The Genius Dessert Challenge - Month #3 More Cookies and Bars!
We are entering the third month of my Genius Desserts challenge!!!
Food52 and Kristen Miglore have a book out called Genius Desserts, and it has over 100 recipes inside (recipes are from many different chefs).
I am baking all of the recipes in this book and sharing them with you here. This is a year long adventure and I am up for the challenge! All of my experiences in baking these recipes are added each week, and I am eager for you to join me through my joy of cooking.
WEEK 9
PAINS d’ AMANDE by Flo Braker
If you are totally into crunch and sweet, then these wafers are a must-try! Maybe give them a little dip in your coffee or tea, or snack on them when your sugar craving calls. With a super crunchy, deep sweetness, you can’t go wrong with the Pains d’Amande.
The ease of making these wafers lends itself to them being a great holiday gift. They aren’t fragile and stand up to boxing up really well. I made a second batch and toyed with the ratios and flavors a bit, and can’t wait to drop them off at a friend’s house. Just make sure you leave enough time to make these because they need 4 hours in the fridge to set up before you bake them.
My husband prefers the original recipe, and not my tweaked version because it is deeply sweet with a hint of cinnamon. I am still working on my tweak, but have added orange water and cardamom as a flavor booster. Also, I have added almond flour to boost the almond (I LOVE the flavor of almond). When I get a definitive new recipe, I will share it.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Maybe press into a cookie sheet to cool next time and then cut. You should get a more consistent width.
If you were to only bake these for the initial 8 - 10 minutes, then I would think they may maintain some chewiness.
I didn’t have Hawaiian sugar and used turbinado sugar instead.
DOUGLAS’S WHOLE WHEAT JAM THUMBPRINTS by Magnus Nilsson
Maybe, if you have the book Genius Recipes, then you’re wondering why this recipe is next because it is not next in the book. Well, come baking day, I realized that I didnt have the proper baking pan for the next recipe, and it wasn’t showing up at my house today. So, I had to skip ahead a bit. I haven’t had many Thumbprint cookies over the years, so I had high hopes for these. Especially because I LOVE jam, you might say…..It’s my jam! LOL
But I have to be honest, I don’t love this recipe, mostly because of the whole wheat flour. I didn’t create the recipe, but I am sure that there was a good reason for wheat flour. I mean, a cookie is a sweet treat and this cookie was so high on wheat flavor and wheat flour texture, that (for me) it detracted from the focus of the thumbprint. The jam. The recipe is short on ingredients and seems simple when glanced at, but all of the hand kneading, hand rolling and thumb pressing, makes up for the ease of ingredients. This one was time-consuming.
The dough is crumbly and even after baking retains some crumble. Which makes these delicate cookies. The 1 tablespoon-sized balls yielded some pretty big cookies and the recipe says that you could get 60 cookies from this, but only if you follow the 1 inch balls size and not 1 tablespoon. I made a few smaller ones in the last batch and that would be more of my preferred size. This means that you could cut the recipe in half and get 2 dozen small cookies. I used Elderberry Jam for half my cookie and Berry Lavender for the other half.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Cut the batch in half (unless you want 2 dozen 2 in. round cookies).
I might consider trying this again with ½ All-Purpose Flour and ½ Whole Wheat.
The cookie link is one by the same chef but not with Whole Wheat. I would consider trying that one in the future.
The recipe in the book asked that you not over-knead the dough and I tried my best not to, and in doing so I think I may have under mixed it causing the dough to be more difficult to roll.
WEEK 10
For the remainder of December, I will be going out of order in the book so I can accommodate my holiday baking.CACIO e PEPE SHORTBREAD by Charlotte Druckman
This recipe was pushed back because I just couldn’t get out to grab all of the ingredients. This pandemic has made it a bit of a challenge when acquiring ingredients, and thank god for amazon. Amazon has been my savior during this baking challenge. Beyond that, I had a curiosity when going into this bake. I like shortbread but sometimes all of the butter is a bit much for my belly. Although a savory shortbread had an enormous appeal, especially with its cheesy goodness.
