Between a Crisp and a Hard Place

Growing up, I remember both my mom and my grandmother being obsessed with biscotti. I assumed the addiction was sort of like coffee ... an acquired taste. When you got old.

Well now that I am old, I have a minor obsession with both coffee and biscotti. I can't get enough of either (though luckily the biscotti hasn't become a daily habit like the coffee). Bill's been feeding my addiction by bringing home biscotti from the bakery at the Public Market every time he heads downtown. But as delicious as those biscotti are, I've had a hankering for homemade.

On one of my trips to the Public Market with Bill a few weeks ago, I came across these awesome little candied ginger nibs at the Spice House. They were sitting next to a recipe for ginger pecan biscotti, so I had to snatch that up. Little did I know that it would only serve as inspiration.

I took a stab at the recipe I grabbed from the Spice Market. But take a look at these ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup candied ginger nibs
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Theirs vs. Mine

Do you see the problem? A couple of eggs and a teaspoon of ginger are my only liquid ingredients? Something didn't seem right ... and upon taking them out of the oven, something didn't taste right.

Aside from the wet to dry ingredient ration, there were a couple other problems with this recipe. The 400 degree baking temperature was a bit extreme, and the ground ginger plus ginger nibs made the cookies just a bit too ... ginger-y. I knew these biscotti had potential, and I'm never satisfied with a failed recipe, so I turned to a tried and true source for something I could work with - Martha Stewart.

Martha gave me what I knew would be a no-fail recipe that I tweaked to suit my needs. I took the base of her biscotti, added some stuff to suit the flavors I was after, and voila! I had perfect ginger pecan biscotti AND a recipe all my own!

Where the original biscotti came out of the oven brittle and crisp and a bit too zesty, my recipe was everything biscotti should be ... dense, hard, and the perfect blend of ginger-y, citrus-y, nutty flavor! And yes, there is a major difference between "crisp" and hard." Crisp cookies have their place, but they're dry, brittle, and crumby. Hard cookies, like biscotti should be, are dense and smooth. I'm super happy to have achieved just that!

Ginger Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup candied ginger nibs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, then stir in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture until well combined. Stir in lemon zest, pecans, and ginger nibs until combined.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Shape into a log, about 14 by 3 inches. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until firm, lightly browned, and slightly cracked on top, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 15 minutes.

Transfer log to cutting board and using a sharp serrated knife, cut biscotti on a diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange slices on baking sheet and bake another 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Pie Throwdown!

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love sweater weather, I love simmering pots of stew and soup on the stove, I love the firey bright orange and red leaves outside, and above all, I love pumpkin!

I can't get enough of all things pumpkin. Pumpkin breads, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin lattes ... I could go on forever! But it all started with the original: good ol' pumpkin pie. As a kid, pumpkin pie was a once or twice a year treat. An aunt would bring it to our house for Thanksgiving and I might be lucky enough to snag a slice at Christmas, but anything pumpkin was noticeably absent the rest of the year.

Not so in my house now. The first leaves haven't even fallen from the trees before I pump up the pumpkin baking. So when Bill set out to bake a from-scratch pumpkin pie a few weeks ago, I was all for it. It came about when we got our hands on Alton Brown's latest Good Eats cookbook. As often happens when you place a new cookbook in Bill's hands, he put his mind to one of the most involved recipes. And as often happens when Bill succeeds in the kitchen, my competetive spirit kicked in.

I suggested we go head to head and instantly began strategizing. Bill stuck with Alton's recipe and I sought out the most delicious recipe I could find from Martha Stewart. While it took Bill one carving pumpkin, two pies, four pie pumpkins, and dozens of gingersnaps to get it right, his final entry in this throwdown was quite good. It was so good, in fact, that I was a little fearful of how my own pie would fare.

Bill and I knew we couldn't objectively judge our own pies, so I decided to take two slices to one of the only people I know who loves pumpkin as much as I do: my boss, Molly. I should have been completely confident that I had this competition in the bag, but when Bill and I did our own taste test the night before we were both surprised to find that we couldn't decide between the two. Our pies were so different, and both so good. But in the end, Molly described Bill's as "pumpkin purist," which put him on top. Mine had a touch more spice than a traditional pumpkin pie, which I loved, but I can understand that it doesn't suit everybody's taste.

So take your pick: Bill's pumpkin purist pie, or my super spicey slice. I'd make either one again!

