Tag Archives: DIY

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

8 Replies

First off, before we go any further, I want you to know that I do not delude myself into thinking that a sugar-filled, buttery, chocolate-laden cookie becomes health food when I make it with whole wheat flour.  And I will also tell you something else: these cookies are good.  The whole wheat flour gives them a nutty flavor and deep color.  The butter gives them a crispy edge.  And the chocolate chips anchor them firmly in the realm of kid-friendly cookies.

I had never made a bar cookie before tonight but I think they have won my heart.  No rolling, no cutting, no shaping, no scooping, no baking of multiple batches because I had to spread the cookies out on multiple cookie sheets.  This is pure, streamlined cookie production.  The only downside is that the bars in the middle of the pan don’t have a crisp edge, so if you are an edge person you may want to take that into consideration and shape cookies instead.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: In a medium bowl, combine 3 c. whole wheat flour (I used Nash’s soft white whole wheat flour, but I have also used regular whole wheat flour, which comes out tasting a little whole-wheat-ier; I like both), 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt.  In a mixer, combine 2 sticks cold butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces with 1 c. dark brown sugar and 3/4 c. granulated sugar* and mix on low speed for a minute or two to integrate the butter and sugar.  Mix in two eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Mix in a cup and a half of semisweet chocolate chips (or 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate, see below).  Butter a large rimmed baking sheet (mine is 12×17) and spread the dough evenly across it.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until the center is just set.  Remove from oven and allow the tray to cool completely, then cut the cookies into bars.

*The original recipe, from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain cookbook, calls for 1 c. granulated sugar and bittersweet instead of semisweet chocolate.  I used what I had, but if you have bittersweet chocolate I think it would be great, and you might choose to use the larger measure of sugar with it.

If you prefer to have a few freshly-baked cookies at a time, I’ve had good luck rolling the dough into balls and freezing them on a tray, then moving them to a freezer bag once they are frozen solid.  Bake them without defrosting; it will take a minute or two longer than usual.

Baking Challah

20 Replies

I always like to bake  bread, but I have to admit that I have special enthusiasm for the project when it’s my three year old who looks at me brightly on a Friday morning and suggests, “Mama, let’s make challah!” Yes, let’s.

I use Claudia Roden’s recipe from The Book of Jewish Food, which I like best of the challah (or “hallah”) recipes I’ve tried. The recipe as written makes four huge loaves, which seems perfectly reasonable once we devour one warm from the oven, set one or two aside to make weekend French toast, and are left with one to eat for the next week’s toast or, more generously, to give away.

Four loaves of Challah: Dissolve 2 Tbsp. dry yeast in 2 1/4 c. warm water with 1 tsp. sugar and set aside 10 minutes, or until it bubbles up.  In your biggest bowl, beat 4 eggs, then add 1 Tbsp. salt, 1/2 c. sugar, and 1/2 c. vegetable oil and beat again.  Then add the yeast mixture and beat one more time.  Gradually add enough flour for the dough to come together, 9-10 cups in all, first mixing in your bowl and then turning out on a floured surface and kneading.  Knead for about 15 minutes, having your three-year-old sprinkle the counter and dough with more flour as needed to keep the dough from getting sticky.  Stop adding flour when the dough becomes un-sticky and smooth and very enjoyable to knead.  Oil your bowl and replace the dough ball, flipping once so both sides are oiled, then cover bowl and set aside to rise for 2-3 hours, until doubled.  Punch down and knead again, then divide into 4 sections (each will become a loaf).  If you’d like to add raisins to some of your loaves, knead in a few handfuls now.  Next, shape the loaves: you can braid them (make three ropes, set them side by side, then braid outward in each direction from the middle), or you can make a round challah by rolling out a long rope and spiraling it around itself like a snail.  Move loaves to well-oiled baking sheets and leave to rise for 1 more hour, until they have doubled again.  Brush loaves gently with a bit of beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds (or cinnamon sugar!) if you like, and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until well-browned and hollow-sounding when you tap the bottoms of the loaves. 

