Cookie Night!

When the cat's away, the mice will bake cookies.  I just spent a fun night baking with my BFF who watches The Great British Bake Off on Netflix so we had to make British favorites, biscotti and scones.  High tea anyone?

Chocolate Chip Scones, Chocolate Biscotti
and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups plain flour (8oz), sifted before measuring (plus more for working)
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs butter, melted

     Preheat oven to 425° and line heavy duty baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a work surface for later use.
     Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl.  Whisk to mix thoroughly.  Mix in chocolate chips and toss with fork.  Pour in cream and mix with fork just until mixture comes together.
     Transfer the sticky dough to the floured work surface and sprinkle dough lightly with more flour.  Knead the dough 10 times, pushing it away with the heel of hand, and folding it back over itself and giving a quarter turn each time.  If dough begins to stick, sprinkle with more flour.  Flip onto a well floured area then pat into a 9-inch disk.  Brush with melted butter then sprinkle with 2-3 Tbs. sugar.  Cut the dough into 12 pie-shaped wedges and transfer each to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 in. between wedges. 
     Bake 15-17 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Best eaten on the day they are baked.
😋

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

     Preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a work surface for later use.
     In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.  In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.  Scrape down bowl, add eggs one at a time, and mix until incorporated.  Beat in the vanilla and scrape down sides.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Stir in almonds and chocolate chips.
     Scrape the sticky dough onto the floured work surface and lightly dust the top of dough with flour.  Shape the dough into a ball and cut in half.  Roll each piece into a log then place on prepared baking sheet.  Form each piece into a longer log about 3/4 in. tall, 2 in. wide, and about 12 in. long allowing space between logs so they can spread while baking.  Bake 35 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Remove pan from oven for 5-10 minutes until just cool to the touch.  Cut the logs on a diagonal into 3/4 in. thick slices and turn the slices cut side down on the baking sheet.  Return to the oven for 10 minutes to dry out.  Remove from oven and let cool on pan.  (If desired, dip the bottoms and spread up one side with melted chocolate.)
😋

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti 

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups pistachios, roughly chopped

     Preheat oven to 325° and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
     In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.
     In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil and mix until well blended.  Add vanilla and almond extract.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended.  Gradually add dry ingredients.  Stir in cranberries and pistachios by hand.
     On prepared pan, halve the sticky dough and spread into two long logs with space between.  Shape the dough with wet hands into two 12 inch long, 2 inch wide logs.
      Bake 35 minutes then remove from oven for 10 minutes.  Cut cool logs into 3/4 inch slices and lay slices on the parchment, cut side down.  Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes longer, or until cookies begin to dry.  Cool on baking sheet.

Dessert Week!

I've spent the last week eating way more desserts than anyone should eat.  Lots of celebrations I suppose.  Last night a friend stopped by to show me how to make cream puffs.  They turned out pretty good - the filling was the best!

Cream Puffs

First make pastry cream so it can cool in the refrigerator.  Next make choux pastry so the shells can cool on a wire rack.  Then make the whipped cream so you can lighten the pastry cream and fill the shells.  Finally melt some chocolate to top the sweet treats.

1. Vanilla Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Pour milk in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles form, 180 degrees (do not boil).  Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup sugar, yolks, and cornstarch.  When milk reaches temperature, slowly add the milk to the eggs while whisking constantly to temper the egg mixture.  Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.  Pour the hot mixture into a bowl and mix in vanilla and salt.  Rub top of mixture with butter and then place plastic wrap directly on top to eliminate any skin from forming.  Place bowl in refrigerator to cool while making the pastry dough.

2. Choux Dough

5 oz. flour (1 cup)
pinch of salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Have food processor ready.

Whisk flour and salt in small bowl to remove any lumps.

Place butter and water in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until butter is melted.  Pour flour mixture in, all at once, and stir over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is smooth and dough pulls away from pan.

Transfer dough to food processor and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add all the eggs to a bowl then dump the eggs, all at once, into the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and eggs are fully incorporated.  Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip and pipe small mounds, about 1 1/2" wide and 1/2" tall, onto parchment lined pans.  Wet your finger and press down the pointy tops.

Bake 22-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and quickly use a sharp tipped knife to cut holes in the top to allow steam to escape.  Move puffs to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

3. Whipped Cream

2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a cold bowl with an electric mixer, whip cream and sugar until soft peaks form.

Remove chilled pastry cream from refrigerator.  Gently fold in the whipped cream to create a lightened pastry cream.  Fit a pastry bag with a small tip and fill with cream.  Pipe cream into pastry but do not overfill.  (Alternately cut the puffs in half and fill center with cream filling).  Melt chocolate chips according to package directions.  Pour melted chocolate into a pastry bag with a small tip cut out and drizzle chocolate over the top of the cream puffs.

Cream puffs are best eaten fresh.  Enjoy!