I Have Finally Achieved Greatness (Chocolate Chip Saga, Pt. IV)

And by greatness, I mean that I have baked the perfect chocolate chip cookies.

That other post, from way back when, where I claimed to have created a definitively good recipe?

Not even close.

No, this batch that I made on Friday for a birthday get-together on Saturday was perfection. The texture, the flavor, the chocolate to cookie ratio--it was all as I remembered from my past. It was all that I could have hoped for. I am on cloud nine. And I must give props to this guy, a great blogger whose chocolate chip cookie post completely enlightened me as to the nature of cookie-baking and the question of texture. I took the original Wakefield recipe he posted and combined it with my old recipe to see what would happen. All I can say is, it was a damn lucky guess.

So, without further ado, I give you my new and improved recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 3/4 sticks butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar (shipped from America, yeah!)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (also shipped from America)

most of a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (yes, I also had someone send me these from the U.S.)

Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) together in one bowl. In another, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat until well-incorporated and fluffier, if that's possible. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Now comes the important part: take the batter, and STICK IT IN THE FRIDGE for AT LEAST ONE HOUR. You can also stick it in the freezer for a little bit to speed up the process.

When you have yourself a big bowl of cold batter, take it out of the fridge, take a tablespoon, and start spooning out cookie-sized portions. Roll each portion into a ball (work quickly, though, so the batter doesn't get too warm), and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, or on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (this is actually what I did--really reduces mess and cleaning time). You can also use an ice-cream scoop.

Bake for 9-11 minutes (or until beginning to turn golden brown) at 365˚F or (190˚C).

They're so good. Seriously.

Failed Banana Bread

My bright ideas for baking in a new country have not been going well. The other day, for example, I baked banana bread. It was the same recipe I always use at home--same proportions, same ingredients, same everything. And yet, it came out of the oven a strange, sodden lump, which in no way resembled (in looks or taste) any banana bread I have ever made. I ate one piece, and didn't want to eat any more. Thankfully, it's gone to a better place (hint: a German waste facility), but I was so ashamed of myself for it. Really. This may sound a bit self-important, but I have always prided myself on being a decent baker. I bake things, and they usually get completely eaten up by everyone I know. And suddenly, I move to a new place with a different kitchen and flour that is quite possibly milled differently, and POW--everything I bake is a freak version of its former, perfectly delicious self.

Honestly, I'm afraid to bake here. I'm cursed. I'm the Auslander, and I cannot be privy to the secrets of a German kitchen. Only the Germans know how to coax their high-powered ovens and strangely named baking powder into doing their jobs correctly. Perhaps my German isn't good enough yet. Or maybe, I just have to swear a little at the ingredients, auf Deutsch, and the little bastards will cooperate. All I know is that I feel like something's missing without my baking ability. I feel like something has been stolen from me.

I hope I can get it back.

Chocolate Chip Saga--Pt. III (A Photo Narrative)

There aren't really chocolate chips here in Germany, so this is what we did instead:

 

A First.

In the oven, as I type this, is the first banana bread loaf I have baked in Germany. This is monumental for me, because banana bread loaves are just...home to me. I baked them in my old kitchen, and the act, here in my new German kitchen, was inexplicably comforting. It's good to feel like I have a home again.

Speaking of home, I realize I haven't update the blog in a while. A lot's been going on, and it mostly has to do with my process of settling in. I've memorized bus lines, street names, stores and cafés. I've made some German friends. And best of all, I now have a library card. Last week, I checked out four books, one of which (an Agatha Christie, of all things) I'm almost done with. I've also been checking out a few movies every week, my one rule being that I can't have seen them before. Last week, I watched Farenheit 9/11--finally, it's been on my list for years--and a Hitchcock (Rope). I was surprised by Farenheit 9/11, because it was so damn tame. I mean, I was expecting the ballsy, assholic Michael Moore of Bowling For Columbine or Sicko. You know, the one people complain about so much. The one who, truthfully, I find hilarious. But this Michael Moore was staid (well, for Michael Moore, anyway) and really stuck to the facts. There was significantly less wild conjecturing than is the norm for his movies. I really liked this one, actually, though I wish there had been a little more meat to it. It felt too weak, too much like a carefully crafted facade. A liberal facade, mind you, but a facade nonetheless. Perhaps my perspective is different because I watched it during the Obamazeit, with renewed hope that the war will end. But I just couldn't help feeling like it needed to be a little more hard-hitting. The scenes with the mother who lost her son were very good--probably the best in the whole thing. At times, I wished the whole movie was about her.