Whole Wheat Soda Bread Rolls

9 Replies

Once you have a pot of soup simmering on the stove, the only thing you need to make it a meal is a nice chunk of warm bread.  (Ok, a salad is nice too, but it’s not essential.)  I often make soda breads when I’m planning dinner on the fly because they require no rising time.  You can just mix one up and tuck it into the oven while you go about your cooking, and it will be waiting on the table when the rest of your meal is done.

These mini soda breads bake even more quickly, although they take a few moments longer to shape than a single loaf.  But the reward is a high proportion of crusty surface, begging to be broken up and slathered with butter or dunked into a steaming bowl of soup.

Mini Whole Wheat Soda Breads: In a large bowl, combine 2 c. whole wheat flour, 2 c. all purpose flour, 1 heaping tsp. salt, and 1 heaping tsp. baking soda.  Mix well.  Make a well in the center and add 2 c. buttermilk, stir to combine.  Turn out onto a floured countertop.  The dough will be shaggy, but you should be able to form it into a rough ball by kneading it just a few times (don’t knead for more than a minute).  Cut the dough into 10 wedges and shape each into a rough ball, using additional flour if necessary.  Place rounds on a floured cookie sheet, cut a deep cross in each, and brush with buttermilk if desired.  (Brushing with buttermilk will smooth the surface out and make the rolls more refined-looking, but I personally like the craggy surface that I get without additional buttermilk.)  Bake about 35 mins. at 400, or until the tops and bottoms of the rolls are crisp when tapped with a fingernail.

Looking for a soup to dunk these in?  A few recent favorites:
The Best Soup of 2011
Silky 5-Ingredient Cauliflower Soup
Split Pea Soup
Roasted Maple Squash Soup
White Bean and Spinach Soup
The Best Red Lentil Soup of 2012
Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

16 Replies

There was a thoughtful post today on The Yellow House that asked whether cooking has become so fetishized that it has begun to seem inaccessible to home cooks.  It reminded me of the brouhaha over models’ bodies: if you see too many airbrushed glossy spreads, do you forget what normal looks like, and maybe start to doubt yourself for not looking so perfect?  I don’t think it’s crazy to think that TV cooking shows and perfect Pinterest culinary glamshots might similarly intimidate novice or busy home cooks.

For my part, I try to remember that it can be easy to get nourishing food on the table quickly, and I try not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  Use what you have. Make it easy for yourself.  While I have been trying to include a few photos of my recipes so you know what you’re getting yourself into, none of the food we love to eat is magazine-good-looking aside from the natural beauty of vegetables themselves.  And if I zoomed out, most days you’d see photos that look a bit like Mama Nervosa’s This Is Not A Lifestyle Blog series.

Home cooking is messy and sometimes unglamorous.  Home cooks don’t use mise en place unless everything has to go into the pan at the same instant.  We’re clearing space for the cutting board on messy counters.  And we sure don’t have dishwashers tidying up after us as we go.  If you’re me, you might even burn three separate pots in one night trying to make one simple soup.  (First: the butter.  Second: the onions.  Third: half the croutons.)  Oh, well.  Luckily I only set the fire alarm off once.  To enjoy home cooking is to embrace these moments and circumstances.

And the soup was delicious.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup, adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day:  Heat a knob of butter in a pan over medium-high heat (don’t burn it).  Add a chopped onion and a couple of chopped shallots with a big pinch of salt and saute until the onion softens.  Stir in a peeled, finely diced potato, cover, and cook for a few more minutes (check and stir your pot, don’t burn it).  Uncover and add 2 minced cloves of garlic and 3 1/2 c. water or stock.  (I was in a hurry so instead of defrosting stock I used boiling water and 1 cube of Rapunzel herb and sea salt bouillon.)  Raise the heat, and once it boils, taste a potato.  When potatoes are tender, stir in a small head of chopped-up cauliflower (or half of a big head) and cook about 5 more minutes until cauliflower is tender as well.  Puree soup, then stir in 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1-2 Tbsp. dijon mustard.  Taste and adjust flavors with additional salt, cheese, and/or mustard.  Serve garnished with more cheese and butter-toasted croutons (don’t burn them!). I made my croutons from this Whole Wheat Spice Bread with Brown Sugar, Orange Zest, and Walnuts, of course, but if you weren’t able to save any of that I certainly understand.  The croutons in the original recipe look great as well: 3 c. cubed bread bathed in 2 Tb. each melted butter and olive oil, whisked with 1 1/2 Tb. dijon and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Bake 10-15 mins at 350, turning occasionally.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

