Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Happy Hinamatsuri (a.k.a Girls' Day)! When I was a little girl growing up in Hawaii, we celebrated girl's day every year. Although I said this week would be eat me, delicious tribute week, I really wanted to make hishimochi. So my dad and I set out on a mission, we drove to three different stores but none of them carried glutinous rice flour. I guess we're the last gluten-loving people on the planet. Oh well, next year! I'll keep my eyes peeled, though, because I'd love to figure out how to make red bean stuffed mochi and mochi ice cream. Maybe I'll try somewhere like Ranch 99 next chance I get. Any other suggestions? Where would you all get glutinous rice flour from?

I needed to make something delicious to celebrate those double x chromosomes and my new favorite food blog, so I set to search and found a coconut cookie recipe. Given that I spent my early childhood in Hawaii eating mostly tofu, fruits, and vegetables (okay, and spam musubi and manapua, too), I love almost all things fruit, coconut especially. I had never baked with coconut before, and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it is undoubtedly of my new favorite baking ingredients. I used the thicker unsweetened coconut (so good!) and organic oatmeal (mmmm!) and ended up with incredible cookies, but they were certainly a mouthful because of the large hunks of coconut. I didn't add the chocolate, and decided to make them more soft and chewy than crunchy, which I think is a personal preference. They were gone less than twelve hours later!

I received this phone call around 4:30: "Hey Erin, I just got home and I ate about three of your cookies in thirty seconds. I hope you don't mind, I was calling to make sure you wouldn't be upset if they were all gone by the time you got back. Your cookies are amazing, sweetie. Love you lots."

I was overjoyed. That was totally the purpose of making them.

May your baking adventures be as fruitful as mine (bad pun intended)!

Makes about 29 medium sized cookies
Coconut Cookies
adapted from: eat me, delicious, Barbara Boczany & This Week for Dinner

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
2 1/4 cups oats
1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened shredded coconut*

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter and sugars at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat till blended. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until blended. Stir in oats, coconut and chocolate.

Arrange 1/4 cup mounds about 3 inches apart on large buttered baking sheets. Pat down to 1/2 inch. Bake on middle rack, 10 minutes (note: my rickety old oven is really inefficient, your baking time should probably be around 8 minutes). Cool one minute. Transfer to cooling rack.

*I made these with 1 heaping cup of unsweetened shredded and 1 cup of flaked coconut, and used ener-g egg replacer and earth balance to make it vegan. less nutritional value/ more ethical. i used semisweet chocolate chips on the last batch of cookies. Makes about 36.

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Dumplings

Yep, that's a fresh, warm, gooey, ever-so-slightly-lemony (and really messy!) blueberry white chocolate swirl.

Cinnamon rolls [if you're wondering why I'm talking about cinnamon rolls when the post is clearly titled "Dumplings", and I just called them "swirls", well, we'll get to that... ] are one of those things on a list of about ten foods that I absolutely can't stand. I think it has to do with the fact that
1. usually, they're cloyingly sweet
2. there was a brief period in my childhood where I ate a lot of really unhealthy food, but we'll get to that's a story for another post.
I have this habit, though, for better or for worse, concerning cooking, eating, and really everything, of trying to find something to like about a given thing when I really dislike it. When I saw Ashley's unique take on cinnamon-less cinnamon rolls (which she received third place prize for the BC Blueberry contest! ), and being that everything else I've cooked verbatim or adapted ever-so-slightly from her blog was so wonderfully incredibly delicious- I thought I'd give it a shot.

Seriously, Ashley's blog has opened up a whole new world of baking joyfulness, and she has enlightened me about so many new good cookbooks, and the best way I can think to give back is to make this transitionary week from February 28th to March 7th an eat me, delicious tribute week. Thus, I decided to journey into the uncertain lands of cinnamon rolls sans cinnamon.

