Ever try a recipe and it just does not come out? And you think, hmmm, that's weird, it's from a trusted source. I ran into that with the martha stewart black bottom coconut bars (I added in a layer of graham for texture and flavor--quite good actually).
If you read through my cook notes you'll see where the errors were. Don't get me wrong, I do love martha stewart recipes, and always will; I guess every once in a while it happens.
Of course you don't have to add in the layer of graham, I did solely for the reason of wanting to have some graham with my coconut. Graham and coconut, what a great pair.
I might try this again with a layer of marshmallow. Now that's a a trinity: coconut, graham and marshmallow.
black bottom coconut-graham bars
recipe base adapted from Martha Stewart
print recipe
chocolate base:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
graham center: (I added this in, optional but wonderful)
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers, (I like rough chop, not powder, to keep it crunchy)
4 ounces melted butter
coconut topping:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar (I used ½ cup)
1/2 ts vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling
Cook notes:
The original recipe does not call for a graham center. I wanted to add this in for a nice crunch effect. Up to you if you want to add it in—it does lend a nice flavor and texture.
Also, I ran into a problem with Martha’s original recipe. In Martha’s recipe, it says to pre-bake the chocolate base for 10-15 minutes; I only prebaked it for 7 minutes. On the first batch, I did the 10-15 minutes, it was way too long/much and it ended up being overdone when I had to bake it again. So I highly suggest only prebaking for 5-7 minutes or not even prebaking it at all. The chocolate base is VERY THIN. Maybe if you double the base ingredients, then prebaking would come out fine. Also the original recipe says it makes 24 bars? From an 8-9 inch pan? I only got about 12.
For chocolate base:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (I only prebaked for 5-7 minutes). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for next sets of toppings.
For graham center:
Melt 4-5 ounces of butter, let cool a bit. Then mix with the ½ cup of crushed graham. Sprinkle this mixture over the chocolate base. Next move onto the coconut topping.
For coconut topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes (mine was done at 22-23 minute mark). Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars (mine made 12 bars). Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.
7/23/12
black bottom coconut-graham bars
7/18/12
ground beef gyros (quick and easy)
[First, I'd like to say congrats to the winners of the "The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook" #25 Barbara and #69 Ellen. Congrats to you both, please email me your shipping address.]
It's no surprise the recent heatwave in the northeast has left me with no desire to bake anything. I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat.
Laziness comes with a hefty dose in the extreme heat and humidity.
I look for the easiest ways to make something delish, even if it is in "baby" steps.
The baby steps with these gyros?
Chop up veggies in the morning, buy or make the tzatziki sauce in the afternoon (I choose the latter in this heatwave), make gyros meatballs at night. Not so bad right?
And by the way, if you're looking for a good recipe for tzatziki?
Head over to Kalyn's Kitchen, not only does she has a good recipe, but she also included links for variations of tzatziki.
And if you have fussy eaters in the house?
This is a great way to get them to eat their veggies.
Works on my hubby. I just hide them in the sauce.
ground beef gyros
print recipe
1 pound ground beef (I used 85% lean)
½ cup minced sweet onion
1- 2 TB fresh oregano
3- 4 TB fresh chopped parsley (I used a bit more)
pinch of cumin
a couple dashes of salt & pepper
Cook notes:
You could add in a touch of mint if you wanted: ½ - 1 TB minced fresh mint.
It gives it a nice flavor without a minty taste.
I used a lot of parsley in these meatballs as I wanted a nice hearty earthy flavor to pair with the grilling flavor.
If you use really lean meat, make sure to fry these in a bit of oil or the meatballs dry up. One pound should make about 20-25 meatballs, depending on size.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Form meatballs and fry in pan or on grill. Grill gives a nice flavor.
Serve in warm naan or flat breads. Then top with your favorite toppings.
Serve with:
Tzatziki sauce
Tahini sauce
Crumbled feta
Kalmata olives
Chopped cukes, red onions, lettuce, peppers, etc..
7/15/12
blueberry shortcake
I can only take the sound of fireworks so much.
Granted it's that time of year when fireworks go off (a lot) and that's fine.
But not when you know a certain neighbor of yours will be lighting them starting july 1 straight, every night, until the end of September (usually when his stash runs out).
The nights when the humid air on cape cod is so thick you need to chew it before you breathe it, I'll have the A/C on and can't hear the fireworks; I'll only hear a distant rumble much like the sound of distant heat-thunder. Lately, we've had wonderful sleeping weather; low 60's and lower dew points. The perfect time to leave the windows open and feel that cool air caress you as you sleep. So the dreaded boom, crash, hiss of the fireworks fills the air late into the night--until at least 1am, and I have to close one set of windows to stifle the noise a bit.
