Better Hamentaschen

Since we've already established that I'm entering the era of last-minute, hastily prepared dinners, it should follow logically that down-to-the-wire blog posts may happen as well. In this case, it occurred to me perhaps a bit too close to Purim that I should share an update to my hamentaschen recipe. At least one of the changes came about due to desperation -- of the "ice storm, not enough butter in the house" variety -- but this year's cookies are the best in recent memory, so even if you've got loads of butter in the house (and lucky you if you do!), you might want to make them.

First change: swap out half the butter for an equal amount (by weight) of cream cheese. I'm pretty sure I've done this before, but it's a winning substitution, as it makes the dough ever so slightly tangy and quite a bit more pliable.

Second change: no more splayed-open specimen. I think I've finally mastered getting my 'taschen to stay closed. Two tricks: First, have a little bowl of water handy while shaping the hamentaschen. Dip your finger in the water, and make several circles around the perimeter of each dough circle before filling them (it's easier that way), so that the dough gets moist and a bit sticky. Second, instead of folding the three sides upward, fold them over each other, like flaps. I made 60 'taschen this year, and only 2 flaps opened. Not bad.

Other no-big-deal changes I made: I used a food processor instead of a stand mixer, and it worked great. I also reduced the oven temp to 350, because some of my fillings were pretty high in sugar content and I didn't want them to harden in the oven. 350 worked as well as 375 - this dough is flexible.

Fillings? This year I went with a theme, called use up the four jars of jam that don't currently have a space in my pantry. Cherry-vanilla, peach-apricot, chocolate-raspberry. All highly delicious. Nice people that we are, we've only eaten a couple six.

Happy Purim, friends.

One year ago: Eggplant Pea Curry and Yellow Lentils with Tamarind Two years ago:Nutmeg Muffins and Perfect Porridge Three years ago: Beets with Pistachio Sauce and Moroccan Apricot Chicken Four years ago: Best Almond Cake and Triple Ginger BiscuitsFive years ago:Caesar Salad and Chocolate Babka Six years ago:Rice Paper Rolls and Coffee Walnut Cookies Seven years ago:Raisin Pecan Bread and Leek and Onion Tart

Better Hamentaschen
Makes 75 cookies

5 1/2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz.) butter
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour, plus another 1/2 cup for rolling out the dough

Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar until blended. Add the egg and lemon zest, and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and pulse several times, scraping down the bowl if necessary, until dough starts to come together. This is a fast enough dough that you need not worry about creating gluten. Just pulse until the dough forms large clumps; the sound of the processor will change just as dough starts to come together.

Gather the dough into plastic wrap or a plastic bag, compress into a solid disk, and refrigerate 30-45 minutes (much longer, and it’ll be tough to work with).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Sprinkle a work surface liberally with flour, and roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Use a 2.5-inch cutter to cut disks of dough, and immediately plop the disks onto the lined baking sheet. When the work surface is floured, the disks will pop right out when you pull up the cutter. If not, don’t worry – just use a bench scraper or metal spatula to lift the disks and put them onto the baking sheet. Don’t worry about spacing the disks evenly; these hamentaschen don’t need much breathing room, and folded hamentaschen take up much less space than the disks.

This dough has very little liquid, so it lends itself well to re-rolling scraps. I generally work with half the dough at a time, and refrigerate the bunched scraps from one round while I bake the next batch. My oven only fits one of my cookie sheets at a time, but if yours fits multiple, feel free to shape and bake these in fewer batches than I did.

Once you’ve got a baking sheet full of disks, prepare your workstation: bring over your filling and two small spoons, and fill a small bowl with water.

Put a scant teaspoon of filling into the center of each disk. Use your finger to brush water along the edge of each disk, then fold three “sides” of the circle over each other as flaps (see above photo).

Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, until tops are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring. Meanwhile, fill your second sheet with cookies. By the time round 2 is ready to bake, round 1 will be cool enough to transfer, and that baking sheet will be free for batch 3.

Hamentaschen will keep in an airtight container for at least a week, probably more. They also freeze very well.

Easier Rugelach

Growing up, toward the end of Saturday morning services, we kids would lurk in the social hall of the synagogue, near the refreshments. Ostensibly, we were there to help set up. In actuality, about 5% of our effort went to helping out, while a round 95% we spent angling to be near our favorite snacks.

Among the universal favorites were rugelach, the flaky, jam-filled pastries that are now near-ubiquitous. (Last week, I even stumbled on savory rugelach. Sort of genius.) But at the time, they seemed special. Mostly, they seemed difficult. The first time I made them, I understood that while they aren't hard, per se, they are quite fussy. While the dough comes together quickly,it's the bit where you roll the dough into disks and cut it into pie slices. I end up fretting and fussing pretty hard to make sure that each skinny little pie slice you roll up doesn't lose its fillings in the process. Also, most recipes call for apricot jam - why must it always be apricot, which is just about the least likely jam to be in my fridge? The last time I made these, I decided the recipe was overdue for some hacking.

