This pomegranate chicken dish features succulent tender thighs submerged in a tangy pomegranate and tomato sauce. I first shared this recipe way back in 2011, and it’s stood the test of time. A classic, just as delicious now as it was 13 years ago. It’s perfect for family meals, but fancy enough to serve for entertaining. A true multi-tasker.
I love the forgiveness of chicken thighs, almost impossible to overcook. They must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. They become even more tender once they reach 195°F. This happens because the collagen in the protein continues to break down the longer they cook. You can use skinless boneless thighs, or bone-in skin-on thighs if you prefer. Cooking time will be a bit longer with bone-in.
Here is photo of Pomegranate Chicken from when I first blogged about it 2011. I love a good makeover! Happy to say my photography skills have improved.
Keys to Success for Pomegranate Chicken:
If using skin on thighs, you need to remove some of the fat rendered from the skin first. Do this before sautéing the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Otherwise, the dish will be too greasy.
Remove seeds and white ribs of jalapeno if you prefer a milder dish.
If the onions start to burn while sautéing, just add a splash of water to the pan. No need to add any more fat.
Don’t leave out the pomegranate molasses. It’s only 3 Tablespoons, but it adds a real depth of flavour. Most supermarkets carry it, or it can be ordered online.
The fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios added for garnish add a great finishing texture to the dish.
Serve Pomegranate Chicken with rice or some crusty bread to soak up all that sweet and tangy sauce.
8chicken thighseither bone-in, skin-on or boneless skinless, your choice
1.5teaspoonsDiamond Crystal Kosher saltor 3/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
1teaspoonpaprika
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
2mediumonionsdiced into 1/4 inch pieces
2clovesgarliccrushed in garlic press or finely minced
1 smalljalapenoseeded, and finely minced
3Tablespoonspomegranate molasses
1 28 ounce canItalian plum tomatoes
Garnish
1smallpomegranate, seeded
1/4cupItalian parsley,coarsely chopped
1/8cupshelled pistachiostoasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with salt, paprika and pepper. Heat a large 12-inch skillet, (stainless steel or enamelled cast iron, like a Le Creuset, is ideal for this) set over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces, and cook until chicken is brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove chicken pieces to a platter and set aside. If you used skin-on thighs, you might want to remove some of the fat that was rendered while browning. Leave about 1-2 tablespoons of fat in pan for cooking onions garlic, and jalapeno. If you used boneless skinless thighs, you might want to add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. In the same skillet, add onions, garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 3 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. If the onions start to burn, add about ¼ cup water.
Drain tomatoes and reserve juice. Coarsely chop tomatoes. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato juice and pomegranate concentrate to pan with the onions. Place chicken pieces on top of onion and tomato mixture. Bring mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, cover skillet and cook for another 40 minutes for boneless skinless thighs, or 50 minutes for bone-in thighs, until chicken is done. If you like to do an instant read thermometer check, (be careful you don't hit the bone) the temperature should register at least 165°F, but you can cook chicken thighs up to an internal temperature of 195°F. They will become even more tender at this higher temperature.
Remove thighs from pan and set aside. Bring sauce in pan to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes to let the sauce thicken and reduce a bit. Add chicken back to pan.
Scatter fresh pomegranate seeds, parsley and chopped pistachios on top of chicken and serve.
Notes
This can be made with either bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The cooking time will be a bit longer with bone in thighs.
It’s round challah season people! Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with this Sweet Crumble Topped Challah. It is traditional to shape challah into a circle for the Jewish New Year. A round challah has no end, symbolizing our wish for a year in which life and blessings continue without end. This round beauty also incorporates a sweet crumble topping, symbolizing our desire for a sweet new year. This year, more than ever, we need some sweetness.
The shaping of this round Sweet crumble Topped Challah looks complicated, but it’s actually one of the simpler braids I have tried. I learned how to do it from @challahprince over on Instagram. He created it with a sesame seed topping. I swapped out my crumble topping. Flour, brown sugar, turbinado sugar for extra crunch and butter come together to form the topping. Feel free to use a plant based butter if you want to keep it dairy free.
Check out the video to see how it all comes together:
Keys to success:
Make sure to use a scale when following my recipe. Weigh the dough it and divide by 10 to make equal sized pieces of dough for shaping. Roll each piece into a round ball. Cup your hand and roll quickly over the dough, using your palm, to form a smooth round ball. Combine balls 9 and 10 to make one larger ball. You will have 8 smaller balls and one larger ball.