As I try to fall asleep, I think doesn't this man have a job to wake up to in the morning? How much money does he drop on fireworks per year? Isn't he BORED with them by now?
His house isn't in my area; it's well behind my house, past the conservation land, along a busy rural road. But since it's all flat land, the sound carries--carries very well.
Why aren't other people complaining about this noise? Will I be the only person calling the police begging them to please make him stop lighting them at night?
Just the other day, I saw another neighbor, teaching his young son (7 or 10?) how to light fireworks. Yes, light them. Crazy right? This man, the father of a young impressionable mind, outside on a gorgeous summer day teaching his son how to light fireworks? And so they did just that a good part of the day. I stood there, looking out the window in pure shock. Wondering if the young boy loses a finger will Dads' brain FINALLY turn on and say "hey maybe this wasn't such a good idea".
My love for strawberry shortcake is strong. But as of late, I've gotten tired of it or rather I've run out of ideas in which to create "new" ways of making it. So why not try the 'other' fruit--blueberries. Just as tasty when made into a compote.
But a blueberry shortcake I've found needs a moister cake than your average shortcake. So I found just the right cake to use, that has a hint of buttermilk in it.
This recipe was so good. I received so many compliments on this one--I highly suggest you make this one; you won't be disappointed. I've heard that the cake can deflate? It hasn't happened to me yet. But then again I don't open my oven a lot, I let it do its own thing and never poke at it until it looks "almost done" then I give it one poke.
Blueberry compote is now one of my favorite summer eats. Endless uses.
This cake is a great base for many others summer treats and dishes. 
Happy Summer!
blueberry shortcake
print recipe
cook notes:
Catherine says that the cake is destined to sink once it cools, but I had no such problem. This cake does not keep well. By day 3 it was already getting hard. So use it up in two days (which should be no problem).
blueberry compote:
1 pint of blueberries
juice of one lemon
3-5 TB sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
Cornstarch slurry (1 TB of cornstarch in ¼ cup of warm water)
Heat up In a small saucepan, heat up the blueberries with the lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil until most/some of the berries have broken up and this is visible juices.
Take off heat. Get your slurry ready. Add in the slurry when the berry mixture has cooled a bit. Mix well, put back on heat and heat over low heat until mixture has thickened a bit. If it’s too thick, just add some water. I like mine fairly thick. Do a taste test when mixture is cooled to see if its sweet enough for you.
Cake base:
from Catherine Newman's Donut Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 ts vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 TB cornmeal (I did NOT use this)
1/2 ts kosher salt
2 1/2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Heat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, and set it aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition, then add in the vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with flour.
Make sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next, but don't over-beat it at the end. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake until the top is puffed and golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving warm or room temperature.
To assemble:
Slice up cake and serve with blueberry compote and fresh whipped cream.
7/13/12
PB Boulangerie Bistro - S. Wellfleet, MA
Instead of the friday links I'd like to share with you one of my favorite places to nosh on french pastries, breads and croissants. I'm thankful we have this place, as the bakery scene on cape cod is not that great. PB Boulangerie on cape cod (S. Wellfleet, ma) is owned by Philippe Rispoli and Boris Villatte. Opened in March of 2010. Two friends, one a baker, one a chef. Both hail from France, with extensive culinary backgrounds. Rispoli working at many Michelin-star restaurants in France like Pierre Orsi and Paul Bocuse. He also worked with Daniel Boloud, and Charlie Palmer. Villatte also worked in france, alongside Eric Kayser and Alan Ducasse.
It’s no secret their culinary talents show through in the foods in the bakery and now the newest addition the bistro. A bistro serving up authentic french bistro fare.
The two have been lifelong friends, started working together at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Villate was the head baker for the Wynn Resort and Rispoli was in charge of the opening of Daniel Boloud’s Brasserie.
What brought them to cape cod, was Rispoli’s wife and her family have a summer home on cape cod. Eventually Villatte followed to cape cod, and the rest is history.
As of recently, there are plans for Villate to open another bakery in Falmouth.
PB Boulangerie located on cape cod, in south wellfleet, ma on 15 lecount hollow road, just off route 6. Not to be missed by any means, and if you see lines, it's worth the wait. They do have off off-season hours, but are limited, so check website before you go. And remember to take home a few baguettes (they freeze nicely!).
