Chocolate Brownie Crinkles

Like every recipe, including the very simplest,  chocolate crinkles have gone through a number of permutations, including espresso powder which gives the chocolate flavor a boost while adding the merest aromatic hint of itself. The original chocolate crinkle cookie used baking chocolate and not chocolate chips or chopped chocolate being melted.  Cocoa powder makes the cookies chewy on the inside while melted chocolate makes cookies come out fudge-like.

Deeply chocolate, crisp and powdered on the outside, and soft and chewy in the center.  If you can imagine what a brownie would taste like in cookie form, this is it.  Rolling richly flavored cocoa cookies with white powdered sugar before baking creates a dramatic crackled look that give these sweets—a perfect cross between a brownie and cookie—a fancy appearance with virtually no effort.

I also baked these cookies using the espresso powder and they were fantastic.  I have only one complaint, they were addictive! I couldn’t walk by the cookie jar without hearing a cookie call my name J I noticed some have trouble with the dough being too sticky. Refrigerate the dough for minimal 3 hours or up to overnight or you can freeze the dough for 45 minutes.  Before forming into balls, get your hands wet so they won’t stick to them.  You might have to pop them back in the freezer if it’s a hot day.  Don’t try to handle them when they’re warm because you will just be wasting your time. For those who are having trouble with the top cracking, here’s a tip: place your cookie sheet on the second to-the-top rack and only bake one cookie sheet at a time.  The hot heat at the top of the oven enables the cookie to crack.

Trust me, these cookies are a delight to make.  They are simple, chewy, and delicious. Rich cookies that remind me of tiny brownies, that’s why I would like to call it chocolate brownie crinkles. I always make the dough a day before I plan to bake these. I found that the more chilled the dough is, the easier it is to roll into balls, and since I coated them heavily in the powdered sugar, they were beautiful after baking.  I was rewarded with a beautiful crackly-top.  The sugar doesn’t absorb into the cookie at all. Perfection! A delightful new addition to my Eid baking.

Chocolate Brownie Crinkles (adapted from Laura Vitale)

For recipe in Indonesian, click HERE

Ingredients:

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         2 eggs

·         2/3 cup of light brown sugar

·         ½ cup cocoa powder

·         ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         ½ cup confectioner sugar

Directions:

1.       In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and instant espresso powder.  Set aside.

2.       In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, add the vanilla and eggs.  Mix until creamy and smooth.

3.       Add the dry ingredients and mix them long enough to combine.

4.       Place the dough in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or up to overnight.

5.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C), line a couple of baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

6.       Place confectioner sugar in a shallow bowl.  Working with 2 spoons (or a small ice cream scoop) at a time, roll into balls and coat them in the confectioner sugar, place them a couple of inches on your prepared baking sheets.

7.       Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set, but the centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone) for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking and allow them to cool completely before serving.  The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         1 cup tepung terigu serbaguna

·         2 butir telur

·         2/3 cup light brown sugar

·         ½ cup bubuk kakao

·         ¼ cup unsalted butter, lelehkan pada suhu ruang

·         1 sdt baking powder

·         ¼ sdt garam

·         ½ sdt bubuk espresso instan

·         1 sdt ekstrak  vanila

·         ½ cup gula halus

Cara:

1.       Dalam mangkuk, ayak dan aduk bersama tepung terigu, bubuk kakao, garam, baking powder, dan bubuk espresso.  Sisihkan.

2.       Kocok mentega dan gula dengan menggunakan mikser listrik, tambahkan vanilla dan telur. Kocok sampai creamy dan lembut.

3.       Tambahkan bahan kering dan aduk cukup lama sampai bercampur.

4.       Letakkan adonan dalam mangkuk, tutup dengan plastic wrap dan dinginkan dalam kulkas selama minimum 3 jam atau sampai semalam.

5.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 325 derajat F (160 derajat C), siapkan loyang yang telah dialasi dengan kertas roti.

6.       Letakkan gula halus dalam mangkuk.  Ambil 2 sendok (atau gunakan ice cream scoop yang kecil) adonan, bulatkan dan gulingkan dalam gula halus sampai semua permukaan tertutup gula halus.  Letakkan di atas loyang, beri jarak. Lakukan sampai adonan habis.

