Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cookies

    The most important thing I've learned in my "quest" to make good gluten-free desserts for my mom is to try out recipes that are naturally gluten-free. This skips the messiness of dealing with a mixture of different flours and playing around with proportions. When it comes to these cookies, they are more delicious than any chocolate cookies I've had that do have wheat flour in them. These are fudgy and oh-so-chocolatey; when they come out of the oven, you will think they're under-baked, but they will set and become gooey perfection.

 I made these to take to dinner at my friend's house a couple of weeks ago, and they were a huge hit. This weekend is my sweet 16, and the night before we are having a dinner at my house for our relatives coming from out of town; I'm in charge of dessert, so this past week I made about 70 of these, and have stashed them in the freezer. And seriously, I've managed to restrain myself and not sneak very many out as a late-night snack (but only barely). This week I've been celebrating not only crazy party preparations, but also a new favorite cookie!
   Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cookies

(slightly adapted from Picklee)

1 1/2 cups (9 oz) bittersweet chocolate chips
3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup hot chocolate mix or sweetened cocoa powder, for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large  baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow fluff.
Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, add dry ingredients into meringue mixture.
Mix lukewarm chocolate mixture and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will be very soft; let it sit for about a minute and it will thicken enough to roll).
Place hot chocolate mix or sweetened cocoa in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in chocolate, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes.
Transfer to rack, cool.
    -makes about 2 dozen cookies; recipe doubles/triples well

Whole Wheat Waffles

     I almost didn't post these waffles, simply because I didn't like the pictures very much. When I'm photographing hot waffles straight off the iron, I don't want to spend time creating picture-perfect stacks with syrup dripping down the sides and unreasonably large pats of butter - all I want is to taste it!

 

     So, maybe these pictures are what you would call "rustic." But then again, so are these waffles. The batter can be thrown together in five minutes, and is made with all whole wheat flour and very little fat and sugar. I made a big batch and froze them, and have been reheating them in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast that feels indulgent but is really just about as healthy as a couple of slices of whole wheat toast. Until you add the syrup. Or Nutella. But that's beside the point.
     Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Waffles 

(slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups lukewarm skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

Preheat your iron while you make the waffle batter.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter or oil.

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. The batter will be a bit lumpy; that's okay.

Cook the waffles as directed in your waffle iron's instructions.

-makes about 3 standard 4-section waffles (I use the Cuisinart grill waffle iron insert).

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Jam

    The school year has pretty much come to an end, and though I still have some state tests to take (honestly, the worst part about those is really just sitting in a freezing cafeteria for three hours a day), I've had my last classes. Around Christmas, lots of my friends got their teachers gifts as little thank-you's; I was too busy around then to even think about this until the last day of school before vacation, but I decided to make up for it before the end of the school year.

     I decided to bake my teachers cookies, because let's be honest, who doesn't like cookies?! I started out trying to make raspberry macarons, but it was too humid and they cracked and it was late at night and I had spent all week taking finals and so I made vanilla bean sugar cookies. Which made a lot of sense in my head at the time... I already had the macaron filling, a delicious homemade raspberry jam, ready, so the sugar cookies became sandwiches.
      Luckily, they worked out really well. The cookies are chewy and buttery, and the vanilla goes perfectly with the tart raspberry. Plus, how cute are these when they're nestled into mini bakery boxes?
    Enjoy!

 Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Jam

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

(adapted from Beyond Kimchee)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 large (or 2 small) vanilla beans

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar, for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla bean(s) lengthwise. Scrape seeds into the butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll into 1" balls (I used a cookie scoop) and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart on a cookie sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges get lightly golden.

Homemade Raspberry Jam

(from Ladurée Sucré; wording slightly adapted from Not So Humble Pie)

225g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

2 tsp powdered pectin

375g (3 cups) french raspberries

1/2 lemon

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and pectin.
Using an immersion blender, puree the fresh raspberries and then pour into a medium sauce pan.
Over low heat bring the berries to just barely warm, then add the sugar and pectin mixture and the juice from the half lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for two minutes.
Pour the jam into a bowl and cover. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled.

Sandwich two cookies with a layer of raspberry jam inbetween.
      -makes about 12 sandwich cookies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

Finalsfinalsfinalsfinals. That's just about what's going through everyone's head at my school right now - it seems like AP exams just ended and now we have to take our finals! Luckily, this time around none of mine are too bad, so I don't have to be studying all the time. I wanted to share this cake that I made back in April, which I have put off sharing mainly out of vanity (on behalf of my pictures) - see the picture of the full cake below.
When I was in Brazil, it was around midnight when my cousin realized that the next day was her friend's birthday, and we knew we had to make her a cake. Her favorite is white chocolate, so I decided to go with my go-to yellow cake, with a light white chocolate frosting. The problem was that we were at my grandma's house, who doesn't ever make layer cakes - so we had to make do with piping "Parabéns!" ("Happy Birthday!") out of chocolate syrup. Oh well...

This is really just ganache that has been whipped after being chilled. I had no idea it would be so delicious! It's light and fluffy, almost like a white-chocolate-flavored whipped cream (which I guess it is, but nevermind...). It's so easy to spread, and it pairs perfectly with the light vanilla flavor in the cake.
Enjoy!

my chocolate syrup piping...

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

(adapted from Food.com)

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

2 cups heavy cream

Have the white chocolate ready in a medium bowl of a stand mixer.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until boiling. Pour over the white chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
Stir in concentric circles, from the outside in and then the inside out, until the chocolate is completely melted. Cool in the fridge until cold.
Beat on high speed with the mixer until light and fluffy. Be careful not to over-beat.

Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

     No matter how fun it can be to bake delicate fruit tarts and sky-high layer cakes, sometimes I just need some classic, less indulgent breakfast. A few weeks ago, when I was studying all weekend, everything became magically, a million times more interesting than history. Suddenly, when faced with a stack of notes and review books, oatmeal muffins seemed like the perfect study break.

      I decided to throw in a little twist with some dried cranberries, but other than that these muffins are super simple. You could throw in any add-ins you want, but don't get crazy - these are meant to be simple. They are full of oatmeal and have less sugar and fat than most muffins, making them okay for an everyday breakfast.
     Maybe I shouldn't have started with the healthy description, because that tends to make bakers disappear - but bear with me. These are hearty, yes, but in the best way possible. They are moist, sprinkled with dried cranberries throughout, and they are absolutely delicious! Especially with a bit of jelly (or nutella, but let's keep it healthier here). This recipe is definitely a keeper in my kitchen.
     Enjoy!

Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

(adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease well a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.
In a medium-size bowl, mix the oats and the milk and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, making a well in the center. Stir in the liquid ingredients and the oatmeal mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Batter may be lumpy.
Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until lightly golden or a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out with moist crumbs attached. Don't overbake.
    -makes 12 muffins

A Millenium Falcon Birthday

     I don't talk about it too much, but I do get orders for various baked goods every now and then. Lately it's been happening more often, which is exciting, both for me and for my obsession with clothing and high heels! And my ever-growing collection of cook books ;)
     A few weeks ago, my mom's friend emailed me about a cake for her son's party. He was turning four and had decided that he really wanted a cake shaped like the millenium falcon from star wars. I said of course I would make it, and although it was supposed to be ready two days after my AP exam, I figured those two days would give me plenty of time.
    And then I looked up a picture of the millenium falcon.

     When I heard the name, it rang a bell - this was that rocket thing from Star... something... right? I had no idea this was what it looked like, and when I realized I had just agreed to make a cake that looked like it, I may or may not have squealed and looked at my friend in shock in the middle of a history study session.

      I knew I couldn't make anything like what some of these crazy cake bakeries make - besides not having the skill, even with all the practice in the world I wouldn't have the equipment necessary at my house. I decided to go with a simple, slightly cartoon-ized version of the ship, and (after checking that this was OK with the boy's mom!) got started as soon as my AP was over!

     It ended up going pretty smoothly - the round part was made of two 9" cake layers, and I baked up two 9x13" layers and carved them to make the wing things and little bumps on top (what are these? somebody who knows Star Wars, help me?). It was a chocolate cake filled with a layer of delicious dulce de leche buttercream filling.
     Start to finish, this took about four hours (and probably would have taken less time had I been more awake, seeing as how I started at 11 pm). If you want proof, just check out my 3 a.m. Instagram cake shots ;)
     I was so happy to have had my first ever sculpted (if you can call this sculpted) cake come out as planned. I hear the birthday boy loved it! Although, let's be real, when I was four, I would have much rather have had a princess barbie cake... as much as they scare me now.

all packed up, along with a hundred brigadeiros

Happy birthday Liam!!

Lemon-Scented Cinnamon Buns

     I'm back!! My AP test is over, and I'm beyond excited to have my lazy weekend mornings and fun weekday afternoons back, with lots of room for baking!
     This recipe was actually made a couple of weeks ago, during one of my study breaks. Somehow studying seemed that much more pleasant when I could smell baking cinnamon buns in my oven...

It's so fluffy I'm gonna die! ("Up" reference? Anyone? No?...)

     These aren't quite the typical extra-large, sugar-coma-inducing cinnamon buns you might get at the mall food court (or at Ikea, as I learned yesterday...). These are fluffy, but they aren't super tall or extra sweet, largely due to the lemon zest and extract, which cut through the sweetness a little bit.

     In my opinion, cinnamon buns are the classic American weekend breakfast (with the possible exception of pancakes). I bought the book the recipe is from on a whim, when I suddenly became interested in baking bread. While lots of the recipes look pretty intimidating, I decided to start with something I had attempted before, and it ended up working out really well. I made the mistake of using active dry instead of instant yeast, so perhaps they didn't rise as much as they were supposed to, but I thought they were just the right size (and they didn't lose any fluffiness).

look at those sugar crystals...

    These are the perfect treat for a lazy weekend morning. Be warned, this recipe makes quite a large number of cinnamon rolls when you and your dad are the only ones eating them - I ended up sharing most of them with a friend at school, who wasn't too upset over having plastic containers full of pastries handed to her during English class. Two days in a row. ;)
    Enjoy!

Lemon-Scented Cinnamon Buns

(slightly adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice)

-6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 oz) granulated sugar

-1 teaspoon (.25 oz) salt

-5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 oz) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature

-1 large (1.65 oz) egg, slightly beaten

-1 teaspoon (.17 oz) lemon extract, or 1 teaspoon (.1 oz) grated lemon zest

-3 1/2 cups (16 oz) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour

-2 teaspoons (.22 oz) instant yeast

-1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups (9-10 oz) whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature, or 3 tablespoons (1 oz) powdered milk (DMS) and 1 cup (8 oz) water

-1/2 cup (4 oz) cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon)

-White Fondant Glaze (see recipe below)

1. Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand); if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, but add the water with the flour and yeast.
Whip in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12-15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77-81 degrees F.
Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
2. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
3. Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Shape the buns:
     -Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3" inch thick and 14" wide by 12" long for larger buns, or 18" wide by 9" long for smaller buns. Don't roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump.
      -Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough.
      -Roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8-12 even pieces about 1 3/4" thick for larger buns; or 12-16 pieces each 1 1/4" thick for smaller buns.
4. Line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2" apart so that they aren't touching but are close to one another.
5. Proof at room temperature for 75-90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
7. Bake the cinnamon buns for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

White Fondant Glaze

Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and 6 tablespoons-1/2 cup warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.
When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)