Raisin Butter Tarts and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night my sister and I had a Christmas baking session. I’d brought a copy of Anna Olson’s Back to Baking to try out, and after consulting Anna’s recipe for Raisin Butter Tarts (page 100), my sister declared that she wanted to follow it instead of the recipe she already had. My baking choice was Anna’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 18), made with her Basic Brown Sugar Cookie Dough (page 17, or see below!).

For the butter tarts, we had to use regular margarine instead of unsalted butter because that’s what we had on hand. We also had a package of pre-made tart shells that we used instead of making our own dough. (Sorry Anna! Time wasn’t completely on our side!) However, instead of these two “departures” we followed the recipe exactly, and we decided that the resulting tarts were pretty much the best we’d ever tasted.

For the chocolate chip cookies, we also had to substitute regular margarine for unsalted butter. And, because I wanted tidy, round, evenly shaped cookies (go figure: I’m an editor), we rolled out the dough into a log and sliced it instead of dropping spoonfuls of it onto the baking tray. The cookies were simple, chocolaty bliss: a classic that turned out perfectly.

We were using a convection oven, to handle multiple baking trays, and Anna’s notes (page 8) on using this type of oven were really helpful.

Thanks, Anna!

—Theresa Best

 

Basic Brown Sugar Cookie Dough

• Makes enough dough for 2 to 3 dozen cookies •

foundation recipe

 

This cookie dough is the base for the favourites of the drop cookies: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Molasses, and Peanut Butter. After a couple of batches, you’ll likely have these proportions memorized and be able to whip off a batch of cookies with your eyes closed. Before making any of the cookies for which this dough serves as a base, read the specific cookie recipe itself to see if additions need to be made to this basic dough recipe.

 

½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup (125 mL) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (60 mL) sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

1¼ cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch

½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

 

Cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until fluffy.

 

Beat in the egg and then the vanilla.

 

In a separate bowl, stir the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

 

Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir until evenly blended.

 

Follow instructions to make Chocolate Chip (page 18), Oatmeal Raisin (page 20), Molasses (page 20), or Peanut Butter (page 22).

 

Notes from Anna’s kitchen

1. The cornstarch is the secret to this dough. Regardless of which cookie variation you choose to make with this recipe, the cookies stay soft in the centre and are delectably tender.

2. Ever run out of brown sugar? You can re-create light brown sugar by using granulated sugar and adding 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of fancy molasses to a recipe for every 1 cup (250 mL) of brown sugar called for. The molasses creates the taste and the moisture that the brown sugar would add to a recipe.

The winners in the Canada-English category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were announced today and I am very proud to report that Whitecap Books received 4 wins!

Best Single Subject Book:
Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan
Best Desserts Book:
Back to Baking by Anna Olson
Best First Book:
Everyday Exotic by Roger Mooking and Allan Magee
Best Asian Cuisine Book:
Bal's Quick and Healthy Indian by Bal Arneson

These titles will now go on to compete against the winners in these categories from all over the world at the Paris Cookbook Fair held on March 6, 2012. Best of luck to our authors in the final round!

This recipe comes from the new book Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan. Did you know you could bake with beans? This recipe is a great introduction to baking with beans but the book also includes recipes for scones with red lentils and banana bread with white beans!

 

Black Bean Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

 

These are the full on real deal. Nobody has ever detected the merest hint of a bean in these, nor given a damn once told. Use good-quality chocolate; you’ll be happy you did.

 

1 cup (250 mL) rinsed and drained canned black beans (half a 19 oz/540 mL can)

1 1/4 cups (310 mL) broken pecan pieces (optional)

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter

2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (185 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

2/3 cup (160 mL) good-quality chocolate chips, or a 3 1/2 oz (100 g) bar good quality bittersweet or semi-sweet dark chocolate, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 350°f.

 

Spread the rinsed black beans out on a double thickness of paper towel and blot them gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Leave them uncovered on the counter until you need them for the recipe.

 

Spread the pecan pieces (if using) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and very lightly browned, about 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

 

In a small saucepan set over very low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate, taking care not to let the mixture scorch. Whisk to combine, then remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together and set aside.

 

Place the dried-off beans and the cooled butter/chocolate mixture in the bowl of a food processor, and process until very smooth, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; process again until combined. Scrape the mixture into the flour mixture and fold gently, leaving streaks of flour still visible. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and fold to just combine.

 

Pour the batter into a lightly buttered (or sprayed, with non-stick cooking spray) 8-inch square pan, and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes: the batter should no longer jiggle when the pan moves, but any toothpick inserted would be very chocolatey indeed. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The brownies will need to cool awhile, unless you want to eat them with a spoon directly from the pan (we’ve done it). Otherwise, cut them when they’ve cooled, and store in the refrigerator if you like a dense texture, or at room temperature if you like them softer.

Here's a recipe from the book Glutton for Pleasure by Bob Blumer. As is his specialty, this dish isn't all that it seems!

 

Cereal Killer Soup

 

I made this soup in a breakfast-for-dinner episode of The Surreal Gourmet. My guests were a group of Toronto taxi drivers who worked the all-night shift and were accustomed to eating dinner after the sun rose. They came from all walks of life and all corners of the globe—and dispensed their cab-driver wisdom liberally.

Lucky for them, they weren’t really getting cold cereal for supper. And lucky for me, I got to hang out in my kitchen with some very wise men.

 

4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter, divided

1 tablespoon (15 mL) Indian spice blend (e.g. garam masala)

1 cup (250 mL) Cheerios

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 leek, white and pale green section only, diced

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and roughly chopped

6 cups (1.5 L) chicken or vegetable broth, divided

Salt and white pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) freshly grated nutmeg (ideally)

1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4–1/2 cup (60–125 mL) milk or half-and-half cream (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter and add spice blend. Add Cheerios and toss thoroughly. Transfer spiced Cheerios to a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy. Reserve.

In a medium pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter and sauté onion and leek for about 4 minutes, or until translucent. Add cauliflower and 5 cups (1.25 L) of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is completely soft.

Purée contents of pot in a blender until smooth. If necessary, thin with remaining broth until soup is your desired consistency. For extra-smooth soup, run the purée through a fine strainer. Discard any solids. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Finish with lemon juice.

To serve, reheat to a gentle simmer. If you choose to increase the richness quotient, add approximately 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of milk or cream per serving while reheating. Pour soup into a cereal-style bowl and sprinkle generously with the spiced Cheerios.

 

 

Today is election day in Canada and what better way to celebrate our democracy than with mousse (except perhaps moose, but I don't have a recipe for that right now). Here is Rose Murray's recipe for Maple Yogurt Mousse from A Taste of Canada. The recipe even includes a handy 2 hour break giving you enough time to run out and vote!

Maple Yogurt Mousse
This light-and-easy dessert is creamy-textured but low in fat. Yogurt adds a pleasant tang that balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Makes 6 servings

1 envelope unflavourted gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
Additional whipped cream
walnut halves (optional)

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin into the cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the maple syrup and remove from the heat.
Add the yogurt and milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks; fold into the maple mixture. Pour into stemmed glasses and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. If desired, garnish each serving with a small dollop of whipped cream and top with a walnut half.