So what makes these easier? Two things. First, you can use whatever jam and whatever nuts you have. This is sort of “rugelach without a recipe.” Second, unlike my old favorites, these are rolled and cut much more easily and less fussily. One long strip of dough, filled and rolled into one long log, then cut into pieces on the bias. They're plenty pretty, and more importantly, they're easy.

Did I mention they freeze like champs? Might just need to make a double.

Easier RugelachAdapted this old Gourmet recipe and a bit of trial and error

For the dough:
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of any jam (for my most recent batch, I used a mixture of raspberry jam and orange marmalade - get creative!)
1/2 cup golden raisins or currants, chopped
heaping 1/2 cup (4 oz.) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
Cream or milk for brushing cookies

Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, combine butter and cream cheese and pulse several times, until combined. Add flour and sprinkle salt and sugar over flour; pulse several times, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, collect into a cohesive mass, and flatten inside the wrap into a rough rectangle shape. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably 2, and up to a few days. Alternatively, freeze dough for later use.

Set a rack in the middle rung of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a 13x18 (half-sheet) rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Assemble the rugelach: Cut dough in half; refrigerate one half while you work with the other. On a floured work surface, roll half the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. Spread 1/4 cup jam evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the perimeter. Sprinkle half the raisins/currants and half the nuts over the jam. Dust with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar.

Using a bench scraper or sharp knife to assist, lift the long edge of the dough nearest you, and roll dough into a long log. Place seam-side down onto one side of the baking pan. Repeat with remaining half of the dough and filling ingredients.

Brush logs with cream/milk and dust with the little bit of cinnamon sugar that remains. Then use a long, sharp knife to make biased cuts most of the way through the dough, at 1-inch intervals. If dough seems too soft to cut cleanly, refrigerate 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on rack to cool for about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board to slice the rest of the way through.

Rugelach will keep in a tight container for up to one week.

Cocoa Nib and Almond Shortbread + News

Ooh, have I been excited to tell you about these shortbread. I first made them as a way to use up some very ancient cocoa nibs taking up space in my tiny pantry. The irony: I loved them so much, I went out and bought more cocoa nibs to make them again. I've made them five times now, and since they keep so well, I've had a stash on hand at all times, for company and impromptu snacking. I tucked a few in my bag last weekend for a post-museum snack with my parents (they're very portable) and a few more for yesterday's baseball game. We served them on the patio last Sunday night to munch on after our gazpacho was gone. These cookies are happy things.

But mostly, I'm really excited to be back in the kitchen. Spring brought on a bit of a cooking hiatus: I didn't eat much of anything, let alone cook. D subsisted on frozen Indian food and lots of sushi, while I ate an obscene quantity of pancakes (out of the rotation for the time being). The upside: I have officially mastered one-bowl pancakes. They're done in around 10 minutes, they're darn near perfect, and when I can stomach the idea of eating them again, I'll share the recipe. But for now, we're on to bigger and much, much better things: if all goes well, come November, we'll be a family of three.

Yep, I'm pregnant. Fortunately, I'm out of that first-trimester haze, eating plenty of the green vegetables and rhubarb and other wonderful stuff spring has to offer, which I really couldn't fathom eating only a few weeks ago. I'm also cooking again, and starting to plan for a summer of no- or low-alcohol refreshers, which should provide some fun new blog fodder.

In the meantime, I know these cocoa nib shortbread cookies don't seem to sing "spring," but they are so, so worth making, regardless.

Can I tell you my favorite thing about them? It's a silly little thing, but the rolled-out dough looks exactly like granite:

1-DSC_0665

(It also happens to taste very, very good. Consider yourself warned.)

1-DSC_0842

The other best thing is that the finished shortbread are really special. They taste like chocolate from all those nibs, but the flavor is earthier and less sweet than if you'd used chocolate chips. I confess to upping the salt a tad: I love a salty shortbread. But otherwise, the flavor is really really perfect. Imagine my surprise that the recipe comes (via Saveur) from Alice Medrich's latest book. All her recipes are pretty much perfect.

1-DSC_0811

And that's what I have for you today. Make them tonight, serve them Friday, and your guests will be none the wiser.

1-DSC_0921

Happy summer, friends. I'm happy to be back in the kitchen, and I can't wait for all that's to come.

