A Day in the Life : Frystekake

Frystekake, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I've dubbed this post 'a day in the life' simply because this series of photos vary drastically from one to the next. A couple were taken during the day as I baked this traditional Norwegian cake up, rolling out lattice, whipping up filling, and plastering dough to the inside of my tart pan. Others were taken as the sun started to set (and as my guests readied their already full bellies for a tasty treat). Generally, as most food bloggers do, I like my photos to have a cohesive look. But I like how most of these photos show the process of Frystekake from delicious beginning to end.

Frystekake, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

First, let me say happy Syttende Mai! Or, 17th of May. While this may be just any day for the masses, it was a big deal growing up in my (and particularly my grandmothers) household. It's Norway's day of independence from Sweden. Every year as a child my grandmother would spend the days leading up to this holiday baking her heart out. A dear friend of hers owned the Norwegian gift shop in Ballard, Washington (Seattle) an area that celebrates the 17th of May each year with a giant parade and large crowds of people. They would meander around Ballard, noshing on the Norwegian delecacies offered at the gift shop made my grandmother, or on a variety of other Norwegian treats sold by vendors on the street (one of my favorite being brats smothered with onions and norwegian mustard stuffed into a large square of potato lefse, popular on commuter trains in Norway). It was such a special day for her, and remains so for me. In honor of both, we whipped up a meal she would've been proud of today. Large steaks of halibut lightly dusted with salt, pepper, and flour, fried in copious amounts of salted brown butter. A pot full of skin-on creamy mashed potatoes. Freshly steamed sweet petite green peas. And of course, a bowl full of caramelized onion. Heaven.

Fyrstekake, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

My grandmother was known for her baked goods. Particularly her Norwegian treats. There was a reason she was asked to bake up a large variety year after year. So understandably, it was hard for me to choose which to make. Frystekake is something I've missed over the years. Sweet, crumbly, a bit dry, but filled with the softest, chewiest, downright tastiest almond goo you could imagine (with a bit of cinnamon and cardamom thrown in for good measure, of course!) A perfect mate to a large black cup of coffee. In fact, thinking on it now as I sit here and write, I'd dub it the Norwegians take on coffee cake. It's not that complicated to pull together either. I think it would make a great Sunday morning treat. Something to savor while you enjoy the paper and your caffeine in the morning. All I know is for a split second as I took my first bite, it was almost as if I was in my grandmothers little yellow house, sun filled kitchen, waiting anxiously to leave the house while she packed up goodie after goodie.

Fyrstekake, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Frystekake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

10 Tablespoons of butter, cold, cut into pieces

1 egg

1 cup of almonds

1 cup powdered sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

healthy pinch of cinnamon

healthy pinch of cardamom

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F

1. Sift dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and granulated sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and blend until the it 'peas', ie, turns into pea sized granules. This will take a matter of seconds.

3. With the food processor running, add your egg. Wait a minute or so until it all comes together into a ball of dough. Remove from the processor, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill. Move onto filling as the dough chills.

4. Wipe down your processor, or wash completely, it's up to you.

5. Place almonds and powdered sugar into the processor bowl fitted with the blade. Pulse until the almonds are chopped finely.

6. Add egg whites, cinnamon, and cardamom, mix well.

7. Remove dough from fridge. Eyeing it, remove about a quarter of the dough from the ball placing it back in the refrigerator. Roll out the 3/4 that remains and press into a 9inch springform (or in my case a tart pan, something with a drop bottom).

8. Fill the shell with the almond filling.

9. Remove the small ball of dough from the fridge. Now you can roll it out and cut about 8 - 1/2 inch wide, 8 inch long strips. I however rolled 8 long 'snakes' (think play dough). Press each one onto the top, lattice style, crimping the edges.

10. Bake in the oven until golden brown, between 22-25 minutes.

11. Serve warm, or room temperature. My grandmother never did, but we had a scoop of delicious vanilla bean ice cream on top dressed with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Nyt!

