Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
November 21, 2014
Margaux says…
Oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chip really doesn’t adequately describe these cookies. It’s more like: Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Browned Butter Almond and Craisin Cookies. But that’s too hard to remember. These cookies are jam packed with yummy goodies, and I LOVE cookies with everything but the kitchen sink in them. These are exceptional, and I think it’s the coconut. So, if you’re like me, and love coconut and chocolate together, you should give these a try. My Aunt Cindy emailed me this recipe last spring, and I have made them several times.
The original recipe didn’t call for browned butter, but after making cookies with browned butter in them, I’m always willing to go the extra mile. It really enhances the flavor! These cookies have so much in them, that I don’t feel bad grabbing one for breakfast even. Protein, fiber, carbs, vitamin C…it has it all. Right? 😉
Oatmeal, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 24 large cookies
Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups packaged finely shredded unsweetened coconut (see note below)*
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
3/4 cup almonds with skins (4 oz), toasted, cooled, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries or raisins
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Brown the butter: In a large saucepan (preferably light in color so that you can see when the butter browns so that it doesn’t burn), melt one and a half sticks of the butter on high heat. When it’s just melted, start swirling the pan around on the burner, until you see the butter starting to brown on the bottom of the pan (it will appear as little brown bits on the bottom). Remove from the heat, and put the remaining half stick of butter in the pan and swirl around until completely melted. Set aside to allow to cool slightly.
Beat together butter and sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium
speed (or beat by hand with a wire whisk). Add eggs and beat until just blended, about 30 seconds. Let sit for one minute, then beat for 30 more seconds. Then beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until just blended (or carefully stir in by hand with a wooden spoon). Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit.
Arrange 1/4-cup mounds of cookie dough about 3 inches apart on large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased) (about 8 cookies per sheet). Pat down cookie dough slightly so that it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position and rotating pans halfway through baking, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes total (it should still look just slightly underdone in the center).
Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies in same manner.
Cook’s notes: I have made these without the browned butter step, also, and they are still great. Just use room temperature butter, and beat it on high speed with the sugars until light in color and texture. I have also used pecans instead of almonds, and left out the craisins altogether, although I like the tartness of the craisins paired with the sweetness of the chocolate.
My Aunt Cindy just reminded me that these also can be made subbing half the butter for coconut oil! It gives a more intense coconut flavor. If you still want the browned butter, just brown one stick of butter, and then swirl in the coconut oil once the butter is browned.
*note on coconut: I have used both unsweetened shredded and sweetened (the regular Baker’s shredded coconut found in the baking aisle). The unsweetened is preferable, but in a pinch you can use sweetened. It makes the cookies MUCH more sweet, and I feel like the coconut flavor is lost a little because of that. So maybe decrease the sugar a bit and use only a tablespoon or two of the granulated.
I love these warm, and highly recommend microwaving them for 20 seconds or so before eating them (or just eating them right off the pan!).
Coconut Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
March 2, 2014
Margaux says…
Like I said before, January and February are the official Birthday Months around here. I crank out cakes and cupcakes every other day, it seems, which is great for me because I get to try out all the recipes I pin on Pinterest but don’t have to eat it all and gain a million pounds. Cupcakes are especially fun because we can keep a few for ourselves to taste test.
I’ve posted about coconut cupcakes before, and I still stand by that amazingly delicious recipe that is like sweet cake from the gods. That frosting recipe is seriously out of this world. But I also love this recipe. I love the combo of vanilla and coconut, and this frosting is also pretty darn good. I found this recipe on Epicurious a few years ago, made them a few times, then forgot about it and rediscovered it last month. I will definitely be making these again!