The Hitchcock was weird. Rope was the first movie Hitchcock used Jimmy Stewart in. It's based on a stage play, which became apparent as I watched it. The whole thing takes place in one room, with a tiny cast of characters. It's a macabre concept: two guys murder their friend, just to see if they can do it. Then they put him in a trunk, invite over his parents and fiancee for a party, and serve the food on the trunk. One of the murderers is a creepy sociopath, and the other is a confused and scared lackey who has an unfortunate affinity for strangling chickens. Jimmy Stewart plays their one-time schoolmaster, who attends the party and figures out the crime. I actually found the plot and the darkly ironic situation deliciously weird, but the execution of the whole thing on film was awkward. The two murderers were terrible actors, and Jimmy went way too quickly from a cool, collected, wisecracking intellectual to a sanctimonious preacher of good moral values. As usual for a Hitchcock flick, however, the camera work was great and there were some fantastic side performances. Rear Window, The Lady Vanishes and Vertigo still remain my favorites.

This week, my cinematic adventures continue with The Squid And The Whale and a German film that I heard was good, Keinohrhasen. It looks like a RomCom to me, which is perfectly fine after sociopaths, Michael Moore, and depressing, artsy family drama.

As for other news...I've discovered that Düsseldorf has a very large Asian immigrant population, so Asian food (Thai, Laotian, Korean, Japanese) is in my future. Frankly, I'm thrilled, but I fear the curse of not enough hot chilis (Germans, for the most part, hate spicy food). I'm figuring out Calculus in German (no easy feat) and generally trying to stay positive. Last weekend, someone stole my favorite hat, so I immediately had to get online and buy two that are more or less exactly like it. They're on their way, and I could not be happier--my ears have been a bit cold this week.

The election here is coming up, and I'm curious to see if Merkel will be dethroned by the portly, allegedly "STARK!" F.W. Steinmeier. Personally, I don't find it as scintillating as election season in America (where are the debate parties, during which everyone swears at the t.v. and occasionally even throws marshmallows?), but then, I guess Americans tend to go a bit overboard on 'historical moments.'

Well, the tome has been written for September. More to come later, if I can get motivated enough. Like, for example, how the banana bread recipe that I converted myself into grams turned out.

Chocolate Chip Saga--Pt. II

I will preface this by admitting to myself that nobody really cares about my adventures in baking. Readers (if there are any, which is somewhat debatable) may even find my meandering sentences about cookies and cakes extremely boring.

However, I cannot be stopped. My love for the chocolate chip cookie is too great.

A few nights ago, the mood struck. I needed chocolate chip cookies, and I still had experimenting with proportions to do. This time, I used the same recipe as before, but instead of decreasing the flour further, I increased the butter just a little--from one stick to one and a quarter. I increased the vanilla from one teaspoon to two. I increased the amount of salt from (as I recall) a quarter teaspoon to a half teaspoon. I didn't use the liquid called for in the original recipe, because I cut down the flour enough that the batter wasn't at all dry. In addition, I added about one and a quarter bags of chocolate chips, because...well, because I love chocolate. I also added a cup of pecan pieces, because the chocolate chip cookies I enjoyed so much in the past usually contained pecans. Unlike last time I baked these cookies, I did not leave the dough overnight, because I wanted cookies immediately.

Wow. These cookies were great. The increased butter, vanilla and salt gave them a greater depth of flavor, and the high proportion of chocolate made this batch extra-delicious. They didn't spread out during baking; I feel I've achieved a good balance between flavorful, buttery but also cakey and not greasy. Best of all, I made these smaller than usual--as a result, I have many, many cookies. Surprisingly for how much I enjoy baking, I move through cookies and sweets very slowly (I don't actually have much of a sweet tooth, besides my love for certain chocolate and these cookies). I'm looking forward to enjoying these with friends over the next few weeks. They keep really well, an added bonus for someone without much of an appetite for dessert.

So, here is the recipe. I couldn't resist posting it, because I'm proud of how delicious it is.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 bags semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans or pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Combine flour, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and white sugar, then add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. When finished, stir in the nuts and the chocolate chips.

Grab a spoon, and drop bits of dough (roughly a tablespoon) onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about an inch to an inch and a half apart. If you want smaller cookies, you can go with a roughly a teaspoon of dough per cookie.

Bake for 10 to 15 min. (I baked mine for 12 and they were perfect, but my oven is from the 1950s, so newer ovens will inevitably produce different results.) Enjoy!

P.S. While baking, I highly recommend playing some music. My playlist for this batch of cookies included Animal Collective, Starfucker, and MGMT (among others)....awful, maybe, but strangely energizing.

