tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32076226496850283842024-02-21T10:18:56.236-06:00Sugar & FlourAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-83132775366447625062011-10-13T16:56:00.000-05:002011-10-13T21:34:57.285-05:00Beer and Cookies? I Dunno...I am there, in the trenches, with all the rest of you when I say this: I hate admitting when ideas - amazing as they are in theory - crash and burn, hold me to shame - whatever it is. <br />
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It seemed to me - in some moment of what should have been brilliant innovation - that if my 2 favorite vices, sweets and beer, were worth a regular routine of indulgence - why was I experiencing them apart? We should all be fairly aware of the beauty that is melding stout and chocolate. So there it is - beer and sweets.<br />
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My boyfriend throws a ridiculous Oktoberfest party every year. The brewery boys brew 100 gallons, slaughter pigs for brats, grow potatoes and cabbage - the whole 9 yards (and about 900 more). Of this hundred gallons, is roughly 20 gallons of a personal favorite of mine - hefeweizen, or unfiltered wheat beer. Its hearty without being heavy, cloudy like any good mystery, and smells like clove and banana. Thus, sending me off on a mental tangent.<br />
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After days of storms brewing in my mind, the skies cleared and the, fingers crossed, greatest idea of my life came to light. A hefeweizen cookie. If all went the way it was supposed to, it could be the next great afternoon treat. If delicious beer had a flavor profile like a delicious cookie, they must be married into one. <br />
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Or not so much. In defense of this recipe, I may have possibly (maybe) taken a few too many liberties in substitutions - but here is where I <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/338169/banana-walnut-chocolate-chunk-cookies">jumped off.</a> I should be honest and admit that I began with taking out the oats - I wasn't sure that was a texture I wanted - and replaced that with half the amount of flour (totally pulled that one out of the air), added brewers' malt powder, left out the walnuts, added ground cloves, and replaced the chocolate chips with Whoppers - whafers (just like the Christopher Walken "whafer thin mint" sketch) according to a dear friend's dear, sweet child.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzgheQwlxZA-CAtTDSmya0fM3hlGNnmYtKbdOb1G-ywO8oHN1Xl-5rT_AzrKps7ueACjlde0asmOAACpqls_KfR12JE8Uzjqk66NyaT_iTuYD1BQr33G5TKAoAsONrU9vKMBhukvK-0Y/s1600/bananabeer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS61eHXJsMWuc71-XmJDNqCPOAMD0V-78KEqmLDHlbKLJ8FZUq8V9umIv7R7a-bWwj3pIE6XX_b2-Y1yboaEQxe2pS2S2BQCPJkW4LjW25Gh-9gKMAAiQlPaW-pHw76bP6C9rC89oH5c/s1600/bananabeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS61eHXJsMWuc71-XmJDNqCPOAMD0V-78KEqmLDHlbKLJ8FZUq8V9umIv7R7a-bWwj3pIE6XX_b2-Y1yboaEQxe2pS2S2BQCPJkW4LjW25Gh-9gKMAAiQlPaW-pHw76bP6C9rC89oH5c/s200/bananabeer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the end, what I ended up with was a banana muffin top with the addition of Whoppers - nothing of the chewy, malty, just a bit spicy, banana laden - without tasting like Laffy Taffy - hand-held face melter I was hoping for. Its not that it wasn't delicious, it was just unimpressive. They said nothing of OHMYGODCOOKIELADYPLEASEDON'TEVERSTOPMAKINGTHESE!! Part of me feels a bit guilty for the trays that went into the trash, but with so many cookies to eat in the near future - we have to save our expanding waistlines for the top notch stuff.<br />
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Back to the drawing board. I like it here though - its quiet and smells like home.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-64912370747872618552011-10-10T14:28:00.001-05:002011-10-10T19:32:48.141-05:00My Very Own Dr FrankensteinWith the major success of what may have been the best chocolate chip cookies of my torrid 29 years - and with so much time for number crunching, research, thinking - I've been left feeling a little like Dr. Frankenstein. Gathering all my parts - don't worry mom, none of my parts are remains of any kind - ideas, information, and getting ready to hole myself up in the laboratory, or, uh, kitchen for the winter to build my monster - in hopes that I can unveil something fantastic next spring.<br />
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While I'm on this mission for cookie glory, why limit myself to the basics? I love a good sugar cookie - peanut butter cookies make my knees weak - nothing says, "hey, kid. I was thinking of you, and how ridiculously awesome you are" like a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk after school. Everyone does them - some well, some acceptably, some not so great. Why make that the source of competition? A new arm, or, errr, ingredient makes everyone feel new and shiny. New eyes make things look better. Adding a little jolt of electricity (I'm thinking corn flakes and candy corn) livens the party. You probably catch my drift...<br />
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The first time I fell in loved with Baked, in Red Hook, Brooklyn - it was for their (practically world famous) brownie. I have to shamefully admit that I've never actually had it from the shop - just the straight-up super chocolate awesome recipe version - it really is the best one around. My only decent excuse is that there was just too much to choose from! I got a little overwhelmed. The second time I found myself swooning - yes, I know, its a pattern - was for their monster cookie. An enormous amalgamation of peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips and M&M's. It turns out my beast-son - he'll grow out of the beast part soon, I hope - is enamored with them when I switch it up with peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, and M&M's. We don't do anything cookie-related halfway, and we're all about the heft of these monsters. He says, "You know mom, they're ok normally, but epic the way you make them." So here is where we jump off...<br />
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Everyone believes that cookies can be ok - why not make them "epic" or a little freaky (freaky delicious, of course)? Lets be all about leaving people thinking, "I had no idea a cookie could be like this!" Like I've always believed - cookies never get the play they deserve. We're entirely too willing to settle for a plain Jane cookie - too often from a box - when in reality, they are compact, durable, and endlessly versatile. So, whether its PB OD - a peanut butter cookie, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter Cap'n Crunch - or a Brewers' Banana - banana cookie made with hefeweizen syrup and malt balls - I can't wait to back slowly away from the kitchen, exclaiming, "Its alive!"Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-74890970964472837722011-10-08T15:16:00.001-05:002011-10-08T16:52:55.183-05:00A Domesticated GoddessIn my attempt to keep this blog updated regularly, and find a focus - I've come up dry in the last few weeks. Having lost my job - for whatever reason - which I loved and believed in more than I can say - my brain has been muddled. <br />
