Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Don't we all need a bit of simplicity in our lives?  I don't know how you're feeling on this hump day, but I am currently stuck in the middle of final projects and internship hours before a much-awaited winter vacation. Here is a sweet treat that emulates simplicity from ingredient list to cook time. Set aside 20 minutes of baking therapy this week and make yourself a batch of peanut butter heaven!

classic peanut butter cookies

Makes approximately 30 cookies

1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup additional to roll cookies
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with Pam.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg to mixture. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Stir in salt, baking soda and flour until well combined. 

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in a small bowl of remaining sugar. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart and flatten with a fork in an "x" formation. Bake for 12 minutes.

adapted from food network

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The Model Bakery in Napa Valley is correct when claiming that "these are the chocolate chip cookies of your dreams." I was excited to use the bakery's cookbook Alex gave me during our September visit. A warm batch of cookies will absolutely make your week that much more delightful, so I beg you to try this recipe and share your thoughts...

Don't you love baking mishaps?

P.S. Here is the key: Brown sugar. The cookies are much chewier and richer than with granulated sugar, which lacks provided moisture. I am in disbelief that I have never tried this method before!

model bakery's ultimate chocolate chip cookies

Makes 16 large cookies

2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375  degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light in color, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla. Reduce mixer to low and add flour mixture in thirds. Mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop scoops of dough, spacing about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 14-17 minutes. Switch pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking (Model's secret!).

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Chips

'Tis the season for apple everything.  Helping with Camille Styles' adorable fall book photo shoot put me in the mood to make something cinnamon-y and apple-centric.

I took home a bushel of apples, and here is what I came up with! It's a healthy snack and will leave you satisfied with the seasonal flavors. Plus, your kitchen will smell fabulous.

cinnamon apple chips

Makes approximately 3 dozen chips

2 large red apples, sliced extremely thin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place slices on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

2. Bake for 1 hour; then remove from oven and flip. Place back in the oven for an additional hour.

Mini Apple Crisps

If you're all about low-maintenance baking, step right up.  These single-serving pies require minimal appliances (no KitchenAid...just a bowl and spoon!) and minimal work. Slice the apples, mix the crumble, add the crumble on top, and your work is done.

Who said that baking requires a sink full of dirty dishes? Whip up these apple crisps soon and you'll see what I am talking about.

mini apple crisps

Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 264 cal. | 12 g fat (7 sat.) | 39 g carbs | 2 g protein

2 small apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (heaping) tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Divide apple slices into two greased, single-serving pie pans (I use disposable ones!). Squeeze lemon over both pans to coat apples.

3. In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients, cut in butter and combine until crumbly. Use those hands if you need to! Sprinkle mixture over apples.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the apples are tender.

adapted from taste of home

Saint Emilion Old-fashioned Macarons

Down in good 'ole Bordeaux rests the beautiful region of Saint Emilion, a medieval treasure with villages, vineyards and the original macaron. I'm not referring to the Ladureé macaron mecca; these old-fashioned "biscuits" originated in the village of Saint Emilion centuries ago! 

Here's a sweet bit of history I scavenged:

"The recipe, believed to include the mix of sweet and bitter almonds, was a secret closely guarded by this small religious community and passed down through generations of the order until, in 1930, it passed into the hands of Madame Grandet. With the help of her family she opened the Blanchet Bakery at 9 rue Guadet. Three generations later and this small maison artisanale is a thriving business, where the recipe remains unchanged and the preparation and baking is still done by hand. Even the almonds are selected, roasted and powdered on site. Whilst other bakeries exist in St Emilion none have the right to bear the name St Emilion Macaroon (macaron in French)."     -Kerry Swash

We tried a bite of Madame Grandet's during our wine tour, and I was immediately determined to try these at home.

We were informed that old-fashioned macarons only require almonds, egg whites and sugar. This is true. However, after Googling the Saint Emilion recipe throughout my afternoon, I finally came across a European baker whose conversions threw me for a loop. Little did I realize how mathematical a baker must be. I acquired more research on conversions (I bookmarked this page for future reference) and, luckily, the ratio worked perfectly in my adapted recipe.

See those brown almond shell speckles in the macarons below? Yes, that's right. I made my own almond powder. It was a simple step that made all the difference in the consistency and taste.

