My friend Suzanne recently recommended Lauren Shockey’s memoir, Four Kitchens, to me. Shockey wrote the book about the year she spent as a stage, or unpaid apprentice, in restaurants in Manhattan, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris. It was not my favorite kitchen memoir (I prefer the brash, in-your-face descriptions of Anthony Bourdain’s writing), but I did find her discussion of routines in the different kitchens and the amount of detailed preparation that went into some dishes fascinating.

Her recipe for Halvah Ice Cream comes from her stint in Israel. I am in love with halvah, a sweet, flaky, ground sesame seed confection that I adore. Some people dip it in chocolate, but you will not be surprised to hear that I like it plain, without that unnecessary adornment.

This was my first time making ice cream by myself. J. and the boys bought me the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer earlier this year, and although J. has made a couple of batches of ice cream this was my first go. I was very pleased with the flavor, and the recipe “ripens,” or hardens, into a proper, scoopable dessert. However, mine did not turn out silky smooth, as J.’s salted caramel version did. It had very fine lumps in it, even though I strained it carefully. As an ice cream-making newbie, I don’t have a solution to that problem yet, but I tend to think it had to do with the texture of the tahini, and not that I curdled the eggs.

Since I didn’t nail the recipe the first time, I have an excuse to make it again. (And you won’t hear me complaining about that.)

Halvah Ice Cream
Adapted slightly from Lauren Shockey’s book, Four Kitchens

1 c. whole milk
1½ c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. sugar, divided
3 eggs, separated
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. sesame paste (tahini)

Pour the milk, cream, salt and half the sugar into a heavy pot. Cover and, with a watchful eye, cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a small bowl. (Save the egg whites to make yourself a nice omelette — you’ll want something light to balance out the ice cream!)

Once the milk mixture has come to a boil, lower the heat and slowly ladle a little bit into the sugar and egg yolks, whisking as you go. This will temper the egg yolks, warming them, which prevents them from turning into scrambled eggs when you add them to the hot liquid. Once you’ve added a ladle-full of liquid to the eggs, add the egg mixture back into the pot on the stove.

Add the vanilla extract and sesame paste and cook over medium heat, whisking gently but constantly, for about 7 minutes. Strain the mixture through a chinois into a bowl. The mixture will strain slowly, but don’t push the batter through. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

I love having a reason to bake a cake. I don’t bake cakes as an after-school treat (cookies rule!), as we just don’t want that much of a tempting sweet around unless it’s easy to parcel out and freeze. But for birthdays, I’m all about baking a cake!

This weekend we celebrated several January birthdays in our family, and I was tasked with bringing a pareve, or non-dairy, cake. My mom keeps a kosher home, and she and my dad were serving deli for our lunch gathering, so I had to find recipes without butter and milk.

The night before our event, I baked two rounds of Black Chocolate Cake, using dark cocoa powder and Earth Balance butter sticks for the shortening. It was gorgeous and moist — truly more black than dark brown.

Since buttercream frosting wasn’t an option, I decided to try my hand at White Meringue Frosting. Egg whites are whisked with lots of sugar and a little vanilla extra over a double-boiler, until the eggs reach a temperature of 160°F and all the sugar is dissolved. Although the recipe cautions about thoroughly dissolving the sugar to avoid a grainy end product, I wasn’t totally successful. I did whisk that mixture by hand, on the stove, for 20 minutes though! The cooked mixture felt and tasted smooth to me, but once it was whipped in the KitchenAid the graininess became more pronounced. Regardless, the frosting was tasty and my father-in-law actually thought the sugar granules were an on-purpose, delicious feature. A. did not — upon tasting it, he immediately asked why there were “crumbs” in the frosting.

The cake was a big success, and I am sure I can do a better job on the frosting next time. If you need a non-dairy frosted cake for allergy or kashrut reasons, I can definitely recommend this one. And here’s the evidence:

I was attracted to 101 Cookbooks’ Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies Recipe for two reasons: it uses whole wheat flour exclusively, instead of a blend of AP and whole wheat; and the novelty of baking the cookie in a cast iron skillet.

