[Cookie 102] Raisin Bars

I hate blogging. I like baking, I like baking all these cookies, I like sharing them, I like you readers (most of you), and I like taking pictures, but I don't like updating this thing. I mean seriously, does anyone actually like to do that? Okay, I guess a lot of people.

Forgive me. And you will, once you make these Raisin Bars.

Some notes: The filling is really rad, but would be even radder if you used figs or prunes. Or a combination. Remember these fig bars? They had the most amazing filling, with red wine, honey, and (duh) figs. That would taste pretty damn good in this oatmeal crust. Probz better than the fig bar pastry crust, which was mediocre.

Hope you are having a nice spring! More posts, more often, I promise. I make no promise on the quality or attitude of them.

P.S. Just read over some old posts. Not sure if I should feel hideously embarrassed about this whole blog and my writing, or proud of my sharp tongue and slick wit. I'm going to go with the former.

Raisin Bars

Makes 16 wimpy, or 9 fatty squares

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, softened, for baking sheet
• 2 cups raisins (about 13 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line bottom with parchment paper, and butter parchment; set sheet aside.

2. Make filling: Pulse raisins and sugar in a food processor until almost pureed. Transfer to a saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into 1 cup cold water; whisk into raisin mixture. Stir in cider. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes.
   Let cool completely.

3. Make dough: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar, and mix until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in oats.

4. Press half the dough into prepared baking sheet. Spread raisin filling evenly over top of dough. Crumble remaining dough on top of filling using your fingers, gently pressing down so that topping covers filling. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch
   squares. Bars can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 2.5/5
Is it worth it?: Yeah bro

{Pairings}

Drink: Apple cider

Song: Friday -- Rebecca Black (no link, I'm not that mean--just trying to keep up with pop culture here!)
Activity: Write my blog 4 me cuz i am lazee

[Cookie 082] Fig Bars

Fig Newton's: remember those? I always find myself thinking about those cookies--the few times I do--in the past tense, as if they have since been discontinued or simply have become a relic of the past. But in reality, they're still alive and well, right? I guess. Maybe they were never that popular, but when I was a kid I think they were kind of a big deal to be, albeit probably in a subconscious way. All I know is that my dad liked them, I liked them, and I remember eating them a lot while watching The Three Stooges. Kick ass childhood memory, I'd say! Slapstick violence and chewy fig cookies! None of this Disney and Oreo bullshit you hear about so often.

Aaaanyways, I digress. Or, actually, I think I'm still on track here. The point is, ever since the tender young age of about 10 or 12 or so, we stopped buying Fig Newtons. Stopped talking about them too. It was subtle, a gentle erasure of something that once it was removed, I didn't really miss that much. I went on with life, stopped watching The Three Stooges as our VHS tapes began to disintegrate, and moved on to bigger and better cookies (Vienna Fingers: He-lloooo!!! Don't get me started). Didn't pay much mind to the lack of F.N.'s around the house, I'll tell you that.

Until this recipe. Hmm, Fig Bars. Yeah, they aren't exactly Fig Newton's (and there is another recipe in the book that seems a lot closer to their Nabsico counterparts), but still--a soft sandwich-bar cookie with a fig filling comprised of not only figs, but honey, spices, and red wine!

It was Father's Day (yeah yeah...ages ago) and these seemed like the perfect cookie to make for my dad. He adored the Prune Rugelach, and so I was going to make the fig Rugelach Fingers, but decided on these instead. And so it was. I made the filling, and it smelled like heaven on earth it was so good. I made the dough, and it smelled like dough, nothin' special.

Ladiez in da kitchen

As for the assembly, it was pretty simple except for one part. You roll out half the dough into a thin, big rectangle--NO PROBZ. Then you roll out the other half likewise--NO PROBZ, pt II. Then you spread the fig filling on one sheet of dough (easy also), but then you have to transfer the other rectangle of dough ON TOP OF the other one, and let's just say that they are a tad delicate. I'm sure all you readers (?) know a bunch of trixy little methods of doing this, and don't worry, I succeeded, but it was a little scary for a minute. But once completed the big flip, I felt like a master chef.

