Perfect for road trips and for sending in the mail these are some of my favourite cookies ever. If you haven't made them, the recipe is by the amazing Tara O'Brady and you should! You can find another of my faves from this series here.

xo, N

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Reprinted with permission from SEVEN SPOONS My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O'Brady. Appetite by Random House, Canada, 2015. [my optional notes in square brackets]

1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, chopped
3 1/4 cup (415 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons medium-grain kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (320 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces (340 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped [I use 240 g]
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat an oven to 360˚F (180˚C). Line 2 heavy baking sheets or sheet pans with parchment paper.

[I use the weight measurements.]

In a medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible, melt the butter. There should be no sizzle, no crackling, or pops; let the butter ooze into liquid, without boiling, so minimal moisture is lost. Stir regularly, until the butter is almost completely melted. (this is a good time to chop the chocolate.)

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and whisk in the sugars. The mixture may look like it will seize, but it will relax with a few seconds of stirring. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking briskly after each addition, but only to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir in the dry ingredients. Once mostly blended, fold the chocolate into the dough until the remaining flour is incorporated, and the dough no longer looks dusty. Bring any stray ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl but do not over mix.

If the dough seems warm or looks overly glossy, refrigerate for 5 minutes. Then roll into balls using 3 tablespoons of dough for each. [I use a disher] Arrange on the prepared pans, leaving 3 inches (7.5 cm) in between each. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until the tops are cracked and lightly golden, yet the cookies are still soft at the centre, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. Leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Continue shaping and baking cookies with the remaining dough, making sure to use a cold sheet pan for each batch.

The cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a 1 week.

From the HG Shop in this post:
Handmade Porcelain Platters

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PLUS, we're supporting the work done by POV 3rd Street, including their mentorship and education for marginalized youth who have an interest in the film and media industries. To that end, Michael and I have contributed a gift set to their current fundraising auction, including some of our favourites from the HG shop. Online auction closes on February 9, 2017 at 6pm EST and is live now! See a list of what's included below as well as in the last photo in this post.

 

I love crème caramel for its simple perfection. Its just-held-together texture and its pretty shine when turned out of the mold. I also love that Mimi included a recipe for it in her beautiful new book, French Country Cooking and that that recipe is one her grandmother used to make. I can imagine her making it in a small kitchen in a picturesque village in the south of France. Perfect.
xo, N

Crème Caramel

Reprinted from FRENCH COUNTRY COOKING Meals and Moments from A Village In The Vineyards by Mimi Thorisson. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NYC, 2016. [my optional notes in square brackets]

Crème brûlée is just as iconic and equally famous in world of French sweets but there is something distinctly old-fashioned about crème caramel. I will always associate this dessert with my sweet little grandmother Sérphine, who made it every Sunday in the South of France. This is her recipe, which I've made again and again until I figured out any pitfalls and perfected it. Now I can make Crème Caramel that does justice to my grandmother, and so can you.

FOR THE CARAMEL
1 cup / 200 g sugar

FOR THE CUSTARD
1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream [I substitute 10% cream]
1 cup / 240 ml whole milk [I substitute 10% cream]
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
1 teaspoon lemon zest [optional]
pinch of fine sea salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup / 50 g castor sugar

1. Have ready an 8-inch / 20 cm fluted brioche mold or other decorative ovenproof mold. [I've made with both 1 tin or 8 individual tins, I especially like using straight sided loaf tins, pictured in 1st 2 photos.]

2. MAKE THE CARAMEL. In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat without stirring. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil until the color turns uniformly dark amber. Remove immediately from the heat and carefully pour it into the mold. Swirl the mold in a circular motion so the caramel coats the entire bottom. Once the caramel is cool, butter the sides of the pan (this will facilitate the unmolding later). [If you're new to making caramel for crème caramel, here's a great video from MSL with good tips. And some more from BA here.]

3. Preheat the oven to 300˚F / 150˚C. Bring a kettle of water to the boil.

4. MAKE THE CUSTARD. In a large saucepan, combine the cream, milk, [or 10% cream] vanilla bean and seeds, lemon zest, and salt over medium hear until hot but not boiling.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. When the milk is hot but not boiling, discard the vanilla pod and slowly whisk the liquid into the egg mixture. [Strain mixture through a fine sieve]. Gently pour mixture into the mold. [I do this once the mold is in the baking dish.]

6. Set the mold in a roasting pan or deep baking dish. [Set the roasting pan on the middle rack in your prepared oven.] Gently pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake until the custard is set in the centre, about 50 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cooled. 

7. To serve, gently loosen the sides of the custard with a butter knife. Invert a rimmed serving dish (make sure it is deep enough to hold the caramel sauce) on top and gently turn everything upside down. Remove the mold. Serve each portion with a few spoons of caramel sauce.

From the HG Shop:
Porcelain Dessert Platters (which are also available as plates!)
Photos: Nikole Herriott

If you're looking for a cake that feels like a celebration, this is it. It's decadent in the best way and perfect served in tiny slices or as the recipe suggests with a handful of spoons. I've successfully made it day of and the day before with excellent results. Also, I think it'd be perfect for New Year's Eve.  Happy Holidays! xo, N

PS: here's the cake sliced the first time I made it and eaten just with spoons the second time! So good.

From the HG Shop in this post:
Dinner at the Long Table (shot by Michael and me!)
Porcelain Mixing Bowls

Chocolate Cake

Reprinted from DINNER AT THE LONG TABLE by Andrew Tarlow & Anna Dunn with Scarlett Lindeman. Ten Speed Press, 2016.

This recipe comes from the Stars Desserts Cookbook by Emily Luchetti, albeit slightly altered, because we always like to sneak in a but more booze. Serve this cake late at night, with eight to ten spoons. No plates.


6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 T unsalted butter
3/4 dark rum
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t kosher salt

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 9" cake pan with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate, butter, and rum in a double boiler. Set aside and let cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup plus 3 T sugar until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, then the flour and salt. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on medium until frothy, then continue whisking until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar plus 1 T and continue whisking until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into chocolate batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan cake pan. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature [Let cake cool completely in the ring].

In the meantime, make your glaze. Melt together the chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. When your cake is cool. unmold it, place on a cake stand, and remove the parchment paper. Frost the cake with the glaze. Hold on to the spoons for an hour before releasing to the hounds.

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