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Mystery Pie

Oo, what's in it? Is it magic? Is it money? No, sadly, this is my first attempt at an apple pie. The recipe suggested I decorate the top with stars. As I had none, I used the next best thing. What I learned is that, contrary to what Muriel (from Courage the Cowardly Dog) says, vinegar is not always the best secret ingredient.

(Several months after) CookieBar!

I wanted to write this a few weeks after CookieBar to give my inner fangirl a chance to calm down. I rose early (like 8am!) to get a train to New York, so that I could beat the line that would certainly stretch down the block for Dorie and Josh Greenspan's amazing cookies. Turns out I was the only one there, twenty minutes before it officially opened. Normally, I would have circled to block a few times so that I wouldn't seem too eager, but my brain said, "It's cold out here and there are cookies in there. Now, what do you think is the right thing to do?" I strolled in coolly and told Dorie that I admired her work, peppering my words with witty phrases that she repeats to this day. Oh wait, that wasn't me. That was nobody. I was less like James Bond and more like a pterodactyl, screeching something like "Jam, I like it! You supah crazy cool! Cookies! Graaaah!" while swooping at the luscious treats on the table.

Donna is smiling out of fear. Or pity.

Dorie seemed surprised by my sudden attack of mouthfoam, but was extremely gracious (free cookie, what up?). I purchased one of each cookie and lined them up. I won't name them but I tasted all of them and my god...

I ate these. Clockwise.

I cite Dorie Greenspan as a great inspiration, not just because her food is delicious, but because it is simple and imaginative. Her Jammers, the buttery sables topped with fruit preserves, are honestly everything I've ever wanted in a cookie. Dorie manages to find a home for every ingredient in each cookie, as if they all simply belonged together but hadn't yet met. I am glad that I was able to enjoy this showcase of Dorie's skill, however brief and lovely.

Aaand We're Back!

So it's been a while. I have been baking and even cooking, but not posting. I'm sure some of it is laziness, but mostly out of application stuff. That's done now (finally!) and here I am. So, some stuff:
- Next couple posts will be stuff I did weeks ago. No big deal.
- I have decided to transition into going vegetarian, which means there will be recipes for real food! I figure I don't really eat meat anyway, so why not make it official.
- I pledge to do a little better with pictures from now on. I've been using my phone mostly, but I will use an actual camera sometimes.
That is all.

CookieBar!

I had hoped that the pop-up store fad hadn't completely passed me by and, with the second coming of Dorie Greenspan's CookieBar, I can finally get in on this trend! She and son Joshua, aka "The Kid" will be setting up shop at 505 Park Avenue on February 7th until the 11th from 10am to sold out. They are featuring some standards like chocolate World Peace Cookies and Sarabeth-inspired Jammers, which are sables smothered in Sarabeth's heavenly jam and streusel (full menu here). Dorie has been such an inspiration for me as a home baker so, yes, I will be throwing elbows and plucking eyes out for one of the Strawberry-Raspberry Jammers. Be there, but do not test my fanaticism!

Rugelach

They know I'm talking about them.

This is my absolute all time favorite recipe in the whole of ever. During the year, they're cookies; during Lent, when I've given up cookies, they are pastries. That is how much I love rugelach. I use a modified version of Dorie Greenspan's recipe that comes out perfect every time (except once at New Year's, but they were eaten anyway, so whatevs). These pastries are fruity, nutty, and buttery; everything I love in a baked good. I again enlisted the help of my little sis in exchange for helping her study for chemistry/Spanish, though I am fluent in neither. I love when she is around because I think she is learning a lot, probably more about eating than baking, but what can you do?

Rugelach!
Makes 15 servings

Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup butter, soft but cool
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese
(any of the above dairy can be swapped for light versions or even yogurt; still comes out fine)

Filling
1/4 cup your favorite jam
Finely ground walnuts or pecans

Finishing
1 egg white
Coarse sugar

1. Combine butter, cream cheese, and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Stir until all are well-mixed.
2. Add flour in thirds, thoroughly incorporating each before adding the next. You should end up with a lump of dough that doesn't stick to the bowl. If not, lift and fold the sides of the dough with a wooden spoon, "kneading" it until dough is achieved.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 hours or up to a day.
4. Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to a 24x8 rectangle.
5. Spread thin layer of jam over the dough's surface. If adding nuts, sprinkle them on top of the dough, then cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently press them into the dough.
6. Starting from the far side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tube. Using a sharp knife, cut tube in pieces approx. 1.5 inches wide.  Place pieces on baking sheet covered with parchment paper, non-stick baking mats, or just greased. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. About 10 minutes before the rugelach are done chilling, preheat oven to 350 and prepare egg white. When they have finished chilling, take baking sheet out and brush each cookie with egg white, then sprinkle a little coarse sugar over them. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are slightly browned.

When they look like they're plotting, you know they'e done.

When I finish these, I go to bed and wake up to an empty baking sheet the next day. My family has no sense of self control around them and that's fine because I'd eat them all myself. Lord, forgive me for I have nommed.

Pasta from Scratch

Decided to try making "food food". Here, my fettuccine dreams realized, however imperfectly. The noodles are different lengths and widths, some somewhat dented from my trying to reshape them, and some have corners. But, with a little mozzarella and black pepper, it was still delicious. Recipe from Ideas in Food, an amazing book whose energy got under my skin and had me spend my MLK day playing with pasta.