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I got lucky - that's all there is to it. I - in the last 2 years - climbed to the top, found the next summit, and kept climbing. I got a chance to come back to the place that felt most like home (cheers, Lincoln, Nebraska) - I got a little play in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/books/review/InsideList-t.html">NY Times</a> - did a little stint as the Queen of Cake in-training - and landed (by the grace of whatever it is) on my feet, every. stinkin'. time. I should give props to the kings of my heart, lest they think I've forgotten them. I have the month of October - longer if I'd like - to think long and hard about who I want to be - personally, professionally, whateverally. I get to take care of my beast-pre-teen-son, my boyfriend, and the most ridiculous pets. I'm holding out for another summit - rather than finding out that I hit the ground and it took some time to shake myself into reality. Thank you.<br />
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Lets not kid ourselves - I'm not kicked back eating bon bons in my bath robe. All this thinking, re-evaluating, number crunching possibilities, parenting, housework, pet care, keeping 'em fed and entertained stuff is hard work. I surprise myself sometimes - I love the domesticated goddess life. Making pita bread from scratch, sewing curtains, long dog walks - I am by nature, a nurturer.<br />
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I spent the other afternoon baking cookies for my beastie's 6th grade social - I also learned this act is a significantly more socially acceptable gesture before age 11. Although, we do relish any opportunity to "ruin" lives and be the "laughing stock" of 900 11-14 year olds - we gotta have something to look forward to. Distractions aside - and with all this time to think - cookies never get enough play. This became blatantly apparent to me during the Gourmet Cookie Project - the reason I started this blog in the first place. So - I'll stick with it. Cookies, cookies, and cookies. There are cake people - I still defend that people who don't like cake have just had bad cake experience; dare to challenge me - pie people, tall people, funny people. I've never met a single person who doesn't like cookies. I will also defend that cookies are the most versatile, convenient, and under-played treats of the dessert world. <br />
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So, the cake thing didn't work out. Is there a future in cookies? Lets start - or restart - with chocolate chip walnut cookies, per request of the boyfriend. Sorry, Eric - they don't have walnut extract in them - I've never even seen that anywhere - but the complex, yet homey, classic combination of tons of chocolate and walnuts will be sure to satisfy. We'll eat them warm, with tall glasses of milk - just like when we were kids. Please Jacques, King of Chocolate, don't lead me astray. I still bake for him like a desperate plea for falling in love.<br />
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<b><u>Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Walnuts</u></b><br />
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Recipe adapted from Jacques Torres, via <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/314346/jacques-torress-secret-chocolate-chip-co">Martha Stewart</a><br />
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Makes approximately 6 dozen, 2 inch cookies<br />
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<ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup, 2 sticks, unsalted butter (at room temperature)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 cups + 2 tbsp granulated sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup + 2 tbsp packed light-brown sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 large eggs</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon pastry flour</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 cups bread flour</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 tsp salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp baking powder</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp baking soda</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cups best quality bittersweet chocolate chips</li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; mix until well combined. Mix in chocolate and walnuts.</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></li>
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Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-45054920174705551102011-09-19T11:12:00.000-05:002011-09-19T21:01:51.795-05:00Monsters, The Power Of An Over Easy Egg Yolk, And A Little HopeLast night, we sheepishly ventured into a neighbor's backyard with a ridiculous abundance of cheese, salami, crackers, and 2 trays of cookies (Smitten Kitchen's <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/punishment-sandwiches/">Punition Sandwiches</a> and David Lebowitz's <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/10/chez-panisse-gi/">Chez Panisse Gingersnaps</a> sandwiched with lemon curd). It was probably entirely too much for the small soiree, but it seems so socially inappropriate to skimp when meeting your neighbors for the first time. I never do this for accolades about my skills or ideas (my apologies to the boyfriend for my stress about these things), but for the sake of giving my socially inept self a conversation topic. People are always willing to chat it up about which markets carry the "best" cheese, or where you found a great recipe and the story behind it. Otherwise I'm afraid you get me, staring into my beer - clueless about starting a conversation with a stranger. Nice shoes. What do you do for a living? Which house is your's? Sure - those are all a start, but I'm afraid that beyond that I fall flat.<br />
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Max, our resident taster, bottomless-stomached, challenge of a lifetime, 11 year old loves to talk about his favorite foods and why he thinks I'm the "most amazing cook" (sometimes). He has, for the most part, been a fairly typical kid in his food habits (which I should clarify with the exceptions). He doesn't do green, or other vegetables, and often requests "real food" when he has himself convinced that the current offerings don't please his palette. He will eat pepperoni pizza or chicken nuggets 3 times a day - until its time to switch to burgers and anything he can put a slurry of honey mustard and barbecue sauce on. Of course dessert in any form is always welcome in abundance. Lets face it - his beloved magic sauce turns everything into a sweet, sticky dinner-dessert. And then we have those exceptions: Manchego and quince paste, wild mushroom truffle ravioli and potato gnocchi from Fairway Market in New York City are the nearest and dearest foods to his heart. One of the first times the three of us (the boyfriend, me and Max) had dinner together, it was a wine, cheese, cured meats, fruit sort of affair - like the romantic picnic you take to the park with that guy you think you might really like. Except this happened in my living room with a 10 year old, and far too much conversation about video games and money making schemes. Max immediately started singing the, "Its terrific!" praises of Manchego and quince paste (the national dessert of Uruguay he learned from a Montessori project) - two things the boyfriend had never even known were an option. I got several seconds of wide blue eyes and a lean in to say, "You've created a monster" in the grocery store aisle. Yes, sir, I believe I have. I love that about him.</div>
