Blue Cayenne

Uh-oh!  I’m in a dangerous place.

I’m binge cooking cookies. Fortunately, I have neighbors who are willing to humor me and take some of my cookie glut off my hands.

I recently posted a chocolate cookie recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s new book, Dorie’s Cookies. Now I have a new cookie love, David Lebovitz’ Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons from his book Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes.

I’m eating one (OK. Maybe I’m eating five.) of the macaroons as I write this post.

And, Oh My!  These are just wonderful. Chewy coconut macaroons–crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. Decadent chocolate on the bottom. Pretty presentation. Chocolate smeared on my keyboard.

The backstory of the macaroon is pretty interesting.

In the beginning… there was the Italian amaretti. Then, there were French macarons. Finally, can-do American cooks stepped up to the plate. The glorious coconut macaroon was born.

Here is the story.

The modern-day macaroon/macaron is descended from an Italian almond paste cookie, the amaretti. Food historians believe that Arab traders introduced almonds into Italy during the Middle Ages. By the 8th Century, a recipe for an amaretti-type cookie can be traced to a Venetian convent.  Struggling to balance its books, the convent apparently began offering bitter almond-flavored “amaretti”cookies for sale. They had a culinary hit on their hands .

As travel across the European continent became safer, the recipe for the popular Italian amaretti cookie was carried north where inventive cooks began to experiment, substituting new ingredients and more egg whites in their iterations of the cookie. The Northern European cookie, now renamed a macaron, became quite a bit lighter. The geographical transfer of this meringue cookie was helped, apparently, by a political marriage of convenience.  Henry II of France married Catherine d’Medicis of Italy.  A 16th Century “foodie,” the  zaftig Catherine is believed to have brought her Italian chefs with her to the French court where they prepared macarons for the wedding celebration. Pretty soon, anybody who was anybody in France was serving macarons. These cookies were flat, though. Not flat flavorless but flat flat. Think:  single-layered rounded cookies.  It was not until the early 20th century that French chefs began to sandwich a filling between two layers of the meringue macarons and, violà, they invented what has become by far the best-selling cookie pastry in French bakeries. (More about macarons and a recipe in a later post. I promise.)

Meanwhile, in other parts of Europe and America, clever cooks switched up the amaretti and macaron recipe ingredients in a different way. The modern macaroon with its crisp outer layer and soft, chewy middle, was born when shredded coconut, newly available to European and American cooks in the late 19th Century,  was used to replace the almonds used in the French and Italian recipes. This sensational new cookie, the macaroon, frequently was dipped in chocolate to push its flavor over the top.

The evolution of the coconut macaroon got a particular boost in America in the 1871 when a Spanish brig laden with coconuts shipwrecked off the Florida coast and entrepreneurial Floridians turned disaster into dollars by cultivating coco palms from the remnants of the ship’s cargo that floated ashore. Quickly, better methods for processing and preserving shredded coconut were developed. (It was the Industrial Revolution in America, people! Anything was possible.) Overnight, shredded baking coconut was being distributed widely across the United States, unleashing quite a coconut party. Cooks turned out everything from coconut cream pies to ambrosia to, well, macaroons.

Which is better? Macaroons or macarons?

As I sit here eating my bounty of macaroons, I think it is a tie. Obviously, though, there is some disagreement.

David Lebovitz recently republished this recipe on his blog, DavidLebovitz.com. The  link to his book/blog recipe appears at the bottom of this post.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

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Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 C. (250 g) sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 T. honey
• 2 1/2 C. (200 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 C. (35 g) flour
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (I used paste)
• 2 ounces (55 g) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used Guittard Chocolate)

Instructions

1. Mix egg whites, sugar, salt and honey together in a large pan. Place pan on your stove over a low heat and stir until the mixture barely begins to warm. (You want this mixture to be tepid. Be careful not to overheat it.)
2. Add in coconut, flour and vanilla. Stir. Increase heat to medium and continue to stir until the cookie dough comes together as a thick mashed potato-like mass. Remove from the heat. Put dough into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop dough out of bowl and form into balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Space cookies evenly on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. You want the macaroons to take on a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and set the cookie pan on a rack. Let the cookies cool completely.
6. While the cookies are cooling, melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in your microwave.
7. Cover another cookie sheet with parchment. Dip each cooled cookie in the melted chocolate and then place on parchment you've placed on top of the cookie sheet. Once you have dipped all the cookies, place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for five to ten minutes to set the chocolate.

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https://bluecayenne.com/binge-cooking-chocolate-dipped-coconut-macaroons

Here is the link to David Lebovitz’ original recipe for these macaroons:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/an-american-mac-1/

Me, too.

These cookies, called World Peace Cookies,  are from renown baker Dorie Greenspan’s bestselling new cookbook,  Dorie’s Cookies. (Buy the book for someone you love. It is a wonderful cookbook with inspired recipes for both sweet and savory cookies.)

In the introduction to Greenspan’s  World Peace Cookie recipe, she uses the word “phenomenal” to describe these cookies. No exaggeration there in my opinion. These cookies are knock-your-socks-off chocolaty. They’re tender. They’re edgy with just a hint of fleur de sel. They are everything you want a cookie to be.