I simplified the recipe a bit, creaming the butter and sugar in my mixer and then just dumping the rest of the ingredients along with it. (I wasn’t about to use multiple bowls for a chocolate chip cookie — I’m lazy like that.) I also used a 12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chunks instead of cut up a bar of chocolate myself.

The boys thought this “cookie cake” was very cool. It reminded me of my high school afternoons, working at the Nanuet Mall. There was a Great American Cookie Co. across the aisle from my store, and their cookie cakes were all the rage in early 90s. The boys wanted to cut this cookie up into pizza wedges, but even though I cut the slices thin they still felt very large because of the diameter of the pan.

The cookie is a bit dense because of the whole wheat flour, but my kids definitely did not realize it was any different than a sweet made with all-purpose flour. I wound up freezing half the cookie, and it still tasted fresh once defrosted. While we enjoyed the novelty of this skillet cookie, we’ll probably stick to our tried-and-true drop cookies in the future.

I ripped this recipe for Pretzel-Shortbread Bars out of the October 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living — the mix of salty pretzels and sweet cookies caught my eye. I was considering making these treats for a holiday cookie exchange later this month, but since the recipe was new to me I wanted to test out a smaller batch first. Luckily, I have plenty of people willing to eat my test batches!

The reviews attached to the recipe were unanimous: the pan size stated is far too large. Either use the ingredient quantities as listed and bake in an 8″x8″ pan, or double the ingredients and bake in a 9″x13″. I did the latter. This is a very easy recipe, though it requires the use of two small appliances: a food processor and a mixer (stand or handheld). I love the idea of making a flour out of ground pretzels in addition to including larger pretzel pieces in the dough. However, I did not think the pretzels on top were necessary at all — although I pressed them down into the dough, most of them fell off and made serving an already (purposely) hard cookie more difficult to eat.

The flavor, though, was really lovely. Very buttery, mildly sweet, and wonderfully salty all at the same time. I love that there is no chocolate called for here: it would be easy to recommend a drizzle of chocolate on top, but it is not needed and would just take away from the unique salty sweetness of this cookie.

My boys thought these cookies were “weird” and “interesting.” They have eaten more than one but told me not to make them again. G. said he would like the cookie part if I put chocolate chips in the dough instead of the pretzels! It is a delicious shortbread base. While I enjoyed these bars, I wouldn’t make them again unless someone asked for them by name.

The problem with bringing a homemade cake to an event is that, unlike with individual cookies, you can’t really sample your creation without detection before presenting it to your friends. I wasn’t worried about making this Sour Cream Coffee Cake for the first time, though, because every Ina Garten recipe I make turns out beautifully. This one was no exception.

I did make a few changes: I only used 8 oz. of sour cream (I didn’t want extra in my house and figured the missing 2 oz. would not make a big difference), and I used 4 large eggs instead of 3 extra-large. Instead of cake flour, I used 2¼ c. all-purpose flour plus ¼ c. cornstarch, a substitution ratio I read suggested in the recipe reviews. Also based on the reviews, I doubled the streusel topping.

To bake, I greased and floured a bundt pan and sprinkled about a quarter of the streusel topping in the bottom of the pan — once the cake was baked and turned right-side up, this created the appearance of a glaze which I thought was pretty. (I did not make the separate glaze suggested in the recipe.) I then smoothed half the batter in the pan, evenly distributed the rest of the streusel mixture, and then added the remaining batter on top. I tapped the pan on the counter a few times to make sure there were no voids in the batter, and then baked it for a full hour.

The cake was tender but held together well enough so that a slice could be eaten by hand, breaking off little bites as you went. It is a mild dessert, and definitely a perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee. It would also be a great addition to a brunch.

I pinned this recipe for Salted Caramel Butter Bars to my “Want to Try” board on Pinterest a while ago, along with two other very similar cookies. I am a total sucker for non-chocolate desserts. Carrot or coconut cake? Yes, please! Pecan or apple pie? I’m there. I usually like less sweet treats, but these bars are super sweet and they were amazing.