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I all too often find myself going into dinner with my guns half-cocked for that, "What do you mean I have to eat that?" conversation - I'm convinced that Max won't find the evening's menu suitable. He really does have "surprising tastebuds". It is shocking every time he takes a bite, looks around, and mumbles through a mouthful, "That's really good." <br />
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Last Saturday evening he encountered the Croque Madame; a classic French bistro sandwich, that I will be the first to tell you, is a lead bullet of rich delicious. </div>
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I should preface my surprise with filling you in on what a Max sandwich is like - bread, salami, pepperoni, or cheese, never more than one filling, never a tomato, a hint of lettuce or a condiment. So when I handed him the behemoth of Gruyere, ham, bechamel, more Gruyere, and an over easy egg - the last thing I expected was to check back in on him was to hear him mumble, "The ham and the egg are the best part!" (through his mouthful, of course). It was date night afterall - we don't eat like this every night - so he got the luxury of dinner in front of the computer at his desk. The way the egg yolk soaks into the bread and makes all its salty, warm, comfort you like nothing else, components that much better changed my life the first time I sank into one. We were in a Belgian bistro - in Omaha, not really Belguim (do I ever wish!) - drinking this beer that knocked it over the top (what was that again, Eric?). I took one bite and peered across the table at him with that look - the one that he knows says "My God, this is it! This is food! This is why we eat! This is the exact reason why I rolled my tank out of bed this morning!". Its a sandwich and some booze; its those moments that he knows he scored the win. In my mind all is right with the world, and I'm on top. I too easily forget how powerfully comforting and delicious an over easy egg yolk can be. I feel like we had a moment (me and the sandwich, me and the world, and then me and the kiddo). They are fleeting, but worth it every time.</div>
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As I digress, I have this tub of mascarpone in the fridge (leftover from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/09/red-wine-chocolate-cake/">this</a>) that I can't possibly let go to waste. I do believe it will turn into <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/cauliflower-and-caramelized-onion-tart/">this</a>. I might be getting a little to much ruffle in my mama feathers thinking that I can get the royal 11 year old to eat cauliflower, but without a little hope, where would we be?</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-7259500775051209452011-01-08T20:40:00.002-06:002012-08-02T16:10:30.474-05:00Now What?I've been spoiled in the last few weeks at work. With the holidays in full swing, travel, and special menus, I've managed to skip out on Thursday pizza prep, Friday pasta making madness, and the Saturday morning breakfast until 1:30. This week, however, presented itself with business as usual. <br />
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I was quite shocked when my better half called, in the midst of rolling pasta sheets for lasagna, on Friday afternoon. I think he picked up early in our relationship that I really am not much for phone conversation, and we generally keep such communication fairly succinct, and most anything, short of an emergency, we deal with off the clock. I <span style="background-color: white;">immediately jumped to the conclusion that something terrible had happened, but was left stumbling my way through, "What?!", "No!", and lots of, "Oh, my god!" to learn about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/books/review/InsideList-t.html">this</a>. I know that I received a lot of attention locally and among family and friends, but I never imagined that anyone in the rest of the world had any idea what I was up to, or was interested for that matter.</span><br />
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I think I fell in love with New York City long before I even knew of its existence. I'll spare you most of the over the top, romantic notions I have of living in a city where I can eat anything I can imagine, or find any ingredient at practically any hour. I will tell you though that the first time I tasted a real New York pizza (John's - on Bleeker St in the Village), and an evening I spent stuffing my face full of pastries and cafe au lait in front of the Balthazar Bakery changed my life forever. The smoked sturgeon at Zabar's leaves me teary eyed, and it really is true what they say about the water.<br />
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Up until yesterday afternoon, I set the bar of accomplishment at getting a little play in the Big Apple. Whether it be a chance to live and work there, recognition of some sort, or being a name that was familiar to its chefs and restaurant professionals. Although this was not an interview or front page story, millions of people around the world will read my name tomorrow morning. I'm just a girl from a small, Maine town, striving to be better than ordinary in Lincoln, Nebraska. If this is what it means to me to "make it", then now what?<br />
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At least there are still Valentine's Day cookies to be ordered. Feel free to contact me for details allisonpvdb@gmail.comAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-61688544434464769292011-01-03T11:30:00.000-06:002011-01-03T11:30:52.042-06:00Love Is In the Air!I've spent the last few weeks in the flurry of festivities. Working in the restaurant industry leaves me with a schedule generally opposite from the rest of the world. When you have free time; nights, weekends, holidays, I'm busy creating the environment for you to eat, drink, and be merry. Combined with the storm of cookies I baked and a lovely trip to Illinois, I've been left with little time to gather my thoughts on the Gourmet project. As things head into the quiet winter months, I'll finish up the photos and my thoughts on that.<br />
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Spend enough time in my company and it doesn't take long to pick up on the way I bounce from project to project, often only half-finishing my tasks. In classic form, but with a vow to finish what's left on the last adventure and keep a better journal in future endeavors, I'm on to something new. I miss the warm, sweet smells of cookies filling my tiny apartment. I miss anxiously waiting on timers, hoping that everything finishes as it should, or the silky texture of melted chocolate and royal icing. So, with Valentine's Day right around the corner, what better way to get back onto the wagon I love than with another great variety of treats?<br />