Let the balls of dough rest for about 10 minutes and then roll each ball into a rope. Start with your hands in the center and work your way out to the ends. The finished ropes should be about 14-inches in length and have slightly tapered ends. You will have eight 14-inch ropes. Roll the large ball into a 21-inch length rope.
Roll 4 of the 14-inch ropes and the 21-inch rope in egg wash and crumble topping. The remaining 4 ropes will stay uncoated.
After the challah has been baking for about 20 minutes, the seams will have opened up a bit, exposing more raw dough. Remove from oven and brush more egg wash on the plain ropes and more crumble topping on the crumble areas, to fill in any newly exposed dough. Continue baking.
Egg yolks will give the plain ropes of dough a more golden burnished colour.
Sweet Crumble Topped Round Challah
This braided sweet round challah looks complicated, but it's actually not that difficult to create. The crumble topping takes this challah to the next level and is perfect for ushering in a sweet new year.
1teaspoonDiamond Crystal Kosher saltor 1/2 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
1 largeegglightly beaten
50 gramsvegetable oil
Topping
113gramsbutteror plant-based butter
150gramsbrown sugar
50 gramsturbinado sugar
140 gramsall-purpose flour
Assembly
2large eggsbeaten with 2 Tablespoons water
2largeegg yolks
Instructions
In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for about 5 minutes, until yeast gets all bubbly.
Make the dough in a stand mixer: Place 140 grams all-purpose flour and honey in the stand mixer bowl, fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly to combine. Pour dissolved yeast mixture into machine and mix for about 1 minute. Add egg and oil and mix again for about 30 seconds. Add remaining 285 grams of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed for about 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and knead for 8-9 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for a minute and then form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large oiled mixing bowl. Turn dough until all sides are coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rise at room temperature for about 1½-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. A good test to see if the dough has risen enough is to insert your finger to a depth of 1 inch and wait to see if the impression remains. If the impression fills in, wait another 15 to 20 minutes to let rising continue.
While dough is rising, prepare topping. Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until crumbly. Store in fridge until needed.
After the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it. Divide dough it into 10 equal pieces (Do yourself a favour and weigh dough and divide by 10 to be precise). Roll each piece into a ball. Join the last 2 balls together to make one larger ball. You will have 8 smaller balls and one larger ball, for a total of 9 balls of dough. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.
Roll each of the smaller balls into a 14-inch-long strand with slightly tapered ends. Roll the large ball into a 21-inch strand. Lightly dust each strand in flour and place on parchment lined baking sheet so they do not stick.
Beat eggs with water and place in a shallow baking dish. Place crumble topping in a second shallow baking dish. Dip 4 strands in egg and then in the crumble topping. Gently press topping into dough so that it sticks well. Coat the larger strand in crumble topping as well. You will have 4 plain strands and 5 crumble coated strands.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F. Watch this how to video on my blog for shaping instructions and form the challah. Cover the loaf with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Beat egg yolk with water. Using a thin brush, brush only the plain strands with the egg wash. Add a bit more crumble topping to the crumb coated strands. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and on the parts where the bread has expanded, paint any newly exposed dough with egg wash on the plain strands and fill in with more crumble topping on the expanded bits of crumb coated strands. Place challah back in the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until golden brown, or until an instant read thermometer, inserted into the center of the loaf, registers 190°F. Remove challah to a wire rack and let cool before serving.
Notes
This recipe is a marriage of two different recipes. The challah recipe comes from my friend Margo. The topping part of the recipe is adapted from my sister’s cousin’s friend, Elaine. Elaine and Margo have never met, as far as I know. My sister would like to introduce them. She thinks they’d like each other. In my little cyber world, they are already great friends!
This early fall Tomato Corn and Nectarine Salad is a perfect transitional season salad. While the end caps at the supermarket and drugstore are packed with Halloween candy, I’m not ready for sweater weather. I’m still harvesting my tomato plants and the markets are brimming with sweet corn and juicy nectarines.
We are straddling that line between summer and fall and I have both feet firmly planted on the summer side. I have always had problems with transitions.
Watch me build this salad:
What is tomato powder?
The secret ingredient in this salad is tomato powder. Tomato powder is made by drying tomatoes and then pulverizing them into a fine powder. It has a bright complex acidity that delivers a hit of pure tomato flavour, in a powdered form. I first learned about it from Sohla El-Waylly.
Here are some suggestions for using it:
Sprinkle directly on sliced tomatoes.
Add to spice rubs for beef, chicken or fish.
Sprinkle on veggies before roasting.
Mix with mayo for a sandwich spread.