Jen's Martha Stewart Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
For Shortbread Crust
4 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg yolk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

For Filling
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
To make crust, stir together butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in yolk. Add flour and salt, and stir until mixture is dry and crumbly. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake, rotating halfway through, until crust turns golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.

To make pumpkin puree, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut several slits in pumpkin with a sharp paring knife. Place pumpkin (Martha calls for one about 1 1/2 lbs.) in a baking dish and pour about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the dish. Bake until skin is easily pierced and inside is soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While pumpkin is still warm, rip off stem, peel off skin, and scoop out seeds. Place pumpkin in food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

To make filling, whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set and slightly puffed but still a bit wobbly, about 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream.

Bill's Alton Brown Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
For Gingersnap Crust
6 oz. gingersnap cookies
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 oz. butter

For Filling
16 oz. fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions:
To make pumpkin puree, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a small piece of skin off one side of the pumpkin so when laid on its side the pumpkin won't roll. Remove stem and split pumpkin in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and fiber.

Sprinkle flesh with salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast 30 to 45 or until a paring knife can be easily inserted and removed from the pumpkin. Test in several places to ensure doneness.

Remove sheet pan to a wire rack and cool pumpkin for 1 hour. Using a large spoon, remove roasted flesh of pumpkin from skin and transfer to a food processor. Process 3 to 4 minutes, until very smooth.

To make crust, combine gingersnaps, brown sugar, and ginger in a food processor. Process until cookies are fine crumbs. Drizzle butter into crumb mixture. Pulse 8 to 10 times to combine.

Press gingersnap mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Place on a sheet pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool crust at least 10 minutes before filling.

To make filling, bring pumpkin puree to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add half and half, nutmeg, and salt. Stir and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, and egg yolk in a large bowl. Add pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour filling into warm pie crust and bake on same sheet pan 45 to 50 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly but sides of filling are set. Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours before slicing.

I Swoon for Macarons: Part II

French macarons are becoming the new cupcake - a classic dessert that has suddenly been reinvented and transformed into haute couture. The only difference is that where cupcakes were transformed from classically comfortable to surprisingly fancy, French macarons have turned from classically sophisticated to much more approachable. If you're a fan of all shows Bravo (as I am), you'll appreciate this comparison: What pastry chefs have done for cupcakes is what Chris March has done for costume gala gowns, and what home bakers have done for French macarons is what Rachel Zoe has done for Chanel.

I was completely unfamiliar with French macarons until I saw Wolfgang Puck sing their praises on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." That inspired me to seek them out at the very place Wolfgang recommended you have them - Payard Patisserie & Bistro inside Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. I documented that mind-blowing moment here, and French macarons immediately went on my recipe wishlist.

It wasn't until I came across a French macaron cookbook at TJ Maxx this weekend (yet another indication that they're now everywhere) that I remembered they were on my to-make list. And so I was determined to do so on Sunday. (For those of you who are wondering, yes, I did make these at the same time as my deep dish pizza. I do not recommend attempting to accomplish both of these challenging recipes at once.)

Before you set out on the French-macaron-making mission that I did, there are a few very important questions you must ask yourself ... First, do you have a store nearby carrying almond flour? Second, are you willing to spend $12.49 for 16 ounces of said almond flour? So as not to compromise the recipe, I answered yes to both questions. I was lucky enough to find almond flour at Sendik's (although I was prepared to grind skinned almonds as my back up plan), and while I had a minor heart attack at the price on the shelf, I sucked it up. And I'm glad I did!

While the French macaron makeover has put these cookies within reach of the home chef, they're still challenging. I have improvements to make on my next batch, but this first attempt went surprisingly well and they were absolutely, delightfully delectable.

French Macarons with Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup almond flour

2 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar (Martha recommends superfine, but regular granulated sugar is ok too)

1/2 cup Nutella spread

Directions:
Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture twice.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe  into rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (Martha says you should drag your pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks - I had a hard time with this!) Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air (I apparently didn't tap hard enough because I had a few air bubbles). Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes (I don't know why, but I did it because Martha said so). Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees (again, I don't know why, but who am I to question Martha?).

Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon Nutella. Enjoy the crack of the sweet, meringue-like shell, followed by the chewy inner cookie, followed by the creamy, chocolate-hazelnut-y goodness :)