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Lovebug Cookies (chocolate cut-outs, adorably decorated), Conversation Hearts (just like the classic candy, but on a sugar cookie), Peppermint Lovies (heart-shaped peppermint patties), Dulce de Leche Wafer Cookies, Sweet & Salty Brownies, and Cherry Linzer Windows (pecan and cherry sandwich cookies) will be available in boxes of 36 (6 of each variety) for $40.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lets keep the winter warm and delicious!</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-1765437330282602752010-12-14T00:38:00.000-06:002010-12-14T00:38:03.470-06:00Almost done. Almost.I feel ridiculously guilty about my lack of blog activity. Rest assured, my adoring public, I've been elbows deep in cookie dough for days. With 8 recipes left to complete tomorrow, I hope to have everything packaged and ready to roll on Wednesday. Again, anyone wishing to purchase cookies, please let me know in the next handful of days. I couldn't bear the thought of getting something that wasn't of the highest quality I could possibly provide.<br />
It's late. The next 2 days are jam packed with final baking, finishes, packaging and shipping. I assure you I'll have updates and pictures ready to roll after the waters have settled.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-68576625869688957322010-12-07T21:35:00.000-06:002010-12-07T21:35:44.696-06:00The Big 4-0Tonight, in between dishes, laundry, dinner, Cub Scouts, and Charlie Mingus - the world's most regal beagle, I finished the 40th cookie variety. I wrapped the evening up with a remake of 1975's Almond Bolas; the Portuguese almond cookie I made last week and entirely forgot to add the sugar to. I was quite careful to remember it this time, and the result was a beautiful little cookie with so many interesting characteristics. Nutty and chewy like a macaroon, the center reminding me strangely of scrambled eggs (I couldn't help but think of breakfast when I remembered the addition of breadcrumbs to these), and the crunch from the almond on top. Not too sweet, it would be a lovely cookie with some afternoon tea.<br />
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I also prepared the cookie portion of Sparkling Lemon Sandwich Cookies, a delicate little lemon shortbread rolled in sanding sugar, which I'll assemble with the filling right before they're packaged; Navette Sucre, or Sugar Shuttles, a French butter cookie shaped like a loom shuttle, coated with egg white and sugar; and Polish Apricot Cookies, a delicate cream cheese dough wrapped around a filling of apricot, golden raisins, honey, cinnamon, and orange marmalade - much like a fat, overfilled rugelach without the walnuts. In my love affair with all things New York City, I'm enamored with rugelach. I can't wait to get into these.<br />
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With 28 recipes left to make, I feel bittersweet about nearing the end of this project. It wouldn't take me more than 3 days of steady work to get them done, but I find myself wanting to drag it out longer. Despite the stress of real life bearing down on me, these cookies have become such an extension of who I am. They've provided me with much needed discipline and focus, and an outlet for the only way, it seems, that I can really connect with people. I spend more time with them than I do my friends, and sometimes it seems my family. I've been so focused on ingredients, recipes, when to bake what, packaging, who will receive an insane box of cookies, etc - that finishing ends up feeling a lot like the first time I moved away from home. I'm not sure what's going to happen next, but the future is exciting and terrifying.<br />
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In the event that anyone is interested, I have several extra boxes available. They can be purchased for $68, in honor of 68 years of Gourmet magazine. Please feel free to contact me at <a href="mailto:allisonpvdb@gmail.com">allisonpvdb@gmail.com</a>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-21038592255418834192010-12-05T12:02:00.000-06:002010-12-05T12:05:14.654-06:00Sundays Are BestI love Sunday mornings. Regardless of the piles of things I have to do to maintain my motherly duties, we always make what I've coined "fat kid breakfast", and we always read the New York Times. Breakfast this morning was a baked dish of sausage, onions, green pepper, eggs and cheese with broiled english muffins. I swear the boyfriend is a farm boy at heart, despite his crisp shoes and button-up shirts, and I love the homey simplicity of midwestern food. Everything feels better with cheese on it in December.<br />
My New York Times routine is always the same: I flip through checking the headlines of the Travel section and the Week In Review, grab the magazine, and read the Modern Love article in Sunday Styles then set it aside to read the wedding announcements later. My business in the magazine is the food article. Amanda Hesser is among one of my favorite food writers, Cooking With Dexter is a charming account of adventures in the kitchen with the author's inquisitive young son, the other contributors always have such interesting historic and cultural information. This week's recipe is asado negro, a Venezuelan Christmas roast braised in white wine vinegar, dry red wine, and a sultry dark caramel. The article claims to "make a mockery of pot roast". I want so badly to make it for dinner tonight, but was reminded that capitalizing oven space and time is not a good idea. The day I spent making Thanksgiving dinner combined with extra work shifts and a sick kid left me feeling a little panicked and behind in cookie production.<br />
I have 31 varieties completed, leaving me with 37. Late into the night, yesterday, I baked 1979's Linzer Bars that filled my kitchen with the aromas of hazelnuts, raspberry and lemon. The creamy nuttiness of the hazelnuts is perfectly balanced by the tart filling. There were also 1994's Basler Brunsli - a Swiss chocolate almond spice cookie that reminded me of a dry French macaron. I made 1958's Brazil Nut Crescents which showcase the rarely utilized brazil nut in a rich, delicate butter cookie. Lastly, I put together the dough for 1996's Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls. I love opening my refrigerator to find rolls, bowls, and discs of chilled dough waiting to be cut or shaped before going into the oven. <br />