Greenspan credits the original recipe to France’s most-acknowledged pastry chef, Pierre Herme. Originally called Korova Cookies after Herme’s restaurant,  the cookies have followed a circuitous route to their current name. Greenspan credits a Paris neighbor with the idea of naming the cookies World Peace Cookies, an idea she embraced and included in her cookbooks.

With justified pride, Greenspan notes that an Internet search for “World Peace Cookie” yields more than ten million references.

The Food 52 food site says of these cookies, “Of all the cookies you will bake (and eat) this holiday season, this is the one people will remember.” 

Huffington Post published a food article yesterday titled “The Recipes that Changed our Lives in 2016.” Greenspan’s World Peace cookie is among the recipes listed.

My message to you as we approach a new year fraught with uncertainty is to put your money on world peace (cookies).

Happy New Year to you all. Thank you for reading Blue Cayenne and thank you for recommending this blog to your friends.

World Peace Cookies

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
• 1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 stick plus 3 T. unsalted butter (cut into chunks (at room temperature)
• 2/3 C. packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 t. fleur de sel or /14 t. fine sea salt
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate (chopped into irregular bits)

Instructions

1. Sift flour, baking soda and cocoa together. Set aside.
2. Using your Kitchen Aid mixer with its paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars together on medium speed until soft, creamy and totally mixed together. This will take about 3 minutes. Beat in salt an vanilla until well mixed With mixer set on low, add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat on low until the dough forms big, moist curds. Add the chocolate pieces and mix. (According to Greenspan, this is an unpredictable dough. Sometimes it is crumbly and sometimes it comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Whatever happens, she says the cookies will be wonderful.)
3. Scoop the dough out of the mixer and onto a work surface. The dough should come together in a ball. Knead it to bring it together in a ball if necessary. Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into two logs. Each log should be 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours (or refrigerate for at least 3 hours.)
4. Heat your oven to 325 degrees F. Position the rack in your oven in the middle of the oven.
5. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working with one log at a time, slice logs into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place rounds on a cookie sheet with cookies placed two inches apart. (Do not prepare the second log of cookies until the first one has baked.)
6. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Do not open oven door. At the end of twelve minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and place the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool. (Cookies won't look done at twelve minutes but that is the correct time to remove them from the oven. They will solidify as they cool. )

Notes

Greenspan recommends splurging on the chocolate you use in these cookies. She recommends using Valrhona chocolate. Valrhona chocolate is available on Amazon, at Sur La Table and other quality food purveyors.

Nutrition

Calories

178 cal

Fat

1 g

Carbs

36 g

Protein

5 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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https://bluecayenne.com/world-peace-anyone

It has been chilly here in southern California for the last couple of days. I found a thick coat of frost on my car this morning and my thermostat registered 55 degrees in my house. Even my pup Juliet was reluctant to leave the warmth of our bed for her morning walk. Brrrr.

The winter cold is a great incentive for cooking in the warmth of one’s  kitchen. And, there is no better time than a cold winter’s day to cook up a pot of spicy chili. It wasn’t an accident, after all, that Will Rogers called chili “a bowl of blessedness.”

February 23 is National Chili Day. Why not get a head start? If you are like me,  you are running behind on  many fronts during this holiday season. Being ahead of the game on something–anything!—might just buoy your spirits.

This recipe is adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe. The link to that recipe appears at the bottom of this post. This makes a wonderful complete meal served with (or over) corn bread and accompanied by a green salad.

Yields 8 Servings

Vegetable Chili

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

20 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 1/2 C. chopped yellow onions
• 1 C. chopped red peppers
• 2 T. minced garlic
• l stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeno pepper (or to taste)
• 1 medium zucchini (diced)
• 2 C. fresh corn kernels (or frozen)
• 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (stemmed and cubed)
• 1-2 T. chile powder (to your taste)
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans (or equivalent cooked dried beans )
• 1 15-ounce can black beans (or equivalent cooked dried beans)
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (or equivalent cooked dried beans)
• 3 C. vegetable stock or water
• 1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 12-ounce package frozen Morning Star Griller Crumbles (or protein of your choice)
• Grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado and sour cream for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot until hot and add oniions, bell peppers, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring often. This will take 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini, corn and mushrooms and continue to cook until all vegetables are soft and mushrooms begin to give off their liquid. This will take about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until fragrant .This will take about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, chopped cilantro, vegetable stock and Morningstar Grillers Crumbles and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Garnish with grated cheese, chopped avocado and sour cream.

Notes

Like so many foods cooked with spices, this chili is better served on the second day after the spices have infused their flavors into the chile tomato sauce.

I used Rancho Gordo's wonderful (but spicy) New Mexico chile powder in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories

174 cal

Fat

8 g

Carbs

23 g

Protein

4 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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https://bluecayenne.com/warming-up-on-a-chili-day

Here is the link to Emeril Lagasse’s vegetarian chili recipe from which this chili recipe was adapted: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vegetarian-chili-recipe.html