7 Replies

End of the weekend.  A sweet one, full of friends, that left the kitchen a disaster.  Everyone’s gone, kids are sleeping, we’re talking in the kitchen.  I’m eating sweet potato fries.  Cold.  Off a cookie sheet.

Casually at first–there are only a few left, it seems easier than putting them away.  I absent-mindedly take another, wonder if we could just clean up next weekend instead. (Is that soon?)  Then I give the tray my full attention to peel up the last sticky, crispy, sugary bits of sweet potato.  No wonder my kids love these.

If your kids don’t get to them first, you’ll be glad to have these roasted sweet potato fries alongside a burger or sandwich of any sort, for an afternoon snack, or topping an untraditional soba or sushi rice bowl.  Or maybe, like me, you’ll find yourself eating them cold from the pan as dessert.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries: Cut sweet potatoes into batons of any size.  Place on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt.  Roast at 450, checking every 10 minutes and turning them as they start to brown.  Remove when edges are crisp; smaller fries may be done before larger ones.  Total baking time depends on how thickly the sweet potatoes are cut.  Serve with ketchup, or maybe a garlicky aioli.

Smoked Salmon Frittata with Spinach and Herbed Cream Cheese

3 Replies

Here in Seattle, when we say “smoked salmon” we aren’t talking about cold-smoked lox-style salmon. Instead it’s hot-smoked, flaky, a bit drier, and by far my preferred style of smoked salmon. Here’s a nice way to feature it for breakfast.

We smoke our own salmon in the backyard in summertime, but it’s available in the store year round. Try to find a piece if you haven’t tried it, because it’s great. But if it’s not readily available and you do have lox, make it easy on yourself, use that. The frittata will be different but still great.

And let’s be honest: the fish adds smoke and salt, but the real star here is the oniony, herbaceous, melting cream cheese. Even if you don’t make this frittata, you might want to keep a little jar of it in the fridge for smearing on your toast. And—this is a lot of talk about NOT making this frittata for a post dedicated to encouraging you to make this frittata, isn’t it?—you can make an even faster dish by simply stirring flaked or chopped smoked salmon and the herbed cream cheese into a pan of nearly-set scrambled eggs.

Smoked Salmon Frittata with Spinach and Herbed Cream Cheese: First make a bowl of herbed cream cheese by mashing some cream cheese with a pinch of salt and a ton of chopped herbs (I used green onions, chives, parsley, dill, oregano, and thyme, probably about 1 c. loosely packed chopped herbs for 4 oz. cream cheese). Set aside. Sauté an onion until translucent and then stir in a few big handfuls of just-washed chopped or baby spinach until the spinach wilts and any moisture evaporates. Meanwhile, beat 6 eggs with salt, pepper, and ¼ c. crème fraiche or plain yogurt. Flake a piece of smoked salmon into the eggs, then add the onion and spinach and mix well. Wipe out the pan you used for the onions, add a little olive oil, and heat the pan over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, until the edges are set. Dollop herbed cream cheese (as much as you want) on top of the eggs. Move to the oven and bake at 375 for about 10 more minutes, until the eggs are set.

How to Cook Black Beans

10 Replies

Writing about cooking lately has made me reflect on the fact that we think that cooking is harder than it really is.  Take making a pot of beans.  Simple, really.  Beans, water, salt.  That pot will feed you for a long time.  Cooked beans freeze well.  Dried beans cost a fraction of what you pay for canned beans.  Canned foods, including beans, can contain unsafe levels of BPA as well as excessive sodium and preservatives.  And still–still!–it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started using dried beans almost exclusively.  It seemed like too much trouble to cook my own.