I really do believe there to be something magical about the warmth of the oven, the mess of flour and sugar, and this time of year.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-61277013812194172432010-12-01T21:24:00.000-06:002010-12-01T21:24:50.739-06:00A Few Of My Favorite ThingsCornetti. Bourbon County Stout. Beach House's Teen Dream.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">An old family recipe from Turin, it was featured in January 1989's issue of Gourmet, during the height of America's introductory love affair with Italian food. Made with ground almonds and cornmeal, these cookies acquire a coarse, gravelly texture. During the 2 day process, resting in the fridge overnight and then on parchment lined trays for 2 hours, the dough is permeated by chopped candied orange peel. These are my new favorite cookie. The texture lends interest and surprise, and the bright orange notes remind me of summery evenings during these blustery winter days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As the weather gets colder, I look to just about anything to keep me warm. I've fallen in love over the course of the summer with Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. A small batch beer, aged for 18 months in bourbon barrels, the warm caramel and vanilla notes alongside the rich chocolaty stout deliciousness is my kryptonite. I find the bourbon characteristics to bring a fantastic warming quality to the palate. One of my responsibilities at work is to keep ice cream on hand, and my latest flavor is bourbon molasses. For the same reason that I love bourbon county stout, the bourbon in the ice cream adds such a warm feeling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfLz47EpbMseSgUtKeTlL7WRP0DW_PvmqhwUyd80LGaiII_h_CSZH78f93IoNuHj_YVjAMmwyE4h6vU2yOh8wWSnilb6C3S6pbsr1aYc_c3S2fcZyF7Amwzya0EJvaSdt7B5Uuspk2CI/s1600/bourboncounty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfLz47EpbMseSgUtKeTlL7WRP0DW_PvmqhwUyd80LGaiII_h_CSZH78f93IoNuHj_YVjAMmwyE4h6vU2yOh8wWSnilb6C3S6pbsr1aYc_c3S2fcZyF7Amwzya0EJvaSdt7B5Uuspk2CI/s320/bourboncounty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, I'm loving listening to Beach House lately, particularly the album Teen Dream. Victoria Legrand's voice is so rich and smokey. Add it to your collection for sure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been awake since 3:30 this morning. I baked some beautiful bread, bought a Christmas tree and all the trimmings, had dinner with my little pieced-together family, and although I didn't get any cookies done, I hope tomorrow is more productive. Peace out, ya'll.</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-52971016819642848412010-11-30T22:32:00.000-06:002010-11-30T22:32:30.935-06:00Remember The SugarYesterday I was visited by a lovely pair of Lincolnites, curious about my cookie adventure, and looking for more information on what I was up to and whatever possessed me to put myself through the rigors of 68 varieties in such a short time. I was working on 1975's Almond Bolas during our chat. They're an interesting little Portuguese thumbprint cookie made from ground almonds, breadcrumbs, egg whites, sugar, almond extract, filled with egg yolk, and topped with a whole almond.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They remind me very much of a macaroon. I had never baked anything like it, so I was anxious to try one. After my guests left, I pulled one off the baking sheet, broke it in half, and handed some off to the boyfriend to try first. He, more often than not, gives me curious looks or responses like, "interesting", to the things I feed him. I can't help but still feel nervous about this. I realized after I ate my half of the cookie that this nervousness caused me to forget, entirely, to add the sugar to these cookies. Seriously? Seriously. They tasted like a macaroon, meets a piece of toast - strangely salty and coarse, but almondy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If the worst that has happened so far is ruining 2 batches, I'm rolling at a steady clip. 23 down; 45 to go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have the dough for 2007's Trios in the fridge, and plans to make 1977's Irish Coffee Crunchies, 1994's Basler Brunslis, and the cookie part of 2008's Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies. I have to be up for work in 5 hours and not even Ben Gibbard (possibly my worst guilty pleasure) can convince me to stay awake any longer.</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-42881384771762386982010-11-29T19:41:00.000-06:002010-11-29T19:41:57.111-06:00The UpdateI must admit, I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog. I had every intention of writing every day, but have acquired the worst habit of thinking about things and considering that to be sufficient. My friends and families are saints for tolerating this about me.<br />
The combination of the holiday weekend and the elementary school crowd left to their own devices distracted me from my cookie adventure. Although it was small- just the Mr., my kiddo, and me, it seems impossible to not have spent the entire day in the kitchen. Thanksgiving just doesn't seem the same without the whole shebang. So, I spent the day in the kitchen not mixing dough and rotating pans through the oven, but roasting turkey, and making more side dishes than 3 people should ever be allowed to sit down to. I made a whiskey pear tart for dessert that turned out to be disappointing, although beautiful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02DULytuik8pP2JpI-Wi6d_mA6FH0-UNt7aIrDazq5o1Wiwlu8LltkwOAXzKbHF-wmyVunaI9E2NIOMIXIsMI47sOvdpF2vsK3b4nCttLA6W4h3w7zQXoZLn8PT1FazmP8ELhQYkA63E/s1600/tart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02DULytuik8pP2JpI-Wi6d_mA6FH0-UNt7aIrDazq5o1Wiwlu8LltkwOAXzKbHF-wmyVunaI9E2NIOMIXIsMI47sOvdpF2vsK3b4nCttLA6W4h3w7zQXoZLn8PT1FazmP8ELhQYkA63E/s320/tart.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pears, almonds, and whiskey are such soft flavors on their own and get lost with each other without an acid contribution. Think pear and raspberry, almond and chocolate, whiskey and Coke.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I meant to get right back on my wagon, but spent the weekend entertaining. When left to our own devices, we end up with a case of Old Style, an epic Chicago deep dish pizza and 10 people in my tiny little apartment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DxoeTpev4T6XFN_854PAGW4vSfTyUOZRUpDxcoyeRxC4RHbEdRo3c7OJCsykjH_8x2Po9pu6o3uDQdTKTvPiBgp0B6c3ReXeIXFALx6vNU5SGOf-qoBMdwF9zoyC1HDejRrOhlXq9gs/s1600/chitownza.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DxoeTpev4T6XFN_854PAGW4vSfTyUOZRUpDxcoyeRxC4RHbEdRo3c7OJCsykjH_8x2Po9pu6o3uDQdTKTvPiBgp0B6c3ReXeIXFALx6vNU5SGOf-qoBMdwF9zoyC1HDejRrOhlXq9gs/s320/chitownza.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">A pound and a half of sausage, pepperoni, red pepper, olive, artichoke hearts and 2 POUNDS of cheese later, I think I'm still recovering. It was my second attempt at deep dish. Being an east coast girl, New York pizza is where my heart lies. I was shocked the first time I picked the pan up to put it in the oven. It must have weighed 10 lbs; I think I weigh 10 lbs more too. Delicious is always worth it. There's something so satisfying about giving someone 1 slice of pizza, a beer, and leaving them overfed. </div><div style="text-align: left;">So, here I am, back on the cookie wagon and vowing to write something every day. How do I expect to rule the world in sugar and flour if I'm not consistent? Come back tomorrow to see what I'm up to.</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-73029678724461568552010-11-23T22:19:00.000-06:002010-11-23T22:23:29.777-06:00To Re-roll or Not to Re-roll & First Cookie FailureI've baked my fair share of rolled and cut cookies. I find myself often faced with trying to decided whether or not to keep rolling the dough to maximize my number of cookies, or just roll once and get only cookies with the best texture. <br />