But if only my pride were over creating a tasty cookie, instead of completing a tricky task. You see, the end result...lacked. It was just okay. And it took a lot of work to make these guys! Time and energy that could have been spent trying to download Larry-Moe-Curly episodes from the interwebs! Precious time baby! That's not to say that the cookie didn't taste good--it did--it just wasn't as spectacular as it smelled while I was concocting it. Was it better than a regular old Fig Newton? Yeahhhhh, but it lacked the nostalgia. And high-fructose corn syrup. (Or are those one and the same?)

Aiight, so that's that. Disappointed yet? I am. But I've moved on! And you should learn to do the same, jeez. Don't get so hung up on all the time I wasted--it's not a big deal, alright?? Am I projecting my dismay onto you? Yes? Yes. Whatever, bigger and better next time. Here that Martha? Yeah. You better make a killer Vienna Fingers recipe, or you best check yourself.

Fig Bars

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

3 cups dried Calimyrna figs

1/4 cup honey

1 cup red wine

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper

Directions

Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. Add egg, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest; mix well. Add flour and salt; mix on low speed until dough just comes together. Wrap dough in plastic, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine figs, honey, wine, 1 cup water, cinnamon, and pepper in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring often, until reduced to a thick paste, about 10 to 15 minutes. Spread filling on a baking sheet to cool.

Divide dough in half. Roll out one half to fit a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet. Pick up dough by wrapping it around a rolling pin, and unroll it onto baking sheet.

Spread fig filling evenly over pastry. Roll out remaining half of dough, and cover filling. Trim excess pastry to make a perfect rectangle. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use a paring knife to score dough lightly into 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick holes in each bar. Make an egg wash by combining remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush bars with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into bars, and let cool.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 4/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 3/5 (I used both Calimyrna figs and Mission figs, whatever)
Tastiness: 3/5
Attractiveness: 2/5
Is it worth it?: Sadly, I don't think so. Takes a lot of time...

{Pairings}
Drink: Apple Juice!

Song: Wild Honey -- The Beach Boys
Activity: Go out and buy some real Fig Newton's

[Cookie 075] Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Well I did it. I am officially halfway through my college career. Does that freak me out? Yes. But I try not to think to hard about it; instead, I subconsciously revert to all of my old childhood habits. No, I didn't buy back all my old My Lil' Ponies or start watching Sesame Street (though, I might), but I definitely am keeping my eye out for some butterfly barrettes and jelly sandals to add to my wardrobe. And I made sure to rewatch The O.C. (season 1, please) as well as Ratatouille, which is actually a seriously amazing movie. And obviously, I made these Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars to celebrate the end of my sophomore year in college. Talk about a serious throwback.

Eating these is like revisiting your childhood, but on crack. Okay, let me explain that. These bars are really intense and delicious, but have this hidden quality to them that makes them bizarrely addictive. Addictive like...GET THESE OUT OF MY KITCHEN BEFORE I EAT THE ENTIRE BATCH. I honestly would have done that. It's terrible, actually.

The crack-cocaine

I think I first realized that I had reinvented crack-cocaine about 15 minutes into the preparation of the recipe. It's once you mix together all the wet ingredients: butter, peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. That's the drug part. That's the dangerous part. If there was one thing I could eat without feeling any regret/gaining any weight, it would be this. Hook me up to an IV of it, put it in a trough by the dining room table, whatever. Just gimme gimme.

So, if you have enough willpower to actually add the dry ingredients without eating all of the crack-cocaine, you'll begin to realize that you have an absolutely massive amount of dough. I think I realized this when I finished measuring out 3 whole cups of flour. That's a lot. So I mixed it all up, which was a work out in itself considering I don't have a mixmaster, and then ate some more of the dough. Gotta get my fix.

Anyway, I forgot to mention that this recipe is really great for cleaning out your fridge, which is why I made it (I was moving out of my dorm, so had to get rid of a bunch of food). You can use any kind of peanut butter, even though the recipe calls for creamy, and you can use any kinds of jelly. I had a bunch of almost empty jelly jars in the fridge, as well as some cranberry butter, so I mixed them all together and made a very nice jelly to spread on top of the dough.