Reconstitute with water (2 parts powder : 1 part water) to make tomato paste and use it in any tomato based sauce.
Use a mix of different tomatoes for visual aesthetics. I used a few larger heirloom tomatoes as well as a mix of different coloured cherry tomatoes. Vary the way you slice the tomatoes for a prettier presentation, I cut some in slices and others into wedges.
Check the ingredient list of your tomato powder. Most do not contain salt. Tomatoes need lots of salt so don’t be shy with adding it. I like to sprinkle the tomatoes with both the tomato powder and Diamond Crystal Kosher salt and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Add some toasted nuts for crunch. Pistachios, almonds or hazelnuts would be excellent choices.
Finish the salad with a healthy drizzle of a fruity good quality extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkle of a flaky sea salt.
2 teaspoonsDiamond Crystal Kosher Salt,or 1 teaspoon Morton's Kosher Salt
2nectarineshalved and cut into 1/4 inch wedges
2 Tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1/4cupshelled pistachios,toasted and coarsely chopped
10leavesfresh basil,thinly sliced
1 teaspoonflaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add corn and saute for 3-4 minutes, until corn starts to become golden brown. Season with salt. Set aside.
On a large serving plate or board, arrange sliced heirloom halved cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with tomato powder and kosher salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Arrange sliced nectarines onto the platter. Scatter the tomatoes and nectarines with the sautéed corn. Sprinkle with pistachios and basil. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.
Celebrating the last day of August with this Golden Three Cheese and Corn Galette. The farmers market table is still groaning under the weight of freshly picked corn around here, so I’m indulging for as long as possible. This galette is pure sunshine.
The dough for this galette crust comes together in less than 45 seconds in the food processor. It is flaky AF, thanks to the addition of a bit of cornmeal and some sour cream for tenderness. The dough freezes beautifully and works well for both sweet and savoury galettes.
This galette was inspired by a recipe on tastecooking.com for Corn Galette with Ricotta and Chile Oi. My version uses a cornmeal crust and I added a some fontina and pecorino cheese for a more savoury flavour. I spread a layer of pesto onto the dough before adding the corn and cheese filling. I topped the baked galette with my favourite hot honey, instead of the Chile Oil.
100gramsunsalted butter, coldcut into 1/2 inch pieces
Galette Filling
300gramswhole milk ricotta cheese
40 gramspecorino cheese, grated
60 gramsfontina cheese, grated
2clove garlic, finely minced or grated on microplane
1/2teaspoonDiamond Crystal Kosher salt
6large ears of corn, shucked and corn cut off the cobor 4 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
Assembly
120gramsbasil pesto
1largeegg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
Garnish
20fresh basil leaves, for garnish
40gramshot honey, I love Mike's brand.
Instructions
Galette Dough
Whisk sour cream and ice water together and set aside. Place flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. Drop the butter pieces into the bowl and pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the mixture is speckled with pieces of butter that vary in size from breadcrumbs to peas. With the machine running, add the sour cream mixture and process just until the dough forms soft moist curds. Turn the dough out of the food processor onto the counter. Divide dough in half and shape each piece into a round disc.
Lightly dust one disc with flour, and roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper, into a 12-inch circle. A perfect circle is not necessary, just the approximation of that shape. Repeat with second disc. Chill dough rounds in fridge, still between their sheets of parchment paper, for about 30 minutes.
Make cheese filling
In a large mixing bow, mix together ricotta, pecorino, fontina, garlic, salt and half the corn. Reserve remaining corn kernels to put on top of cheese layer.
Assemble galette
Arrange racks in oven so that one is top middle and the other is bottom middle. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove dough rounds from fridge. Peel off top sheet of each round. Flip sheet over and carefully peel off bottom sheet of parchment paper. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with some of this parchment paper. Transfer one dough round to each baking sheet.
Spread each circle with half the pesto, leaving a 1½ inch border from the edge. Spread each tart with cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining corn over each tart.
Fold the uncovered border of dough up over the filling, allowing the dough to pleat as you lift it up and work your way around the galette. Brush the border of the dough with egg wash.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Switch trays so that the tart that was on the bottom rack, is now on the top rack.Bake for a further 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with hot honey.
Notes
This galette was inspired by a recipe created by tastecooking.com for Corn Galette with Ricotta and Chile Oil. I used my favourite super-flaky cornmeal galette crust, added some pesto to boost the basil flavour and instead of making my own chile oil, I topped mine with hot honey.
