Mocha Shortbread Cookies

Yes, we are still alive. You may have been wondering, since we haven't posted in quite some time. Actually, Amber hasn't been doing so bad, but I surely get an F for posts in the last year or so.

In fact, when I went to use my stand mixer today, it literally had cobwebs in it. Yes, in the literal sense of the word literal. Sadness!

But, we're back in business. I've actually made a few things in the not-so-distant past, but I just haven't been posting. I'm hoping that will change, starting today!

I love shortbread (maple pecan shortbread), and this was an interesting twist. It was actually a plan B recipe, but it turned out great. Simple, tasty, and not too sweet. Would've been perfect with some homemade whipped cream... and some hot chocolate... or ice cream!

Mocha Shortbread

(Print Recipe)

• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons good-quality instant espresso powder (Starbucks VIA is a good one, but use less)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• Dash of cinnamon (optional for a Mexican mocha shortbread)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch round cake or springform pan with parchment paper. 
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in espresso.
3. In an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and beat well. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed until well combined.
4. Pat dough evenly into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffed at the edges and dark all over the top. Remove from oven, and let sit 5 minutes; then cut into wedges. Let cool completely on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes 8 cookies. Can be stored up to 1 week. 

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

     Birthdays around here mean cakes. Not from a box, and no quick breads or single pan affairs. Real, labor-intensive, time-consuming, multi-step cakes. From scratch. Of course, it's all a labor of love.

     I really look forward to birthdays, because it's my excuse to try a decadent new cake recipe. These are not usually cakes I would whip up just because. (I don't have enough free time for that anyway.) So, I must choose wisely. My first, and possibly favorite, from-scratch layer cake was a chocolate with peppermint and white chocolate ordeal. Next I tried a "fire cracker" apple spice cake, which actually had a spicy warmness to it that took some getting used to, but turned out to be delicious. There was the maple cake, and now there is the mocha cake.

     The best part of this cake is the mocha cream cheese frosting. I'm always a fan of cream cheese frosting, but this one was really stellar. Coffee, chocolate, whipped cream and cream cheese collide--what's not to like?

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

Cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed grown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (Starbucks VIA) dissolved in 3/4 cups hot water

Frosting

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (Starbucks VIA)
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 8 oz. packages chilled cream cheese
• Chocolate curls (optional)

Cake

1. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. (Place pans on parchment, trace the bottoms with a pencil, then cut out the circles.)
2. Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. 
3. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating until just blended after each addition. Gradually add espresso/hot water mixture, beating just until smooth.
4. Divide batter between pans. (To remove air bubbles for smoother, more level cakes, lift each pan about a foot off of the counter and drop it back onto the counter, or tap pans on the counter a few times.) Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
5. Cool cakes in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the sides of the pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks, lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire racks on top of the cakes, then invert again so the top side is up. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Frosting

1.  Sift cocoa powder into a large bow. Add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours or over night.
2. Add cream cheese to chilled cocoa mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high. Beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes. Do not over beat or the mixture will curdle.

Putting It All Together

1. Gently brush crumbs from cakes. Line the edges of cake platter with foil or parchment to keep it clean while you assemble the cake. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on the platter.  Spoon about 1 1/2 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Spread frosting evenly to the edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up. Press to adhere. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of the cake. Chill 10 minutes.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Top with chocolate curls, if using.

Serves 10 to 12

Honey Madeleines

Guess who got a madeleine pan for Christmas! I'm too legit to quit, so I thought I would re-post this recipe for you. If you don't have a fancy pan, just use a cupcake pan. They will taste just as good...

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Madeleines from a cupcake pan.

I tried my first madeleine while working at a coffee shop in college. They looked sorta plain, but once I took a bite and the buttery, vanilla cake-iness melted in my mouth, I was a convert. There is something about the slightly dense fluffiness of the crumb that I love. Friends at another cafe made me try madeleines topped with whipped cream, which I highly recommend--if you don't mind an approximately 1,000 calorie snack.


I don't make a habit of eating madeleines all the time, mind you. But, ever since I saw a recipe for them in Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook, I've been itching to make them. Of course, you need a special madeleine pan to make madeleines, so I've been eying those madeleine molds enviously every time I enter a cooking store fancy enough to carry them. It just seemed a little beyond my budget to fork out major dough for something that would be used on such a limited basis. Still, I couldn't help day dreaming a bit when I came across one.

Recently, I cut out a madeleine recipe from Bon Appetit that called for lavender honey. I don't have fancy honey and I don't have a fancy pan, but I decided to make them anyway. I figured a cupcake pan was similar enough that it just might work...

And, lo and behold--they turned out just fine, minus the pretty fluting and scalloped shape that typically defines a madeleine. But, you know what, they taste damn good regardless. Now, where's the whipped cream...

Honey Madeleines

~Print Recipe~

Authentic madeleine shape. They taste the same, though...

• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter)
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour or almond meal
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter each mold or the cupcake pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. 
2. Melt 9 tablespoons butter in a medium (light colored) skillet or a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter turns golden brown, stirring often. (It's harder to see the color of the butter in a dark pan.) Set browned butter aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, sugar, all purpose flour and almond flour in a medium bowl until smooth. 
4. Place honey in a small, microwave safe bowl and heat until just warm, 5-10 seconds. Beat honey into batter. Beat in browned butter.
5. Spoon two tablespoons of batter into each mold. Bake until the tops are just dry and a tester comes out clean, about 14-16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Tap madeleines out of mold onto the rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 madeleines

Perfect Pork Chops

My Grandma makes really yummy pork chops, I remember them from when I was very little. They featured catsup and a slice of lemon on top. This recipe is far from my childhood pork chop dinners. It comes from Alton Brown's recipe, and it features a coffee and molasses marinade (brine). The brining process brings out the flavor, and ensures the chops will not dry out. These pork chops served with the au jus from the marinade, and homemade applesauce, is simply divine. The chops and sauce are amazing on their own, but together they equal more than the sum of their parts. If you're looking for an alternative to a standard chicken dish, this is a simple yet delicious option.