Coconut Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Reduced coconut milk:
2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
Cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)
For reduced coconut milk:
Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium-low; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: This should be made at least 8 hours ahead so that it can settle. Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
For cupcakes:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Frosting
February 18, 2014
Margaux says…
It’s cake season around here…we have several birthdays in January and February in our family, so I’m basically making cake after cake for about two months. This is one of my favorite cake recipes…I typically make it as a 9″ layer cake, but my sister-in-law wanted cupcakes for her birthday party, and they turned out really great. I’ve posted about the frosting before, on a similar cake that I’ve made often, and also love, but since I discovered this Cook’s Illustrated version I may just make this one from now on whenever I’m wanting a yellow cake. Because of science-y Cook’s Illustrated details, this cake is fluffier and has a finer crumb. And the frosting is silky and delicious…you have to try it!
Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Frosting
from Cook’s Illustrated
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1. Adjust oven rack to middle and heat to 350 degrees. Place 27 cupcake liners into cupcake tins (or grease two 9″ round cake pans and line with parchment paper, then grease and flour). Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. In 4 cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and yolks.
2. In clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about a minute or so. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
3. Add flour mixture to now-empty mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape whisk and sides of bowl. Return mixer to med-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10-15 seconds.
4. Using a rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Fill each cupcake liner evenly, about 3/4 full.
5. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 17-19 minutes. Let cool on rack in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely. Frost with milk chocolate frosting.
Milk Chocolate Frosting
While cakes are cooling, prepare frosting.
20 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
pinch table salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz. high quality milk chocolate, like Ghiradelli, melted and cooled slightly
In a food processor, process butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5-10 seconds. Scrape sides of the bowl, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, about 10-15 times.
Fill a pastry bag with frosting and either cut the tip off so that there’s about a 1/2″ round opening, or fit with a piping tip. Swirl frosting generously on cupcakes. Eat and be happy!
World’s Best Chocolate Cake
June 12, 2013
Margaux says…
I can’t believe I haven’t posted about this cake yet. I have made this cake more than any other…well, besides the old family stand-by. But this cake is SO GOOD. It has a really nice cocoa flavor, not super deep-rich chocolate, so it’s great for all palates. And the frosting is so fluffy and buttery, it just melts in your mouth. I’ve made this cake for numerous birthdays, get-togethers, and just because we want cake. It’s not super difficult, as far as cake recipes go. If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned, super moist and chocolatey cake recipe, this is IT.
My mom gave me the recipe several years ago, in an article cut out of her local newspaper. It was literally called the “World’s Best Chocolate Cake” (I did not give it this ridiculous name). I don’t remember the specifics of the article…someone won a cake contest, or a cake connoisseur happened upon it at a dinner at a friend’s, or something along those lines. I tried to find the original article, to no avail, so I can’t tell you the real story. All I can remember is that the writer thought this cake was the best he had ever had, and I had to see for myself. It’s pretty darn good.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
There’s a few things that I’ve learned after making this cake numerous times.
For one, and this goes for most cakes I make, when sifting the dry ingredients, I use the following method: I cut two pieces of waxed paper, and set them side by side on the counter. I first sift the flour onto the first piece of paper, then put the sifter on the other paper and measure out the flour, putting it back into the sifter. Then I place the rest of the dry ingredients in the sifter with the flour and sift them all together onto the second piece of waxed paper. Then I just set that aside until I need to add it to the batter. It’s pretty easy to add it, just carefully picking up the paper at each edge, creating kind of a funnel, and slowly pour it into the mixer. Save your waxed paper for later…you can use one to sift your powdered sugar onto, and the other for my trick below.
Secondly, don’t be alarmed when the batter looks curdled after you add the water and vanilla. It will smooth back out after the addition of flour and buttermilk. No worries.
Third. When preparing to frost the cake, cut up one of the pieces of waxed paper and slide them under the first layer. It takes four strips, make sure the plate is completely covered. Then when you’re frosting the cake, the frosting isn’t getting on your serving plate. When you’re done frosting, carefully slide the strips out from under the cake and voila! Clean plate.