It’s the last week of August and things are just peachy around here in the saltandserenity kitchen with this Ethereal Coconut Peach Layer Cake.
I know that some of you are in a hurry to get to all things pumpkin spiced, but slow down for a minute please. The markets here in Ottawa are still brimming with peaches, corn and tomatoes, so just relax and enjoy. Pumpkins can wait their turn.
The combination of peach and coconut is an unusual but very delicious one. Considering that both are members of the drupe family, it makes sense.
This triple layer cake, created by bake from scratch is an impressive beauty. Plush layers of coconut cake are filled with juicy peaches and fluffy vanilla buttercream. Toasted shards of coconut cover the sides for an extra burst of coconut flavour.
Watch how it all comes together:
Tips for Success for baking Ethereal Coconut Peach Layer Cake:
The recipe calls for cake flour, which has a lower protein content than all purpose flour and makes a more tender cake. No cake flour on hand, no problem. Make your own cake flour by combining all-purpose flour with some cornstarch. (The exact amounts are in the recipe). Cornstarch adds tenderness and lowers the overall protein content of the all-purpose flour, making a finer, more even crumb on your cake.
Brush cake layers with a peach simple syrup. The extra time taken to make the simple syrup will reward you with a lush and moist cake.
Use full fat coconut milk please. This is not the time to save calories.
1medium peach, peeled, pitted and sliced into 8 wedges
100gramsgranulated sugar
120 gramswater
Cake
340gramsunsalted butter, room temperatureremoved from fridge 1 hour before baking
400gramsgranulated sugar
3largeeggsroom temperature
437gramscake flouror 382 grams all purpose flour plus 55 grams cornstarch
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonDiamond Crystal Kosher saltor 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
180 gramscoconut milk
120 grams buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
3mediumpeaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
American Buttercream
567gramsunsalted butter, room temperatureremoved from fridge 1 hour before using
1365gramsicing sugar, sifted
240grams35% whipping cream
2teaspoonsDiamond Crystal Kosher saltor 1 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
Garnish
120gramscoconut flakes, toasted
Instructions
Peach Simple Syrup
In a medium saucepan, heat all ingredients over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool. Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, blend until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; butter and flour pans again.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together coconut milk and buttermilk. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with coconut milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Divide batter among prepared pans.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Brush layers with Peach Simple Syrup.
American Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, cream, and salt, beating until smooth. Use immediately.
Assemble Cake
Place 2 cups American Buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe a ½-inch-thick layer of buttercream around edge of one cake layer. Spread buttercream within border. Layer half of peaches in center, gently pressing into buttercream and ensuring border is higher than peaches. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread a thin layer of American Buttercream on top and sides of cake. Freeze for 30 minutes. Spread remaining American Buttercream on top and sides of cake. Press toasted coconut into sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe created by Bake From Scratch Magazine. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you can make your own by adding some cornstarch to all purpose flour. See amounts in recipe.
With over 118 cookie recipes on my blog, it’s fair to say that I have learned a thing or two about the science of cookie baking. I’m going to share my pro tips for cookie baking with you today as I bake my way through my new current fave cookie, Coffee Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
These are a decidedly adult cookie, with deep notes of coffee and bitter-sweet toffee and chocolate. Intense but not too sweet, they are crispy at the edges, thick and chewy in the center and completely addictive.
Here are my top 8 pro tips for cookie baking.
1. Ditch the measuring cups and get a scale. The most important tip I want you to adopt it is, bake by weight not volume. If you have ever been on Weight Watchers, there is a scale lurking at the back of your kitchen cabinet somewhere. This is the one I use.
Professional bakers and pastry chefs use a scale. It leads to consistent results every time. Depending on how it’s scooped and leveled, a cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 125 grams (4.5 ounces) to 170 grams (6 ounces). This is a difference of 36%. That could make a huge difference in your baking. I take the time to test my recipes several times, using grams not cups. By weighing your ingredients, your baked goods will turn out like mine, almost perfect every time.
Baking by weight also means less dirty dishes and cups to wash. Everything gets added to one mixing bowl. After measuring each ingredient you “tare” the scale, meaning you push a button to take it back to zero weight. So if you put an empty mixing bowl on the scale and press tare, the scale will read zero and the weight of the bowl is not measured.
2. Use room temperature butter. It only takes about an hour for butter removed from fridge to reach room temperature (21°C/70°F). Butter sitting out on the counter all day will get too warm. You want to be able to leave a fingerprint in the butter and have the butter still feel firm and not greasy. If the butter is too soft, it won’t allow the sugar to aerate properly and you will have flat cookies.