Once the baking dish was all prepared, I had to move it to the oven. Obviously. Well, I lifted up the baking dish, and I almost blew out my knees in doing so--it was crazy heavy. I stumbled over to the oven, managed to open it, and placed the dish inside. Set the timer. Went and took a nap (duh, by this stage I was officially 6 years old). Woke up, strained to lift the monstronsity out of the oven, and set it on a cooling rack.

Okay, here's the important part. You really need to wait for this to cool and set. You're supposed to let it cool entirely on the cooling rack, then slice it, and then refrigerate it for 2 hours. But remember, I was a 6 year old by this point. A 6 year old with no patience. So I refrigerate it for about 20 minutes and then decide to serve myself a slice. WHAT A DISASTER. Messiest decision 2010. The dough was completely unset and gloppy and totally delicious. But also a little gross in its total over-the-top intense, heart attack nature. Back into the refrigerator.

Once they are actually set, however, they are really way better. I could eat these for a long time. I did. I ate a lot. Then I had a juice box and took another nap (I wish I was lying). And then I promptly gave the rest away. The first step was admitting I had a problem. The second step was passing my problem off to someone else. I'm a recovering addict, but I don't think I've really learned from my mistakes. Whatever. Call me a 6 year-old drug addict trapped in a 20 year-old's body. Woof, that'll give you nightmares.

Anyway, I bet you're like, "I don't want to be a drug-addled child!!!" Yeah you do, it's great. Make these, trust me. What's better than nostalgia paired with uncontrollable, manic eating? Nothing! So get to it, folks!

P.S. Get ready for a whole lot more posting! Summer = No work = More baking = Awesome

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor
• 2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts.
3. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about thirty-six 1 1/2-by-2-inch pieces.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4.5/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3/5
Is it worth it?: If you're taking advice from an addict, you need to reevaluate your judgement. That being said, YES YES BAKE THEM AND GIVE EM 2 ME PLZ.

{Pairings}
Drink: A juice box, durrr.

Song: Little Child -- The Beatles
Activity: Snack time, followed by nap time.

[Cookie 074] Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

You guys. It's almost summer.

Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun a little bit (especially for those of you living in the other hemisphere), but I am still getting all giddy just thinking about the lovely smells, sights, and activities that come with the warmer weather. I only have TWO, count 'em two, more weeks until I am literally halfway done with my college education--but instead of thinking about that horribly scary notion, I pacify myself by forming mental to-do lists for the coming summer months. And it works, evidently, because I seem to have lulled myself into a false feeling of everlasting security when it comes to being entirely financially dependent on my parents! Right on! Graduating and getting a job in the real world? Hell, that's eons from now! Bring on 3 months of unemployed summer lethargy!

Yes, it's true, I am jobless for the entire summer. Well, that might not be entirely true, but until I've officially worked out some way to bring in the greenbacks, I'll be spending my days waking up early, enjoying homemade bread and homemade marmalade on the back porch for breakfast, and idling away my afternoons playing old country music records and printing black and white photos in my darkroom. God, that sounds way too good to be true.

Whoa, wait, where am I?? Cookies, right?? And where are my manners?! These are BIRTHDAY cookies for none other than my good friend D. Funny story: She likes Frank Sinatra--don't we all--but she, unlike most other people our age, genuinely refers to the act of having sex as "makin' whoopie." Naturally, when I saw this recipe, I immediately scrawled her name across the top so I would remember to make them in her honor. Done and done.

And they are very good. The individual cookies were actually too thick and bulky and I wished they had flattened out a bit just so the whoopie sandwiches would be a little easier to eat, but they were still tasty. And the peanut butter filling is to die for. Seriously, peanut butter + regular butter + powdered sugar + salt = just as good as makin' whoopie. There, I said it.

So I suggest you make these now, because once summer proper rolls around, I don't think you'll be in the mood for a cookie this heavy and rich. Southern-hemispherers, you can take your time--you're in it for the long haul now.