World’s Best Chocolate Cake
The Cake:
Have all your ingredients at room temperature. Line two 9″ round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray with flour (or butter and flour the pans). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt, and set aside. Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer (or use a stand mixer-my recommendation). Gradually add the sugar, and beat at medium speed for one minute, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each egg. Gradually add the water and vanilla on low speed, and then beat on medium for one minute more. With the mixer on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture, and beat on low until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the buttermilk, beat on low, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then beat on low until completely combined again. Alternate the flour and buttermilk in this fashion, ending with the last third of flour mixture. Pour into pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on racks for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool on rack until completely cooled.
The frosting:
1 six oz. package high quality semisweet chocolate chips, or semisweet chocolate chopped up (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Bowl of ice
Combine chocolate chips, whipping cream and butter in double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring constantly until smooth (I use a large mixing bowl set on top of a medium saucepan…less to clean up). Remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, and using an electric hand mixer, beat on high speed until the frosting holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Make sure you take it out of the bowl of ice immediately, so that the bottom of the frosting doesn’t freeze.
Chocolate-Espresso Snowballs
December 27, 2011
Aunt Suzy says . . .
I love the pecan shortbread cookies that go by various names, and when I saw this variation with two of my favorite flavors, I knew I had to make them! I followed the recipe with a couple of minor adaptations. Instead of using instant espresso powder, I used Starbucks new Via instant coffee, Vienna Roast. It was perfect – each little packet is one teaspoon and it is plenty flavorful without dominating. At first I thought the cookies were a little dry, but the next day they were superb! I made these and the traditional ones, Grandma’s Butter Balls, on the same day and it’s hard to decide which I like better! Many taste tests have ensued, with inconclusive results, making me think that more taste tests are required :-). One thing we can say is that both are outstanding with a cup of coffee or tea.
Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on size
2 sticks softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped pecans (I use the low-tech nut grinder shown in the Grandma’s Butter Ball post)
Confectioners’ sugar, for coating
Preheat the oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt until thoroughly blended. Mix in the pecans – I do this with my hands to make sure they are evenly incorporated.
Working in batches, roll the dough into balls about the size of walnuts and place on 2 cookie sheets – about 2 inches apart. Bake one batch at a time on the center oven rack for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are dry and the cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Roll in confectioners’ sugar to coat and place on a serving plate. I recommend rolling in confectioner’s sugar a second time about an hour later to completely coat them.
Almond Shortbread Stars
December 12, 2011
Margaux says…
I saw this recipe in a Martha Stewart Living holiday issue ages ago…probably around 2000 or 2001, and I’ve been making them every single year since. I think this is the best shortbread recipe I’ve ever had, probably because of the addition of almonds, which I love. Plus, shortbread is my mom’s favorite cookie, and she loves almond, too, so even if I didn’t want to make these it wouldn’t matter because she requests them every year. She just asked me tonight if I was planning on making “those shortbread stars,” while looking at me with eyes that said “you’re making those shortbread stars,” and it made me realize I should probably write a post about them with enough time for people to make them for themselves. Trust me, your family will thank you. Luckily, I happened to have photographed a plate of them last year!
I usually make a double recipe because they tend to disappear fast. And of course, you don’t have to make stars…you can make any shape you want!
Almond Shortbread Stars
2 sticks softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup blanched almonds, pureed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
Whisk together flour and salt in bowl. Whisk together sugar and almonds in another bowl. Beat butter in stand mixer with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add sugar/almond combo and beat until combined. Add almond extract and beat again. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Separate into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. Roll out into 1/4″ thickness. Cut out cookie shapes and place them on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden. Carefully remove cookies to cooling rack. When still warm, toss in powdered sugar. Toss again when cooled.
Apricot Pie with Coconut Crumble
August 27, 2011
Margaux says…
When I saw the recipe for this pie, I had to make it. I’ve never had apricots in pie before, and the combination of coconut and apricots was intriguing. The combo does not disappoint…it’s really delicious! I love the tartness of the apricots with the sweetness of the crumble. The pie is pretty easy to make, too; the crumble can be made in a food processor and you don’t have to peel the apricots, so prep time is minimal. The Martha Stewart version also has shaved toasted coconut piled on top in the center for a lovely decorative touch (which I did not take the time to do).