3. Don’t use supermarket chocolate chips. Use good quality baking or couverture chocolate. In the video I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate bars that I chopped up. I also love these Valrhona Manjari feves.
Supermarket chocolate chips have stabilizers in them that allow the chips to hold their shape. They never fully soften, so you won’t get those melty pools of glossy chocolate on top of your cookies. Couverture chocolate has a higher cocoa butter content so that you get that melty, silky mouthfeel.
4. Use a spring loaded scoop to shape and portion your cookies. I like this one. Your cookies will all be the same size and bake evenly.
5. Chill cookie dough for at least 24 hours before baking. Practice patience. Chilling the dough improves both the texture and flavour of your cookies. While the dough is chilling the flour has a chance to hydrate, leading to a thicker and chewier cookie, better browning and a more even bake.
A second benefit to chilling is that the flavour of the cookie really intensifies. You get a more complex caramel-toffee flavour. It’s worth taking the time to chill. I recommend scooping the dough right after mixing, while it is still soft. It will be easier to scoop. Wrap the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating to prevent transfer of fridge odours.
6. Add extra toppings halfway through the baking time. Hold back about 25% of your mix ins (chocolate chunks and toffee bits). After your cookies have been baking for about 5-6 minutes, pull them from the oven and carefully arrange the balance of chocolate and toffee on top of the cookies. That’s how you get those beautiful instagram worthy cookies.
7. Do the cookie scoot. The toffee bits will ooze out and create scraggly looking cookies. Use a cookie cutter slightly bigger than the cookie to reshape the cookies while still warm once they are done baking.
8. Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. I love Maldon. There are several members of my family that vehemently oppose this, so if you’re in that camp, omit the salt. No judgement here.
227 gramsunsalted butterremoved from fridge, 30 minutes before baking
50gramsgranulated sugar
373 grams golden brown sugar
45grams turbinado sugar
5gramsvanilla bean paste or extract
2 large eggsroom temperature
195 grams bread flour
250 gramsall purpose flour
2gramsinstant espresso powder
2gramsDiamond Crystal Kosher Saltor 1 gram Mortons Kosher salt
9gramsbaking soda
280gramsbittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch chunksI like Valrhona Guanaja Feves
130 gramstoffeeSkor bits or homemade, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (recipe for homemade below)
2Tablespoonsflaky sea salt, optionalI like Maldon
Instructions
Place butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla bean paste or extract and mix.
In a medium bowl, whisk together bread flour, all purpose flour, instant espresso powder, salt and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture to the cookie dough. Mix well, until no white streaks remain. Add chopped chocolate and toffee bits and mix until they are evenly distributed into the dough.
Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, (I used this one),scoop out mounds of dough. Each ball of dough should weigh about 45 grams.Place scoops on parchment lined cookie sheet. They can be right next to each other on the baking sheet for now, as you are just putting them there to chill. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap to prevent cookies from absorbing unwanted fridge odours. Chill dough for at least an hour and up to 36 hours.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake cookies, set one rack in upper middle position and other rack in lower middle position of oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Spread cookies out on two parchment lined baking sheets, making sure there is at least 2 inches between cookies. You should be able to get about 8-9 cookies on each baking sheet. You will need to bake in two batches.
Bake cookies, two sheets at a time for 5 minutes.Switch position of cookies and bake for a further 5-6 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges and a bit gooey in the center. Do not over bake! Remove sheet from oven and sprinkle tops of cookies with flaky sea salt if desired. Allow to sit undisturbed on baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes. Then carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
Note: If you want pretty, melted pools of chocolate and toffee on top of your cookies, hold back about 1/3 cup of the chopped chocolate and 1/4 cup of the toffee bits that gets mixed into the dough. After the cookies have been baking for 5 minutes, arrange a few chocolate nuggets and toffee bits on top of each partially baked cookie and continue baking for about 5 more minutes.
4 gramsDiamond Crystal Kosher saltor 2 grams Mortons's kosher salt
14gramsvanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2gramsbaking soda
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper.
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 300°F. This will take about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Immediately pour the toffee onto the baking sheet and using a rubber spatula, spread it out into a rectangle roughly12 x 15 inches. It does not have to be a perfect rectangle. Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Once totally cool, break into small pieces.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for 2 months.
Notes
You can certainly buy Skor Bits to add to your cookies, but homemade toffee is so much better. This recipe is adapted from the beautiful new cookbook, “Bobbette & Belle”, written by Toronto bakers Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell. A candy thermometer is essential for making toffee.
