Snacko Backo

These might just be my favorite cookies.  Another fantastic recipe from Mrs. Weiner– not exactly sure what cookbook these come from- but in it, they are called Zoe’s macaroons. These have a bit of coconut in them– but trust me- i don’t like coconut- and these don’t taste like it- it just helps w. the chewy texture.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 cups rolled oats

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 3/4 of a bag)

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter baking sheets (don’t think this is necessary- can also line w. parchment paper).  In a large bowl, blend both sugars and melted butter and eggs.  Stir in coconut and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix the soda, salt and flour.  Combine both mixtures.  Add rolled oats, 1 cup at a time, and mix until batter is very stiff.  Drop cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake until lightly browned.  12-14 mins.  I’d err on the side of under baking so chewy.

Makes a lot of cookies.

I hate to say it, but I have just not been in the mood to cook lately.  I’d call these the lazy man’s cookie bars. They are super fast, easy, and you only need a few ingredients- all of which I had in my pantry (except topping, so i left it out). They call these toffee bars- and maybe they are a lot more toffee-y w. the topping.  I think they are sorta more like shortbread w. a slab of chocolate on top.  I love these– and always eat way too many.

A Silver Palate Recipe
2 sticks butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans or heath bar, chopped (optional)
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9×13 pan. Cream butter and sugar.  Add yolk and beat well.  Sift flour into bowl (first time i ever sifted- don’t know what difference that makes).  Mix.  Add vanilla. Spread into prepped pan. Bake 25 minutes (i took mine out after 20).  Sprinkle on chocolate chips.  Put back in oven for 3-4 minutes.  Take out and spread chocolate w. rubber spatula.  Add any toppings.  Wait until cool to cut.  I put them in fridge to harden the chocolate- and I think these taste better that way.

This is the fucking bomb.  Like seriously, one of the best.  If my memory serves me right, when we were kids- Rachel- the entrepreneur- would sell these for Passover.  So when Jess P. said this was her favorite cake– even though I haven’t had Rachel’s in over a decade probably- I knew just who to ask for the recipe.  The lovely Dolores lent me her springform pan for this- but it was so good- that after this, I went out and bought by own– so I can make this again and again.

1/2 lb. [2 sticks] unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
8 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup water
1-1/3 cup sugar
5 extra large eggs at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Grease 9″ cakepan or springform pan [springform works best], and place a circle of parchment or waxed paper  on the bottom that has been cut to fit.  If waxed paper is used, grease that too- parchment paper doesn’t need greasing.
2. Chop both chocolates and set aside.
3. Combine the water w. one cup of the sugar in a heavy 2-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook about 4 minutes, or to a temperature of 220 degrees.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are melted and smooth.  The mixture may “seize,” but that is all right.  It will blend once the butter is added.  Immediately start adding the butter, stirring gently until it is all melted in
5. Place the eggs and the remaining sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Start beating on high speed and continue until they are quite thick and pale yellow, and tripled in volume.  This takes about 15 minutes [watched some madmen to occupy myself through this]
6. Start mixing egg and sugar mixture at slow speed.  Add the chocolate mixture, stirring only until fully incorporated.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan.  Set the pan inside a slightly larger pan, and pour boiling water around it.  Do not let the sides of the pans touch.
9.  Place in the oven and bake 25 minutes.  Insert a cake tester or point of a knife into the center of the cake.  If it comes out clean, the cake is done.  If not, continue cooking for up to 10 minutes longer.  Do not cook longer than a total of 35 minutes.
10.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and unmold onto a cookie sheet.  Invert a serving plate over the cake, and turn it right side up.

Dust w. confectioner sugar.

Note: This cake may be eaten warm or cold, w. whipped cream and fresh fruit, or w. creme anglaise.

The texture of the cake will change if left overnight.  It is still good- but firmer.

Damn you Ina.  Why do make everything look so easy?  On TV, Ina makes this in, like, less than 5 mins of air time.  Not quite as easy or beautiful as it looked on TV- but still totally doable.  And it doesn’t require a tart pan.  You need to refrigerate dough at least an hour- I left mine overnight.  She warns that it might look like it is burning- but it is really just the sugar burning- and dripping off the pan (put tinfoil underneath or something if u don’t want it to get on your oven- or a rimmed baking sheet perhaps).  Anyway, of course I was still panicking that it was burning so took it out 9 mins early- and it was fine- when i tasted it- it really did just take like burnt sugar, which is delicious- not burnt pastry. I also served w. vanilla ice cream- so good.

A Barefoot Contessa Recipe

Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

Apples
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam [i didn’t bother to sieve- just don’t take brush on the chunks]
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water [i used rum]

Shout out to JJ– Happy 28th!  JJ loovvees rice krispie treats– so much so that he buys those imitation kinds from Starbucks on a daily basis.  So for his bday,  I whipped him up a batch.  I hadn’t made them in years– I remember once accidentally using  3 sticks of butter instead of 3 tablespoons. It came out as butter soup w. some krispies floating in it.  But as long as you can read, these are super easy and take about 10 minutes– and they taste as good as you remember.

6 cups rice krispies
1 bag marshmallows- big or mini (the recipe on the side of the box says you only need 4 cups- a little less than a bag of mini- but whole bag doesn’t hurt)
3 tablespoons butter

Grease 9×13 inch pan. Melt butter in pot.  Add in marshmallows and stir until totally melted.  Take off heat. Add rice krispies and stir.  Put into greased pan.  Place a sheet of wax paper on top of treats, so you can press down to flatten out.  Wait until cool and cut.