And when they first opened there were lines. A small place as this, in the middle of nowhere cape cod, there were lines. Amazing. But deep down I knew it would be busy. People, locals crave good food. They crave real bread, real croissants and the occasional pastry.
This is an authentic french bakery/bistro, with some of the best croissants outside of paris.
Finding a good croissant is impossible, unless you live in a big city. What's also nice is the prices aren't too high, reasonable for good food.
They grow all their own herbs.
Some of the best bread in the world paired with an excellent assortment of cheeses. Perfect.
The real reason I come here: the croissants.
The croissants are so good you should not use any jam on them; you need to savor the taste of the croissant all on its own.
The chocolate used in that tart was so rich, so deep--it left such an impression. I still remember that taste.
A chocolate-chocolate eclair. No words. Just no words. That chocolate cream was so clean, so fresh. The eclair had just the right amount of 'crunch' to it. Amazing.
Flaky croissant with a nice chunk of chocolate in the middle.
Even candies from france. I just adore this statue.
7/10/12
Interview: Lindsay Landis of "The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook" + Giveaway
The newest fad to cookbook baking is the highly popular “The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook” by Lindsay Landis. Lindsay is the author of the popular food blog “Love and Olive Oil” (where the infamous chocolate chip cookie dough truffles came about), is a graphic designer/small business owner by day and a food blogger/cookie dough addict by night. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Taylor and their three crazy cats.
For those of you that simply love chocolate chip cookies just for the sole reason of eating the cookie dough, you are in luck. Here is a cookbook dedicated to all things cookie dough, egg free too. No worries of salmonella here.
Inside The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook you’ll find over 50 recipes. These recipes aren’t your run of the mill cookies, in fact, most of the recipes aren’t even cookie. Each recipe features homemade (and egg free) raw cookie dough front and center.
Some cookie dough treats include:
- chocolate chip cookie dough doughnuts
- chocolate nutella cookie dough crème brulee
- brown sugar macaroons with cookie dough filling
- old-fashioned cookie dough ice cream sandwiches
- cookie dough swirl marshmallows
Visit cookiedoughlovers.com to get updates, freebies, and events.
The cookbook is laid out into different sections of what you can do with cookie dough. A candy section; cookies &, brownies; cakes, custards & pies; frozen treats; indulgent breakfasts; and fun snacks & party fare. In addition, Lindsay also gives us a section on other cookie dough flavors, vegan/dairy free, gluten free, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, sugar, almond, gingerbread. Throughout the book you find handy guides as well as key ingredients.
The recipes I personally cannot wait to try? “Cookie dough stuffed cinnamon rolls” pg. 127 and “Cookie dough cream pie” pg. 63
Questions:
My first question, naturally was going to be “why a cookbook about cookie dough?” and then I thought why not. As I was flipping though your cookbook, I read that as a child your mom was the best chocolate chip cookie maker ever. And you, on occasion, were found with your whole head in the bowl trying to eat the cookie dough. Do you remember that moment?
I remember it only because there is video proof. One of my parents apparently thought two little girls crawling all over the counter with a mixing bowl on their head was cute, and thought to break out the video camera. One of these days will have to get it converted to DVD and publicly embarrass myself by sharing it. :)
What other memorable cooking/baking moment do you remember that stayed with you sparking your career in baking?
I grew up baking, so my memories of childhood are filled with batch after batch of chocolate chip cookies. I was also quite the mini-entrepreneur, hosting regular bake sales at the top of our driveway.
With each interview I do, I love finding out about what kind of taste-testers each cookbook authors have. Who do you have? I know you have your husband. Anyone else? I can only imagine the line up of people at your door if they found out what you are creating in your kitchen for this cookbook?
It’ll be no surprise that I have very well-fed friends and neighbors. I should also mention my mom, who single-handedly tested a good 2/3 of the recipes in the book. I couldn’t have done it without her!
chocolate chip cookie dough truffles, pg. 19
Which recipe from the book, gave you the most challenge? Which one was the easiest?
Perhaps the fudge. I initially tried to do a traditional fudge. Let’s just say me and cooked sugar don’t quite get along. There were many batches of fudge that ended up in the trash. Eventually, I went with a simpler powdered-sugar based fudge, and the result is out of this world.
I’m always amazed at some of the time constraints editors put on finished cookbooks. From start to finish, how long did it take you to hand in the finished product to your editors? Was there a timeframe?
4 months, including photography. Yes, it was a stressful 4 months. We were pushing to get the book out as soon as we could, before someone else beat us to it!
