Chocolate Chip Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate-Chip Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 33.

Since my last post and the near-disaster with the Irish Whiskey Cake and stove failure, we are in possession of a new range. It is much nicer than the one that just died. This one has a convection bake option which I have never used before. I love it so far and have been trying to get used to the new features. 

The first Maida recipe on the new stove are these cookies which turned out good. They are extremely nutty and I even cut back on the amount of nuts called for in the recipe. I had never really noticed it before but almost all of Maida Heatter's cakes and cookies call for nuts. I don't mind that although I am not a big fan of walnuts and sometimes use pecans in their place. I went ahead and used walnuts for these.

If you want these to remain soft, keep them stored inside an airtight container. Otherwise, they will become pretty hard - still good and edbile but if you prefer a soft cookie then do not leave them out. The recipe will make about 46 cookies.

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. instant coffee
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2 1/2 cups walnuts, broken into small pieces (NOTE: I used half this amount)

Preheat the oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.

Beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and then the sugar. Beat in the egg.

Mix the water and coffee and add.

Add the sifted dry ingredients in small amounts until combined.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the oats and chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

 Place rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the lined sheets.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the tops of the cookies bounce back when softly pressed. The cookies are fairly thin so that is a bit difficult to do. The cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven but will harden as they cool. Keep them on the pan for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store airtight.

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 64.

Some days nothing goes right for you and the day I made this cake was one of those. I am convinced that planetary alignments or some other phenonema sometimes affect a person and no matter how careful you are, you are doomed to failure. 

Such was the case a few days ago. It was too rainy and dreary to be out in the garden so I thought I would work on updating some photos that had been lost on my blog. Technical issues as well as the sheer burden of the job prompted me to abandon that and go into the kitchen for some baking.

I proceeded as carefully as I could - I measured and set out all the ingredients and read the recipe completely before beginning. The first gaffaw happened after I was getting ready to pour the batter into the pan and realized that I had forgotten the flour mixture somewhere along the way. I reread the recipe and saw that it should have been added a few steps beforehand. There was nothing to do about this but go ahead and add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and hope for the best. It actually still looked good.

I was ready to bake and realized that I had been waiting quite a long time for the oven to beep to indicate that it had preheated. I checked the dial - it was turned to 350. I opened the oven door and the inside was cold as a wedge. A few weeks ago, we experienced a problem with the oven taking a very long time to preheat. We had the ignitor element replaced and it had been working well again. That is, until now and it was not heating at all. 

The only option, aside from throwing the whole thing in the garbage and going back to bed, was to bake it in the toaster oven which I've never used for baking. To make this even more trickier, the cake needed to be in a water bath (inside another pan) and she says that there is no way to test it and that you just have to bake it at the temperature and time recommended. Perfect.

Lo and behold, after exactly 30 minutes, the cake came out of the toaster oven looking and smelling divine. I let it sit for 10 minutes before attempting to flip it onto a wire rack. This is when the gods decided that I had not suffered enough. The rack on the bottom slipped, the cake dropped out of its pan, landing about halfway on the rack and halfway off. Maida had mentioned that this was a fragile cake and indeed it is. The part that landed off the rack crumbled into several pieces.

I was heartbroken but the cake was edible and I even managed to get a slice for the photo above. After the debacle, would you believe the cake was delicious? Michael said that it was one of her best. It is very moist and boozy and very sublime. As you can see in the photo below, it actually did not get quite done along the edges but that only happened on one side and was minimal. 

So, this is a cake to try again some day but not on a day when everything is going wrong. Michael wondered how this would taste with rum instead of whiskey. I have no idea but it may be worth a try. 

Disaster!

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4-6 pieces
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted unbleached flour
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-process)
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350. Use a 9 x 2 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter or spray the pan and the paper. 

Place the butter and the chocolate pieces in a double boiler over barely simmering water and stir occasionally until it has melted. (I bring the water to a boil and then turn off the heat to do this). Set it aside to cool.

 

Sift the flour and cocoa together and set aside.

Beat the eggs with 2/3 cup of sugar (reserving the remaining 1/3) for several minutes until they are pale in color.

Add the melted chocolate.

Add the whiskey and the sifted dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer. You will need a separate bowl to whip the egg whites.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a shape. On medium speed, add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff. Use the whisk attachment to do this (it also helps to put both the bowl and the whisk in the freezer for 5 or 10 minutes before using).

Add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold it in just until the streaks disappear.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Place the pan in a slightly larger pan. Place it in the oven and pour hot water in the wider pan. 

Bake for 30 minutes.There isn't a way to test the cake so bake for 30 minutes exactly at 350 degrees.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Cover with a wire rack and invert it onto another rack. Remove the pan and the parchment lining. Let the cake completely cool to room temperature.

