The Genius Dessert Challenge - Month #2 More Cookies!
We are entering the second 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 5
NONFAT GINGERSNAPS by David Lebovitz
Gee wiz! This week I really started feeling the pressure of all of my baking, but that is probably the stress of my sourdough bread fails (blog for that one coming soon). I was very eager to make these though, because I LOVE ginger, so I was all in.
David Lebovitz’s Nonfat Gingersnap cookies have a soft texture and remind me of the molasses cake cookies that you can find here in central Pennsylvania. They feel perfect for the cooler months because of the spice that they give way to. I had one really good taste observation from my son, and it was that they had a “gummy” texture that he did not fancy. I did not notice this as I had tried mine right after they cooled, so they were still a bit warm. I think that maybe this gummy texture he referred to could be from the candied ginger in them. I would like to try this one again and omit the candied ginger and add some fresh grated ginger. Recognizing that it would add moisture to the recipe, I am thinking I will let it sit a bit to dry out or I could coat it in flour.
Anyhow, they are lovely soft ginger cookies and if you are a ginger person these are for you! I almost forgot, these are nonfat due to the use of applesauce instead of butter.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
OMG! I always read the directions but I almost put 2 whole eggs and not 2 egg whites in these. So 2 Egg WHITES.
If you add your applesauce to a bowl (measuring on a scale) and then your molasses, it is easier to get the molasses to come out of the cup.
Refrigerate your dough in between batches to keep it pliable for rolling into balls.
Again, I adjusted my convection oven by 25 degrees less to bake these.
PEANUT BUTTER SANDIES by Julia Moskin & City Bakery
Oh my, peanut butter cookies are the BEST! So I am usually all in on any peanut butter cookie and these are no exception. They are so awesome!!
The soft texture is perfect and they have just the right amount of peanut butter in them. They were a hit in my house. I don't have much more to say, other than go make these cookies now!! Ooo, a suggestion in the book is that you could scoop them out to a pan and freeze them and then just pop them in the oven when needed. That sounds like a top rate tip for yummy peanut butter cookies anytime.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
If you coat your measuring cup with oil or butter, the peanut butter you measure will come out smoother
I used mostly smooth peanut butter and added ¼ cup of crunchy peanut butter to give the occasional change in texture.
Um hello? These would be the bomb with some chocolate chips in them.
There is no direct link available for the recipe, this one is the closest. The only difference is that there is ¼ cup more peanut butter in this recipe.
https://leitesculinaria.com/83577/recipes-peanut-butter-sandies.html
WEEK 6
COCONUT SLICE by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich
My baking discovery this week is that I should not bake while I have a migraine. After our strange November weather of 75° after the cool 55°, one week prior, my head was pounding for two days. But I decided to cook anyhow and I didn’t 100% botch these but it sure wasn’t a big win.
The Coconut Slice reminds me of a Kind Bar. The Almond, and Coconut Kind Bar, to be exact. But they have a bonus with the dried cherries and pistachios and the addition of eggs made them feel a bit more like a breakfast bar than a dessert. My mistakes weren’t huge, but as I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to this challenge, the missteps were enough to frustrate me and almost have me doing a second batch (I didn’t).
Firstly, I doubled the batch, so that I could have a 13x9 tray of coconut slices. In doing so, I ran out of 60% chocolate and decided to supplement the 2 ounces needed with 100% baking chocolate. Oh my!!!! Since that 100% didnt have a decent amount of milk in it, it was almost impossible for me to achieve a smooth shiny easily spreadable layer of chocolate for the bottom. Also, the higher cocoa content made the finished chocolate layer easy to bite through in some areas and harder in others.
Secondly, I read the directions but my migraine mind didnt quite comprehend them. When it comes time to place the coconut mixture into the pan, I worked really hard to squish it down, nice and firm and smooth………… Exactly the opposite of what the directions say to do! So, don’t squish it down, just put it in the pan and let it be a little rough on top, that way the coconut can get those lovely brown crispies, and it will have a lovely texture versus looking questionable.
I have some ideas on this recipe and how I would like to evolve it into more of a dessert. One being, adding a shortbread crust on the bottom and then drizzling the chocolate on top or as a middle layer. I would even have enjoyed the chocolate in the coconut layer itself if it was coarsely chopped. Overall, I would definitely recommend these bars, especially if you’re gluten-free.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Take your time melting the chocolate and making sure it is smooth and easily spreadable.
Don’t squish the coconut mixture down into the pan, let it be bumpy and maintain its texture.
Combine your butter thoroughly before adding the eggs. And the same for the eggs, really put some work into it, because you don’t want pockets of cooked egg popping up in your slice.
Cut them small, they are a potent treat!
These would be lovely as a gift or for a party.
While I couldn’t find a Food52 link for these, I did find a link fro another site, using the same recipe.
SALTED BROWN BUTTER CRISPY TREATS by Deb Perelman
Seriously?! How can you go wrong when you combine brown butter and salt with our beloved crispy treat? There is not really much to say about this other than, you MUST make these ASAP.
They are easy, as marshmallow treats are and they are addicting in their brown butter tastiness. The cookbook has a recipe for Toasted Milk Powder (make this and try it in your coffee) and I have to say that I am eager to use this powder in more recipes. I did add 1 teaspoon to these crispy treats, and I believe it boosted the flavor to the next level. The coarse salt in these really comes through too, and I added a sprinkle on top for extra mouth-watering goodness.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
My only tip is, use parchment paper in your pan, it makes things 100% easier in the end.
P.S - I did find this recipe that added bourbon to this base and Yum I am on board for this!
Okay, I lied…. 1 more Tip: Be patient with your brown butter and don’t walk off. It will be worth it in the end.