One year ago: Cucumber-Gin Slushies and Cypriot Greens and Cheese Pie (two favorites) Two years ago: Two cherished yogurt soups and Caramelized White Chocolate-Rhubarb Bars (gosh, May is an all-star month) Three years ago:Simple Asparagus with Fresh PeasFour years ago:Vanilla Custard Strawberry Tart and Singapore SlawFive years ago: Rigatoni with Broccoli Rabe and Pickled CauliflowerSix years ago: Endive, Orange, and Avocado Salad and Rugelach

Cocoa Nib and Almond ShortbreadAdapted from Alice Medrich's Seriously Bittersweet

By nature a fiddler, I adapted this recipe each time I made it. Below is what I consider the perfect rendition. First, I made the cookies shorter. I found the long, skinny shape somewhat unwieldy for baking and especially for packing, and since I envision toting these to many summer picnics, non-breakability was key. Second, even though the cookies are much shorter than the originals, I kept the original baking time. I found that 20 minutes for the long ones left the cookie just on the wrong side of crunchy, which no one wants. If you opt for the longer cookie length, consider extending the baking time 2-3 minutes.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¾ cup ground almonds or almond flour ⅔ cup sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed ¼ cup roasted cocoa nibs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Pulse flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add cocoa nibs, extracts, and 2 tablespoons of ice water; pulse until a crumbly dough forms. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a workspace; dump dough onto plastic wrap, and form dough into a 6” x 9” rectangle, about ½-inch thick. Truthfully, the size of the rectangle isn't important: just make a rectangle of even 1/2-inch thickness and you'll be fine. Wrap plastic wrap completely around dough, set on a flat baking sheet, and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight. The longer you chill the dough, the better the cookies keep their shape.

Heat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough.

You are aiming for cookies that are 2" x 1/2" x 1/2". I like to slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch sticks, then slice crosswise into 2-inch lengths. You can do the reverse, though. Just aim for cookies that are roughly 2 inches long, and you'll be good to go. Transfer cookies to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, 20-22 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before serving.

Nine-Minute Mocha Brownies

I made this recipe on an absolute whim, because my in-laws were coming over for dinner and we had no dessert in the house. My father-in-law, whom I am on record as saying I adore, has very simple tastes in food. He wouldn't have enjoyed the labneh tart I had my eye on. So instead, I figured I'd make straightforward, no-frills brownies. I got home, dropped my shopping bags, pulled up the blog on my iphone, and started at my standard recipe, taking as many shortcuts as possible. One bowl, a fork to mix the batter, a sprayed pan. To make sure the brownies weren't completely flavorless, I added a teaspoon of ground coffee. Not espresso powder; just regular ground coffee.

1-DSC_0368

I anticipated a passable version of a loved dessert. Instead -- and maybe none of you will find this surprising -- I made a batch of hassle-free brownies that were actually delicious. As in, my stepmother-in-law asked me for the recipe. I hadn't even written it down, because it seemed like nothing. But I sent her the basic instructions for what I'd done, and then, a couple weeks later, I followed the instructions myself.

1-DSC_0370

1-DSC_0374

1-DSC_0377

Surprisingly, the grounds melt into the brownies. You don't get grit when you bite in - just a slight undercurrent of coffee that doesn't pronounce itself, but instead intensifies the chocolate flavor.

1-DSC_0392

1-DSC_0380

Many occasions call for a quick dessert. Those same occasions call for as few dirty dishes as possible. With that in mind, here are one-bowl, nine-minute brownies. You can make the batter while your oven preheats. Wash the bowl while the brownies bake. I got out the chocolate at 6:05; by 6:14, the brownies were in the oven. By 6:25, the house smelled like chocolate. Victory on multiple fronts.

1-DSC_0408

Nine-Minute Mocha Brownies

1/2 cup butter or canola oil 4 oz. chocolate chips, plus additional 1 oz. for sprinkling (optional) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon ground coffee 2/3 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set a rack in the middle of the oven.

In a double boiler or a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter/oil and chocolate chips together, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. This takes less than 2 minutes in a microwave, and about 5 minutes in a double boiler.

Remove bowl from the heat and stir mixture until completely smooth. Add sugar; whisk to combine. By now, the mixture should be warm but not hot. Add eggs; whisk thoroughly to combine.

Add cocoa, vanilla, and coffee. Stir to fully combine -- slowly at first, so cocoa doesn't fly out of the bowl. Add flour and salt. Stir just until fully combined. If using additional chips, add to batter and stir just to distribute.

Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Grease or spray with non-stick spray. Pour batter into prepared pan, and use your fork or (gasp! another utensil!) a spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt.

Bake for 25 minutes for fudgier brownies, 30 minutes for firmer brownies, or 27 minutes for something in between. Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30, before carefully removing the brownies onto a workspace and slicing.