Now, the multiple names: my cinnamon rolls ended up more like sweet blueberry dumplings than cinnamon rolls, but I am certain that's probably my fault because I added too much liquid by virtue of mistaking my 1/3 measuring cup for a 1/4 measuring cup (whoops!). To try and compensate, I added a tablespoon of flour and asked someone around me if they thought that was alright. In retrospect, 1 tablespoon was definitely not enough flour to right my wet ingredient wrong, but hey, it was a learning experience! Additionally, one of the reasons I think these turned out more like dumplings than cinnamon rolls was that when I cut through the log to make the nine little rolls my knife wasn't sharp enough and ruptured some of the layers. Regardless, they were still demolished, and the flavor was perfect, but the rolls didn't have the consistency I was looking for.

I struggled with whether to post this recipe or not. I like the idea of posting only recipes that I think are really tasty (and that I've been successful in making), but I also like the idea of posting about how I messed a recipe up, for authenticity's sake. I think it's important if something doesn't turn out absolutely perfect not to get discouraged (and maybe even find something to like about it!). Most importantly, I like sharing good food. Despite my numerous errors, this recipe was good. For my eat me, delicious tribute week at least, I'll post every thing I bake from her blog. After this week I promise to find other amazing websites and blogs. Find something good and share it, right?! What are your favorite food blogs/cookbooks/websites?



Blueberry White Chocolate Swirls with Lemon Glaze

Adapted, accidentally, and very poorly from eat, me delicious (whose rolls look beautiful and mouth-wateringly good! Definitely deserved at least third place!)

Makes 9 rolls

Ingredients
2 cups and 1 tablespoon flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
(I used 5/6 cup)
1/4 cup oil
(I used 1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 heaping cup blueberries, washed and patted dry (or 1 cup frozen blueberries)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
juice of one, really juicy lemon
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8"x8" square pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine milk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir just until the flour disappears and you have a nice dough.

Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to a 9"x14" rectangle. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips and blueberries, and gently press them into the dough. Starting from the long side, roll up the dough into a log. Cut it into 9 biscuits and place them in the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the lemon glaze by mixing together the lemon juice and icing sugar.

Once the rolls are done, invert them onto a plate, and drizzle the glaze over top. Serve while warm, but also good at room temperature.


My little blueberry white chocolate dumpling :) intact this time!

Über Super Ultra Lemony Lemon Bars

First, Happy Valentine's Day!
To celebrate Valentine's Day, and the inherently tart-sweet nature of relationships, I set out to make my boyfriend's favorite dessert: lemon bars. Lemon bars are amongst the most delicious desserts, and everyone I've ever offered one to has declared that these ones in particular are amazing.

Disclaimer: I love sour. I drank about a half a cup of straight, fresh squeezed, leftover lemon juice while I was making these lemon bars. As for the recipe, I squeezed about six lemons for these desserts (you probably need only three if you follow the recipe exactly), and added way more lemon zest, limoncello, and lemon juice that the recipe requires. This dish, taken from Emeril Lagasse, is already entitled "Super Lemony Lemon Squares", but given the way I’ve altered it the more fitting title should probably be “Ultra Super Lemony Lemon Squares”. If you didn’t like warheads as a kid and if you don’t crave ascorbic acid in the morning, then I’d stick to your angel food cake. However, in the spirit of balance, and knowing that I was cooking for people other than myself, I made these bars more lemony than the recipe, but not quite as lemony as I would have if I was cooking for just Profe and I.

Sadly, Profe and I couldn't cook together this week. I went on a trip to investigate potential graduate programs and am having quite a chilly sojourn with some friends. So, to give us all a little energy to brave the cold (it's eleven degrees Farenheit right now), I decided to make lemon bars for Valentine's Day. Profe did, however, give me his blessing to make lemon bars, because both his and lemons’ ancestors are originally from Asia. And, when you sprinkle the powdered sugar over the lemon bars at the end, they both have spots :) .

