Coffee Coconut Milk Ice Cream & Hot Fudge Sundaes

May 20, 2013 by

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I’ve been on a major coconut product kick, as made clear by my instagram feed. I now make all my granola with coconut oil, we’ve started throwing a dollop of coconut milk into our smoothies instead of using yogurt, and this weekend marked my first foray into coconut milk ice cream. This seemed like a no brainer to me. I mean, is it just me or it is really hard to believe coconut milk is dairy free when you first open a can? It’s so rich and thick! Of course you’d make ice cream with it. This recipe is incredibly simple and yields great results. The coconut milk churned just like regular ice cream, and once frozen became the farthest thing from your typical vegan dessert. A key thing to note is that the ice cream doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor, like you would think. So if you’re not a coconut lover, I’m gonna venture to say you’ll still like it- especially if you add the coffee. This hot fudge sauce is not vegan, but you could easily forego it and mess around with other chocolate based ice cream mix ins. But if you aren’t vegan, you better be making this hot fudge sauce.

Here’s to a great week and the first CC ice cream recipe of the season! We’ve got so many good posts across the next few days and an especially exciting announcement on Thursday. Let’s do this!

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Coffee Coconut Milk Ice Cream  from The Minimalist Baker
Serves 6

  • 2 15 oz cans full fat coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup regular sugar
  • 3/4 strong brewed coffee
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine coconut milk, coffee and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until well combined – about 5 minutes.Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely in the fridge – at least 6 hours, overnight being preferable.Transfer to ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions (I let mine churn for about 20 minutes, at which point it was done). Pour into tupperware container, smooth out top, and press plastic wrap directly to the ice cream. Cover with tupperware lid. Let harden fro several ours in freezer. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving. Top with hot fudge, sprinkles, etc!

Hot Fudge Sauce adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen
Yields 2 1/2 cups

  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons corn syrup
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee (optional)

Melt the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently until combined. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and coffee and serve warm over ice cream.

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Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries & Toasted Pecans

February 11, 2013 by

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I know… I know.. nothing but cookies around these parts! But with the snowstorm that hit the northeast this weekend, nothing felt more appropriate than hunkering down in the kitchen with my brother and making some oatmeal cookies.  I’ve always had a thing for chocolate in oatmeal cookies (I’m secretly obsessed with the ones from Potbelly), so when my brother discovered a version that included dried cherries and toasted pecans I was totally on board.

Cooking is providing a much needed sense of calm for me right now. It’s been a rough couple of days, but the act of preheating the oven, prepping the dough, and filling the house with the sweet smells of butter and brown sugar was a step in the right direction. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

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Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries & Toasted Pecans adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes approximately two dozen cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) dried tart cherries
  • 4 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), slightly softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, mix together dried cherries, toasted pecans, oats, and chocolate chunks.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together butter and sugar until no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary and mix for about 30 seconds. On low-speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Turn off the mixer and fold in the oats mixture with a rubber spatula.

Roll dough into small balls, approximately 1 1/2 inches across. Flatten slightly. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 16-18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through, until cookies are medium brown and the edges are set. The cookies should appear slightly under baked in the center. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

February 4, 2013 by

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There are those Pinterest food moments where I literally find myself thinking- I would pay good money to have what I see on the screen appear in front of me, just so I could eat it right now. These cookies are just that. They’ve been sitting on my cookie pin board for months and I finally got the chance to make them this weekend. They are the epitome of ooey gooey cookie amazing-ness. The feeling of pulling them apart borders on the satisfaction I get from pulling apart a hot grilled cheese. Are you drooling yet?

These guys are admittedly a little more finicky to make than your typical chocolate chip cookie. Wrapping the dough neatly around the Nutella without having it seep out takes some dexterity, but just make sure your Nutella is really really cold- that makes a world of difference. Since they are a step above your traditional chocolate chip cookie, they’d be perfect for an at home Valentine’s Day celebration- the only kind of V-day celebration I care to partake in. Prep the dough the night before and then bake them up just before you serve one of these killer dishes. Ok? Got it? Great!

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start.