Fyrstekake, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Yo' Mama : Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I can't believe I just titled this post 'yo mama'. I absolutely loathed when that phrase caught on like some sort of wild fire in high school. All of a sudden classmates were using it at the end of nearly every sentence or as the answer to every question. I just didn't get it. It was purely annoying to my ears. But, this post has nothing to do with that. I chose to use the phrase I loathed so completely only a few years ago to illustrate a point: These peanut butter cookies are not 'yo mama's' pb cookies. The addition of coconut adds a little something different, dare I say exotic (do I have the authority to dub coconut 'exotic'?) They're also not exactly what I had in mind when I began this kitchen endeavor.

mise en place, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Peanut butter cookies always seem to come out of the oven in two ways. Option one, they're thick and a bit dry, but crispy like a shortbread. Option two, completely cakey. These cookies are option two, cakey. What I was after was the chocolate chip cookie version of a peanut butter cookie. Crispy shell, gooey chewy innards. For this recipe I completely winged it. I just couldn't find a recipe that had all the qualities I was looking for. Plus, I knew I wanted to add coconut, and if I thought finding the right peanut butter cookie recipe was a challenge, try finding one with coconut. Nearly impossible. Is the combination that odd? I understand that adding ingredients to cookie dough isn't rocket science. If I didn't understand it before, the compost cookie taught me that all you really need is a good dough base. From there you can let your imagination and baking cupboard go wild. For some reason, peanut butter + coconut sounded like a heavenly combination to my taste buds. The dough I used is almost identical to a chocolate chip cookie, except for the peanut butter and coconut. Regardless of my efforts the end result was cake-city. Don't get me wrong, they're pretty darn delicious. Strong peanut butter flavor, a little twang of salt, plenty of sweet, and the chewy coconut lends a lovely texture to the whole shebang. The edges are crispy, and hold up well when dipped into cold milk, while the core of the cookie remain soft. That's really nothing to complain about. But, despite it's strengths it was not the perfection I sought out to create that afternoon. Cookies can be quite deceptive. For as simple as they may seem, finding sheer perfection is quite a process, if not impossible (much like the hunt for the perfect swimsuit-ha!). When it comes right down to it though, who in their right mind would complain about or turn down a delightfully delicious homemade cookie? Not this girl, that's for sure.

Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups ap flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp sea salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup (optional)

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F

Yield : Appx. 2 dozen good sized cookies (give or take a few)

1. Mix all dry ingredients in small/medium sized bowl.

2. Place butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to assure everything is incorporating well.

3. Now, one at a time, on a lower setting, add your eggs. Beat at least 3o seconds between each egg.

4. Next, add your vanilla and corn syrup (if you're choosing to use it).

5. Taking a cue from the compost cookies, I beat the dough at this stage on high for about 5-7 minutes to encourage some of the sugar to dissolve.

6. On a very low speed add your flour and mix 30 seconds or until just incorporated thoroughly. Do not overmix, this will give you a dense cakey cookie, not a tender one.

7. Finally, toss in your coconut and mix briefly so that the coconut incorporates.

8. Using an ice cream scoop, equally measure out mounds of cookie dough onto a prepared cookie sheet, or baking stone. Press each cookie down a bit with the back of a fork (also gives you that traditional peanut butter cookie pattern).

9. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

10. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes. Until just golden brown.

11. Remove from oven, transfer to wire cooling rack.

12. Pour a giant glass of cold milk and devour your work!

Happy Mothers Day!

Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Simply Classic : Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

It doesn't get much more classic than chocolate pudding. It's like slipping on a pair of your favorite fuzzy slippers. Comforting, decadent, and silky. I've even heard some say chocolate is at it's best in pudding form. Not sure I entirely agree with that. But throw that decadent smooth mixture on top of a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, finish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and I may be persuaded into puddings corner.

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

This pie is a mixture of recipes. Smitten Kitchen's chocolate pudding pie inspired by a recipe at Gourmet.com, along with my favorite (laughably simple) chocolate cookie crust. I really debated on which chocolate pudding recipe to use. I settled on SK's because it was just so simple, cornstarch based (not egg yolk based). A few ingredients and steps then viola, you've got a decadent, rich, dark chocolate pudding. Plus, it's made for pie, meaning, it won't ooze out every which way when you slice into it.

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

If you're looking for a simple dessert that will satisfy any chocolate craving, or perhaps put a smile on your mom's face this mothers day, might I suggest this gorgeous chocolate gem of a dessert?

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie

Pudding Filling:

1/4 cup of cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups of whole milk

4 oz. chocolate (no more than 60%)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1 Tablespoon honey (to sweeten whip cream)

Crust:

1 box of chocolate teddy grahams (crushed)

5 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Assemble:

Pie crust first:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix crumbs, butter, and sugar together in a bowl. Press firmly into a nine inch spring form pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust it crispy and cooked.

Now for the filling:

1. Whisk cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, and salt into a heavy bottom medium sized saucepan.

2. Over low heat slowly whisk the milk in. Increase heat to medium/high and bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.