There was incredible ease making this shortbread. The only hiccup I initially had was acquiring a cast iron pan but it was totally worth the wait. Shortbread or butter cookies are almost always a breeze to make, and then it just becomes a matter of what shape and flavor they choose to become.
Personally, this Cacio e Pepe Shortbread, is a definite tag and make again. I can’t wait for the isolations to be lifted and to offer this to my friends at a gathering. Although next time I will probably make my pepper a bit finer in the shortbread and sprinkle the larger ground pepper on top. Sometimes black pepper and I don’t get along, it can be a bit too spicy for me. I could also see adding some extra cheese to this one, because I LOVE cheese. So, why not boost that cheese!!
Oh, one final thing, cut this into thin slices because it is very rich and that is my one and only tip for you.
ERNA’S LACE COOKIES by Marian Burros
You can’t go wrong with a butter, sugar and ground almond cookie. Marian Burros lace cookie recipe is super simple and a guilty pleasure. This is not a sit down and eat 4 cookies type of cookies, it is a 2 cookie max.
They have a precious crisp and are supremely delicate. Again, this recipe was pretty simple and I feel that they have the ability to morph into other incarnations of themselves. Cigar cookies, a cage for ice cream or the topper of creme brulee. That's it!! They remind me of the crackle top of creme brulee and now I can see them gracing the top of all manners of desserts.
One thing I will say is that there is a lot of TLC that goes into these cookies. You really need to want that rich brown butter and toasted almond flavor to dive into making these. They are totally a special occasion cookie. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a recipe online for you, but you can always buy the book Genius Desserts and then you will have it and all of the recipes I am making.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Definitely keep an eye on those almonds as you pulse them because a rough mix will stay together better
These would be great to make into cigar shapes and fill with rum cream
A great tip for conserving parchment paper is to flip it over after you have cooked a batch and use the other side.
Some people know this as a popular cookie sold in stores that has a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom.
WEEK 11
DARK CHOCOLATE -MARZIPAN SCONE LOAF by Molly Yeh
Scone! Scone! Scones are the bestest! The marriage of loaf bread and scones is so much simpler than traditional scones. I really enjoy making scones but sometimes if you do not finesse them just right they will not possess their buttery goodness. This is such a fantastic recipe and I wish I could have found it online, to share.
If you don't know what marzipan is this is your chance to be introduced to a confectionary that is magic. When we were in Austria I was introduced to the marzipan and chocolate combination. Magical!!!! Marzipan is a combination of ground blanched almonds, sugar and egg whites. It is an amazing addition to many foods and often enjoyed shaped into fruit and painted.
This scone loaf combines three of my favourite things, scones, chocolate and marzipan. It was an easy bake and I decided to split it between 2 small pans. Definitely best served warm, this is a pleasure to eat because you never know when you are going to get a little chunk of sweet almond marzipan or chocolate. It serves as a super breakfast loaf but needs reheated to keep from feeling dry.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Instead of using chocolate chips, I choose to chunk chop some chocolate for a sprinkling of chunky and thin chocolate.
Due to Covid, I couldn’t find marzipan. So I jumped online and searched for a recipe on how to make my own (link). It was easy and I am excited that I can do this anytime to keep marzipan in my life.
As with any scone, do not overbake, because they will be terribly dry and you won't enjoy that.
EASIEST PEPPERMINT PATTIES from The Joy Kitchen
I have always loved York Peppermint Patties, but I would be lying if I said that I thought this was truly going to be “easy” because the idea of coating all of these patties in chocolate wasn't appealing to me. I moved ahead anyhow.
The peppermint center was extremely easy to make, so simple, just powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract. Then refrigerate. But coating them in chocolate was tedious. I can’t say I really loved doing that and I totally ran out of chocolate…..
I wish that I had put a tad more peppermint in mine, I love a strong peppermint kick to offset the chocolate. I also wish that I had made mine larger so that they were thicker. In the end, the chocolate overpowered the center and the mint didn't quite come through. While the recipe is sound, I will probably not be making these again.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
OMG! These are some seriously delicate peppermint centers! After shaping make sure you freeze them, and while enrobing only pull 2 at a time out of the freezer. They get soft fast and I had one that ended up looking like a melted patty.
It is imperative that you allow our chocolate to cool before you cover the patties.