More chocolate chip goodness: Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars & Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Makes approx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies

  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
  • 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
  • Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Using an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until blended. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time. Then add in the vanilla and yogurt and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Chill your dough and Nutella for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball. Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. If necessary, use small bits of dough to plug the gaps.  Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten, just slightly, with your hand VERY gently.
Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Sprinkle with sea salt right after they come out of the oven, and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
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Gingerbread Pound Cake with Peppermint Frosting

December 7, 2012 by

Happy Friday! Did you guys catch the holiday baking feature I put together for the Everygirl? I made a gingerbread poundcake with peppermint frosting for their holiday week, which is chock full of great recipes, gift guides, and gorgeous outfit ideas from some of my fave ladies from around the web. This cake is such a show stopper, but really simple to make. Definitely worthy of a holiday féte! Head on over to their site to snag the recipe and lots more holiday inspiration.

Earlier this week I was feeling really bogged down by stress and a couple of big looming projects. I was flooded with these feelings of- “I can’t get it all done fast enough.” Those feelings relate less to my day to day work, and more so to my career and feeling like I can’t get all the major things done as fast as I’d like. But when all of that stress came to a head mid-week, a close friend reminded me that really anything big in our lives or careers is made up of a lot of small steps. Instead of thinking about how am I going to get this whole massive thing done, focus on the first steps to accomplishing something, and recognize that’s just part of the process. And along those same lines, remember that we should look to others for inspiration, but we can’t put ourselves on their timeline.

So with that I wish you all a wonderful weekend! I’ve got a few more holiday-esque shoots I’ll be working on to share with you in the coming weeks. Stay warm! xx

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Behind the Scenes with the Barefoot Contessa

November 28, 2012 by

Thank you all SO much for all your warm support yesterday! And hello to all you newbies that just found CC through the feature- I’m thrilled to have you!

As promised, today I want to take you guys behind the scenes of the cookie swap with Ina. In between shots with the photographer (the esteemed Quentin Bacon), we were pretty much given free rein of the barn space. The space is stunning and feels like you’re living within a Restoration Hardware catalogue, but about a million times better. I went to town snapping shots of her kitchen and pantry!

The kitchen space is her own test kitchen- not just a set. The pantry is filled with actual items and equipment she uses everyday. The fridge has all her homemade stocks and ingredients she actually cooks with. It’s all real! I totally snooped.

The kitchen itself is amazing. She’s got the most beautiful gas range I’ve ever scene, and each side of the stove is flanked with matching refridgerators, Cuisinarts, and Kitchen Aid Mixers. A dream! The ceilings are quite high and with an entire wall of floor to ceiling windows, the entire space is bathed in light.

We also got to explore her beautifully manicured gardens. I couldn’t get over the amount of lavender! From here we caught a glimpse of her actual house and more of the rolling landscape. It’s crazy to think back to all those afternoons growing up, sitting on the couch doing my homework, and staring at this house in the credits of her show. And to now be viewing face to face- what!?!?

The day was best summed up when Joy kept repeating, “Yep this is real. This is happening. No big deal- typical Thursday.” I really did have to keep pinching myself throughout the whole thing to remind myself this was actually happening. Then there was the point at which I used her bathroom- that made things feel pretty darn real.

Lastly, here is the recipe for the ginger cookies (you can get all the cookie recipes online here). This is a great dough to make ahead and then freeze into logs during the holidays. Then when you’re ready to bake the cookies, just pull the dough out 10 or so minutes early to let it soften before slicing and baking.

Apple Cider Ginger Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup apple butter
  • 1 large egg
  • red sanding sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and dried ginger. Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla extract and apple butter, and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients, to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until the dough begins to come together and the flour disappears. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating the ingredients with a spatula. Once all the flour is thoroughly mixed in, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough into your hand, roll into a ball, then roll the ball around in granulated sugar to coat. If you like thicker cookies, place the ball of dough directly on the baking sheet. If you like thinner, but still chewy, cookies, flatten the balls into a small disc in your hand. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes, just until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on the pan for 7 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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A Cookie Swap with the Barefoot Contessa

November 27, 2012 by

Well… something (clearly!) amazing happened this summer! Two things in fact- I met the Barefoot Contessa, and participated in a cookie swap in her home!! Let’s back up, shall we?

Back in June, the lovely ladies at Ladies Home Journal asked me to participate in a cookie swap with a “famous chef” in the NYC area. I immediately said yes and began pondering what restaurant chefs or bakers they’d have participate in a blogger cookie swap. Minutes after saying yes, I received an email back saying that the cookie swap would be with INA GARTEN at her house in Hamptons! First I about fell out of my chair, then I screamed, and then I called my mom and we screamed together. I couldn’t believe it! The rest of that day is just a blur.