7.       Panggang satu loyang bergantian selama 10-12 menit sampai kue mengembang dan permukaannya retak serta  pinggirannya matang, tetapi bagian tengahnya masih lembek (kue kelihatan belum matang di bagian retakan), putar posisi loyang selama pemanggangan.  Biarkan benar-benar dingin sebelum disajikan.  Kue dapat di simpan pada suhu ruang di dalam wadah kedap udara selama 5 hari.  

Green Tea Tuiles

Tuiles are ultrathin, crisp curved cookies that imitate the shape of a French roof tile (tuile means “tile” in French).  In addition to the classic arch shape, the versatile batter can be spread into large rounds for molding into cups to hold ice cream, berries or mousse, or into long strips that can be twisted into corkscrews for a fanciful garnish.  These delicate cookies are most successful when baked on silicone-coated nonstick liners.

Almond tuiles are made by mixing the sliced almonds into the batter and then stenciled or shaped into round disk using a fork.  Although a real tuile is curved into the shape of a terra cotta roof tile, they can be left flat and used as a gelato or sorbet sandwich.

There are many types of tuiles, but one which seem to be the most appreciated is the classic almond tuile.  Crisp and light and delicately almond scented. I have tried various store-bought tuiles except for this green tea tuiles which I baked today.  I know, some still think that green tea flavor is passé in the culinary world, but I’m still crazy about it and couldn’t get enough of it.

The green tea tuiles were great. I liked them a lot because they were very light, delicate, and crispy with a nice green tea aroma. The tuiles are best the day they are baked as the aroma and texture will be an their peak, and don’t stay crisp for very long. They can be stored in an airtight container to keep them from absorbing humidity and consequently become less crisp.  The batter also can easily be frozen and thus can be made into tuiles when needed.

Green Tea Tuiles

For recipe in Indonesian, click HERE

Ingredients:

·         70g egg whites (from 2 eggs)

·         50g powdered sugar

·         60g melted butter

·         50g all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon green tea powder

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         100g Blanc almond slices (or nuts of your choices), toasted

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

2.       Sift the flour and green tea powder.

3.       Beat egg whites with sugar and salt to stiff peak.  Fold in sifted flour and green tea powder in 2-3 addition, mix well until the batter firm and well-shaped.

4.       Add melted butter, fold until well combined.

5.       Scoop a spoonful of batter on the prepared baking sheet. Use the back of the same spoon to spread out the batter in circular motion to achieve 1-2 mm thickness.  Continue making some more circles, each about 1 cm apart because this batter won’t spread. Try to fit in as many as you can at once to save some baking time.

6.       Sprinkle generously almond slices on top and try have them stick to the batter, otherwise it will be off the cookies after baked.

7.       Bake the tuiles in preheated oven, for 10-12 minute depends on the thickness.  Take the cookies out when roughly 1-1.5 cm around the edge is golden. While the tuiles are being baked, prepare a rolling pin/cylinder objects/cups of that you want your tuiles to take their shape form.

8.       Take the sheet out of the oven. As quickly as you can, with an offset spatula, slip the hot cookie out of the pan, place it on the mold, and repeat with the rest of the cookies. You can also leave the tuiles flat.

9.       Repeat the same process with the second batch while the first batch is cooled.  After only few minutes, the cookies should be cool enough to be put into airtight container or for consumption.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         70g putih telur (dari 2 butir telur)

·         50g gula halus

·         60g mentega, lelehkan

·         50g tepung terigu serbaguna

·         1 sdm bubuk green tea

·         ¼ sdt garam

·         100g Blanc almond slices (atau kacang sesuai selera), panggan sebentar

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 325 derajat F (160 derajat C), siapkan loyang yang telah dialasi dengan kertas roti.

2.       Ayak terigu bersama bubuk green tea.

3.       Kocok putih telur bersama gula dan garam sampai kaku. Masukkan campuran tepung dan bubuk green tea dalam 2-3 kali penambahan. Aduk lipat dengan menggukan spatula sampau bercampur.

4.       Tuang mentega leleh dan aduk lipat sampai bercampur

5.       Tuang 1 sendok teh adonan di atas permukaan kertas roti. Lebarkan adonan hingga menjadi tipis dengan menggunakan punggung sendok untuk mendapatkan ketebalan 1-2 mm dengan diameter 6 cm.  Penuhi permukaan kertas dengan adonan, beri jarak 1 cm.

6.       Beri taburan almond slices di atasnya. Tekan-tekan agar almond menempel agar tidak lepas pada saat kue sudah matang.