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

• 1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for garnish

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 3/4 teaspoon salt plus a pinch

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

I only used one cup of organic granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

I used 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained

I used 1 cup of lemon juice

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 tablespoons limoncello, or other lemon-flavored liqueur, optional

I used 3 tablespoons

Note: if you follow the recipe exactly how I made it then your lemon bars will come out a little more gooey than Emeril's. To compensate for this you could use the entirety of the crust (once prepared I only use about half) or you could use xanthan gum, arrowroot, egg, or any thickening agent. Be careful, though: using thickening agents requires a little extra love and care.

Directions

Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter and line with 1 sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Butter the top of this sheet of paper with 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter and then lay a second sheet of parchment or waxed paper crosswise over the first sheet. The parchment should be cut large enough so that the sides are even with the top of the baking dish; this extra paper will function as handles to help you remove the lemon squares from the pan later. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, 2/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the cornstarch, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix thoroughly. Cut the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your hands, 2 forks, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the butter-flour mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even 1/4-inch layer along the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

While the crust is baking, assemble the filling by combining the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium bowl and whisking until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, milk, limoncello, and remaining pinch of salt and mix well.

When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir the lemon mixture again, then pour onto the warm crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Grasp the waxed paper that lines the 2 longest sides of the baking dish and remove the bars from the pan by pulling up gently. The entire dessert should easily dislodge and come away from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a clean knife, cut into squares, wiping knife after each cut. Place a small amount of confectioners' sugar into a small sieve, and sprinkle the bars with the sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, wrapped with plastic wrap, up to 2 days, until ready to serve. I garnished them with sliced heart-shaped strawberries.

Baklava

Having blown through cookies, cheesecake, and brownies influenced by Profe, I needed something fresh and new to bake. Looking for inspiration, I pensively stroked Profe's fur, and admired the warm golden glow of his coat between his dark spots and stripes, laughing silently and lovingly at his ludicrous and almost maniacal expression. Suddenly, the idea came to me from his layers, color, and the mischievous shape of his eyes in that moment: baklava.

Hailing from the former Ottoman empire, and keeping with our South Asian theme, baklava is a dessert with an interesting texture that I think is partly an acquired taste. To illustrate this point, allow me to provide you with a conversation that took place ten minutes ago:

"Would you like some Baklava?!" I ask my brother as he walks in the front door.

"Is it good?" he asks.

"Try it for yourself. My taste buds are not your taste buds."

"I'll take this small piece-- I'm normally not such a huge fan of Baklava," he says as he reluctantly cuts one of the smaller pieces away from the baking dish. "It's actually pretty good," he says after several moments pass. "I like it more than I normally like Baklava."

To some extent I agree with him: baklava is incredibly rich, but on top of that it's made of flaky crust has a syrupy sauce that sinks to the bottom. I've had some horrendous baklava during my twenty-three years of life. It can be papery or soggy and overly sweet. Also, if chopped nuts as a texture bother you, then steer clear of this recipe.

That being said, baklava can be a wonderful dessert when prepared carefully and eaten by an enthusiastic audience. I'd never made anything with phyllo dough until last night and the prospect made me nervous, but I needed something that would keep without refrigeration, so that I could travel to school and share the dessert. I searched the internet for a recipe infused with spice and came up with this gem.



Ingredients

For the filling:
1 (5-inch piece) cinnamon stick, broken into 2 to 3 pieces or 2 teaspoons ground
15 to 20 whole allspice berries
6 ounces blanched almonds
6 ounces raw or roasted walnuts
6 ounces raw or roasted pistachio
2/3 cup sugar
(I left this out)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon rose water
(I left this out)
1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
(You will not need the whole pound)
8 ounces clarified unsalted butter, melted

For the syrup:
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece fresh orange peel
(I used almost an entire orange peel and ended up using only half the syrup over the dessert)


Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cinnamon stick and whole allspice into a spice grinder and grind.

Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and freshly ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.

Combine the water and rose water in a small spritz bottle and set aside.

Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly. Spritz thoroughly with the rose water. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet. Brush the top generously with butter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.

Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.

After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.