The shoot took place in July. One Thursday morning I left my apartment at the crack of dawn and headed to midtown to meet Deb, Joy, Zoe, Lisa, and Julie and hop on a motor home to East Hampton (let’s be clear- I was just as excited to meet these amazing ladies, too!). The day of schedule was as follows: first breakfast with Ina at the 1770 House, and then a cookie swap at her house. The swap took place in her recently built “barn,” the incredible kitchen space where she now does all her recipe testing and films all her television segments. After getting all dolled up we spent the afternoon chatting, sipping sparkling wine, and nibbling on cookies around her gorgeous rustic dining table.

For the swap, each blogger had to provide an original cookie recipe. I came up with a super chewy ginger cookie flavored with apple butter and rolled in red sugar – a twist on your traditional holiday ginger cookie. Other cookies included Ina’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs, Joy’s Black & White Red Velvet Cookies, and Zoe’s Chocolate Caramel Matzo. You can get all the recipes in this month’s issue of LHJ.

All of us were pretty intimidated to meet Ina, but she immediately put everyone at ease. She’s truly one of the most genuine and down to earth people that I’ve ever met- and I assure you, I’m not just saying that. Really. Yes, I love her recipes, but the source of my admiration really comes back to her poise and business sense. She also has an incredible sense of humor and can be pretty witty and sassy! That was cool to experience.

At the end of the day she kept thanking us all for coming. I wanted to be like “Are you kidding? I would have walked here!” Sadly my solo photo with her will probably go down as the most awkward picture of me in history, but oh well! It was such an incredible day and I’m still reeling from the experience.

A HUGE thank you to Ladies Home Journal for making the whole experience possible, and including me. Be sure to check out all the other ladies’ sites this week to see their pics, recaps, and recipes. I’ll share my cookie recipe with you guys tomorrow along with some behind the scenes pics and other little tid bits about the day. I have been dying to tell you all about this for the last four months- I’m so thrilled the day is finally here!

All photos by Quentin Bacon

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Salted Cider Caramel Apple Pie

November 19, 2012 by

I mean… did you guys really think we’d make it through the holiday without some dessert featuring sea salt? I thought not.

Last week, I took a pie making class! We have this amazing kitchen store/butcher/culinary epicenter in Williamsburg called The Brooklyn Kitchen. You can take classes, shop for all the kitchens supplies you could ever need or want, and buy local meats at their incredible butcher. It’s clearly my kind of place. They have a ton of different classes you can take but I got hooked on the pie class because, well, pie making is an area I find pretty daunting. Ever notice there’s not one pie recipe on this blog? Well, now there is! The class assuaged a lot of my fears of overworking the dough, and now I’m feeling much better about my pie game.  Before even taking the class, I knew I wanted to make a version of this Cider Caramel Apple Pie. So this weekend I set out to test the recipe before making it for my family for Thanksgiving. As you can imagine from the photos, it is to die for good- quite possibly one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. The flavor of the cider caramel in the pie is beyond words. There’s a bit of work involved, but I’ve included lots of detail in the recipe to help you through it- and I assure you, it’s worth the work!

Get ready for more pie around here and here’s to a great (short) week!

Salted Cider Caramel Apple Pie adapted from Honey & Jam

Salted Cider Caramel:

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp flaked sea salt

This caramel takes a while- so make that first. In fact, I recommend making it the day before. Place the cider in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 25-30 minutes until it’s reduced by half. Add in the sugar and butter and continue to cook, stirring occasionally,  until caramel is reduced to 1 1/4 cups. This took about an hour for me. Whisk in the sea salt and set caramel aside to cool. It must be at  room temperature before putting in the pie.

For the pie crust (recipe from Brooklyn Kitchen):