Were there any recipes that didn’t make the cut?
Cookie dough macarons. Perhaps one of my favorites (I love anything almond!) but the recipe was so finicky that I couldn’t get it to work on a regular basis. And I figured if I couldn’t even follow my own recipe, probably best if it wasn’t published. I’ll keep working on it, because (when they work!) they’re too good not to share!
Favorite brand of chocolate to use in cookie dough? I know I’m a firm believer in the highest ratio of cacao works best.
For your standard chocolate chip cookie dough semi-sweet is my favorite, and the fact that they’re available in a mini size (which gives a much better dough-to-chocolate ratio in my opinion) is key. I went through an unbelievable amount of mini chocolate chips during the testing process.
Have you ever thought about opening up a cookie shop? You know selling some of your most popular recipes?
Never. I like sleeping in too much! Baking for me is still just a hobby, and I think I’ll keep it that way.
For your food blog loveandoliveoil.com, when looking at recipes to try or create next, what sparks your interest most?
My sometimes odd cravings dictate much of it, so does seasonal produce and ingredients. If I see something new and interesting at the farmer’s market I’ll pick it up, even if I don’t have any specific plans for it yet.
Don’t you love how the “cookie dough movement” is changing? Cookie dough is no longer just for cookies. It’s for candy, pies, cakes, etc… I wonder why it took so long to get here?
I have no idea. When I first thought of the concept for the book, I was almost shocked no one else had done it yet.
Is there a cookie dough you have yet to experiment with?
I’ve covered most of the classic flavors, from peanut butter to sugar cookie to gingerbread. The majority of the recipes are chocolate chip, but with a few modifications can easily be made into a different flavor.
invisible cookie dough ice pops pg. 109
Are there certain foods you just love to experiment with and/or write about?
Desserts! I have a definite sweet tooth and I think it shows.
What country would you like to visit most for their food?
I’d love to go back to Italy (my husband and I spent our honeymoon there a few years ago), also maybe France or Spain.
Favorite junk foods (besides chocolate chip cookie dough)?
Peanut butter cups, especially the dark chocolate ones from Trader Joe’s.
Is there a personal favorite recipe in your cookbook? Or do you still just love to eat the cookie dough on its own?
If I HAD to pick a favorite it’d be the cover recipe - the Old Fashioned Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches. The dark chocolate cookies are soft and slightly salty, and prove to be the perfect compliment to the rich cookie dough ice cream.
Is there a second cookbook in the works?
There IS! I haven’t officially announced the topic yet, but I’ll say that it’s pretty much the polar opposite in terms of subject matter.
Thank you so much Lindsay!
To order a copy of this cookbook click here or the image.
If you'd like a chance to win a copy of her book, leave one comment telling us what kind of recipe/creation you'd like to see made with chocolate chip cookie dough.
One comment per person.
Please have your email address in the signature line and/or in the comment.
We'll do the drawing July 18, 2012.
7/6/12
friday links
It's Friday.
Ready to get clicking?
First off, here is an interesting article/interview from author Dr. Judi Hollis who wrote the book "From Bagels to Buddha, How I Found my Soul and Lost my Fat"
I love this kind of gardening. Makes it more cleaner, modern. This is a sunken-planter-buried pot garden from apartment therapy.
Sun dried tomato butter. Sounds so good. With corn on the cob? Oh yes.
Tips for hosting a "stress free" Al Fresco pot luck. The tips really are helpful; a couple I would have never thought of.
Here is a good list of 25 "no-bake" desserts. The good ones too. Not just crappy jello.
Isn't this chair gorgeous? They have other colors too. From johnlewis.com
Hand painted mural in silver & pink with butterflies. So pretty.
Why burnout is causing you to pack on the pounds.
Can't afford all those high-priced raw smoothies for cleansing/detoxing? Try this article: Cleansing tips for the rest of us.
22 Kettleball exercises.
10 different tips for relieving stress. (these actually make sense, I was shocked).
This is great. 47 skills you need for surviving home ownership. Excellent list. From This Old House.
Here is a great video of earth from space. One of my favorites to watch when I've had a really bad day. Everything is real, nothing is enhanced. Look for the lighting at night.
Famous actors and their stunt doubles. The Angelina one is not even close.
Cantaloupe and campari ice pops! from flavorwire.com
Chickpea fries. From flavorwire.com
Do you love tiki bars and tiki theme? I do. Everything you need to know about tiki bars. Love this.
8 kinds of food poisoning and how to avoid them.
List of Summer Reads (just click on image for info):
Have a great weekend!
