat until just incorporated and the flour is dissolved. Stir in the chocolate chips, pecans and bacon.

Drop one large tablespoon cookie dough 2 to 3 inches apart (as they will spread) on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until firm and golden brown around the edges, and still slightly soft in the center. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.

Can be stored on countertop for one to two days, then refrigerated in an airtight container.

these are  too rich to become a regular “after school” or midnight snack.

but they’re perfect for gifting (i presented some to my cousin at christmas) or  your upcoming super bowl party.

let them be special.

***

if you prefer a “cakier” cookie, ms. russo offers a variation in her npr piece “bacon gets its just desserts,” and recipes for other porky sweets: chocolate bacon-peanut-bark, peanut butter-maple-bacon fudge and maple-apple-bacon cake with maple glaze.

***

all photos © anita aguilar

homestyle: the sweetness

our christmas in connecticut, hosted by the palacio/reyes families…
here’s the mostly homemade sweetness:

tita celia’s cookie tray (plenty more where these came from)

mom’s peerless leche flan

jenny’s nutella cups with white chocolate mousse

tiramisu 

homebaked red velvet cupcakes

tita celia’s carrot cake

tita celia’s coconut cream pie (i.e. the stuff of my dreams)

brookies

the name says it all. this “brownie-meets-cookie” treat in the clinton st. baking company cookbook combines two of the most well-loved goods into one chewy, rich mouthful.  i ate them only a couple minutes after their departure from the oven, and they really hit the spot with an ice-cold glass of milk. my only complaint was that they lost some of their freshness after only two/three days in our cookie jar (but we still loved the flavor and ate them anyway).

the batter texture and liquidity was much more like brownie batter than cookie batter, but they ended up baking nicely. i spaced them about 1.5 – 2 inches apart.

the finished product, below.

brookie recipe below from the clinton st. baking company cookbook

makes eighteen to twenty

ingredients
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 c. semisweet chocolate chunks (52-62% cacao)
2 large eggs
¾ c. light brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1. while the oven preheats to 350°, melt the oil, butter, and 1 cup of the chocolate together in the microwave on high heat for 2.5-3 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals. or melt the mixture in the stainless-steel bowl of a double boiler. Let cool.

2. in another bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

3. whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. combine the flour mixture with the chocolate mixture, and then fold in the remaining chocolate chunks.

4. freeze the batter in a shallow pan (such as a pie plate) 6-8 minutes until it sets and hardens slightly.

5. spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. scoop about 10 tablespoons of batter onto each sheet. bake 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked (the insides will still be quite moist). cool completely. the brookies will be perfectly soft and chewy.

a thanksgiving feast

the time between the day before thanksgiving and christmas day is my favorite time of year. i guess it is for a lot of people, but here’s why it is so magical to me.  a) it is a state of pure joy. i love spending time with family and friends, being hectic, listening to music, and feeling cozy. b) i get to obsessively watch home alone two-three times a week without seeming crazy. c) i obsess over recipes. what to make? what to eat? what to bring to people’s apartments, houses, and holiday parties? the food options are endless this time of year! and it kicks off with thanksgiving.

here are a few photos:

the turkey (after years of being a white meat eater, i have started to absolutely crave dark meat)

brussels sprouts with bacon

cranberry sauce with dried cherries (recipe from everyday food)

cauliflower au gratin (recipe from barefoot in paris, by ina garten)

thinly sliced, roasted sweet and white potatoes with butter, salt and pepper

the stuffing! my uncle’s stuffing was excellent, and super flavorful

we took a quick breather before we hit the dessert table…pumpkin pie (without the added toppings, apple pie, chocolate crackle cookies, and almond cake (which i have no other photo of, but i LOVED)

bobby flay’s pumpkin pie with cinnamon crunch (the “crunch” gave some great added texture to the creamy pie)

my aunt and cousin’s traditional apple pie (with picture-perfect crust!)

an always-requested hit, chocolate crackle cookies

yabba dabba doo: blum’s coffee crunch cake

i’m an enthusiastic novice baker.

my kitchen is 86 x 62 inches.
the free space is closer to 3 feet by 2.

i try not to let its compact size suppress my ambition too much, but having a small space (and not much extra storage) means i can’t go crazy with tools and gadgets. so if a dessert can’t be made with a hand mixer and the pans i’ve got right now, then it can’t be made.