I learned to bake primarily from my mother. She used to bake us "breakfast cookies" when we were kids. They were heavy and nutritious with whole wheat flour, oats, nuts, dried fruit, natural sweeteners, and for a little something special she'd toss in a few chocolate chips. We were thrilled to get cookies for breakfast, and she could commend herself for fueling our days with more than could ever be found in PopTarts or a bowl of Cocoa Puffs. When I started school, she went to work full-time. I adored my mother (I still do), and could still spend an endless number of hours with her in the kitchen. With her going to work came my opportunity to explore food. She has always been wildly enthusiastic about our productive interests, and let me run with my desire to build my home base in front of the stove. By the time I was 10, I was making dinner for our family, baking birthday cakes, and taking on new recipes, regardless of skill or tools required, with my "how hard can it be?" attitude - possibly my best and worst attribute.<br />
While I was in culinary school, I worked for a semester with a pastry chef who had a long history of formal training, work in Paris, bakery and cafe ownership and was crazy in her passion for pastry. Her enthusiasm and her expectation that the end result had to be perfect is something that I've tried to find a home for in my personality. <br />
Sometimes, the end result is far less than perfect. My action plan for today consisted of 1942's Honey Refrigerator Cookies - a war-time ration-friendly recipe, 1972's Dutch Caramel Cashew Cookies, 1943's Scotch Oat Crunchies, and 2006's Chocolate Peppermint Bar Cookies. The final cookie tonight was that first in about 20 varieties to fool me. With a 1/2 cup of butter, flour, cocoa, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, some leavener, salt, chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint candies, I was absolutely stumped at how I would get such a small quantity of batter into the 13X9 in. pan called for in the recipe. I decided I would improvise and pull the foil lining up enough to prop one side up with a bread pan, making the baking area seem more reasonable. I spread the batter in this space, popped them in the oven, and peeked 15 minutes later to find a liquefied, puffy, bubbling mess. Did I crush the candies too finely? Were they going to spread through the entire pan eventually? I baked them until I guessed they would be as close to done as they might get, and am hoping that after they cool, I'll get a salvageable product.<br />
I'm glad to have grown out of my teenage disdain for my mother's style of cookies, and just for the record, I gently re-roll my scraps once and then throw the remaining dough away. I am, however, always open to learning something new.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-74019250754637155972010-11-22T23:21:00.000-06:002010-11-22T23:21:39.634-06:00Childhood MemoriesMy boyfriend and I have developed a great tradition of epic Sunday morning breakfasts and Mondays spent following each other around through various tasks and errands. He'll finish grad school and start his job soon, and I have very grey ideas about what my future holds. In the last few weeks, those Mondays have been spent exploring grocery stores in the morning, and finishing the day with baking into the evening. Then I started this project and, well, he sits at his laptop, and I bake cookies. Regardless of how we've ended up spending our time, its lovely to have his company and his encouragement has done wonders to get me over my hurdles of self-doubt.<br />
I ended my return to adventures in the Gourmet Cookie Book with 1971's Speculaas, a cookie I hold close to my heart. Traditionally served on Sinterklaas Eve, a Northern European holiday celebrating St Nicholas, they are heavily spiced - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, aniseseed, white pepper, and clove. My father is a Dutch immigrant and as a child I remember packages of speculaas in the shape of windmills, (like there <a href="http://www.amazon.com/De-Ruiter-Dutch-Speculaas-Cookies/dp/B000SON9I8">http://www.amazon.com/De-Ruiter-Dutch-Speculaas-Cookies/dp/B000SON9I8</a>) along with chocolate letters of our first initials, every December 5th. Later, my parents would often bake speculaas at Christmas time. I'm not sure when my preference for sweets shifted from an entire (and rather large in my memories of a 5 year old) chocolate letter A, to the heavy, warm spices of the cookies I turned my nose up at as a child. The older I get the more I yearn for cold weather and warm winter spices. No one should be eating cookies at 10:30 on a Monday night, but I couldn't resist baking the scraps of dough and sampling just one (or maybe it was 2). <br />
An interesting thing I've noticed in reading and rereading the Gourmet Cookie Book, and baking my way through the recipes, is the prevalence of alcohol as a flavor component. Generally speaking they call for rum or brandy, never more than a few tablespoons, and very little in the way of extracts. In later recipes extracts play a more prominent role. I wonder why this shift happened...Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-9432527905173741802010-11-22T09:31:00.000-06:002010-12-06T19:53:28.424-06:00Photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb77Czk392jkyrTYqUqDIuG6fTMsdCadoKZ9gs04VMN4gQ9YmDWSJ2tOws44JMxKGVSeXD8Xihk3CU9al39KVXYKVfX461gZ6mwE1h29GK6PSUYuereX797X6kkfDsuABr6QOWdZMBJag/s1600/brownbutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb77Czk392jkyrTYqUqDIuG6fTMsdCadoKZ9gs04VMN4gQ9YmDWSJ2tOws44JMxKGVSeXD8Xihk3CU9al39KVXYKVfX461gZ6mwE1h29GK6PSUYuereX797X6kkfDsuABr6QOWdZMBJag/s320/brownbutter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>1961 Brown Butter Cookies</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>1965 Ginger Sugar Cookies</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rKCsTWMgC88-N2Eu3eQ0dZOv3ecLHaanCN3FF2t0HY0olqONAsumG0c6_Gx2MZh-njOGI0rIjVyvqDDcd_ox-AbgFkWGD3YO1cYYP5n8S8FayYDiOvGAfADGKMEEPRoUnRQsjw1yqdA/s1600/honeyrefrig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rKCsTWMgC88-N2Eu3eQ0dZOv3ecLHaanCN3FF2t0HY0olqONAsumG0c6_Gx2MZh-njOGI0rIjVyvqDDcd_ox-AbgFkWGD3YO1cYYP5n8S8FayYDiOvGAfADGKMEEPRoUnRQsjw1yqdA/s320/honeyrefrig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>1942 Honey Refrigerator Cookie</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczmTvAUt25MuAdFqFiTDRdLiLRGK13Nvs1c9_C0AqYAq83p8C6ZdjZOlAp8UpXOSam8Rndp5Ml6lUm-UKXJJMgUaO41yvZ0RFg_GSkL032YApqdDze_KmtmjafCFwgkO1hhZ2r18ps_8/s1600/mexicanbride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczmTvAUt25MuAdFqFiTDRdLiLRGK13Nvs1c9_C0AqYAq83p8C6ZdjZOlAp8UpXOSam8Rndp5Ml6lUm-UKXJJMgUaO41yvZ0RFg_GSkL032YApqdDze_KmtmjafCFwgkO1hhZ2r18ps_8/s320/mexicanbride.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1986 Pastelitos de Boda (Bride's Cookies)</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTqjMNt5rm4AoRL88rmdztYdbnqFED4NRrNJ_diLK657TX2_DMlNw9in9mdQ3yMbnWeKGkf5xRSBLtc1ScoXFeSoWhdTHy0wET_MdQlN5S_MwA1HyweIDOFigk6IuknHuHSWbuYExpGQ/s1600/figdateswirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTqjMNt5rm4AoRL88rmdztYdbnqFED4NRrNJ_diLK657TX2_DMlNw9in9mdQ3yMbnWeKGkf5xRSBLtc1ScoXFeSoWhdTHy0wET_MdQlN5S_MwA1HyweIDOFigk6IuknHuHSWbuYExpGQ/s320/figdateswirls.