We had a rare afternoon where A. was home and G. was not, and we decided to bake these cookies together. I was surprised he was willing to choose a cookie without chocolate chips, because my boys’ love of those semi-sweet morsels is well-documented on this site. The hardest part of the recipe was unwrapping all those little caramels… I’m sure we could have whipped up a batch of caramel from scratch in the time it took us to unwrap a whole bag’s worth of candy.

I only made a couple of changes to the original recipe. First, I reduced the butter by 25% and used 3 sticks instead of 4. I did this based on my experience making Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies, and as with that recipe you’d never know the difference. I hate when cookies turn out a little greasy, and since I am not great about keeping my butter super-cold while I work, that sometimes happens. Reduce the butter, and it happens less. I split the dough evenly and used half as the cookie base, and half as a topping. We did not sprinkle salt on top of the caramel; A. nixed it. It would have made the cookies that much more beyond.

This happens to be an egg-free cookie, which means I’ll be filing the recipe away for the future since we have a family member with an egg allergy. Overall it was an easy cookie that the boys enjoyed but did not clamor for. I liked it a little too much to make it for kids who could take it or leave it. Chocolate chip cookies and brownies? I can resist those. Shortbread and caramel, though, holds me in its sway.

A couple of months ago a mutual friend mentioned that Meri at The Food Yenta was thinking of making peanut butter & jelly cookies. I adore peanut butter and my favorite desserts don’t include chocolate (carrot cake, pecan pie…). I went home and immediately looked up some recipes, including Ina Garten’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars.

There was one problem: no one in my household eats peanut butter. In fact, they can barely stand the smell of it. And let’s just say it would not be safe to bake these bar cookies for myself!

Yesterday was my turn to deliver dinner to a local family through our PTA’s Caring Community committee, and I realized it was the perfect opportunity to try this recipe out. Plus, they fit in perfectly with my comfort food meal — Mrs. Jones’ Macaroni & Cheese with green beans on the side. I used grape jelly as a filling, because if you’re going to mimic a childhood sandwich you might as well go all the way.

If you are a chocolate person, Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars will fall flat as a dessert. To me, they tasted exactly like a spoonful of peanut butter and jelly — there was nothing about the cookie that took that classic flavor combination to a higher level. So while they were very delicious, I can’t see making them again.

I wound up arranging a plate with 8 generous bars to give to the family. Thankfully, my friend and neighbor Sharon has a more peanut butter-accepting family, so she was happy to take a bunch. And I kept one for myself… oh come on, you know I did not eat just one. I did stop at two and a few nibbles, and the rest are going over to Sharon’s house, where she will safely freeze them for another day and keep me from temptation.

Ina Garten never lets me down.

I followed her recipe for Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, and aside from what I think is an incomplete name, the cake was perfect. Calling this a chocolate cake is underselling it: there is a full cup of brewed coffee in the cake, though it more moderates the sweetness of the chocolate than being an assertive flavor itself. Plus, there is a tablespoon of espresso powder in the frosting, which really does shine through and makes it much more of a mocha finish than just chocolate.

The coffee is the reason I chose this cake for my dad’s birthday. He is a major coffee-lover, and thankfully loved this cake, as did everyone else that tried it. The crumb of the cake is big and fluffy, while still having plenty of structure so it can hold up to the heavy frosting. The frosting was so silky it spread easy, allowing me to do a crumb coat and then go back over the whole cake with ease. Other than omitting the egg yolk in the frosting, I followed the recipe as written and would definitely make it again for an event.

Poke, poke. I like any cake that gives me an opportunity to poke my boys or J., and that is what I did every time I said the name of this dessert, which I made for J.’s birthday.

“Poke cake” can be any kind of cake (homemade or from a mix) and any kind of Jell-O type filling (usually gelatin or pudding). The “poke” part is the way they come together: bake a cake (I used a Bundt pan), let it cool, and then poke lots of holes in it with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour your liquid filling into the holes (mix it up just before you’re ready to pour), and then let it set. Turn the cake out of the pan, and frost or top with whipped cream.