The problem with most homemade ice cream sandwiches is that the cookie part of the sandwich becomes rock hard upon freezing. It becomes impossible to take a bite and the ice cream just squishes out and makes a huge mess. You need a cookie with a soft texture.
The talented folks at America’s Test Kitchen have figured out how to make a squidgy chocolate wafer, just like the classic ice cream sandwich of my youth. A chocolate wafer, so moist, it stuck to the paper wrapper. I had to lick the chocolate crumbs off my fingers when I was all done. The secret ingredient to keeping that cookie layer super fudgy is chocolate syrup. All the ingredients are mixed in a bowl and spread into a thin layer on a baking sheet.
For the ice cream filling, I had no interest in recreating the bland, insipid vanilla ice cream center of my youth. My goal was the ultimate ice cream sandwich. I decided to fill mine with Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream, my spin on Baskin & Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge.
The last time I made this ice cream I just scooped it into cones. I think the ice cream sandwiches take it to another level. I dipped the short sides of the sandwiches in a mixture of crushed chocolate covered espresso beans and chopped toasted almonds. The textural crunch they provide balance the soft ice cream and squishy cookie layer. Perfection.
Freeze the work bowl of an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Usually, it needs at least 24 hours in the freezer before you start, so plan accordingly.
In a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, espresso powder, vanilla and salt.
Turn on ice cream machine and pour mixture into canister. Freeze for about 20-25 minutes, until the ice cream has soft serve consistency. Add almonds during the last minute of mixing.
Warm hot fudge sauce slightly, so that it has a drizzling consistency. Set out a 9×5 inch loaf pan to transfer the ice cream into.
Drizzle ¼ of the hot fudge sauce into the empty loaf pan. Scoop ⅓ of the ice cream over the fudge sauce and smooth out with a spatula. Continue drizzling and layering ice cream until you have 3 layers of ice cream and 4 layers of sauce. Freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm.
Chocolate Cookies
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350°F. Lightly spray two 9×13 inch quarter-sheet pans with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper (do not grease parchment).
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into medium bowl.
Beat eggs, sugar, and chocolate syrup in large bowl until light brown. Add melted butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. With rubber spatula, gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet; stir until evenly moistened and no dry streaks remain. Pour half the batter into each prepared baking sheet. Use an offset metal spatula to spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until cookie springs back when touched with finger, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes, then run paring knife around perimeter of baking sheets to loosen.If you want the classic look of a store bought ice cream sandwich, dock the surface with a fork. Invert cookie onto work surface or large cutting board; carefully peel off parchment. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Assemble Sandwiches
Line one 9×13 inch quarter sheet pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 4 inch overhang on each of the four sides. Place one cooled chocolate cookie, upside down, onto plastic wrap.
Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften. Scoop the ice cream onto the cookie in the pan, and using an offset spatula, spread it out evenly. Top with second chocolate cookie. Cover with overhanging plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Unwrap ice cream sandwich and place on cutting board. Cut into 12 rectangles. Place ice cream sandwiches back onto baking sheet to keep frozen while you get the decorating ingredients ready to use.
Mix chopped chocolate covered coffee beans and chopped almonds together and place in a shallow bowl. Remove ice cream sandwiches from freezer and press the long sides of each sandwich into the crumble mixture. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and store in freezer bag until ready to serve.
This cheesy kale pita panini will turn kale haters into believers. This is a decidedly adult grilled cheese sandwich that will have you craving kale. A heap of kale, flavoured with onions, garlic and Aleppo pepper wilts down into a glorious pile of shiny tangy greens. Mixed with some mozzarella, Fontina and Gouda, this panini will satisfy both your grilled cheese craving and your need for green nutrients. Don’t omit the finishing drizzle of hot honey.
Check out how it all comes together:
Get to Know the Different Varieties of Kale
If you had told me a few years ago that I would actually crave a kale salad, I would have thought you were crazy. I used to hate kale. It made my throat itchy.
Apparently, I was doing it all wrong. I was buying curly kale, and using it raw, in salads. Curly kale is best for blending into smoothies or sauteeing, stews and soups, where the heat can mellow it’s bitter bite.
For eating raw, Tuscan Kale (aka Lacinato Kale or Dinosaur Kale or Cavalo Nero/Black Kale) is a better choice. It is a bit more tender than the curly variety and the flavour, while still quite earthy, has an almost nutty sweetness. You need to remove the stems, slice it quite thinly and let it sit in the dressing for about 10 minutes before serving. That will help to tenderize it.