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1996 Anise-Scented Fig & Date Swirls</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC8F7k8ikhZjd5TI50AP2yoKjHFQ93HL_uFUNKF3WfeEIahawVGnhgE7B90f7bOetb5x5P2wMYSXag6EsgtUcaKilYFohhCud1u2QclEBJpoAxqTAYkCDkbrAH3qtY5iy7FAebvoMtdY/s1600/mandelbrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC8F7k8ikhZjd5TI50AP2yoKjHFQ93HL_uFUNKF3WfeEIahawVGnhgE7B90f7bOetb5x5P2wMYSXag6EsgtUcaKilYFohhCud1u2QclEBJpoAxqTAYkCDkbrAH3qtY5iy7FAebvoMtdY/s320/mandelbrot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1967 Mandelbrot</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnSybMjk5gS_iDRJUUeIukyxovUECaJYqvo3-hIoloWSh3gcrZybSS1tU8ogycKUA9Ree5Lz_VhaZLbDbWAW0LXTi1CnOOSMY9bFzd_Anh7PZQfIGwc5JHqbcsY-vvuvhFkioeZ7AHoA/s1600/linzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnSybMjk5gS_iDRJUUeIukyxovUECaJYqvo3-hIoloWSh3gcrZybSS1tU8ogycKUA9Ree5Lz_VhaZLbDbWAW0LXTi1CnOOSMY9bFzd_Anh7PZQfIGwc5JHqbcsY-vvuvhFkioeZ7AHoA/s320/linzer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1979 Linzer Bars</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzYZLPioeAA_IO7DoMS6filk-4VhnHV5Y9lFsW01nonJvJzM0P8qThfN-349AoT5OK74rRIdK53qBZ-Rmd6dM23dnw4AbHJk8GL_sPOZIsM0OLikupxAOHkitHEtoAkD4WZnafcNRGu8/s1600/cresentcheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzYZLPioeAA_IO7DoMS6filk-4VhnHV5Y9lFsW01nonJvJzM0P8qThfN-349AoT5OK74rRIdK53qBZ-Rmd6dM23dnw4AbHJk8GL_sPOZIsM0OLikupxAOHkitHEtoAkD4WZnafcNRGu8/s320/cresentcheese.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1973 Cresent Cheese Cookies</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfk6ZscUofNEJO92OJXIkz7LdQCH2kIpZsM7kAp3orHhHZbkHZ2yjApxAoPuNJRw2rnY5L4aByijmw9USghpvUKX0kRe-jEMN1M5wyNNs0aah_FeVB5TQ01hOfJlT24u8aduveRS6pT0/s1600/cornetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfk6ZscUofNEJO92OJXIkz7LdQCH2kIpZsM7kAp3orHhHZbkHZ2yjApxAoPuNJRw2rnY5L4aByijmw9USghpvUKX0kRe-jEMN1M5wyNNs0aah_FeVB5TQ01hOfJlT24u8aduveRS6pT0/s320/cornetti.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1989 Cornetti (Almond Cookies)</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfzLRJIhWojBxhRLYHz8bRW6xXQ5LJxlQfTntSdVlk5AnRb0JitResXftke4t8xX1BTvfVJh8UBJqyXHYK0U7py-8QvGMvoJ0Ax_OVBYecCI74TNGAbdu2KCJDyzJTWgb1rLoMXxh7dI/s1600/brownies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfzLRJIhWojBxhRLYHz8bRW6xXQ5LJxlQfTntSdVlk5AnRb0JitResXftke4t8xX1BTvfVJh8UBJqyXHYK0U7py-8QvGMvoJ0Ax_OVBYecCI74TNGAbdu2KCJDyzJTWgb1rLoMXxh7dI/s320/brownies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">1998 Gianduia Brownies</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hFd77GDJNVVw9AuVXolQvPLqL13XxMjX6m7gjDsuiAJHBAeRx32uQ-aGqOGvI5iDnPhm8JES0_H0w1qHy2QUP6MATfzb0A_zhjuzSxKZ3mz58wNgcyc7bINl8clIQsnM95A1O_KmfnM/s1600/speculaas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hFd77GDJNVVw9AuVXolQvPLqL13XxMjX6m7gjDsuiAJHBAeRx32uQ-aGqOGvI5iDnPhm8JES0_H0w1qHy2QUP6MATfzb0A_zhjuzSxKZ3mz58wNgcyc7bINl8clIQsnM95A1O_KmfnM/s320/speculaas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1971 Speculaas</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0EOJBawXb9xub4Tb4p755bQL4L75ocBZgUuswJ55MtMFWMsJ1di9VpGRi4HFl9U4RWOKtEbz7s-HlMS5SWVKkvy608MGB9ly6UiiAFM-ENhQSuCqNfleUba_QJAdPdmiI4EEyR7TzvQ/s1600/queens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0EOJBawXb9xub4Tb4p755bQL4L75ocBZgUuswJ55MtMFWMsJ1di9VpGRi4HFl9U4RWOKtEbz7s-HlMS5SWVKkvy608MGB9ly6UiiAFM-ENhQSuCqNfleUba_QJAdPdmiI4EEyR7TzvQ/s320/queens.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1955 Biscotti di Regina (Queen's Biscuits)</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCYEyzisfHKUzqq4K_pA166tWcOsLqzhhyphenhyphensJQzWUcmWgAxT1lI_ycfesV_Lvxhyphenhyphen0k_85tQcRmZPK7OJTzvZ9xnHUuQJ-8MDYAlxtdDaSyy8f-pD9QO7g_a_UIOYDeHd7t0i2sBJfoVO8/s1600/cajunmac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCYEyzisfHKUzqq4K_pA166tWcOsLqzhhyphenhyphensJQzWUcmWgAxT1lI_ycfesV_Lvxhyphenhyphen0k_85tQcRmZPK7OJTzvZ9xnHUuQJ-8MDYAlxtdDaSyy8f-pD9QO7g_a_UIOYDeHd7t0i2sBJfoVO8/s320/cajunmac.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>1941 Cajun Macaroons</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhf-pOoZ8wGAzU49Og5_MRBDiEP6yESdamGZhLmg4n64hs5R17U9xy2uUtJ8bvE0xZMuUdgrNAt5O2n3gfv19pg2-rxA8bTnjsEiZLVaZzEhitEyTdatv-Wj5jZZbDg8I31DU6paP4vA/s1600/bourbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhf-pOoZ8wGAzU49Og5_MRBDiEP6yESdamGZhLmg4n64hs5R17U9xy2uUtJ8bvE0xZMuUdgrNAt5O2n3gfv19pg2-rxA8bTnjsEiZLVaZzEhitEyTdatv-Wj5jZZbDg8I31DU6paP4vA/s320/bourbon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1980 Bourbon Balls</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OH-Jcf8cAMjG1vPdqWxyXLfoH2FJOOfKO36SXnHiKEP6dlydVvWxyVaFSPpvbsgtfpDjuxzLxIjgtTvN9-AprExuvYI2CbSY4DWa9DKFNGhA8Twfj5U7K8VeKQFiXO5YmnKOcvWq64U/s1600/chocowafers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OH-Jcf8cAMjG1vPdqWxyXLfoH2FJOOfKO36SXnHiKEP6dlydVvWxyVaFSPpvbsgtfpDjuxzLxIjgtTvN9-AprExuvYI2CbSY4DWa9DKFNGhA8Twfj5U7K8VeKQFiXO5YmnKOcvWq64U/s320/chocowafers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1950 Chocolate Wafers</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9cQw43HbO4p1X4TNZ75eUbKVoYP9tsTWjls1X8kX5YQpZBsOrI2dNCfm7UjVIzot3eOmjdjkqwTUL_2z2LYTmPmUlFGsNOGmu60kXfrtEdiGZ5BoWelNEcNjKPsOSOaNkP1yU4AKbJI/s1600/gingerman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9cQw43HbO4p1X4TNZ75eUbKVoYP9tsTWjls1X8kX5YQpZBsOrI2dNCfm7UjVIzot3eOmjdjkqwTUL_2z2LYTmPmUlFGsNOGmu60kXfrtEdiGZ5BoWelNEcNjKPsOSOaNkP1yU4AKbJI/s320/gingerman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1959 Gingerbread Men</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEys6En5c9VDRKVYkTl-mTrlybnG_P_rckrPxIpov1pzpuPZvfHSpQLmNQLp4d4NYktds8ESSATzYjWKBexAXoHz0EIt6i9-y7phBPu-XjC5vTHi_2Z37w5aiX1ahFUoH0jDFVLHyN73g/s1600/oatmealmolasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEys6En5c9VDRKVYkTl-mTrlybnG_P_rckrPxIpov1pzpuPZvfHSpQLmNQLp4d4NYktds8ESSATzYjWKBexAXoHz0EIt6i9-y7phBPu-XjC5vTHi_2Z37w5aiX1ahFUoH0jDFVLHyN73g/s320/oatmealmolasses.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1956 Oatmeal Molasses Cookies</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpoSWUb7mqPapEQTpu1NYDxl98SaIQpq7NEaBfCzZqMEuUs0Awb7Y8IZGRb7RVHdG2aT3u9V1Z0EyzCL5k94-5-48NxHGMnNulkXCbSiSQS0PDGptLZ6senpzCsBRATl9wMeSk-JD8KI/s1600/oldxmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpoSWUb7mqPapEQTpu1NYDxl98SaIQpq7NEaBfCzZqMEuUs0Awb7Y8IZGRb7RVHdG2aT3u9V1Z0EyzCL5k94-5-48NxHGMnNulkXCbSiSQS0PDGptLZ6senpzCsBRATl9wMeSk-JD8KI/s320/oldxmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1947 Old-fashioned Christmas Butter Cookies</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40noMQ7_c_VDS9Xl9S_F2QV2skfTSY4-ZzUh5rVm7zCwwC2_L6F2jY0AgShtC-v1gG6CkB_6dw1anSOFznUuWOEI54uvDp7m5-KbpwwAFOOK9nStrfWJO-ZmX8FM1jO2T02SXlgjqSx8/s1600/biscotti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40noMQ7_c_VDS9Xl9S_F2QV2skfTSY4-ZzUh5rVm7zCwwC2_L6F2jY0AgShtC-v1gG6CkB_6dw1anSOFznUuWOEI54uvDp7m5-KbpwwAFOOK9nStrfWJO-ZmX8FM1jO2T02SXlgjqSx8/s320/biscotti.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1992 Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZdESHpXzxPqUo7sFbCeKmWYVkS28v9h_tnDmdt-SxpwSlv6oS4QtqzRJ0kghZbeqXjFfWenVZK5z91pjUrbWIHs-D8tJ9y1JOBJLdv0ijH2ogexGGho_6M7gg_HCEQMdvNOuI369EJY/s1600/bizcochitos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZdESHpXzxPqUo7sFbCeKmWYVkS28v9h_tnDmdt-SxpwSlv6oS4QtqzRJ0kghZbeqXjFfWenVZK5z91pjUrbWIHs-D8tJ9y1JOBJLdv0ijH2ogexGGho_6M7gg_HCEQMdvNOuI369EJY/s320/bizcochitos.