What I Learned Today

Today was one of those days where all kinds of juicy tidbits about cooking came my way without necessarily seeking them out. Love those days, don't you?

1. Micaceous Clay Pots - Good Food, KCRW

I really need to get one of these!
These unglazed clay pots add robustness to your beans!
Listen to Evan Kleiman and her guest, Felipe Ortega, on KCRW's Good Food, discuss the tradition and benefits of cooking with micaceous clay.

You can buy them on Etsy.

2. No Dutch-Processed Cocoa v. Unsweetened Cocoa

Confused about the difference between dutch-processed cocoa and plain, unsweeteened? I was, but don't be, David Lebovitz explains...

3. No Fail Pie Crust, from America's Test Kitchen via The Bitten Word

The perfect pie crust still eludes me, but this method and recipe could do the trick!

Milky Way Krispies

Just make these.
You can thank me later.

This recipe is adapted from Mars Bar Krispies found on the Greedy Gourmet.

Milky Way Krispies

6 Milky Way candy bars
2 oz. butter
3 1/2 cup Rice Krispies or generic substitute
7 oz dark chocolate, melted

Line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper leaving an inch or so hanging over the edge of the pan. Spray with nonstick canola spray (makes for easier removal of treats).

Chop 4 of Milky Way bars coarsely. Slice the remaining 2 bars into slices.

Place chopped Milky Way bars in medium saucepan with butter, stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Press mixture into pan, refrigerate for several minutes to set. Spread on melted chocolate. Refrigerate again for several minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

Remove bars from the pan by lifting the parchment paper. Chop rough edges off along the sides and then chop the bars into the size you prefer. Top with remaining sliced Milky Way bars.

Brown Butter Buttermilk Biscuits

Here we go, folks, another biscuit recipe! Aren't you excited? Well, I am, cause these biscuits are right near perfect! Rising nice and tall, great texture, and awesome 'keepability'. By this I mean, biscuits, as a rule, are best straight out of the oven. However, these did very well on day two warmed up in a 300 degree oven. I was very pleased.
The original recipe uses parsley and sage but I always like to try the plain buttermilk biscuits before I start adding flavors. The addition of the brown butter as the glaze was a last minute call.
As you all know, I've tried quite a few biscuit recipes, most call for baking at a higher temperature, but these specify 350 degrees which of course means the baking time is increased. This recipe also uses egg which is pretty rare for biscuit recipes as well.
I really love this recipe and will consider it my go-to biscuit recipe until I find another recipe to replace it! And let's be honest, that could be at any minute.

Adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery and Cafe by Joanne Chang

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces plus 2 tblsp, melted
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 cold egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds or until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and beat on medium low speed for about 1 minute, or until the butter is broken down and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, cream, and until thoroughly combined. On low speed, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and beat for 10 to 15 seconds or until dough just comes together. there will be still be a little loose flour mixture at the bottom of the bowl.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand, gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl, so that it picks up the loose flour at the bottom. Turn over the dough several times until all of the loose flour is mixed in.

Dump the dough onto a work surface and pat it into a layer about 1 inch thick. Using a 3 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place them close together on a baking sheet. Gently bring together the dough scraps, pat them into a layer about 1 inch thick and cut our more biscuits until all of the dough is used up. You should have 8 biscuits total. (At this point, the biscuits can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. Proceed as directed, baking the biscuits directly from the freezer and adding 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, although mine didn't take that long, or until the biscuits are entirely golden brown. While biscuits are baking, brown the remaining butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter when biscuits are done.

Momma Deiss's Pumpkin Cake v. Fine Cooking's Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake

Jonathan is my best friend of 16 years. Lord, that's a long time. Seems like just yesterday he had long hair, abs and listened to Nirvana over and over and over. ugh.

A couple of years ago, his mother generously gave me a couple of their family recipes -- whoopie pies, which I had never heard of until I met Jonathan, and the famous pumpkin cake. Every month or so, JD (Jonathan) would request I make the cake. Then this gorgeous photo on the cover of Fine Cooking of another pumpkin cake said, 'Make me! Make me!' So I did. And it had brown butter in it. And I was happy.

In my opinion, the Fine Cooking cake wins out (the cake on the right). The cake comes out more evenly baked, it's crazy moist, and the brown butter is a tantalizing addition to the frosting, plus there's less sugar.
Of course, Jonathan stands by his mother's. He kind of has to. He would be a bad son if he didn't.
Click here for recipe.

Pan de Muerto for a Day of the Dead Party

Pan de Muerto is the bread made for Dia de los Muertos, Mexico's Day of the Dead.
This is a holiday I can get behind. I'm the kind of girl who if she could time travel would not go to the future, but to the past. I'm the girl who designed cemeteries in grad school. I'm the girl who traveled around North Carolina, Georgia and Florida making rubbings and molds of ancestors' gravestones. It took me 12 years of living in LA to get around to celebrating this holiday. I'm not the biggest Halloween fan - making a costume is just too much trouble, yet spending a weekend planning a party and several hours making bread, well, that I'll do!