One small word of advice: if you're cookies end up as thick as mine, use a lot of filling. Otherwise the chocolate cookie obscures the flavor of the peanut butter filling and completely soaks up all the saliva in your mouth, leaving it dry, sticky, and chocolatey (in a bad way). Fortunately, this can be easily remedied with Milk: our Lord and Savior.

Also, I made a god awful mess making these guys. Let me just say: Avoid using a handheld electronic mixer in a bowl filled with nothing but cold butter and sugar. It was like Iceland in my kitchen. (...too soon?)

So, anyway, what are you all doing for summer/winter? Goin' anywhere fancy? Making anything? Learning anything? Makin' Whoopie Pies? Makin' Whoopie? Let me know! (Except for the latter--you can keep that between you and Old Blue Eyes).

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Makes about 4 dozen (I halved the recipe, and still ended up with way too many)

Ingredients

• For the Cookies:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• For the Filling:
• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• Coarse salt, optional

Directions

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
5. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3.5/5
Is it worth it?: Yes, I do believe it is.

{Pairings}
Drink: Milk--nothing else will suffice.

Song: Makin' Whoopee -- Ray Charles (sorry but I'll take Ray over Frank ANY day...this version is the best)
Activity: Sexual innuendos aside, I'd say these cookies are great to enjoy with platonic friends as well.

[Cookie 069] Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Stop what you're doing. I mean it, knock it off, it's not as important as this. I don't care if you're halfway out the door late for work, or if you're checking your blogs on your iPhone during an important meeting--leave, go home, maybe make a quick stop at the supermarket, and then preheat your oven. These Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies are. So. Very. Fantastic. Way more important than taking your kid to soccer practice--seriously, they probably would rather ditch it anyway to eat these cookies.

But, a small tangent before I proceed. I don't know how many of you live in Manhattan, or how many of you have simply read about this cookie on other blogs, but a few days ago I finally tried the Compost Cookie at Momofuku Milk Bar in the East Village. Let me paint you a picture of this cookie: Chocolate + Pretzels + Potato Chips + Coffee grinds + Butterscotch Chips. Gooey inside, crunchy here and there, and salty in all the right spots. Okay, I'm sure I've lost some of you at "Potato Chips" but honestly, do NOT knock it until you've tried it. I'm in love.

What I'm getting at is that lots of times the longer the ingredient list, the better the cookie is. What, that's wrong you say? Or, that's obvious? Maybe, but lots of the time I find that when browsing for recipes in The Book I skip over the longer looking recipe lists because for some reason I think it might be a more difficult recipe, or just might take too long to make. But, seriously, there is a reason for it. And in the case of both the infamous Compost Cookie and these Carrot Cake Cookies, don't question it. Make the trip to the market, buy what you don't have, and make it. Done. It's a dead easy recipe, this one, and the abundant list of ingredients really makes the flavor in these cookies shine.

As for this recipe, I dare you to come up with a reason why they don't sound like the most delicious idea you've ever heard of (unless you don't like Carrot Cake--blasphemy!!). Seriously, my friends and I ate these in 2 seconds flat, and I immediately regretted halving the recipe. Make the whole recipe. Seriously trust me on this one.

The cookies are perfect on their own too: the edges are crispy but the centers are puffy and soft and loaded with everything delicious. But when you sandwich two together with a dollop of that cream cheese frosting, it's bliss.

It's one of the only recipes that my friends have begged me to stop my "new cookie every week" regimen and bake only these for the rest of eternity.

Okay, you're convinced now, right? Great! Send me a few in the mail, I don't care if they don't ship well. I'll lick the cardboard box if I have to.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Makes about 25 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)
• 1 cup raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough. Once cooled completely, use an offset spatula to spread about 2 teaspoons of cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 3.5/5
Tastiness: 5/5 (All tasty, allllll tasty)
Attractiveness: 3.5/5
Is it worth it?: yesyeseyesyesyesyesyesyeseysyesyesyeyseyseysyeyseyseysyesyesss!

{Pairings}
Drink: You don't need anything. Maybe water.

Song: Don't Fuck Around with Love -- Blenders
Activity: Listening to that song whilst eating these cookies: Greatest idea 2010!