So it is with the zeal of a convert that I implore you to set aside a few hours some weekend to cook a pot of beans.  I’m not saying the canned kind are wrong, and I always keep a few cans in my pantry just in case, but there are so many good reasons to cook dried beans yourself.

Once you decide to make the leap, it’s hard to go wrong.  You can soak your beans, or not.  You can salt them as they cook, or wait until the end.  You can use this season’s beans from a crunchy co-op that has amazing dried bean turnover, or cook up the bag that’s been hiding in the back of the cupboard for years.  Despite the vast number of opinions on each of these topics, in my experience you can tune all that out and your beans will turn out just fine.

Ready?  Good.  First, keep an eye on your beans as you take them from the bag or jar to make sure that there are no little rocks mixed in.  Second, measure them out so you have an idea of how much salt to add later.  Finally, give them a good rinse before putting them into your pot.

I like to soak my beans only because it speeds the cooking time on the stove (and thus the actual supervision required).  You can soak your beans covered by a few inches of water overnight, or you can “quick soak” them: put them in a pot, bring it to a full boil for one minute, then turn off the heat and leave your covered pot alone for an hour.  At this point you can drain the beans, or not.  (Some claim that draining the water after an initial soak helps make the beans more digestible.  Others say you’re just pouring valuable nutrients down the drain.  No worries.  Your beans will be great either way.)

So now your black beans (soaked or unsoaked) are in your pot.  Cover the beans with a few inches of water.  (This can be the soaking water if you soaked the beans, or new water.)  Bring the pot to a boil for a few minutes, skimming off any foam that gathers, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  At this point you can leave the beans completely plain, or add any additional flavorings you’d like: some chopped onion, chopped jalapenos, dried epazote, dried oregano, crushed garlic cloves, chopped cilantro stems, whatever.  I usually make my beans rather plain, then add more flavorings later.  Leave the simmering pot partially or fully covered.  Cook for at least half an hour if you soaked the beans, or an hour if you didn’t, then taste a bean.  Once they begin to soften, add about 3/4 tsp. salt per cup of dried beans that you started with.  Continue cooking until beans are completely soft.  This may take two hours or more if you are using unsoaked beans.  (The cooking time will vary according to the beans’ freshness; even soaked beans can take nearly two hours if they are quite old.)  If the water seems to be getting low, add more boiling water.  If there is too much water when the beans are done, pour some off.  Taste the beans as you go.  If they don’t taste great to you, they probably need more salt.  Add a small amount at a time and simmer for a few minutes to let it soak in before tasting again.

Looking for ideas to use up your delicious pot of black beans?  Mix with rice, top with salsa and it’s dinnertime.  Or click the “Mexican Flavors” link on the sidebar for emmycooks recipes (like maybe these chilaquiles?) that await your black beans with open arms.Some Recipes to Show Off your Black Beans:

Black Beans with Cilantro and Lime
Chilaquiles
Vegetarian Taco Salad
Quinoa Chili with Red Peppers
Enchilada Bake with Black Beans and Tofu
Huevos Rancheros
Winter Wheat Berry Chili
Southwestern Frittata with Peppers, Black Beans, and Cheddar
Black Bean Tacos

My Favorite Recipes: February 2012

4 Replies

It was difficult to choose my favorite recipes from this month! My top five recipes below were all new to me this month, so they are ones that I am newly excited about. But I also cooked several of my old standbys, so make sure you scroll back through this month’s posts to find your own new favorites.Favorite Recipes Collage Feb 2012

Celebrate Spring with A Canning Jar Coddled Egg
Smoky Cauliflower Frittata (or, even simpler: Roasted Cauliflower)
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon, Pecorino and Red Onion
Pasta with Garlic, Anchovies, Chili and Breadcrumbs
Quick Whole Wheat Spice Bread with Brown Sugar, Orange Zest and Walnuts
And last but not least, a readers’ favorite: Eat Your Greens: Easy Handmade Spinach Pasta

Thank you for reading and cooking along with me!  And welcome to the many new readers who have joined us this month.  To receive daily recipe updates, you can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, or follow @emmycooks on Twitter (links on the sidebar).  And special thanks to The Kitchen’s Garden Project and Cook Every Day for your recognition of emmycooks this month.