7.       Panggang selama  10-12 menit tergantung ketebalan kue. Keluarkan kue ketika pinggiran kue mulai tampak kecoklatan. Sementara itu siapkan rolling pin/benda berbentuk cylinder/cangkir yang akan dipakai untuk membentuk tuiles. 

8.       Keluarkan dari loyang, segera ambil dengan meggunakan spatula dan letakkan di atas ‘cetakan’. Ulangi sampai kue habis. Bisa juga dibiarkan dengan bentuk lingkaran. Setelah dingin, simpan di dalam wadah kedap udara.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

An urban myth is a modern folk tale, its origin unknown, its believability enhanced simply by the frequency with which it is repeated.  As the story goes (and there are many variations), a woman lunching at Neiman Marcus ordered a cookie for a dessert and liked it so much she asked for the recipe.  She happily agreed to pay the “two fifty” charge the waiter quoted, only to find later that the restaurant had charged her $250, not $2.50.  When the store refused to reduce the bill, she mailed the recipe to everyone she knew, asking them to pass it on.

A stirring tale, but an untrue one.  Variations of this story have been applied to many a dessert recipe since the 1940s (the Waldorf-Astoria’s red velvet cake was infamously known as the $100 cake), and though the dollar amounts have changed to reflect inflation, the basic tale of just dessert remains a constant.

To carry on the tradition of righting Neiman Marcus’s imagined wrong, you may wish to copy this recipe and mail it to all your friends and family, LOL.

Neiman Marcus Cookies (adapted from Leite's Culinaria)

For recipe in Indonesian, click HERE

Ingredients:

·         2 ½ cups oat flour, or oats blitzed in a blender until powdery

·         2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         8 ounces unsalted butter, softened

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1 cup light brown sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet or milk chocolate

·         1 cup milk chocolate, grated

·         1 ½ cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.       In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

3.       In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low or with a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

4.       Add the eggs, one at a time, pausing after each addition to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Stir in the vanilla.

5.       Add the flour mixture gradually, in 2 to 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Stop using the mixer and gently stir in the chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts.  Drop 1-inch balls or blobs of the chocolate chip cookie dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

6.       Bakes the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let cool for a couple of minutes before carefully transferring the cookies t a wire rack to cool completely.  The cookies will be rather tender and delicate, so treat them accordingly.  You can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         2 ½ cups tepung oat

·         2 cups tepung terigu serbaguna, ayak

·         1 sdt baking powder

·         1 sdt baking soda

·         ½ sdt garam

·         8 ounces mentega tawar, suhu ruang

·         1 cup gula pasir

·         1 cup light brown sugar

·         2 butir telur ukuran besar

·         1 sdt ekstrak vanilla

·         1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips atau chopped bittersweet atau milk chocolate

·         1 cup milk chocolate, parut

·         1 ½ cups kacang-kacangan cincang (sesuai selera)

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 375 derajat F (190 derajat C), siapkan loyang yang telah dialasi dengan kertas roti.

2.       Dalam mangkuk, ayak dan aduk bersama tepung oat, tepung terigu, baking powder, baking soda, dan garam.  Sisihkan.

3.       Dengan menggunakan stand mixer kecepatan medium-low atau handheld mixer dengan kecepatan medium-high, kocok mentega dengan kedua gula sampai mengembang, 3 sampai 5 menit.

4.       Tambahkan telur satu per satu, kocok. Tambahkan vanilla.

5.       Tambahkan campuran tepung secara bertahap, dalam 2 sampai 3 kali penambahan. Aduk hingga bercampur.  Tambahkan chocolate chip, coklat parut, dan kacang. Aduk hingga bercampur dengan menggunakan spatula.   Dengan menggunakan 2 buah sendok, ambil adonan dan bulatkan, kemudian letakkan di atas loyang yang telah dialasi kertas baking. Beri jarak. Lakukan sampai semua adonan habis.

6.       Panggang selama 8 sampai 10 menit, atau sampai berwarna kecoklatan.  Biarkan dingin sebelum dipindahkan ke dalam wadah.  Kue ini tahan disimpan dalam wadah kedap udara pada suhu ruang selama 7 hari atau sampai 1 bulan di dalam freezer.

30-Layer Rustic Rainbow Mille Crêpe Cake

What’s on my desk today? Something elegant, crazily delicious, and family friendly!