WEEK 7
LEMON SQUARE COOKIES by Anita Jaisinghani
I love lemon bars!! These are not lemon bars, don’t confuse yourself like I did when I was making them. Admittedly I do not like avocado, and had some resistance to these.
They were relatively easy to make, but I ran into some issues with cutting them. As well as, I honestly didn’t like them. I felt that they were short on flavor (btw, good luck getting 3 tablespoons of lemon zest from 3 lemons) and I didn’t love the texture. The texture was a bit gritty, probably from the rice flour and as I initially ate one I didn’t notice it but it was like an after effect. My husband, on the other hand, liked them. He felt they had enough lemon flavor and didn’t seem to have an issue with the texture.
Would I make these again? Maybe, if I was having Vegan and Gluten Free guests, but they would get a significant tweet (see below for my tweet ideas).
These are my tips and observations for this one:
They were crazy difficult to cut, even after refrigeration. If done again, I would freeze them for about 30 minutes before cutting.
The recipe (which I could not find online) calls for cutting them 3 inches by 3 inches, but that was really big. I would cut them smaller next time.
Pressing them thinner would yield more of a “cookie” texture, maybe pressing them into a jelly roll pan before cooling.
I had to bake these longer to achieve the browned edges.
I wanted them to be sweeter, so I think I may dip the bottoms of these into white chocolate.
Ooo, a great way to smooth your mixture down is to cover it in wax paper and use the bottom of a cup or bowl to smooth it out.
If you want the recipe email me! I am glad to share, because you may love them.
PISTACHIO MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD WITH CORIANDER BUTTERSCOTCH by Max Falkowitz
Millionaires shortbread is a recipe I tried first this past spring during lockdown. They were so decadent, similar to a Twix bar. This recipe has an incredible pistachio base which adds amazing flavor. The coriander is a flavor boost that was unexpected for me.
Now for the sad part of this story. My butterscotch didn’t set. I stood over my stove for over 30 minutes stirring mine and it just remained liquid and didn’t thicken. I was diligent and…….nothing. So, beat down by butterscotch, I reverted to my first Millionaires Shortbread recipe (link here). I kinda did a combo, and added 1 cup of my liquid butterscotch to a can of sweetened condensed milk and watched it thicken and come to some resemblance of the butterscotch filling I needed.
It worked very well for me, and they were decadent squares of pistachio shortbread with gooey caramel and crisp chocolate on top. It is incredibly hard to stop eating these. You will have to practice some serious restraint. In the end, if you’ve never had this dessert, then it is time to change that.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Allowing to come to room temperature before cutting might be helpful, if you get the butterscotch to set well enough. But my caramel center got soft as it set at room temp and my chocolate cracked while cutting. ( very messy )
Try not to pulse your pistachios too much, because you will have butter if you are not careful.
I don’t have a tip for the butterscotch, but if I had time I would have tried again. But I was not up for the challenge that day.
The last time I made millionaires shortbread my chocolate didn’t crack as badly as this one did. I am unsure why, but I did notice this recipe has butter in the chocolate topping but my first one didn’t.
WEEK 8
NIBBY BUCKWHEAT BUTTER COOKIES by Alice Medrich
When I saw this recipe I was excited because I love buckwheat pancakes. I come from an area of West Virginia that literally has a Buckwheat Festival and as a young kid through my high school years, I attended it. I have even taken my children to this festival.
The unfortunate thing about this is that I have a specific taste for buckwheat. My goodness, if someone serves me a buckwheat pancake that has a raising agent in it, and it isn't sour, then I am not interested in eating it. So, I was very interested in trying this cookie.
It's a great butter cookies base recipe, they come out nice and crisp and buttery. Unfortunately, I didnt notice the buckwheat flour in them, and I used pure, milled in 2020, Preston County buckwheat flour (not a blend). My cookies were not as grey as they are pictured in the book Genius Desserts, and I suspect that it may be because my flour was milled differently.
I have seen very grey, almost large milled, buckwheat flour in stores and prior to the organic revolution, I had never seen it look like that before. It is highly possible that they are using this flour for their cookies and that is why the buckwheat flavor and color come through.
Besides all of this, they are a lovely butter cookie and the cacao nibs offer a very subtle flavor. I have been tracking which recipes I will make again, after this challenge is complete, and this is one I will come back to.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
Super easy to make, as long as you make time for the refrigeration before baking.
They really spread in the oven, so make space
I wonder how these would do with a higher ratio of buckwheat flour.
Also curious about an addition I saw in another buckwheat cookie, which was pecan flour ( or finely ground pecans)
The link I found isn’t from Food52 but it is the proper recipe.
THIN AND CRISPY BLACK SESAME OATMEAL COOKIES by Sandra Wu
The heavenly smell of roasted sesame filled the kitchen while baking these and I was in heaven! Have you ever had those crunchy sweet sesame candies? These cookies remind me of a cookie version of that. I was definitely eager to sink my teeth into these cookies. Strangely though, none of my family were interested. I think the idea of a sesame cookie did not appeal to them.
They are crispy and the oatmeal comes through in such a way that you are reminded that you are technically having an oatmeal cookie. I just love these cookies, they are special and unique. I could see myself bringing these to a party or gathering because they are unusual and sometimes you need unusual to break the monotony.
While I don’t know if you will be able to get the kids excited about these (or even some adults), they are definitely worth a try. You have never had a cookie quite like this, or at least I haven’t.
These are my tips and observations for this one:
They spread out a ton, so make lots of room on your baking sheet.
I bought the black sesame seeds unroasted and toasted them on the stove. Yummy!
These are quite big when made as 2 tablespoon cookies, you could make them smaller for more to share.
The link I found isn’t from Food52 but it is the proper recipe.