Apricot Pie with Coconut Crumble
from Martha Stewart Living
For The Topping
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut (3 ounces)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
For The Filling
1 3/4 pounds apricots, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges (6 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Coarse salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Make the topping: Whisk together flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pulse coconut in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and brown sugar, and pulse to combine. Add flour mixture, and pulse until clumps form.
Make the crust: Roll out pie dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim crust to a 1-inch overhang using kitchen shears. Fold edges under, and press to seal. Crimp as desired. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Make the filling: Stir together apricots, sugars, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour filling into piecrust. Sprinkle with topping, squeezing some of the mixture into medium to large clumps and leaving a 1-inch border.
Bake pie on middle rack, with a foil-lined baking sheet on bottom rack to catch juices, until vigorously bubbling in center and bottom crust is golden, about 1 1/2 hours. (Loosely tent topping with foil after 30 minutes to prevent burning.) Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool for at least 2 hours (preferably longer) before serving.
Chocolate Cookies
May 22, 2011
Margaux says . . .
These cookies are delicious, and very simple to make! They also are a good option when wanting to make a sweet on a whim, as the ingredients are usually on-hand in most kitchens. I’m sure you could use regular cocoa powder instead of Dutch processed, and they would be just as delicious. The texture is crispy and chewy, and the sanding sugar makes them sparkly and pretty!
The flavor instantly reminded me of Oreo’s…it’s a rich, dark chocolate that isn’t too overly sweet and would pair really well with vanilla frosting. So I will definitely be making them again as homemade Oreo’s, using the vanilla frosting recipe below. I also am thinking these would be great for ice cream sandwiches, using any of your favorite ice cream flavors. I’m going to use Bobtail’s Merlot chocolate chip…I think it will be the perfect pairing!
Grammy’s Chocolate Cookies
from Martha Stewart’s Cookies cookbook
2 cups plus 2 tbsp all- purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
sanding sugar, for rolling
1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture; beat to combine. Form dough into a flattened disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll each ball in sanding sugar. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies from baking sheet to wire rack. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
Vanilla Frosting (for filling)
from Cook’s Illustrated
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch table salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together in a small bowl until the salt dissolves. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low, slowly add sugar, and beat until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Beat in the cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 4-8 minutes (the time depends on the strength of the mixer…with my KitchenAid it takes about 5 minutes or so).
Grandma’s Butter Ball Cookies
January 4, 2011
Aunt Suzy says . . .
These cookies are a “must bake” for me every holiday season. This year was no exception, although I made them very late – right before New Year’s Eve. But then I heard on this radio spot about lucky New Year food traditions that some eat these for good luck on New Year’s Day thinking that the cookies are coin-like to represent money. Although I heard this after New Year’s Day, I was glad to have eaten them as part of our lucky New Year’s Day menu!
These cookies are called many different names – Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, Snowballs, Butter Balls and others. I’ve made a version of them for years from a recipe that was purportedly the one that Jackie Kennedy used which used powdered sugar as the dough sweetener. Whenever I would tell my Mom (aka Granny) that I’d made these cookies, she’d ask “Did you make Grandma Teegarden’s (my Dad’s Mom) recipe – the one with honey?” I would confess each year that I did not, having been enamored at a young age by Jackie Kennedy. Last Christmas, I made both recipes and conducted taste tests, asking friends to say which they liked best. The votes, including mine, were in overwhelming favor of Grandma T’s, so I think I have dumped Jackie O in favor of Grandma forever!
Margaux says…
I almost never make these cookies for Christmas because everyone else in my family does! But this year I had a girls’ cookie baking get-together at my house, and my friend Jen wanted to make the Joy of Cooking version of these (which is exactly like the Jackie Kennedy recipe), and I swayed her to Grandma’s recipe instead. They turned out perfectly, as usual! This is definitely my favorite version of this recipe, and the times I have made them, this is the one I use. It was actually one of the first recipes ever given to me (by my dad), when I was in grade school and first learning to bake!