I found this recipe in Fine Cooking:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/pan-de-muerto.aspx?

How could I resist making something so adorable? I made a few mistakes along the way - like turning the oven on prematurely during the bread's second rising (I put it in there because with the pilot light on it's nice and warm). I also made a mess of the 'bones' that decorate the top of the bread. Oh well. The bread didn't seem to suffer any for not completing the second rising or not having perfect bones. This bread is similar in texture to challah and brioche but with the lovely addition of orange. Through a sleepy sugar coma, induced by cherry cordial, 2 kinds of hot chocolate, one being spiked with bourbon, and double chocolate cookies my guests made it to the grand finale - the Pan de Muerto! Check it out.

The 24 Hour Chocolate Chip Cookie

Don't let these pretties fool you. They're not that good. 

I believed the hype. A guy I worked with said they were amazing and had a party devoted to them. The New York Times featured a three page article on them. The last straw was an email from Tasting Table highlighting David Lebovitz's recipe for them. Yeah, I don't get it.
Supposedly, letting the dough refrigerate from 12-24 hours greatly improves our beloved chocolate chip cookie. Bah. I was expecting a truly sensational cookie. A mesmerizing blend of flavors, a melt in your mouth epiphany. My coworkers happily played test testers to my efforts and while they did indeed hastily eat them, I wanted an 'eyes rolling into the back of the head' kind of reaction. Didn't happen.Maybe my expectations were too high?
I don't know, but I went back to making this recipe I found a couple of years ago in the Los Angeles Times, not to be confused with the aforementioned New York Times. Ahem. This cookie has been presented to us by the fabulous LA eatery, Milk. Check 'em out.

Milk's Ooey-Gooey Double Chocolate Cookies
Servings: 1 1/2 dozen
Adapted from Milk.

1/4 pound (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons Valrhona cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound Valrhona bittersweet chocolate (chunks or chips)
1-3/4 cup chopped, roasted walnuts

1. In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a fork, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Mix just until incorporated and set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until combined, then stir in the bittersweet chocolate and walnuts.
5. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill thoroughly. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Divide the dough into 18 portions. Grease your hands (to prevent the dough from sticking) and shape the portions into balls. Place the balls on a greased, parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving 2 to 3 inches between each.
7. Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set and the center is still soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place the cookies, still on the parchment, on a rack and cool completely before serving. They will be very soft.

Southern Cakes: Coconut Layer Cake or the "Coconut Butterball Cake"

I am constantly sifting through recipes for Southern cakes. I have a quite the collection: Caramel, Lady Baltimore, Hummingbird. And I intend to make them all. It's only fitting that the part of the country with the biggest sweet tooth has such an amazing cake tradition. Coconut moved to the top of the list when I saw an episode of America's Test Kitchen on PBS featuring the Coconut Layer Cake. I love anything to do with coconut. I am particularly enthusiastic about the use of coconut oil as a lotion. I could slather that stuff on all day.

Back on topic, Brooke. The adorable Christopher Kimball and Bridget Lancaster were looking for ways to intensify the flavor of coconut within the cake itself. Usually, you get lots of coconut punch in the frosting, but not so much in the cake. Their solution was to add canned cream of coconut. Between the cream of coconut, the coconut extract and the toasted coconut on top, the coconut flavor really does come through. So no worries there. Of course, the thing I couldn't get over with this cake was the amount of butter used in the buttercream frosting. I guess I took the 'butter' in 'buttercream' for granted all these years. Or maybe I should say, I lived in blissful ignorance.

So. I guess you're probably wondering if you should make this cake. Yes, it will take up most of your day, and yes, there are a lot of ingredients, but this is a beautiful cake with great flavor, especially if you're a lover of coconut. And butter. Of course. Don't even think about making cupcakes instead.

Coconut Layer Cake from America's Test Kitchen

Makes one 9-inch, 4-layer cake

Cream of coconut is often found in the soda and drink-mix aisle in the grocery store. One 15-ounce can is enough for both the cake and the buttercream; make sure to stir it well before using because it separates upon standing.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 large egg
• 5 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup cream of coconut
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), sifted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool
• 2 cups packed sweetened shredded coconut (about 8 ounces)

Buttercream

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
•   pinch table salt
• 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• 1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.
• 2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.
• 3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
• 4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.)
• 5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.
• 6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.
• 7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.
• 8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
• 9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.
• 10. To Assemble the Cake: Follow illustrations in chart below. Cut into slices and serve. (Wrap leftover cake in plastic and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.)