NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 ½ ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 ½ ounces) bread flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 ½-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 ½ dozen 5-inch cookies.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

American buttercream is too dense to be spread onto these cupcakes.

From Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

Makes enough for 18 regular cupcakes, 12 big-top cupcakes, 12 extra-large cupcakes, or 60 mini-cupcakes

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sour cream

½ cup water

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double-broiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the side of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. The batter is ready to bake, or for additions such as nuts, fruit, chocolate chips, or other flavorings.


Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Adapted from 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/quick-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/index.html 

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Mix butter and sugar on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla bean paste and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

From View from the Bay, which also has a video about Sprinkles, comes this recipe for Sprinkles' strawberry cupcakes:


Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 1 dozen


1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
¼ cup pureed strawberries (use all-natural frozen that have been thawed)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Fill a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners


Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside


Add vanilla and strawberry puree to milk and set aside


In standing mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy


Slowly add egg and egg whites and mix on medium speed until blended


With mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture until just blended


Add milk mixture and mix just until blended


Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until blended. Scrape down bowl to make sure entire mixture is smooth.


Divide batter between 12 cupcake cups and bake for approx 22 minutes or until tops are just dry to the touch


Sprinkles Strawberry Frosting
Frosts 1 dozen


2 sticks (½ lb) unsalted butter, firm but not cold
1/8 tsp kosher salt
3 ½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp pureed strawberries (use all-natural frozen that have been thawed)


Beat butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy


Reduce speed and gradually add confectioner's sugar and beat until incorporated


Add vanilla and strawberry puree and mix until blended. Do not overmix, or the frosting will incorporate too much air. The consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice-cream.

Strawberry cake with strawberry frosting, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, yellow cake with strawberry frosting, and yellow cake with vanilla bean buttercream

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/


4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken


Preheat oven to 350°F.


Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.


Pour batter into each well of the muffin tin until it is about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 14 minutes. Cool in muffin tin on a rack for two minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tin to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

From http://annies-eats.com/2010/10/12/yellow-butter-cake-with-chocolate-frosting/

1 lb. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
6 tbsp. boiling water
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt

To make the frosting, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 25-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until the cocoa is dissolved.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add the melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1-2 minutes.  Beat in the cocoa mixture until well blended. Cool frosting slightly before using if it is too runny.

Pesto Rolls

(adapted from http://www.cookingbread.com/classes/class_pesto_bread.html)

1 cup warm milk (110F)

1 tablespoons sugar

½ tablespoon dry active yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2 ½ cups bread flour

½ cup pesto

½ cup grated cheese + extra to sprinkle on top (gruyere and pecorino/parmesan)

In a large bowl combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for ten minutes.

Add the olive oil and salt.

Add in a cup of flour and beat with a wooden spoon till smooth. Add in another cup of flour and do the same. Now, sprinkle a half cup of flour onto a flat surface and pour out the dough on top. Begin to knead and slowly add in more flour till the dough no longer sticks to the table. Knead for about 8 - 10 minutes.

Add a little olive oil to a large bowl (about a tablespoon ). Place the kneaded dough into the bowl and turn over a few times to lightly coat all sides of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till double in bulk.

Pour out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a 9 x 14 rectangle. Spread the pesto on top of the dough and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Roll the dough like a jelly roll.

Divide the dough into 12 slices using dental floss or string to cut the dough.

Place each slice in a muffin tin with the spiral side up

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till double in bulk. Sprinkle the top with more cheese and place into a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Adapted from Cupcakes! By Elinor Klivans

For the cupcakes:

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup whole milk

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2large egg yolks

2 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups lemon curd

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until hot (about 150F). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about three minutes. Add vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture. Slowly mix in the hot milk mixture until the batter is smooth.

Fill each liner with 1/3 cup of batter, about ¼ of an inch below the top of the liner. Bake for about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Recipe makes over 24 cupcakes; more meringue topping may be needed.

Cut a cone-shaped piece out of the middle of the top of each cupcake (save the pieces you cut out for each cupcake!). Fill the holes with lemon curd and replace the pieces of cake that you removed from each cupcake. Place cupcakes 2” apart on a baking sheet.

For the meringue topping:

4 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup sugar

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar for one minute. Continue beating egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

Use a butterknife to spread almost 1/3 of a cup of meringue over the top of each cupcake. Gently dip the knife into the meringue to make swirls. Bake until the meringue is light brown, about 12 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes and serve. These can be refrigerated and served cold, with the baking cups removed.

Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for coating cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans.

Shape a small spoonful of dough into a ball and place onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat and place cookies 1" away from each other. Bake for 11 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in a mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon. Cool on wire racks. Roll cookies in the powdered sugar mixture again before serving. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.