Interview I

I have my first interview for the scholarship tomorrow. I have mixed feelings about this. I'm actually fairly confident in my ability to be eloquent, interesting, and outgoing, but I also am plagued by an image of sitting there, in front of the interviewer, completely stumped by a question. Being at a loss for words is never a good situation to find oneself in, and I can't shake this paranoia that I'll be completely unable to answer a question. This fear may not be realistic (I find that on most subjects, I have a lot to say), but what fears are?

My second fear is that I won't be able to shut up. Somehow, I need to strike a balance between enthusiastic/forthcoming and poised. I need to express myself verbally without coming across as too pushy, or not interested enough. Perhaps I'm overanalyzing.

My baking exploits continue. This time, it's banana bread! I tried a new recipe this time, because I only had two ripe bananas, and the recipe I usually use calls for four. The new recipe includes yoghurt. I found that the resulting bread was moist, tangy, and quite delightful. I'll post the recipe later.

Three days until inauguration. I can smell the change!

Favorite Winter Recipes

I love winter food. It's so good, and it makes me feel warm and happy inside. Something about eating hearty, warm meals and sipping hot beverages makes me feel at peace with the world. At least for one night. So I decided to share the love. Here are a few of my favorite things to make in winter. I highly recommend you try them, as you won't be disappointed.

Spiced Cider (Non-Alcoholic)

Really, there are few things so satisfying to me as a hot cup of spiced cider on a cold, snowy afternoon.

1 bottle apple cider or unfiltered apple juice (I like the Gravenstein kind from Trader Joe's)

1 cinnamon stick

3 to 5 cloves (depending on how much you like them--I usually go for four)

1/2 a nutmeg seed

3 to 5 allspice seeds (again, depending on how spicy you want this to be)

Put everything in a pot, and bring to a boil. Turn heat under the pot to low, and let steep for as long as you'd like (just remember to eventually take it off the flame). And it continues to steep, even without heat--it just gets better and better as the days go by. Not that you'll have it for more than two or three.

Nut Crescent Cookies

When I baked Christmas cookies for friends and family this year, I made these babies, along with some lemon sugar cookies. Everybody agreed that the nut crescents stole the show. They are almost pure butter and pecan, and really, what could be better? These are from Cook's Illustrated, a magazine that is usually spot-on in the baking department.

2 cups whole pecans, chopped fine
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup superfine sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar for rolling cooled cookies

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix 1 cup chopped nuts, flour, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. In workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process remaining chopped nuts until the texture of course cornmeal, 10 to 15 seconds (do not overprocess; you should have about ¾ cup ground nuts); stir into flour mixture and set aside. (To finely grind chopped nuts by hand, roll them between two large sheets of plastic wrap with rolling pin, applying moderate pressure, until broken down to course cornmeal-like texture).
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 1 ½ minutes with mixer set at medium; beat in vanilla. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with spatula; add flour mixture and beat at low speed until dough just begins to come together but still looks scrappy, about 15 seconds. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again; continue beating at low speed until dough is cohesive, 6 to 9 seconds longer. Do not overbeat.
3. Working with about 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll dough into 1 ¼-inch balls. Roll each ball between hands into rope that measures 3 ½ inches long. Shape ropes into crescents on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 to 1 ½ inches apart.
4. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets (from top rack to bottom and front to back) halfway through baking, until tops are pale golden and bottoms are just beginning to brown, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets about 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
5. Cool cookies to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Working with three or four cookies at a time, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar to coat them thoroughly. Gently shake off excess. (They can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.)

Chocolate Chip Saga--Pt. I

I cannot remember a time when I didn't love chocolate chip cookies. Semi-sweet chocolate chips melting into brown-sugary vanilla chewiness...these simple and versatile cookies are perhaps my favorite dessert of all time. They are one of my closely held comforts in life, evoking memories I tend to forget, and making the world seem calmer, lighter, more satisfying with each bite. Starting a few years ago, I began to bake several batches of chocolate chip cookies a year--whenever I was in need of a calming, satisfying activity, I'd start mixing up a batch, perhaps taking a walk to the store to obtain the necessary chocolate morsels. It was in the first few months of my cookie baking resurgence that I noticed something--all of my cookies were coming out too thin. I remembered fondly the cookies of my childhood, baked by my mother on cold days. They were perfect, always seeming to come out buttery but a little more cakey than chewy; this consistency has managed to stick in my mind, urging me on. But those first cookies I made, after having gone years without making so much as one, were not as I remembered. They were far too chewy and greasy. I decided to do some research, and that is what kicked off what I now refer to as 'The Chocolate Chip Saga'--my quest for the elusive cookie of my childhood.

