Pipe Dream #178: To Be Sophisticated Fresh, Revisited: Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

If you need for a quick afternoon snack, or a brunch menu bulk-up, look no further than your basic slice-and-bake cookie. This store-bought convenience cookie is a long-time American favorite. It even comes prepped for your holiday gatherings. Slice up a log of dough to reveal Jack-O-Lanterns, Christmas trees, clover leaves and all other manner of stylized holiday symbols.

If you’re looking for something just as easy, but slightly more sophisticated, however, let me introduce to you these swirly slice-and-bakes I came up with the other day.

I took what would be an average shortbread recipe, and added white chocolate and cocoa powder to the dough.

Then I twisted the two dough logs together to create a swirl pattern. After a quick chill, you just slice it up, sprinkle with a little sugar (sanding sugar would be even better) and voila! A teeny, cultured little cookie that functions perfectly well as an afternoon tea snack or a cookie plate filler.

Afternoon tea cookies, elsewhere:

Peppermint Meringues

Wickle Bunny Buns

Butter Pecan Shortbread

Orange, Pine Nut & Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Brown Sugar Hazelnut Rounds

Orange Almond Macaroons

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Kettling,

L

Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

An LH Original

2 cups flour, divided

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, cold and cubed, divided

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 ounces high-quality white chocolate

To make the dark chocolate shortbread, stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa powder and 1 cup MINUS  2 tablespoons flour. Cut in one stick of butter until the dough resembles fine crumbs, then knead until smooth. Form into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

To make the white chocolate shortbread, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup of flour. Melt the white chocolate in a bain marie or in the microwave, being careful not to scorch it. Set aside to cool a bit. Cut in one stick of butter to the flour mixture until the dough resembles fine crumbs, then knead until smooth. Add the white chocolate and stir/knead to incorporate. Form into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

After about 30 minutes in the fridge, remove the logs and press them together, forming one large log. Twist and press the two doughs as desired to create a marbled effect. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes or longer.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice the log into rounds, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until just set and starting to get golden. Let cool on that baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oreo Pudding, An Experiment

I baked up a storm (literally) for my sister’s grad party this year. Here is a sneak peek of one of the desserts I made.

I first tried something like this pudding at a wedding I attended this year. It was like eating cookies n’ cream pudding frosting wonderfulness. I was intrigued and started looking up recipes, and came across a lot of these icebox cakes, which basically involve layering Oreos and whipped cream and letting them sit in the fridge overnight. The Oreos soften up from the cream and the cream thickens up, making a scoopable cake/pudding thing.

It seems incredible to me that you could make such a gloriously delicious dessert with only two main ingredients. I thought it couldn’t be so simple–there had to be something else–so I decided to mess with the original recipe a little. I used cream cheese/whipped cream mixture because I thought it might hold up better in the heat, but next time, I am going to stick with the straight whipped cream, just to see. I didn’t use enough of the cream mixture to really replicate the wedding pudding, so I have to give this a second shot sometime soon.

Good thing it was so rainy that day–the party turnout was less than expected, so we have menny, menny Oreos still lying around. Incidentally, this is a great recipe for a crowd, or for any Fourth of July shenanigans you may have planned. Make ahead, mass quantity and Oreos are always a crowd-pleaser.

Less than pleased,

L

Oreo Pudding

Lots of Oreos

This stabilized whipped cream

Layer the Oreos with the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture in a serving dish of your choice. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with crumbled Oreos and serve chilled.

 

 

 

Pipe Dream #202: To Stop the Show – Lemon Mousse Crepe Cake

Did you know that lemons are always in season? This means two things: 1) This is technically a light “spring” crepe cake, but 2) you can make it any time you are feeling like a perfectly light, undeniably easy and downright show-stopping little number of a cake.

It is my joy to provide you with light, easy, show-stopping little numbers. Especially when you may be planning on hosting a brunch. Stay tuned for my handy guide to brunching, coming up later this week. (It likely won’t be helpful; don’t hold ya breath, Doris.)

And it is my particular joy that I didn’t make the crepes from scratch, meaning this cake was actually enjoyable for me to eat.

Well, who am I kidding? Most cake is enjoyable for me to eat, but I mean, after slaving away for hours, sometimes I feel the emotion of tired a little more than if I buy a slice of cake. Thus, this cake is two things: 1) the semi-homemade but 2) a treat for whoever makes it.

This is the second-best shot I took of the entire brunch. I love it.

It’s essential (read: freaking sweet) that you make this cake ahead of time. The paper-thin layers of crepe need time to meld with the creamy lemon mousse in the fridge. What goes into the fridge a delicate pile of smooshed crepes, comes out a sliceable masterpiece.

If I were to do this cake again, I would maybe double the mousse recipe and put more than a heaping 1/4 cup in between the layers. It would make the cake taller, and then I could eat more mousse.

And SIDENOTE OF IMPORTANCE:

Throwing a brunch might not be a complete cinch, but this lemon curd recipe that I used in the lemon mousse sure is. You make it in the microwave. It takes five minutes. Could life get better?

(Once I posted a recipe for lemon curd. It is a great recipe. No microwave, but no sieving, either, so you can make your choice, I guess.)

Like I said, a sliceable masterpiece. Who knew show-stopping could be so easy. Stop the show. Start the applause. I’ll be making one of these babies again soon.

Bravissim-ink,

L

Lemon Mousse Crepe Cake

Inspired by Martha Stewart

30 8-inch crepes (I used storebought ones for convenience, but they didn’t taste great)

2 cups prepared lemon curd (I doubled this recipe.)

2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

3 tablespoons powdered sugar.

2 teaspoons powdered gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

powdered sugar and blackberries, for garnish

Whip the cream in the stainless steel bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Put the two tablespoons of cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let this stand for a couple minutes until the water is absorbed. Place the  bowl in the microwave and heat on high power for 30 seconds, until the gelatin has liquefied. Beat this into the whipped cream until just combined.

Fold the whipped cream into the lemon curd until just combined, and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble to cake, place a crepe on a serving platter. Top with a heaping spoonful (maybe 1/4 cup) of the lemon mousse and spread in a thin layer to about 1/2 inch away from the edge of the crepe. Top with a crepe and repeat until all the crepes have been used. Once the final crepe is placed on the top of the cake, refrigerate until firm, about an hour.

Just before serving, garnish the cake with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh berries, or any reserved whipped cream or lemon curd. Or top with all of the above.