3. Once the mixture has come to a boil, continue to whisk, and allow to cook for 3 (I let it cook for closer to 5) minutes until mixture thickens.

4. Pour into cooled pie shell.

5. Chill in refrigerator for at least four hours (I found it was much better overnight, I ate a piece that night, but the 'next day' slice was richer, and the crust had softened a bit, in a pleasant way of course!)

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

It's official. My all time favorite dessert, the one sweet that will bring me to my knees time and time again, is hands down an incredible cookie (or two, or three). Stating that fact makes me feel a bit simple. What does that say about me? Of all the amazing desserts out there, out of all the combinations, techniques, flavors, and textures, my ultimate weakness lies in the hands of a good cookie? Really? Don't get me wrong, I love cake, I'm enamored with pie, I'm pretty fond of a good frozen dessert too, but none has won my heart like the cookie. Maybe this harkens back to my childhood. My earliest memories in the kitchen are of my grandmother and I, me on a little blue stool at her kitchen counter, big wooden spoon in hand stirring up a batch of nestle chocolate chip cookies. I remember begging her (nearly on a daily basis I believe) to make cookies with me. In complete honesty, I don't think it was all about getting to eat the cookies as they came out of the hot oven, I think I enjoyed being in the kitchen with her more than anything else. That smell, cookies baking in the oven, still reminds me of her and all the time we spent together in her kitchen.

Understandably, give me a reason to bake up a new cookie recipe, dominately of the chocolate chip variety, and I'll jump at it. And although I have yet to find the holy grail, the journey sure has been fun (and delicious). Momofuku Milk Bar's Compost Cookie could reign as my new favorite. I believe if I had allowed them to chill in the back of my fridge for 36+ hours (a la the NYT chocolate chip cookie) they would've been pure perfection. I stumbled upon them by chance over at 'the amateur gourmet' (damn fine food blog my friends). You see, I've started a new tradition here at 1313, 'Sunday Supper', every Sunday I cook up a meal for my closest friends and family, we sit, eat, drink, talk and enjoy. In my eyes, a meal simply wouldn't be complete without dessert, but, in an effort to keep my sanity and part of my Sunday free before supper, I seek out simple, no fuss desserts, this cookie being one of them. At the end of the night I baked up a fresh batch, served warm cookies and a tall glass of cold milk. So classic. Guests kind of went nuts. One tried to walk out the door with the rest of the cookies (even though I made care packages with cookies to go). I'm not kidding, he scooped up everyones package and away he went! (I caught him of course.) There are two things that really make this cookie different. 1. Whipping the butter/sugar/egg combo on high for 10 minutes. Essentially dissolving the granulated sugar and creating a light, shiny butter mixture to which you add the rest of your ingredients. This creates a light as air cookie dough that is hard to resist devouring straight out of the mixer bowl. 2. The 'throw-in's' or the 'compost' part. Another Sunday Supper guest had caught the particular Regis & Kelly that featured this cookie. She said they threw in all sorts of things from standard chocolate chips, to Rolos, to Goldfish crackers. Per Adams suggestion I kept it pretty standard, throwing in chocolate chips and a mixture of crushed pretzel and potato chip. But frankly, I don't think you can do any wrong throwing in whatever suits your fancy from candy to salty snacks. Although I mentioned it earlier, I don't think it's necessary to chill these for a day and a half. They're simply delicious the day of, right out of the oven, I sure didn't hear any complaints from any of the guests. . . So, if you're a cookie fiend like me, or simply on the same quest for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie, I implore you to try your hand at the compost cookie. And if you do, let me know what you throw in the mix! I have a sneaking suspicion these cookies will catch fire much like the NYT chocolate chip cookies did a few years ago, because they are that good.

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie

via Amateur Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (two sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps Kosher salt

1 bag (I used one cup) chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups your favorite baking ingredients/junk food (ie pretzels, goldfish, twix, rolos, potato chips, you get the idea)

Directions:

(preheat oven to 400 F after cookies have chilled out in the fridge)

1. To the bowl of an electric mixer add butter, granulated & brown sugar as well as the corn syrup. With the paddle attachment beat on medium speed until well incorporated and creamed together. Appx. 3 minutes.

2. Reducing the speed a notch or two, add eggs (one a time, until incorporated about 30 seconds after each egg), and vanilla. Scrape down the sides to ensure everything is incorporating well.