~Print Recipe~

What's in it

2 pork chops (1 inch thick)

1/4 C molasses

1 C strong coffee, cooled (pour through grinds twice)

2 T apple cider vinegar

dash of dijon mustard

dash of freshly ground pepper

1 tsp salt

couple sprigs of fresh thyme, or pinch of dried

2 cloves of garlic, minced

dash of ground ginger

How it's made

Place all ingredients together in a re-sealable bag or ceramic baking dish with lid, and marinade overnight or at least 2 hours. Be sure liquid covers the meat.

After the initial marinade, this dish comes together quickly, so first take time to get the applesauce simmering, and any other side dishes you might want to serve.

When you are ready, about 20-30 minutes before eating time, place the chops on a plate, and pour the liquid into a small stock pot. Simmer the marinade on very low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/4 C liquid. Keep an eye so it doesn't boil over.

After the marinade starts simmering, fire up your cast iron grill (or George Foreman or outdoor grill) and preheat. Be sure to coat with oil. Once the grill is heated, cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side (don't move them around unless you want fancy marks). Chops are done when internal temperature registers 145 degrees. Finish in the oven for a couple minutes if necessary. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Take time to strain the marinade reduction, and mash the apples for the sauce.

Serve chops with reduction and applesauce on the side. Enjoy with a glass of Navarro Dry Gewurztraminer. We had Butternut Squash Soup as a first dish, using apples in the soup as well, and it was a delicious prelude to the main dish.

Candied Espresso Pecans

On a whim one night not long ago, Mark and I invited some friends over for dinner. After the four of us finished off some homemade chips and slurped down the last of our tortilla soup, I realized I hadn't thought at all about dessert. While we were sitting at the table finishing some Pacificos, I flipped through my hodge podge recipe books--scraps I've cut out and collected from anywhere and everywhere. I was hoping to find something I could whip together quickly with ingredients I had on hand. Apparently most of the recipes I cut out are a little bit more on the elaborate side: almond-macaroon torte with chocolate frosting and orange compote, milk chocolate souffles with nougat whip, roasted pear tarte tatin with brown sugar-balsamic swirl ice cream (?!). Not going to happen.

I started with the most recent recipes and began flipping back to the beginning. Just before I gave up, I found a recipe for candied espresso walnuts. I had enough on hand to make it work---well, I subbed the pecans for the walnuts, obviously, but pecans are way better than walnuts anyway. That night I cut the recipe from 4 cups to 1 cup and made a few other adjustments. I threw this together in a grand total of about 15 minutes. One of our guests didn't even realize that I'd made them!

Candied Pecans

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 packets of Starbucks VIA (or about 1 heaping tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg white
• 2 cups pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray the sheet with non-stick spray).
2. In a small bowl, whisk sugar, VIA, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Add pecans to egg whites and toss to coat. Sprinkle VIA mixture over pecans and toss to coat.
3. Spread coated pecans on prepared sheet in a single layer. Bake 5 minutes. Use a spatula to stir the pecans, rearranging them in single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes more, or until pecans are dry to the touch.
4. Loosen pecans from the baking sheet. Cool on sheet, then enjoy!

Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Makes 2 cups.

café de olla

I first read this recipe while standing in my mom's little shop in San Antonio, flipping through a book she had called Mexicocina. It reminded me of how my dad would say my grandma would make coffee; just boil the water in a pot and add the ground coffee and let them seperate for a few minutes, and then pour the coffee off the top.
Café de olla is apparently traditionally made in a particular kind of pot (olla), but I have no idea what they were talking about so I just used a normal saucepan kind of deal. The recipe calls for piloncillo (a cone shaped unrefined sugar), which is probably available at a Hispanic grocery, but I used brown sugar the first time and it was still delish.
Even though this is described as a 'sweet, spiced mexican coffee', its more of an adult taste, not sweet like a mocha or something. Everyone in my house liked it except Pete...
Anyway, here's the recipe.

2 quarts water
3 ounces piloncillo, or 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 four-inch cinnamon sticks
1 cup ground coffee (probably coarsely ground)


+In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then add the ground coffee, stir, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes or so.

+Remove from heat, let sit for 2 minutes, and strain the coffee into warmed cups.



A few notes of mine:
1 This will actually make a lot of coffee. For me, at least. It says 'serves 8'.
2 When it was ready to serve, I did as I thought my grandma would have done: I ladled the liquid off the top, also because I didn't have anything to strain it with...
3 When you add the coffee and stir, it makes the most beautiful, beautiful crema I have ever seen.
4 Making this makes me feel like a real mexican grandma. :]


And, for Kate, a mini-Spanish lesson!
Olla : the cooking pot traditionally used to make this
Canela : cinnamon
Abuela, or Abuelita : Grandma, or.. little grandma! (the 'ito' means little)
Copa : cup
Azucar : sugar

Yay! I am glad to share this with you all in my first post.