Keys to Success for Cheesy Kale Pita Panini
If you don’t have a panini press, just heat a frying pan over medium heat. Place stuffed pita onto the hot pan. Place another heavy pan, like a cast iron pan, onto the sandwich, then add two heavy cans to the top pan. Press down on the cans to compress the sandwich.
Since you are sautéing the kale, either curly or Tuscan kale can be used here. Just make sure you remove the leaves from the stems and slice them very thinly.
For the cheese, use a good mix of flavourful melting cheeses. I used mozzarella, Gouda and Fontina. Monterey Jack would be a good choice as well.
Rather than trying to cut a pocket into the pita to stuff it, make your life easier and just slice the pita in half so that you can top it like a sandwich made with two slices of bread.
Don’t be shy with the Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes. Cheese is bland and needs something to wake it up.
Be picky about your pita. Not all pita bread is created equal. There are some brands out there that have the texture of cardboard. You want a thick fluffy pita. I love Angel Bakeries pita (I find it at Whole Foods).
Wash kale leaves. Strip kale leaves from stem. I find the tip of a paring knife is the best job for separating the leaf from the stem. Discard stems. Pile the leaves up and use a sharp chef's knife to slice across into 1/4 inch strips.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced onions. Sauté over medium heat until onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes. If onions start to burn add about 1/4 cup water. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in Aleppo pepper.
Add kale and cook, tossing, until kale is wilted down. This will take 1-2 minutes. Transfer kale and onions to a large mixing bowl.
Add pesto, shredded cheese, salt and pepper to kale mixture. Mix well until everything is well combined.
Preheat panini press. (see note if you do not have panini press). Slice pita in half horizontally, and spread 1/4 of the kale and cheese mixture onto each pita. Brush both sides of pita with olive oil.
Place 2 pita onto the panini maker and grill for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and pita is golden brown. If using a skillet, flip the pita over at the 3 minute mark and grill for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 pita.
Drizzle with hot honey and serve.
Notes
If you don’t have a panini press, just heat a frying pan over medium heat. Place stuffed pita onto the hot pan. Place another heavy pan, like a cast iron pan, onto the sandwich, then add two heavy cans to the top pan. Press down on the cans to compress the sandwich.
Chive Blossom Chinese Pancakes, not to be confused with the traditional Western sweet breakfast pancake, are a savoury snack. Traditionally the dough is sprinkled with scallions and sesame oil, rolled up and coiled into a spiral and then flattened out into a disc and pan-fried.
My chives have all flowered, and after last year’s success with creating Chive Blossom Butter, I was excited to find another way to use up those gorgeous chive blossoms.
I scattered my dough with toasted sesame seeds, finely chopped chives and their vibrant purple flowers for a yummy aperitivo snack. Ultra crispy and flaky on the outside and slightly chewy inside, these are addictive.
Watch how they come together.
A hot water dough for Chive Blossom Chinese Pancakes
Commonly, the dough for most Chinese pastries, like dumplings and these pancakes, is made with hot water. This is counterintuitive to everything we have been taught about pastry. Pie dough and biscuits are made with ice cold ingredients. But, the hot water acts to inhibit gluten formation. This dough rolls out so easily and is a dream to work with. A dough with a lower gluten content will be more tender. This is what we want in these pancakes. They will still have a pleasant chew.
The secret to flaky layers in Chive Blossom Chinese Pancakes
Traditionally, the dough for Chinese pancakes is made with hot water and flour. But I came across a recipe for Scallion Pancakes, by food journalist Julie Van Rosendaal that added butter to the dough. I was intrigued. First of all, butter equals flavour, and secondly, if you think about traditional butter pastries, like croissants and puff pastry, butter adds layers of flakiness. In forming these pancakes, you are in essence performing a mini lamination.
I added butter in two forms. Solid butter is worked into the flour, with your fingertips, so that you have flat shards of butter, that will release steam when it hits the hot oven, contributing to flaky layers. The second addition of butter is melted butter. After rolling the dough flat it gets brushed with melted butter and rolled up a second time to create more flaky layers. J Kenji Lopez-Alt, had the genius idea to add a second rolling and coiling of the dough, to enhance those flaky layers. It’s a small additional step, but the payoff is worth it.
What to serve these with
I made Kenji’s soy dipping sauce, loaded with ginger and scallions. It is very delicious. I also added a big drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey just before serving and that sweet heat was fantastic. If you’re feeling fancy, a glass of Prosecco is the perfect accompaniment for aperitivo hour.