After much research (thanks, Harold McGee, and others, for taking the time to put cookie info into your books), I managed to get the information I needed to improve upon my recipe. My mom had always used the one provided on the back of the chocolate chip package, but the two sticks of butter it recommended were causing the cookies to spread out too much during the baking process. A large amount of fat in proportion to the amount of flour results in a cookie that spreads more, becoming thinner and more chewy. In addition, the amount of white sugar (3/4 cups) was the same in this recipe as the amount of brown sugar. White sugar crystallizes when baked, resulting in a thin, crispy texture that I didn't want. I researched the various repercussions of more versus fewer eggs, but in the end decided that my first task on the quest for a better cookie would be to tweak the flour:butter:sugar ratio.

With this in mind, I set out to find a new recipe that contained less butter. A jaunt through the books in my kitchen soon yielded results: The Joy of Cooking, that lovely book used by generations of home cooks, contained a recipe that only called for a stick of butter, and much less sugar. Unfortunately, it didn't use nearly enough flour to bulk up the cookies--once again, they spread out in the oven, becoming chewy and just a tad too greasy. They were also strangely salty (though I, being a fan of the chocolate chip fleur de sel cookies at a certain local bakery, rather liked this unexpected detail). The Joy of Cooking had not exactly failed me, but I wanted more out of my cookies. I baked my way through those in The Best Recipe (for all their trial and error, the cookies were not that good and were too crispy) and in the Doubleday Cookbook (my mom's alternative to the chocolate chip package--didn't turn out the way I remembered them at all). I tried combining different portions from all of the above, but could not get the consistency I was looking for in a cookie.

I was beginning to give up hope. Then, one day, my friend Paige gave me a chocolate chip cookie from a batch she'd baked the night before. My god! It was nearly perfect. That cookie was a beacon of hope for me. I realized that I was not crazy, that my memories of cookies past were not mere figments of my imagination. Suddenly, I was inspired to continue my research. Did I, like any sensible person, politely ask Paige what recipe she had used? No. The thought didn't cross my mind until much later. Needless to say, that perfect cookie was the catalyst that enabled my later discoveries. Not long after the day of Paige's cookie, I was informed of the death of an amazing woman and long-time family friend. She was funny, interesting, intelligent, and renowned for making some of the best chocolate chip cookies around. They were a staple in her household--she always had a fresh-baked batch on hand. These cookies were very cakey, and while delicious, were slightly different than those I remember my mother baking for me. Nevertheless, I was overjoyed when I received an e-mail containing the legendary recipe. I made a batch as soon as I could. Voilà! These cookies were cakey--not greasy at all. This was a result of the butter to flour ratio: one stick of butter to three cups of flour. Additionally, this recipe calls for the addition of liquid (milk or juice--I opted for milk) and uses more brown sugar than white. I, however, being my finicky self, was not satisfied, despite the newfound texture. Much of the delicious buttery/brown sugar flavor was lost because of the excessive amounts of flour. I wanted a cookie that was less dense and dry; a perfect balance between cakey and buttery. 

The next time I made the recipe, I decreased the amount of flour to two and a half cups. This did not produce much of a difference in the cookies. I was disappointed. But in the last week, being snowed in, I finally got the chance to work on the recipe once more. I cut down the flour once again, this time to two and a quarter cups. I increased the amount of vanilla (from a half teaspoon to almost a full teaspoon), hoping to bolster the flavor of the cookie a little, as the large amount of flour tends to leave it a little flat. This time, I also left the dough in the fridge overnight, as I've been reading that it greatly improves texture. The next day, when I baked the cookies up, they came out looking beautiful. They were really nicely browned this time, and did not spread out too much. Best of all, they did not puff up quite as much this time, which I assume is the result of my second decrease in flour.

It was time for the taste test. My assessment: improved, but there's room for even more improvement yet. The cookies this time were slightly less dense, but they still lack an overall roundness of flavor. Next time, I'm thinking of increasing the vanilla and salt, as well as continuing to decrease the flour by small increments. Hopefully, I'll be able to arrive at a happy medium between dense and thin, without having to completely start from scratch. Who knows--it may come to that. For now, all that's certain in that my quest continues. And I will not give up. Stay tuned for Part II of the Chocolate Chip Saga. There probably won't be much of a wait.

Two Pies

I baked an apple pie this week.

David called and asked if I'd come over and help him bake a pie--he had some apples lying around that he couldn't let go to waste. Of course, I told him I would help him out, for who am I to resist the challenge of baking one of the potentially most delicious desserts there is? Apple pie is so simple, yet so delicious and comforting. I've been meaning to bake one for a while, and I was even thinking about baking yesterday (before I remembered that I had other errands to attend to).