Mille Crêpe Cake it is. Gâteau Mille Crêpes, literally translated to "thousand crepe cake” is a classic French dessert that has been around for centuries, consisting of 20 layers of paper thin crêpes, each separated with a brush of French pastry cream.  Mille in French means “thousand” and while there really aren’t a thousand crêpes, it might seem like it. It is a cake made of stacked crêpes held together by pastry crème or jam or whatever strikes your fancy.

This cake is the signature dessert at Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon in New York.  An absolutely charming establishment tucked away inside New York City’s Inn at Irving Place. There’s a lot of Nile Crêpe Cake recipes out there, but this time I made a Rainbow Mille Crêpe Cake inspired by Eugenie Kitchen and Ellen Easton. Instead of making 20 layers, I made 30 layer rainbow crepes, 5 crêpes for each color.

The technique for making crêpes takes some getting used to, and you’ll most likely mess up the first few if you haven’t made them before and sometimes even if you have.  Yes, the Mille Crêpe Cake is labor intensive.  Made of layer upon layer of delicate crêpes and fillings.  Patience and precision are key to successfully executing this beauty.    In the end, there isn’t much that’s more satisfying than watching your thin crêpes turn into a beautifully impressive crêpes cake.

Here’s what it is: 30 (as opposed to 1,000) lacy rainbow crêpes layered with clouds of whipped cream-lightened pastry crème. The components of the Mille Crêpes Cake are plain as can be. It’s the way they are constructed, with every proportion considered and refined, that makes you think differently about cake.  The crêpes were delicate and very flat, which made spreading the pastry crème simple.

The moment of truth was when I cut into the cake and served it.  It was incredible! It was easy to slice and serve, and most importantly the taste was unbelievably delicious. Everyone loved it and I knew right then that I would be making this dessert again.  It is really 3 short recipes that can be made ahead and assembled up to 1 day before serving. 

30-Layer Rustic Rainbow Mille Crêpe Cake

For recipe in Indonesian, click HERE

Ingredients:

Crêpes:

·         6 eggs

·         60g sugar

·         45 ml vegetable oil

·         80g unsalted melted butter

·         3 cups milk (adjust the amount according to the thickness of the batter)

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         Pinch salt

Pastry Crème Filling:

·         1 egg

·         1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

·         2 tablespoons granulated sugar

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         1 cup milk

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         1 teaspoon hot water

·         2 tablespoon heavy cream, whipped

Whipped Cream

·         2 cups heavy cream

·         1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Crêpes:

1.       In a small pan, melt the butter until lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.       In a separate, small pan, warm the milk until steaming.  Remove from heat and set aside to allow to cool slightly.

3.       In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at a low speed, mix together the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt. Slowly add in the warm milk, browned butter, and vegetable oil.   Pour the batter into a tightly-sealed container to refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

4.       Divide the batter equally in 6 bowls and mix with food coloring to make red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple/violet.

5.       Using a nonstick or lightly oiled 8 inch crêpe pan, over medium-low heat, evenly distribute ¼ c up of crêpe batter and swirl to cover the surface of the pan.  Cook approximately 1 minute or just until the bottom of the crêpe become lightly brown. Using your clean fingers, flip it over and continue cooking for another 20-30 seconds.  Remove the cooked crêpe onto a prepared baking sheet.   Repeat this process until you have 30 perfect crêpes.

Pastry Crème Filling:

1.       In a small bowl, add egg, flour, sugar, and cornstarch.  Beat until smooth.

2.       In a saucepan over low heat, bring milk almost to a boil (simmer).  Immediately remove from heat and slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture.  Return all ingredients to the saucepan, while constantly stirring, for about 5 minutes, until thickened and just comes to a boil.

3.       Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and hot water, stir until dissolved into the mixture.  Set aside to cool until firm.

4.       When the pastry  crème has cooled, fold in 2 tablespoons of whipped cream.  Refrigerate the mixture until thick (best if refrigerated overnight).

5.       Remove the prepared  pastry  crème filling from the refrigerator.  Whip the 2 cups of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon sugar.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the prepared chilled and thickened pastry  crème filling.

Assembly of 30-Layer Rainbow Mille Crêpe Cake:

1.       Place one prepared crepe on a large cake plate.  Start with violet layer and finish with red.

2.       With a small spatula or wide blade knife, completely cover the crêpe with a thin layer of the pastry crème mixture (approximately ¼ cup).

3.       Cover with another dry crêpe and repeat covering with the pastry crème until you have reached 30 rainbow layers. 