My parents and I agreed, upon trying our macarons, that the Saint Emilion flavor was indeed present. Plus, they're only 105 calories per macaron biscuit! Bon Appetít.

saint emilion old-fashioned macarons

Makes 12 macaron biscuits

Per serving: 105 cal. | 5 g fat | 14 g carb | 3 g protein

6 oz. packaged sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar, divided into two parts
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. With a food processor, pureé almonds to a "powder" consistency (see photo above). Measure 1 1/4 cups of almond powder and place in medium mixing bowl.

2. Mix half of sugar with powdered almonds, add one egg white and stir well. Mix in second half of sugar before adding second egg white and almond extract.

3. Once ingredients are completely incorporated, leave to sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4. Lightly grease or place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use a tablespoon to scoop dough and drop 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, opening oven door from time to time to help develop a crisp shell for the soft interiors.

6. Cool macarons completely on a wire rack before serving.

adapted from kerry swash at suite101.com

Cheesecake Cupcakes with Mary Catherine

My adorable high school friend, Mary Catherine, and I are very similar. We love to bake. We love to sing (although she's the real deal in the NYC Broadway world). We love New York (except she actually lives there). We constantly Instagram pictures of food. We modeled for a tween magazine together (trying to block that photo shoot from my memory). And did I mention that we simply love good food?

On Wednesday evening, Mary Catherine and I planned a baking night together at her house. Since we were both home for a few days, we figured we'd seize the opportunity to create something fabulous in the kitchen. After debating recipes for weeks, we decided upon ny style cheesecake cupcakes with strawberry and salted caramel toppings. How cute, right?

To be honest, I've never baked my own cheesecake before. I had never prepared homemade caramel before. But we were ready. I brought my half of the ingredients over and we baked away!

We were too busy baking to even think of taking a picture together...so here we are (close enough?):

The cheesecake turned out to be absolutely delicious...except for one problem. The crust was burnt.

Bummer.

BUT, this was not our fault. Cooking Classy called for "18 sheets of graham crackers" in her original recipe. Sheets? What does that even mean?! We figured that meant 36 squares, but that must have been an incorrect assumption. After mixing and toasting the individual crusts in the oven for 5 minutes, we found that the crust was too crumbly. The consistency just didn't seem right. We had to add more butter and sugar, which resulted in overcooked crusts before the cheesecakes even went in the oven.

MC and I adapted the recipe to be more specific and less mistake-prone. We now call for 24 squares. And we think it'll work for you!

ny style cheesecake cupcakes

makes 24 servings

24 squares finely crushed graham crackers
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salted Caramel Sauce or Strawberry Sauce, recipes follow

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together crushed graham crackers with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Pour in melted butter and stir mixture until evenly coated.

2. Divide graham cracker mixture among 24 paper lined muffin cups, adding approximately 1 tablespoon to each. Press mixture into an even layer. Bake for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing filling.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons flour until well blended. Add softened cream cheese. Blend mixture on low speed until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time and blend on low speed, while scraping sides and bottom of bowl and mixing just until combined after each addition. Add vanilla, sour cream and heavy cream and mix just until combined. 

4. Tap mixing bowl against counter top to release some of the air bubbles. Divide mixture among muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full (about 1/4 cup measured). 

5. Bake in preheated oven 18-20 minutes. Do not overbake. Centers should still jiggle slightly, but they will begin to overbake if they begin to crack. Remove from oven and allow to cool 1 hour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator and chill 2 hours. Serve chilled with a spoonful of Salted Caramel Sauce or Strawberry Sauce. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freeze.

adapted from cooking classy

simply strawberry sauce

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well chopped.

2. Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

caramel(ized) sauce

1 1 /2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Maldon or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

*SUPER IMPORTANT: Please lay out all measured ingredients before you begin making the sauce. Things get going pretty quickly and you don't want burnt caramel sauce!

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar and water over moderately high heat while whisking constantly to dissolve sugar.

2. Once mixture reaches a boil, stop whisking and allow mixture to boil until it reaches a dark amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally. This should take 2-3 minutes.

3. Once mixture reaches a dark amber color, immediately add butter and whisk until butter has melted. Then, immediately remove from heat. After 5 seconds, carefully pour in cream and immediately whisk to combine (warning: it will bubble vigorously). Whisk until mixture is smooth. 

4. Allow caramel to cool several minutes then pour into a glass jar to cool. I recommend chilling for at least one hour to get the rich, classic consistency.

5. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt after spooning caramel over cheesecakes (or a scoop of vanilla ice cream).

(during step 2)

TA-DA!