Anyway, by the time I got to David's, I'd talked my way into commandeering the pie-baking process. I'd had this recipe for crust sitting around on my desk for a few months. I was curious to try it, as attempted pie-crusts in the past have ranged from pretty damn good to mediocre/not very good (thankfully, I've managed to sidestep inedible). Somehow, I convinced David to let me use the recipe, plus another from Cook's Illustrated for the filling. He's actually one of the nicest, least-argumentative people I know, so that might have something to do with it.

Long story short, after dough preparation, an unplanned trip to the store for better apples and a lemon, more dough preparation, making filling, and finally pie assembly, glorious smells were coming from the oven and life was good. Baked the pie per the directions in the Cook's recipe, and the crust was golden-brown and perfect about five minutes early. Luckily, it was extremely cold outside, so about twenty five minutes on the back stoop resulted in a perfectly cooled pie, ready for consumption. The verdict: 

Best. Crust. Ever. Flaky, delicious buttery flavor, tender...everything the recipe said it would be. And it held up well, not getting soggy or mushy. The filling was loaded with great flavor, although I thought it would have been a bit better with less lemon and allspice, and perhaps a little less nutmeg, as well. I'm a light-spice kind of girl.

The second pie I baked last night was a pizza. Actually, it wasn't really pie-like at all, as it was baked on a cookie sheet. David invented the topping combination, and I must say that the end product was quite delicious. Here's the recipe:

1 bag pizza dough

cornmeal for dusting cookie sheet

1 can Roma tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Organic)

1 bunch basil

2 cloves garlic

pinch of oregano

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

pitted nicoise olives

red onion

ricotta cheese

mozzarella cheese

1. Pour tomatoes into sieve set over a bowl and strain, stirring to get rid of excess juices.

2. Turn tomatoes onto cutting board and chop.

3. Strain again--tomatoes should be chunky, but also kind of smashed by now.

4. Peel and chop up two medium-sized (or large--hell, you can add as much as you want) cloves of garlic into pieces roughly the length of the head of a match--maybe a bit bigger.

5. Into a small cast-iron/nonstick skillet, pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom in a very thin coating.

6. Heat oil, then toss in garlic and fry until just golden.

7. Toss garlic and oil from skillet in a bowl with the tomatoes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of oregano, and taste. If the mixture needs salt, you can add some, but canned tomatoes are generally salted and the sauce probably won't need it.

8. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal. Stretch out the pizza dough and place on the cookie sheet. Spread dough with tomato sauce.

9. Grate as much mozzarella as desired, and sprinkle it over the pizza. Add desired amount of ricotta, placing lumps (for lack of a better term) of it around pizza. Add olives (whole or chopped--doesn't matter) and onions (sliced thinly). This pizza would also be excellent with some mild or spicy Italian sausage, salami--really any type of spiced Italian meat.

11. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Can't remember how long it took, but I think we baked it at 425.

12. When you take it out of the oven, chop up some basil and sprinkle liberally over the top. The more, the better.

I meant to post this long ago, but I got lazy.

Thoughts on Birthdays.

Tomorrow is my birthday. This got me to thinking about birthdays past, and feeling a bit nostalgic. I remember, as a little girl, the anticipation I felt at finally having achieved another year. I would wake up with a tautness inside of me, a sensation that drove me out of bed and downstairs to the kitchen. My mom always baked a birthday cake, but best of all, she let me help. I remember watching as she measured the flour, there in the warm kitchen, November rain slapping against the old windows. The house was always drafty in the late fall and throughout winter, but on my birthday, the kitchen was the most warm and comforting place I can remember. For years I insisted upon the same chocolate cake. Between each layer was hidden a sweet stripe of my favorite raspberry jam. Outside, it was spread with whipped cream and decorated with slabs of bittersweet chocolate. This outer shell was my favorite part of the cake, as it was simply melted chocolate bars spread very thinly, dried and broken into shards. The comforting smell of melted chocolate would fill the entire house, and I was allowed to lick the spatula often enough that a ring of chocolate inevitably appeared around my mouth. 

I don't remember many of the presents I received as a child, but the ritual of cake stands out in my mind. Mom never baked from a box, and to me--even now--the baking of a cake is, at its core, one of the tenderest gestures of love and devotion that can be offered by one person to another. Receiving a cake fills me with a feeling of childish delight and contentment; to be baked for is to be truly loved.

This new year, I think, is going to be good. Today I saw an old family friend for the first time in over half a year, steamed milk for a latté perfectly, and invited a few of my wonderful coworkers to a birthday get-together. The trees are brilliantly red, apples are ripe, I have coffee for tomorrow morning, and it's storming outside. Beauty.