I used a butter cake mix and chocolate fudge pudding for this cake. The boys helped me whip heavy cream as a topping — they were the official tasters, checking the consistency and sweetness of the cream until we got it right.

The flavor combinations for poke cake are endless: white cake and strawberry gelatin, patriotic poke cake, coconut poke cake filled with sweetened condensed milk (be still my heart!), Peppermint Pattie poke cake (my sister would like this one), and even a “Better than Sex” version.

Poke, poke.

One summer during college, I worked as an editorial intern at Travel & Leisure magazine, and at the time Stephen Drucker was the book’s executive editor. I never had a chance to speak with him — I was kept busy fact checking stories on travel to Kamchatka and Wisconsin’s apple orchards. But I certainly knew who he was: editors that high up on the masthead were enough to tongue tie me at that point in my life! I finished up my internship, finished college, and never thought about Stephen Drucker again. That is, until I saw him on Food Network many years later.

J. and I have enjoyed watching “Barefoot Contessa” with Ina Garten since its early days. I have never had one of her recipes fail me, and she’s the cook I credit with introducing me to roasted Brussels sprouts. We love Ina in this house. An early episode of the show had her cooking for her dear friend Stephen — no last name given — and in the brief shot of him with Ina at the end of the episode, I sat up straight and shrieked to J., “I KNOW HIM!” But there was no credit to Stephen Drucker, and I couldn’t find anything online about the episode. I wrote an email to Ina Garten through her website, asking if indeed her friend was the former T&L honcho. I really just needed to satisfy my curiosity (J. couldn’t have cared less), but I got more than confirmation. I received an email back from Ina herself, explaining that yes, Stephen Drucker was her dear friend. He’s appeared in more “Barefoot Contessa” episodes since then, and I have to grin when I think about getting that quick note from a cook I admire.

Needless to say, I knew Ina’s Outrageous Brownies would be a winning recipe. I made them at Thanksgiving, and we loved them. These brownies have the same magic ingredient as my favorite chocolate chip cookies: instant espresso powder. They are dark, fudgy, and pleasantly bitter, thanks to the unsweetened chocolate and coffee. J. thinks they are fantastic because you can tell they’re made with real, melted chocolate and not just cocoa powder.

I cut the the brownie sheet into 48 pieces (as opposed to the recipe’s recommended 20 servings) and I still wouldn’t call the squares skimpy. True, you can halve the recipe. But the brownies freeze well and with the amount of work involved, it makes sense to bake a huge batch, give some to friends, and throw any extras in the freezer for another day.

Ina’s Outrageous Brownies
Adapted slightly from her original recipe

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp (or close)
1 lb., plus 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
7 large eggs
2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2¼ c. sugar
1¼ c. all-purpose flour, divided (+ more to flour the pan)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking pan (this about the size of a half sheet baking pan, which is larger than your average cookie sheet).

In a double boiler, or in a large bowl set over a pot with about an inch of simmering water, melt the butter, 1 lb. of chocolate chips, and the 6 oz. of unsweetedned chocolate. Stir occasionally with a flexible spatula. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

While those ingredients are melting, combine eggs, espresso powder, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir to combine thoroughly, making sure the eggs are fully incorporated. (I like to do this with a fork to help break up the yolks.)

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, temper the egg mixture by pouring in the chocolate about a half cup at a time, stirring well. (You don’t want the eggs to cook from the residual heat of the chocolate.) Finish incorporating the chocolate into the egg mixture.

Toss the remaining chocolate chips with 1/4 c. of flour to coat. Add 1 c. flour, baking powder, salt, and coated chocolate chips to the batter, and stir gently until well-combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and even it out with a spatula.

Bake for 20 minutes, then (using potholders!) pick up the baking sheet and knock it down evenly against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. (You’ll see the brownies deflate as you do this.) Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake! Allow to cool thoroughly on the counter, refrigerate, and cut into 48 squares.