This is a delicate cake so before cutting it, it is best to place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Georgia Pecan Bars

Georgia Pecan Bars
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 147.

Pecan Pie will always remind me of my childhood and family holidays. At every family gathering, it was inconceivable that there not be a pecan pie. Of course, my mother, aunts and grandmothers made other great desserts as well but there would always be pecan pie. In the past, I've made Pecan Tassies which I think is similar if not the same as this recipe. This is like a pecan pie in miniature, much easier to eat in bite-size pieces. It is a bit different though in that the filling is more firm and there are no ground nuts in the filling.

These are easy to make and I just used a hand mixer. I would follow the directions on cutting the bars carefully to avoid disappointment. The only problem I encountered was that the filling seeped underneath the foil lining in the pan. There was probably a tear and Maida advises to press the foil into place with a folded towel or pot holder. It did not affect the outcome of the bars but I had to use a spatula to get the corner unstuck.

The recipe makes 32 bars.

Crust

1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 oz. (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with foil. Brush melted butter over the foil and up the sides.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Stir in the sugar. Add the butter into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender and combine until it resembles fine meal. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down firmly. Set aside and prepare the filling.

Topping

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (light syrup is ok as well - it is what I used)
3 TBS. sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups pecan halves (do not cut them)

Beat the eggs lightly and add the vanilla, sugar, corn syrup and flour, beating until smooth.

Pour the topping over the crust, making sure that the mixture covers it evenly and completely. Place the pecan halves over the top. You can also grind the nuts if you wish and sprinkle them over the top. Placing the whole nuts on top is a bit time-consuming so you might want to elicit some help.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, reversing the pan halfway during baking. The cake may puff up during baking. Keep and eye on it and if this happens, you can prick it with a fork or toothpick and release the air. Bake until golden brown. Do not overbake.

Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then invert onto a rack and carefully remove the pan and peel off the foil. Let the cake cool completely, then place it in the freezer for about a half hour. Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to cut the cake into bars or squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or you can freeze them. 

Yum

Chocolate Date Nut Cake

Chocolate Date Nut Cake

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 76.

A moist cake that is similar to a brownie. This doesn't require icing so it is a good candidate to take to a function which is what I did. People were intrigued by what was in it - they could see and taste the dates but most were guessing prunes or cherries. The dates give the cake a very moist texture. I have become very fond of dates and often eat them as snacks. 

If you have been making Maida Heatter recipes for some time now, I'm sure you've noticed the many different sizes of pans that she advocates. Sometimes the cake pan size is essential but not always. My 8" inch square pan was purchased many moons ago when I began this adventure. It has now become my favorite cake pan. It is a pleasure to use and I don't believe I've had a failure in it yet. 

6 oz. (3/4 cup) pitted dates
1/3 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup boiling water
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup walnuts, cut into medium-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust rack to center of oven. Line an 8-inch pan with foil. Butter or spray the foil.

Finely chop the dates. 

Sprinkle the dates with baking soda and pour the hot water of them. Mix and allow to sit. 

Melt both chocolates in a double boiler over barely simmering water.

Cream the butter and add the salt, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. 

Add the egg...

and the melted chocolate. 

Lower the speed of the mixer and mix in about 1/2 of the flour...

Add the sour cream... and then the remainder of the flour.

Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and stir in the dates and liquid.

Stir in the nuts.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean from the middle. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack. Peel off the foil and allow the cake to completely cool. 

After cooling, cut the cake into small squares. 

Yum

Greenwich Village Brownies

Greenwich Village Brownies 

Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 123.

Maida Heatter has many brownie recipes and looking at my index, it looks like I've made five of them (counting this one). My favorite so far were the Santa Fe Brownies - so decadent. I would rank these as second - they are just as moist and chewy as I remember the Santa Fe.

I used walnuts instead of pecans because that is what I had on hand. I actually prefer pecans though and it seems that most of Maida's recipes call for walnuts. I noticed recently that almost all of her recipes call for nuts which I find interesting.

The recipe makes 32 large brownies.

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. unsalted butter (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup light corn syrup
6 eggs
3 cups pecan halves or large pieces

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a 15.5 x 10.5 x 1 inch pan by buttering or spraying and lining it with aluminum foil. Butter the foil as well.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or simmering water. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Cream the butter and add the vanilla. 

Add the white and brown sugar. 

Add the corn syrup and beat until smooth. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. 

Beat in the melted chocolate. 

Add the flour, mixing well. Scrap the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Add 2 cups of the nuts, reserving 1 cup. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. 

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of nuts over the top. 

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean from the center. 

Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and carefully remove the foil. Allow to cool completely. The cake should be refrigerted or frozen before cutting so that it will be firm.
Cut off any burnt edges.

The brownies can be individually wrapped or stored in an airtight container. Best if stored in the refrigerator.