4.       Refrigerate the prepared cake for a minimum of 2 hours.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.  Garnish with fresh berries.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

Crêpes:

·         6 butir telur

·         60g gula pasir

·         45 ml minyak sayur

·         80g mentega tawar, lelehkan

·         3 cups susu cair (sesuaikan jumlah susu dengan kekentalan yang diinginkan)

·         3 cups tepung terigu serbaguna

·         Sedikit garam

Pastry Crème Filling:

·         1 butir telur

·         1 sdm tepung terigu serbaguna

·         2 sdm gula pasir

·         1 sdm tepung jagung (bisa diganti dengan maizena)

·         1 cup susu cair

·         1 sdt ekstrak vanila

·         1 sdt air panas

·         2 sdm heavy cream, kocok kaku

·         2 cups heavy cream

·         1 sdm gula pasir

Cara:

Crêpes:

1.       Lelehkan mentega sampai sedikit kecoklatan.  Sisihkan.

2.       Panaskan susu dalam panci kecil sampai hamper mendidih. Sisihkan dan biarkan hangat.

3.       Dalam mangkuk besar, menggunakan mikser listrik dengan kecepatan rendah, kocok telur, terigu, gula, dan garam. Perlahan tambahkan susu hangat, mentega leleh, dan minyak sayur.   Tuang adonan ke dalam wadah, tutup rapat, dinginkan selama beberapa jam atau semalaman.

4.       Bagi adonan sama banyak ke dalam 6 mangkuk.  Beri 3-5 tetes pewarna makanan (merah, jingga, kuning, hijau, biru, ungu) ke dalam masing-masing adonan.   

5.      Dengan menggunakan pan datar antilengket yang telah diolesi sedikit minyak, api sedang-kecil, tuang ¼ cup adonan. Angkat pan menjauhi api dan putar-putar pan sehingga  adonan mengalir memenuhi permukaan pan. Masak selama sekitar 1 menit atau sampai permukaan  crêpe terlihat mengeras dan tidak ada lagi bagian yang masih basah.  Lepaskan pinggiran crêpe dengan bantuan spatula, lalu balikkan dengan menggunakan jari tangan dan masak selama 10-20 detik. Angkat   crêpe dan letakkan di piring datar.  Ulangi proses ini sampai didapat 30 lembar crêpe (5 lembar untuk masing-masing warna). 

Pastry Crème Filling:

1.       Dalam mangkuk kecil, kocok telur, terigu, gula, dan maizena hingga halus.

2.       Dalam panci kecil, panaskan susu hanya hingga hampir mendidih. Angkat, biarkan sedikit hangat, dan perlahan tuang ke dalam campuran telur sambil diaduk. Tuang kembali ke dalam panci, dan panaskan sambil terus diaduk, selama sekitar 5 menit, sampai kental (jaga jangan sampai mendidih).

3.       Angkat, tambahkan ekstrak vanilla dan air panas.  Aduk sampai larut.  Sisihkan hingga dingin.

4.       Ketika pastry  crème sudah dingin, tambahkan 2 sendok makan whipped cream.  Dinginkan dalam lemari pendingin (untuk hasil terbaik, dinginkan semalaman)

5.       Keluarkan  pastry  crème filling dari lemari pendingin, tuang ke dalam mangkuk besar.  Kocok 2 cups heavy cream dan 1 sdm gula hingga mengembang dan kaku.  Jangan mengocok krim terlalu lama karena krim akan pecah. Sedikit demi sedikit masukkan whipped crem ke dalam adonan pastry  crème.  Aduk perlahan dengan spatula menggunakan teknik aduk lipat (folding).

Menyusun 30-Layer Rainbow Mille Crêpe Cake:

1.       Siapkan piring datar ukuran besar. Letakkan satu lembar crêpe di tengah-tengah piring. Dimulai dengan crêpe warna ungu dan diakhiri dengan  crêpe warna merah.   

2.       Dengan menggunakan spatula, olesi seluruh permukaan crêpe dengan lapisan tipis pastry crème (sekitar ¼ cup untuk setiap lembar crêpe. 

3.       Tutup permukaan krim dengan selembar crêpe dan ulangi pelapisan krim sampai semua  crêpe dan adonan pastry crème habis.   

4.       Dinginkan dalam lemari pendingin sedikitnya selama 2 jam.  Biarkan pada suhu ruang selama 15-30 menit sebelum disajikan. Hias dengan buah berries segar.