***

WOW is what i said the first time i saw a photo of blum’s coffee crunch cake–i can’t recall how i found my way to the valerie confections site, perhaps via daily candy? and i was thrilled to discover that martha stewart had made the recipe available on her site. i consulted the ladies in my family to see if i should attempt it for our next family get together. the photo inspired big eyes and big thumbs-ups from everyone (though i’m sure we all new the chances of success were…even). and i’m sure no one would have blamed me if i punted at the last minute and tried something a bit less intimidating.

but my philosophy was, if not this thanksgiving day, then when?

it was a pretty successful and pleasing first attempt–here are a few notes, in case you’re feeling inspired, too.

the strategy for me, since i had to get it nj on thursday morning, was to bake the cake and make the crunch topping the night before, and save the whipped cream icing and final decorating until thursday.

part 1:  cake and crunch

this recipe was less tricky than you might think, but it assumes a level of experience, i.e. when making this batter (essentially a lemon chiffon) you’ll know how long it takes for egg whites to form stiff, glossy peaks (for me, this was somewhere between 10 and 12 minutes).

same with the making the coffee crunch. there’s no timing given–just a temperature reading on a candy thermometer (which i don’t have).  i’ve become skilled at discerning the right amber color when making caramel, but my eyes weren’t much help here-the color of this mixture  was already dark brown. after the mix hit the boiling point and  i started to smell slightly burned coffee i panicked, and cut the cooking time short, to only a couple of minutes.

and to be honest, i may have added a bit too much corn syrup than the recipe called for (i’d had a glass of south african pinotaaage, whilst baking. it was the holidays after all!). the first batch looked butter-y. it had neither the look or taste of coffee. but it was densely sugary and it crumbled softly under my fingers, which was a relief.

but still, i had a feeling it was not quite right. since i had enough ingredients, i decided to try for round 2.

for the second batch, i paid closer attention. i was careful in measuring the sugar and corn syrup.  and i decided to use other candies i’d made as a guide and leave it to boil for 6 minutes, unless the i’m burning smell became really pronounced. the result was a darker caramel color, and a harder, truly brittle candy, with lots of good air pockets.

even if this wasn’t perfect, i suspected it was closer to what it should have been.

as to the cake itself, because i used a round pan rather than a tube pan, i needed to add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time–and that might have been a bit too much. next time i will divide the batter between 2 pans (or borrow a tube).

part 2:

the single, but universal criticism of this first attempt ? more icing. not really a criticism, more like a suggestion.

i will double the icing next time.

as far as the decorating, the application of the crumbs, it seemed to work out well, that i had two different batches of crunch. it added more interest, from a visual and taste/texture perspective.

my sister, my mom and my aunt all participated in the decorating. we had a disagreement when it came to breaking up the candies—i was convinced, based on the “martha” photo, that the candy pieces should be big shards. my sister and aunt were much more practical—how would you really cut the cake if the pieces were that big? and then, imagine what it will be like to eat?
they had a point. so we went with smaller pieces.

we tried a few different techniques for the application,
the gentle pat
the sprinkle
the errant toss (my favorite).
it’s not a neat affair, but it is FUN.

AND DELICIOUS.

it’s like something out of the flintstones, yes?

***
one last note: we finished decorating a few hours before dinner. mom was nervous about the whipped cream sagging or spoiling, and i was afraid a stint in the refrigerator would mar the texture of the icing or the crunch. our compromise was to leave it outside, in a carrying case. which is essentially, a fridge.

the candy did soften, but it wasn’t enough to ruin things. but next time, i’d leave it at room temp and prepare it at close as possible to serving time, just to preserve the “crunch.”