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White Chocolate & Lime Cookies

Yield: 1 dozen (or more) cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lime, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream (or one egg yolk)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup pine nuts

In a dry skillet on medium heat, toast the pine nuts until lightly golden brown.  Remove nuts to a small bowl and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract, and heavy cream (or egg yolk).

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add oil/sugar mixture to the flour mixture and mix gently until just combined.  Add the chocolate chips and nuts and fold in until they are evenly distributed.  Refrigerate cookie dough for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350F degrees and prepare cookie sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.

To shape: take a heaping tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and place on the cookie sheet.  Lightly press down to flatten slightly. 

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, rotating pan half-way through.  Let sit on the pan for a few minutes before removing to racks to cool.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cookies

I think I made up this recipe but, honestly, I don't really remember.  Use a good extra virgin olive oil, though not one that is too bitter or grassy.  I like using French olive oil for this recipe because they tend to have a round, buttery flavor.

Yield: about 16 cookies.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (toasted in a dry skillet for a few minutes)
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs (or egg substitute — see note below)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 lemon, zest of, finely grated
2 tablespoons sugar (for dusting)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, salt, and 1/3 cup sugar) and whisk together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (or egg substitute) with the olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon rind.
4. Use a rubber spatula to stir the liquid mixture into the dry one, just until well combined; if the mixture is a little dry, add a little more lemon juice.
5. Put a few tablespoons of sugar in a flat dish.
6. Pinch off pieces of dough (about the size of a rounded teaspoon) and roll gently into balls. Put balls into sugar and press down slightly to make a thick disk.
7. Place sugared cookie disk onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
8. Cool a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool further.

Note: Instead of eggs, use 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds (i.e., flax meal) simmered in 6 tablespoons of water for a few minutes until thick, like the consistency of raw eggs.

Flourless (Chickpea) Chocolate Cake

This is another flourless chocolate cake recipe that uses chickpeas (oh yes!).   Don't worry, it's not like a baked chocolate hummus :).  You won't notice the chickpeas at all, I promise.

1 can chickpeas (19 oz), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
3/4 cup honey (or 1 cup brown sugar)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract

In food processor or blender, blend chickpeas and oil until very, very smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time and blend well.  Add honey (or sugar) and vanilla extract and process for another minute or until well combined.  The mixture at this point should be absolutely smooth.

Into a separate bowl, sift cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until smooth.    

Bake in a 9" round cake pan in 350 degree oven about 35-45 minutes.  Check after 35 minutes, you don't want to overbake it.   Refrigerator overnight and then serve. 

Variations: 

Add 1 tablespoon of rum or add 1 tablespoon orange liqueur like Grand Marnier and the zest of one orange.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

I'm into browned butter these days, on popcorn, on sauteed green beans, in just about any recipe that calls for melted/cooked butter.  I found this recipe on the Cooks Illustrated website but I didn't have brown sugar so I used honey and, since I was already making substitutions, I thought I would go a little further and use browned butter and add some wheat germ.  They turned out quite good.  So here's my version:

Makes 1 1/2 dozen 3-inch cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/8    cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2        teaspoon table salt
1/2        teaspoon baking soda
12         tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2        cup honey
1/2        cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1            large egg
1            large egg yolk
1            tablespoon vanilla extract
1 - 2      cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)
1/4        cup wheat germ (optional but hey, who says cookies can't contain at least a modicum of nutritious ingredients?)
1            cup toasted, chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions: 

1.  Prepare two cookie sheets (preferably lipless) with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.  Don't preheat the oven just yet.  Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions.

2.  In a small sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until it turns a golden brown (watch out that it doesn't burn!).  Set aside to cool. 

3.  Whisk flour, salt, wheat germ (if using), and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

4.  Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter, sugar and honey until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts (if using).

5.  Put cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 F. 

To shape: Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)

6. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

You can also freeze the cookies after baking.

White Chocolate Chunk & Macadamia Nut Cookies
Adapted from Lesley's Recipe Archive

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2(3oz)-bars of white chocolate, cut into 1/2” pieces (or 6oz white chocolate chips)
1 cup salted (or unsalted) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped    

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, about 1-2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Continue beating for 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl often.  Stir in white chocolate and nuts by hand.

Drop rounded spoonfuls, 2” apart onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-12 minutes or until lightly golden.  Cool 1 minute.  Remove from cookie sheets.

Makes approximately 24 cookies that Rebecca, Jessica, and Big Davey agree are "absolutely delicious".

Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from a recipe found on recipezaar.com

Yield: 12 cupcakes

These just happen to be dairy- and egg-free. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2      cups whole wheat pastry (or all-purpose) flour
2/3         cup packed brown sugar
1             teaspoon baking soda
1             teaspoon salt
1/3         cup dutch-processed (unsweetened) cocoa powder
1/2         cup vegetable oil
1             cup water
1             teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1             Tablespoon white or cider vinegar*
1             Tablespoon orange zest, chopped fine (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  Prepare muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease and flour well. 
3.  Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl (try to get all of the lumps out).  If using all-purpose flour, you could sift the entire mixture if you like.
4.  In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
5.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mix until well combined.
6.  Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full.  Fill any empty muffin cups with water to keep the heat even.
7.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*The vinegar may sound weird but it's essential.  It will react with the baking soda to make them rise, don't worry you won't taste it. 

Elizabeth David's Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is a classic French chocolate cake.  It's very dense and rich, not one of those light and airy American-style cakes.  Plus, it's great for people with wheat/gluten allergies (though very bad for those with egg allergies, sorry Catherine!).

Ingredients:

4        ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate (114 grams)
1        teaspoon vanilla extract
1        Tablespoon brewed espresso (or any other *strong* brewed coffee)
1        Tablespoon dark rum
6        Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2    cup sugar
1/2    cup ground almonds
3        large eggs, separated

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. and butter an 8-inch springform pan.

2. In a heavy saucepan over low heat (or in a double-boiler), melt chocolate with vanilla and brewed espresso and rum.

3. Add butter, sugar, and almonds and heat the mixture until the butter has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly.

4. Beat the 3 egg yolks until they are lemon coloured and stir them into the chocolate mixture.

5. Whip the 3 egg whites until they are just stiff and fold them gently into the chocolate mixture.

6. Turn the batter into the pan and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. 

The cake will have some cracks on top, and a tester inserted into the cake will not come out clean (this is OK because the cake will continue to cook in the pan, you don't want to overcook it or it will be very dry).  Let the cake cool completely on a rack and remove the sides of the pan.  The cake will rise and then fall.  No frosting necessary, just serve it with whipped cream (with a little sugar and rum).

ps - Elizabeth David was a British food writer who wrote some great books during the 1950s-1970s about French, Italian, and British cuisines.

No-Knead Rustic Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (or 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white), more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (not rapidrise or active)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, 
and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with 
plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at 
warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a 
work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour 
and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap 
and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or 
to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously 
coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; 
put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or 
cornmeal. [Sue May's note:  Instead of letting the dough rise on a towel,
put a sheet of parchment in a skillet, dust with flour and put dough on the paper. 
When ready to bake just lift dough out using the paper and place the dough
in the pot, paper and all.  Much easier and no worries about the dough sticking
to the towel]
Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. 
When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not 
readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. 
Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or 
ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot 
 from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam 
side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice 
if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. 
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 
30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.