Grandma’s Butter Balls – makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons mild honey
2 cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt (omit if using toasted and salted pecans)
2 cups ground toasted pecans*
Powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
Cream the butter, salt and vanilla with a electric mixer. Add the honey and the flour and continue to beat on medium until thoroughly blended. This will be a fairly stiff dough. Stir in the nuts by hand. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll by hand into balls the size of walnuts. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown in spots. Place the cookie sheet on a rack and let sit for a few minutes to set. Place the powdered sugar in a pie plate or round cake pan. Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while cookies are still warm. (Make sure you let them set or they can fall apart if too hot.) You can roll them in powdered sugar again after a couple of minutes.
*A note on the pecans: This year I bought a bag of toasted pecan pieces from Trader Joe’s and used those. I had never used toasted pecans before in this recipe and they made a delicious cookie even better – toasted pecans are the way to go! The pecans need to be chopped or ground fairly finely, but be careful not to overdo it or they will become powdery or oily which will not result in a good cookie. These low-tech vintage nut grinders are perfect for the job and, I just discovered, available on eBay from $3 to $20. The one I use is on the left.
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
December 14, 2010
Margaux says…
I’m a sucker for recipes that have ingredients you wouldn’t normally put together, like this one. So when Aunt Suzy told me about this cake last year, I had to try it! And oh, is it heavenly. It’s rich, dense and chocolatey, and the frosting is fluffy, tangy and light…a perfect combination! It’s always a hit with everyone. It’s also a good dessert for St. Patrick’s day…for obvious reasons! 🙂
Aunt Suzy says . . .
Our friend Pat Eaton, of Madison, Wisconsin, served this when we were visiting them a couple of years ago. I made it very shortly after returning home for a card party and it was a hit. This is a very easy cake to make, with a method similar to Texas Cake. I don’t have a spring form pan, so I used an 8×8 cake pan after researching Joy of Cooking for options. It turned out nicely, but didn’t look nearly as good as the round shape, which is supposed to simulate a glass of Guinness with that beautiful foam. I have also thought about making cupcakes with this recipe – they would be like mini-glasses of Guinness. Have you ever tried making this as cupcakes, Margaux?
Margaux says…
I made them as cupcakes for this St. Patrick’s day, and they were great! I actually made them as jumbo cupcakes, and they made 11. If you make them as regular sized cupcakes, they will make 22. See instructions below for bake times.
This gives “butterbeer” a whole new meaning! Yum!
Adding the sour cream/egg mixture creates a beautiful swirl…
I also made this last weekend for company, and accidentally forgot to add baking soda. I put what I thought was baking soda in it, which ended up being extra fine sugar (it was in a matching container to the soda, but not labeled!) That’s what I get for being lazy and not labeling everything in my pantry. Needless to say, the cake was a flop (literally). Hopefully the friends I made it for will trust me that it’s really delicious and make it again for themselves! This time it turned out perfectly…I wish they didn’t live in Pittsburg so that I could share it with them.
This cake is actually very easy to make, and you can do it pretty quickly because you don’t have to let the ingredients get to room temperature before mixing the batter (they all get cooked in the saucepan together before baking).
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper, or line muffin tins with paper cups.
1 cup Guinness stout
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups superfine granulated sugar (Aunt Suzy uses about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Pour Guinness into a large saucepan, add butter and heat until melted. Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar.
In a small bowl, beat sour cream with eggs and vanilla and then pour into brown, buttery, beery mixture and finally whisk in dry ingredients.
Pour cake batter into greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted at center comes out clean (check at 45 minutes for doneness). Leave to cool completely in pan on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
For jumbo cupcakes, bake 24-27 minutes. For regular cupcakes, bake 18-22 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Place cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl, and whip with an electric beater until smooth. (You may also do this with a food processor.) Add cream and beat again until you have a spreadable consistency, and it’s light and fluffy.
Frost top of cake, starting at the middle and fanning out, so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.
Sweet & Savory Kitchens 