3. Here comes the long haul! Increase speed to medium/high (I set my speed pretty high!), set your timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. At the end of this time the mixture should become a very pale yellow, nearly white, double in volume and will be quite shiny.

4. When your ten minutes are up, decrease speed to low and add in your flour/baking soda/powder/salt and mix until just combined (being careful not to over mix). Once the dry has mixed well with the wet, on the same low speed, add your 'junk food' or 'compost' (same thing here, until just incorporated, you don't want to over-mix the cookie dough).

5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop equal amounts of dough onto silpat-ed cookie sheet (or wax paper). I fit about eight cookies per sheet. Then refrigerate cookies for at least one hour (apparently, because of the light dough, skipping this step will result in a mess of cookie goo/soup on your baking sheet).

6. Once they've chilled, throw cookies in hot oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. They may look a little doughy in the middle, this is ok, once you take them out they will continue to cook to gooey perfection on the hot sheet.

7. Devour! (Cold milk highly recommended).

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Easy Street : Chocolate Capped Macaroons

Chocolate Capped Macaroons, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Macaroons are one of those things I used to make as a preteen/teenager. Why? Because they're ridiculously simple. Most recipes require you to crack a few eggs, separate the whites, pour them into a bowl with a bit of sugar, coconut, on occasion flour, mound them, then bake. Not many ingredients needed, not much time required, and in less than an hour, viola, a crispy, chewy, mountain of sugary heaven. A combination almost deadly for a young girl with the sweetest tooth this side of the Mississippi.

When I realized I was both hosting Easter dinner, and still wanting to whip up a few Easter baskets for my loved ones I knew almost immediately what needed to be the homemade treat packed into each green plastic basket, macaroons. Last year each basket was packed full of these adorable easter nests, but I didn't have the time for any muss or fuss. I knew that Easter dinner prep would keep me busy most of Saturday evening, and surely Sunday afternoon. I wanted something that both embodied the Easter holiday, and that was reminiscent of Spring. As many times as I may have made macaroons growing up, it had (honestly) been years since this little oven had seen the coconut mountains. No longer did I have my trusty, easy recipe either. I knew my pantry had everything I needed, and even a little something extra, a bit of luscious bittersweet chocolate leftover from the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie adventure. After a bit of food blog surfing I stumbled across one of the most revered and trusted food blogs out there, Orangette. Here it was, exactly what I needed, macaroons covered with a dollop of oozing chocolate. I was planning on drizzling, but once I stumbled upon this recipe decided against it. I wanted my Easter basket receivers to get both a serious dose of the quality chocolate along with coconut. The boys here with me that night will tell you I was none to pleased about the process this recipe puts you through. It's not hard by any means, it just wasn't what teenage me was used to (my fluctuating hormones played a major role in my frustration as well I suspect). It required me to do just a little more than crack, separate, mix, mound and bake. The end result was pretty close to macaroon heaven. Not sure if they were all that much better from the childhood recipe, the easy peasy recipe, but boy were they good, and I'm pretty sure each receiver of an Easter basket was pleasantly and deliciously delighted. I know Easter has come and gone, but these could be made for any occasion any time of the year, from summer picnics to your Christmas cookie platter. Macaroons are a classic kind of cookie, simple, but guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any sweet tooth.

Chocolate Capped Macaroons, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Chocolate-Covered Coconut Macaroons

Via Orangette Adapted from Bon Appétit (September 2002) and the Marigold Kitchen of Madison, Wisconsin

3 cups (lightly packed) sweetened shredded coconut

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup egg whites (about 5 or 6 large)

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp almond extract

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cup heavy cream

Place the first three ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan, and stir to combine well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is pasty but not dry. (The uncooked mixture will look sort of granular at first, then creamy as it heats, and then it will slowly get drier and drier. You want to stop cooking when it no longer looks creamy but is still quite gluey and sticky, not dry.) Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Spread out the coconut mixture on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Using a ¼-cup measuring scoop, scoop and pack the coconut mixture into domes, and place them on the baking sheet. You should wind up with about a dozen. Bake the macaroons until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Set cookies on rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is very hot and steamy (not boiling), remove from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Spoon the glaze over the macaroons, covering them almost completely and allowing the chocolate to drip down the sides. [You will have leftover glaze, which can be refrigerated or frozen.] Refrigerate the macaroons until the glaze sets, at least 2 hours. Transfer the macaroons to an airtight container, and refrigerate or freeze.

Yield: 12 macaroons

Chocolate Capped Macaroons, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.