And finally, hey, maybe a recipe index would be helpful around here.  If you have created one and have any tips for me, will you please leave me a note in the comments?  Thank you!

Oatmeal Cracker with Black Pepper, Parmesan, and Rosemary

Savory Oatmeal Cookies with Rosemary, Black Pepper, and Parmesan

15 Replies

Continuing the cheese-and-cracker-in-one theme of this week’s happy hour menus, I baked a batch of savory oatmeal “cookies” with rosemary, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  It sounded a little zany when I first read the recipe on The Kitchn, but I was on a tear with the homemade crackers and jumped right in.  (A much later search on the internet turned up all manner of variations on the theme of cookies and crackers combining oats, Parmesan and savory herbs–who knew?)Oatmeal Cracker with Black Pepper, Parmesan, and Rosemary

These are not really cookies and not really crackers.  They’re a little sweet and a lot savory.  Cookers?  Crackies?  No matter.  They wouldn’t be out of place in a cocktail party spread or on a cheese board, but they’d also make a great ending to a meal by themselves alongside a glass of port.  Or, you know, just leave a jar of them on the counter.  They’ll be gone before you know it.

Savory Oatmeal Cookies with Rosemary, Black Pepper, and Parmesan: Sprinkle 1/4 c. hot water over 1 c. rolled oats in a large mixing bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk one egg with 1/3 c. olive oil and 1/4 c. light brown sugar.  Pour this mixture over the oats and stir to combine.  In a third bowl (I know, sorry!), mix 1 c. flour with 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. chopped rosemary, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper, then stir in 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Gradually stir the flour mixture into the oat mixture until well combined.  Roll into 1″ balls, flatten each to 1/4″ thick, and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  They can be close together because they don’t grow much.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt (flaky sea salt if you have it) on top of each cookie.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden brown, then move to a rack to cool.

Pictured on the left: Savory Oatmeal Cookies.  On the right: Parmesan and Black Pepper Crackers.  Just add Rye Crackers with Apricot Chevre Spread, a bowl of salty nuts, and the house cocktail.

Quick Whole Wheat Spice Bread with Brown Sugar, Orange Zest and Walnuts

31 Replies

This afternoon, as my five year old drifted off to napland, she  opened her eyes to dreamily ask, “Mommy, after my nap, can I have TWO MORE PIECES of that bread you made, with butter?”  I smiled and nodded, and she was fast asleep.  Inspiring that kind of delight is the best reward a cook can hope for, in my book.

It’s lucky that this recipe makes two loaves of bread, because my family started  hovering around the cooling rack the moment the bread came out of the oven.  The source of this recipe, Cheryl Sternman Rule (writer of this lovely blog), calls it “Toasting Bread.”  She advises you to cool the bread completely before slicing,  toasting, and spreading it with honey butter.  I am here to tell you that the “letting it cool” part will be very difficult.  We could not withstand the siren scent and ate most of the first loaf warm, slathered in salted butter.  It was heavenly.  Lest it appear that I am contradicting Ms. Rule, however, I should add that the loaf we could bear to let cool was indeed delicious toasted.Quick Whole Wheat Spice Bread with Brown Sugar, Orange Zest and Walnuts: Grease two loaf pans well with softened butter.  Whisk an a egg in large bowl, then whisk in 3 Tbs. honey, 1 c. dark brown sugar and 1 1/2 c. milk.  Zest two oranges directly into the bowl.  Trade your whisk for a wooden spoon or spatula and stir in the dry ingredients: 2 c. whole wheat flour, 2 c. all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 4 tsp. baking powder.  Mix well, then add 1 c. chopped walnuts and mix again.  Divide batter between your two prepared pans.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick tester comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool on a rack.  Hover over the bread, inhaling deeply, resisting as long as you like, then serve toasted (or still warm) with butter.