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup ice water (plus more if needed)
Next, make the pie crust. I did mine by hand, but you can certainly follow the Cuisinart method. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the cold butter and using your hands, break up the butter into small pieces. The smallest piece of a butter should be no smaller than a pea- but you should have larger pieces as well (see pictures for reference). Continue to do this until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Pour in the ice water and bring the dough together until it forms a loose ball. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if your dough seems too dry. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least one hour before rolling out.
For the apple pie filling:
  • 5-6 cups sliced apple (I like a combo of granny smith and gala)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Toss together all the ingredients and set aside. Let the apples sit in the mixture at least 30 minutes before placing in the pie.
Make the pie:
-Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter your pie dish.
-Take dough out of the fridge and cut in half. Let dough rest for five minutes before rolling out. Generously flour your counter, rolling pin, and dough. Begin by pressing out the dough with the back of your hand so it forms a large disc. Then begin rolling out the dough from the center, continuing to turn and flip the dough so it doesn’t stick to the counter. Keep using flour! Once it’s an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch thick, place the dough in your pie dish. Trim any large overhanging bits of dough.
-Place half the apples in the dish, then drizzle generously with caramel.  Follow with the remaining apples and another drizzle caramel. Be careful not to get too much liquid from the apple mixture in the pie. Keep the remaining caramel to drizzle on top. Roll out the top part of the pie crust and place on top. Trim any overhanging bits and tuck the top layer into the bottom. Utilize this crimping method.

-Cut four steam vents in the top layer, brush with a beaten egg, and bake for 20 minutes at 400°, then 30-40 minutes at 350°. Pie is done when juices are bubbling  and a paring knife slides easily through one of the steam vents. Let pie cool for 20 minutes before serving.

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Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

November 12, 2012 by

Over the summer I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Ina’s newest cookbook, Foolproof. I tore through the book immediately, marking recipes I wanted to make. There are some really incredible ones- like an easy tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons, crispy mustard roasted chicken, and her recipe for perfect pie crust. And then there are these spiced pumpkin cupcakes.  I have a serious weakness for any kind of pumpkin cake lathered in cream cheese frosting. Add maple syrup and a healthy dose of spices to the mix and I’m completely sold! Initially I had big plans to get out my piping bag and make the frosting look all perfect and glamorous, but I just wasn’t in the mood. And when you’re the girl that sits with the bowl of extra frosting and adds more frosting to every bite of her cupcake, it really doesn’t matter what the top of your cupcake looks like, right? Note: I am that girl about a million times over.

More pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkins Muffins

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting slight adapted from Ina Garten’s Foolproof
Makes 18-20 cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup greek yogurt (or you can use another 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 extra large eggs at room temp
  • 1 16 oz can canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line your cupcake tins.
Sift together all the dry ingredients into one bowl. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, yogurt, pumpkin, eggs, and sugar. The mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scoop batter into cupcake tins or bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
  • 12 oz cream cheese at room temp
  • 6 T unsalted butter at room temp
  • 4 T pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Beat together all ingredients but the powdered sugar until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.

 

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Fleur de Sel Caramels

October 26, 2012 by

For Halloween last year, I made homemade peanut butter cups, which are as delicious as they sound- and an extremely dangerous item to have about 50 of in your freezer at one time. This year I contemplated making homemade Snickers or Almond Joy Bars- all good choices, but I was craving something more classic. Enter fleur de sel caramels. I am a caramel fiend, people. I really fear for my teeth when this stuff is around, which is why I decided to make them right before I had family come into town so I don’t find myself eating the entire batch! You could wrap these guys in wax paper or serve them on a platter. The flaked sea salt against the glossy caramel makes for a pretty killer presentation, so I went that route.

Are you making homemade candy this year? Any recipes I have to try? Send ‘em my way, and have a lovely weekend! xx

Fleur de Sel Caramels adapted very slightly from Ina Garten
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir — just swirl the pan.

In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1/2 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful — it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half. Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log. Sprinkle the log with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. (Start by cutting the log in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until you have 8 equal pieces.) It’s easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with flavorless oil like corn oil. Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

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Halloween Compost Cookies

October 15, 2012 by

Oh, Monday. Let’s pick it up with some Compost Cookies! Have you ever had them? They’re basically the most addictive cookie on the planet. Invented by Momofuku’s acclaimed pastry chef Christina Tosi, they combine both sweet and salty ingredients into one cookie- think chocolate chunks and potato chips, marshmallows and pretzels, or Cheetos and Captain Crunch cereal (for real). You can actually use any ingredient combination you want- you just need two cups of salty ingredients, and two cups of sweet.

Last month, when I came on board as the newest food contributor of The Glitter Guide, and was dreaming up black and orange inspired sweet treats for October’s edition, I couldn’t think of anything more fitting than a Halloween inspired Compost Cookie. This one is packed with kettle cooked potato chips, black and orange m&ms, and caramel covered rice cakes.  Yeah- pretty over the top. Head on over to Glitter Guide for the full recipe!

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