Make ahead tips
The pancakes freeze beautifully. After the final rolling, I layered the uncooked pancakes between sheets of parchment or waxed paper and slid them into a freezer bag . I cooked them right from frozen, no defrosting. The cooking time was slightly longer.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in 28 grams of butter. Stir in the hot water until you have a soft dough. Turn it out onto the countertop and knead for a few minutes, until it’s smooth. Return it to the bowl, cover with a towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Using sharp scissors, snip the chive flower blossoms into individual petals. Place in a small bowl. Using scissors or knife, finely slice chives into bowl with blossoms. Mix and set aside.
Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each into a rectangle (it can be oval-ish) as thin as you can – about 7×10 inches, with a long side facing you. Brush with the melted butter.
Starting at a long side, roll up tightly into a long roll, and then shape it into a coil. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough and let them rest for about five minutes.
Flatten each coil, gently with your hand, then re-roll into a 7×10 inch rectangle/oval for the second time.
Brush with another layer of melted butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 of the chives and chive blossom mixture and 1/4 of the toasted sesame seeds and roll up tightly into a long roll, and then shape it into a coil. Flatten coil gently, with your palm and re-roll into a 7-inch disk, about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside at room temperature.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into in an 8-inch nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat. Carefully slip pancake into hot oil. Cook, shaking pan gently, until first side is an even golden brown (about 2 minutes). Carefully flip with tongs and continue to cook, shaking pan gently, until second side is an even golden brown (about 2 minutes longer). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt and cut into 6 wedges. Repeat with remaining 3 pancakes. Drizzle with hot honey, if using, and serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Julie Van Rosendaal’s recipe for Spring-Onion Cakes (Globe and Mail May 23, 2024) and Serious Eat’s Recipe for Extra-Flaky Scallion Pancakes. The additional step of a second layer of lamination is what gives a super flaky pancake. This was the genius idea of Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats. The drizzle of hot honey was my idea. I loved the addition of sweet heat to these pancakes. I’m planning to serve these all summer long at Aperitivo hour with a glass of Prosecco. They freeze beautifully too, if you want to make them in advance and have them ready to go. Freeze them, rolled flat and uncooked, between pieces of waxed paper or parchment, and cook them straight from frozen
My husband’s side of the family is putting together a cookbook of favourite family recipes. When they polled the family, Bubbe Bess’ Tomato Macaroni and Cheese was at the top of the list for recipes that must be included. It occurred to me that I had never blogged about it, so I’m sharing the recipe with you today.
Sam Sifton, former NY Times food critic developed something he called the “Pizza Cognition Theory “(PCT). He posited that, “The first slice of pizza a child sees and tastes …, becomes, for him, pizza.” The same could be applied to any food really. When I was growing up, mac and cheese came in a box. (KD, or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese if you live in the USA).
Macaroni and cheese for my husband was something else entirely. He grew up with his mom’s (Bess) mac and cheese. Her version, a Tomato Macaroni and Cheese, forgoes the making of a traditional roux. She relied on a very unusual ingredient to add richness and creaminess. Canned tomato soup.
Watch how it comes together.
When I was introduced to my husband’s childhood mac and cheese, I was stunned. But I must admit, it has grown on me over the years. I love the tang that the tomato brings to the dish. I adapted Bess’ Tomato Macaroni and Cheese recipe slightly by adding some cream to the mix, as I found it to be a bit dry without it.
Breaking through the crispy golden breadcrumb topping to reveal the layer of creamy cheesy noodles is a study in textural contrast.
For my children and their cousins, this is the ultimate mac and cheese.
Bubbe Bess’ Macaroni and Cheese
A quick and easy macaroni and cheese that skips the step of making a roux. Canned tomato soup and cream combine with cheddar to make a rich and creamy casserole. A crispy golden breadcrumb topping adds great textural contrast to the cheesy tangy noodles.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 2 Quart casserole dish with butter and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 Tablespoons Diamond Crystal Salt to the water. Add macaroni and cook for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain noodles and transfer back to pot.
Add grated cheddar, tomato soup and cream to the noodles in the pot. Mix well and transfer macaroni to the casserole dish.
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add bread crumbs and toss until all the crumbs are coated. Cook for about another 2 minutes, tossing well. Spread breadcrumbs over top of casserole dish. Bake macaroni and cheese for 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling and top is golden brown.
Notes
This is my late mother-in-law’s recipe. I have adapted it slightly by adding a bit of cream to the mixture, as I found it to be a bit dry. My children and all their cousins think that this is the ultimate mac and cheese!