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1978 Bizcochitos</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61-4VLJ2FMkAHungvayZOGJLuMJluOPrE1vJw53FjetAyu8P1VmWENIeUVMYrhKu1iowXu5l0zkY6N0nVGOT3Vm0zLd705q0_h11XZKkNcs0AzVVLBTx5yOEQ1KBIs4AgsfYnH9dAXeA/s1600/greek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61-4VLJ2FMkAHungvayZOGJLuMJluOPrE1vJw53FjetAyu8P1VmWENIeUVMYrhKu1iowXu5l0zkY6N0nVGOT3Vm0zLd705q0_h11XZKkNcs0AzVVLBTx5yOEQ1KBIs4AgsfYnH9dAXeA/s320/greek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1974 Kourambiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup-pVg2SKpTZC8Gt1IlueaNmM5hlCLZFkpwZE1gCVIN8SvTP4Dwyd7tAbgbWS9GN93Qmt_Evsezx4AkCgxTU8EImLD7046aWklfg2K0pUu4zAQ-l9-z6OvgJUwOKvfvYfdLsKgqgutgE/s1600/spritz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup-pVg2SKpTZC8Gt1IlueaNmM5hlCLZFkpwZE1gCVIN8SvTP4Dwyd7tAbgbWS9GN93Qmt_Evsezx4AkCgxTU8EImLD7046aWklfg2K0pUu4zAQ-l9-z6OvgJUwOKvfvYfdLsKgqgutgE/s320/spritz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1983 Spritz (Norwegian Butter Cookies)</span></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rwWxUYS9Hi2OAilL63WgfwpzoXhBwpGJYU7_bZia_MvOgjMgk5N9AkPpzNgOSGHFtHIzz1qTqpVgACta-9d7dJgvcwdn3kvTeHxY-2FKjB4NZ65j4CRcLTZfd7wVI4r4USduGxMmskc/s1600/strawberrytart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rwWxUYS9Hi2OAilL63WgfwpzoXhBwpGJYU7_bZia_MvOgjMgk5N9AkPpzNgOSGHFtHIzz1qTqpVgACta-9d7dJgvcwdn3kvTeHxY-2FKjB4NZ65j4CRcLTZfd7wVI4r4USduGxMmskc/s320/strawberrytart.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1993 Aunt Sis's Strawberry Tart Cookies</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-66621608336175285092010-11-22T09:20:00.000-06:002010-11-22T10:49:47.066-06:00Back in the saddle...After a bit of a shake-up, and nearly having myself convinced that I would never complete this project and still maintain relationships or any sanity, I've decided that it has to be done. My mother sounded so disappointed when I told her I was giving up. We all know - if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. I have even more work to do after taking a week off. The results though, I promise, will be amazing.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-1226210437407601022010-11-09T22:14:00.000-06:002010-11-09T22:14:05.516-06:00Day 1The introduction to the Gourmet Cookie Book begins, "Buy a cookie, and it's just a bite of sugar, something sweet to get you through the day. Bake a cookie, on the other hand, and you send an instant message from the moment you measure out the flour. Long before they're done, the cookies become a promise, their endlessly soothing scent offering both reassurance and solace. And even the tiniest bite is powerful, bringing with it the flavor of home. For anyone who is comfortable in a kitchen, a warm cookie is the easiest way to say I love you. There are few people who don't understand, at least subconsciously, how much a cookie can mean."<br />
These are the words I can never find for why I fell into cooking, so far over my head. My mom always used to tell me that she knew when I had it bad for someone, or had some sort of hurdle to jump in my mind because I left a wake of flour and mixing bowls behind my attempts to sort things out. The best memories of mine center around birthday cakes, warm cookies, or the smell of a Sunday dinner. <br />
It's been interesting to see so many of these creations from a time before anyone ever imagined my existence. I like the imagery of my grandmother flipping through the pages of Gourmet, and my mother doing the same. For me, this project is not only a ridiculous challenge, but homage to the women who have taught me the importance of taking the time to take care for the people you love.<br />
Tonight, the dough for 1993's Aunt Sis's Stawberry Tart Cookies is chilling in my refrigerator, with 1980's Bourbon Balls alongside it. In 5 hours, I'll be baking gorgeous breads for the day at the restaurant, then anxiously venturing through these cookies, 1992's Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti and 1979's Bizcochitos, the first state cookie (New Mexico). Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-61785362484437073172010-11-08T21:07:00.000-06:002010-11-08T21:07:12.702-06:00Oh my...The book arrived today. My afternoon was spent making a master list of supplies and ingredients. 8 dozen eggs, 21 lbs of butter, 28 lbs of flour, and both sides of a sheet of notebook paper filled with necessities - my brain is done.<br />
<br />
I have 5 weeks to bake somewhere around 265 dozen cookies. <br />
<br />
Here goes...Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-25943516599525303632010-11-02T22:22:00.000-05:002010-11-02T22:23:10.566-05:00And so it begins...<a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Gourmet-Cookie-Book/Gourmet-Magazine/e/9780547328164/?itm=1&USRI=gourmet+cookies">The Ultimate Reference</a><br />
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Laying here trying to keep our Beagle puppy, appropriately named Charlie Mingus (which won when I refused to take care of a dog named Ronald Reagan). from chewing on my fingers while I type, I'm one step closer to my undertaking. The Gourmet Cookie Book has been ordered and is on its way. I'm already sleepless from thinking about ingredients, a schedule of baking and freezing, and shipping roughly 11 dozen cookies (2 of each kind). How will I pay for my antics? Where in my tiny apartment will I store my supplies? How long will my son, boyfriend, friends and coworkers be able to put up with me? Will the end result be as impressive as I'm hoping? Absolutely.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207622649685028384.post-19345544482806670442010-11-02T17:58:00.000-05:002010-11-02T21:37:54.032-05:00Epic Cookie AdventuresWhen Gourmet magazine announced that they would be wrapping up their 68 years of publication, in October 2009, they issued the best Christmas cookie from every year in their history. Having been a chef, pastry chef, and baker for the bulk of my working life, and having an innate fascination with all things baked, I managed to pull a few into my Christmas spread for that year. If my memory serves me correctly, I made bizcochos, a Mexican cookie reminiscent of lard pie dough with anise and cinnamon. I also threw in warmly spiced, heavily boozed, chocolaty rum balls with dark raisins; so much complexity in such a small bite. All in all, the variety was impressive.<br />
I've learned over time that I categorize people into two groups: those who eat what I cook, and those who don't. Food is at the root of who I am, so the latter are rarely invited back. In every situation, a cake, a few dozen cookies, or some gently sauteed apples nestled into a flaky crust is the simplest way to win people's hearts. At every opportunity; holidays, Monday afternoons, long, lazy Sunday mornings, I want to share the thing that drives me with the people I love and the people who love them. <br />
In honor of this holiday season, and Gourmet publishing these recipes, I'll be creating and documenting 68 different cookies for the circle of people who matter most.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743329174065479269noreply@blogger.com1