Consider freezing a cookie sheet and using that to put your completed candy on. They will set faster and retain their shape.
I could not locate a recipe for these that was exact.
UPDATE: After a few days in the freezer these got much more flavorful! I kinda like them a lot more now.
WEEK 12
PISTACHIO & ROSE WATER MERINGUES from Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Meringues are newer to me, recently I made a batch of lemon curd and had a ton of egg whites left, so I looked for ways to use them and meringues came up. Mine were small bite sized meringues that had a saffron and orange water flavor. Keeping with that floral theme, I was excited to make these meringues.
That is, until I read the recipe and saw the whole bit about heating my sugar in the oven. I had never heard of such a thing but I was up for the challenge. I decided to cut this recipe in half, as I didnt need 12 large meringues because I was pretty sure I would be the only one eating them and you can't really freeze them for later.
Now, don't get me wrong they aren't easy to make, and they take quite a while but it is soooo worth it. The roasting of the sugar is actually a shortcut that keeps you from having to make a syrup, and I am all for shortcuts. Set all of your ingredients up ahead of time, because once the sugar starts to roast it goes fast. I spilled quite a bit of sugar on the transfer but they still turned out perfect. I chose to add a bit of extra rose water to mine, because I love floral flavors in foods, but my family didn't really enjoy the pistachios on top. Perhaps I didn't chop them fine enough.Don't be afraid to dollop some big meringues on your tray, because if they are too small you won't achieve the gooey insides.
This recipe came through as promised. They are crisp on the outside but have a divine marshmallowy core. The soft inside was like a hidden treat within a treat. Like two birthday parties in one day!! The rose and pistachio is a perfect combination. There is a reminiscence of turkish delight with these treats. The Pistachio and Rose Water Meringues, are truly a special treat, and not for anyone who doesn't love sweets (unless they are sharing them with someone else). If you love a sweet treat with a crisp and gooey element and want something out of the box, this is one for you.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Keeping a close eye in the sugar as it bakes is imperative. It can overcook very quickly.
As well, I slightly overcooked mine, so keep an eye on them as they cook. Do not let them start to brown.
Chop your pistachos very finely. These would also be perfect without nuts.
I had no superfine sugar on hand, and just blended it up and then re-measured for accuracy.
These would be amazing as a dessert to bring to a party. You could change the flavor profile and use Almond extract and maybe a drizzle of Chocolate. Or Lavender extract and Lemon zest. Play with what you prefer.
PUMPKIN PIE WITH PECAN CRUNCH from Yankee Magazine
I REALLY wanted this recipe to be a win for me, but I struggle at making pie crust. Even, so called, “easy” pie crust recipes elude me. So, on the first try we (my daughter and I) decided to use a premade crust.
The pumpkin pie base for this is very simple and along the lines of “the usual”. This pie sets itself apart from others with a crunchy pecan praline crusted top. The idea of a creme brûlée type crunch on pumpkin pie sounds lucious.
1st Try: We used the premade crust, and went by book (so we thought) on the recipe. But we made the pie in an aluminum pie crust tin.
Two observations: Did you know that aluminum pie tins actually take longer to bake? Well, now I do….. Second observation, the directions subtly said that the crust was “cooled” before adding your pumpkin mix. AKA, the pie crust was supposed to be pre-baked and we did not do that.
So, the first pie crust was undone. 😢 But the filling and crusty top was delightful.
2nd Try: I made the pie crust recipe in the cookbook. I was religious with the directions and staying on task. Also, I chose to use a glass pie pan. I felt like this was the one, I was going to pre bake it and it was going to be my redemption. Not!!!!! I chilled the crust, and kept my butter from getting too warm, but to no avail. As the crust baked, I could see all of the butter boiling out of it.
I did fill it with the pumpkin filling, why? Because I was silly enough to already mix it. I didn’t put the pecan crunch on it, because I wasn’t going to waste that. The crust was crazy hard and wayyyy to buttery.
In conclusion, right now I have put a pause on pie. I only moved this one up so that we could have it for Christmas. Until I can make freaking pie crust that doesn’t fail, no more pie. I have a few crust recipes and I am going to try all of them.
