Often I shun recipes with few ingredients and fewer directions; there's no challenge in simplicity I like to say. I also like to believe I don't bake solely for the end product, no matter how delicious it may be; I suppose creating something that involves more than just 1-2-3 is satisfying not only because it pleases the taste buds, but also because it leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. Make something that your friends or neighbors wouldn't dare try? That feels good, even if the competition never get a whiff. Come to think of it, thank God I don't live next to a pastry chef, that would be brutal (unless he/she shared).
But then again, sometimes you just gotta let loose. For me, that means cookies and "bars." And looking at my recipe list, I let loose a lot. Maybe I'm not the ideal baking hobbyist (see above), but there's something to be said for elevating a hackneyed recipe to create a wonderful snack or a pleasant dessert. That's why today I want to share two recipes with few key ingredients, but together with some simple steps produce something greater than the sum of its parts.
The first recipe is for Apricot Bars. I always seem to find a bag of old dried apricots buried deep in the cabinets, waiting to be chopped into a salad or mixed into a bag of granola (but never consumed alone, yuck! or at least my generic brand is). When I happened upon an old neighbor's shortbread crust apricot bars, those moistureless apricots found themselves in a newfound leading role.
The resultant bar is a wonderful tea-time snack, or, if you're not into that kinda thing, a wonderful anytime snack. The dried apricots take on so much more flavor when cooked in a pot and baked with some sugar. The recipe can be found online at Epicurious.com (sans my helpful hints!).
I. Ingredients
Shortbread Layer
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Apricot layer
2/3 cup (packed) dried apricot halves (about 4 ounces), coarsely chopped
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Powdered sugar (for dusting the tops)
II. Process
For shortbread layer:
Preheat oven to 350°F [My darker nonstick pan tends to burn the edges, so I lowered the temp 15º]. Grease up an 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms [If the butter pieces are too tiny, it won’t form well in the pan]. Press crumbs firmly into bottom of dish. Bake until center is golden, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare apricot layer:
Place apricots in small saucepan; add enough water to cover. Boil until soft, about 4 minutes; drain and set aside [They’ll get pretty weepy, but that’s fine – not to mention much easier to cut].
Beat eggs in large bowl with electric mixer. Add the brown sugar and vanilla; beat until thick. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda (combine well). Finally, add the nuts and apricots. Spread over shortbread.
Bake cookie until puffed, dark brown, and toothpick inserted into topping comes out with small moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes.
Cool in dish -- I put them in the refrigerator because it allows for a better cut.
Cut cookie into 6 strips, then crosswise into thirds. Transfer to waxed paper. Sift powdered sugar over bars. And enjoy...
Chocolate Brownies. I must say, before making these I forgot how great homemade brownies could be. It's not a hard recipe to master and subsequently tweak to exciting conclusions; That's why you might have seen brownies reappear on menus – decadent, but not far from that just-like-home feel. Despite the above, it still seems that most brownies I’ve had in bakeries just suck: too gooey, too cakey, or just not enough "real" chocolate flavor. Baking brownies at home is too simple and too enjoyable a task to waste your dime on those terrible grocery store or Betty Crocker mix varieties. Inspired by Alice Medrich’s chocolate panegyrics in her latest book, Bittersweet. The book has great recipes and love-riddled prose, but like with many cookbook authors, sometimes I wished she’d stop reminiscing and stick to the recipes.
Despite following Medrich’s directions on how to make the brownies “cakier,” they were pretty dense and chewy. Not that it bothered me, they were still delectable. The brownies had a nice bite and then proceeded to melt in my mouth. Using fine unsweetened chocolate, not just Baker’s, actually does give brownies a more piquant and lasting finish. So spend the dime! The addition of pecans is recommended, even for brownie purists out there; the pecan oils seep a tad into the brownies and the resulting mix of nutty and chocolatey is very nice. All hyperbole aside, these brownies were definitely in the classic fudgy category, and despite being great, they do not reach the level of chocolate transcendence.
Classic unsweetened chocolate brownies
(from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet)
I. Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 “cold” large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
II. Process
Place the rack on the lower third on the oven and then preheat to 400º (or 350º for the “cakier” version). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or baking parchment, leaving some overhang on the two opposite sides.
First, we muss melt da chocolat (with French phonetics). Heat the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a wide skillet (Medrich’s preferred melting method), stirring frequently until melted and smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger quickly after dipping it in to test [You can also microwave the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl on medium for 2 ½ minutes, and then stir till completely melted. It ain’t professional, but it works!] Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla with a spoon or silicon spatula. Add the cold eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well to incorporate each. Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon or spatula until the batter is smooth and glossy and beginning to “come away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.”
Stir in the nuts if, like me, you decide to use them.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and then bake it in the oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. UNLESS you want “cakier” brownies (or slightly lighter, as mine turned out to be), then you must leave them for 30-35 minutes.
This is a tough call, but if the tops look a tad dry and the brownies don’t compress much with the touch of your finger, they are probably done. The brownies should not have a very crisp top or edge. Toothpick test should yield a pick moistened with chocolate. Once removed, immediately place brownies in refrigerator, or, as Medrich suggests, place in a “water bath” – a larger pan filled 3/4-inch deep with ice water. Chill completely, which may take up to an hour. Lift brownies out by handles and then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days (blah blah blah, they won’t last).
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