Recipes & Tips from The Village Blend
Visit Cleo Coyle’s virtual Village Blend at www.CoffeehouseMystery.com for coffee tips, coffee talk, and bonus recipes for—
* Clare’s Panettone-Inspired Coffee Cake
* Nonna’s Traditional Italian Struffoli (with step-by-step photos)
* Matteo’s Italian-Style Fried Shrimp with Garlic-Mayo Dip, and more...
As a holiday gift to my readers, I’ve expanded this section to serve as a handy little primer—essentially a mini-book—on coffeehouse terms and drinks, including recipes for making your own coffee syrups and Fa-la-la-la Lattes! In the second part of this section, you’ll find additional holiday recipes courtesy of Holiday Grind’s cast.
(Photos for many of these recipes can be found at my Web site: www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.)
During my own Italian upbringing, food and drink were essential in celebrating the holidays. ’Tis the season for feasting. May you eat and drink with joy!
Happy Holidays!
Cleo Coyle
barista—A trained espresso bartender.
espresso—A concentrated coffee drink made by forcing a small amount of hot water under high pressure through a puck of finely ground coffee beans. Experimentation with creating an espresso machine began in the nineteenth century, but it wasn’t until the early twentieth century that the Italian inventor Luigi Bezzera resolved early problems with the device and patented it. The Italian company La Pavoni began manufacturing a slightly upgraded version, and the drink began following Italian immigrants, who popularized it in each country they settled. Throughout the twentieth century, engineers continued to improve the device’s design. The most significant improvement came in the 1940s from Giovanni Achille Gaggia. His lever-operated piston machine was able to consistently produce pressure high enough to create the signature crema—the creamy foam that today’s espresso drinkers now expect to see. Gaggia essentially invented the modern-day espresso.
Meanwhile, in 1933, a home method for making espresso coffee was invented by Alfonso Bialetti, an Italian engineer who ran his own metal and machine workshop. Although the result is not considered a “true” espresso with crema, Bialetti’s Moka Express stovetop pot nevertheless produces a bold cup that Italians have enjoyed for generations.
espresso blend—A blend of coffees, often from different regions, especially for use in an espresso machine. There is no definitive espresso blend. Creating coffee blends is a culinary skill, and roastmasters create their own unique blends.
espresso roast—Coffee beans can be roasted from light to dark. Every level of roast is given a name—Vienna roast, for example, is a lighter roast than a French roast. Espresso roast is a distinctly dark style of roasting the coffee beans, typically applied to an espresso blend. (See my Guide to Roasting Terms later in this section.)
crema—The golden foam (also described as tan or reddish brown) that forms on top of a properly pulled espresso shot.
shot—A single serving of espresso, approximately 1 fluid ounce. Coffeehouse baristas often use shot glasses when mixing coffee drinks. They let the espresso extract down from the machine right into a shot glass, then pour the shots into larger cups or glasses into which other ingredients are mixed to create espresso drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes.
doppio—A double espresso or two straight shots of espresso. A triple is three shots; a quad is four.
pull—The reason you hear about a barista “pulling” an espresso shot is that on earlier espresso machines, the barista literally pulled a handle down to force the hot water through the coffee at a high pressure. Modern espresso machines are operated by pushing a button to start the extraction process, but the traditional term pull is still used.
ristretto—This is a more concentrated shot of espresso with a more intense flavor. The term comes from the pull of the shot being a “restricted” or shorter pull. Less water is used to make this espresso, and the coffee beans really should be ground finer. The amount of liquid in your cup will be slightly less than a regular espresso.
lungo—This is a weaker shot of espresso with less intense flavor. The term comes from the longer pull (lungo means “long” in Italian). More water is used to make this espresso, so there will be slightly more liquid in your cup than a regular espresso. In France, this drink is called café allongé. Be warned, this style can be slightly bitter. If you’re really looking for a diluted espresso, I suggest you try an Americano!
demitasse—The small cup in which a straight espresso is served.
espresso Romano—An espresso served with a twist of lemon. This is the peel only and should not include the bitter white part of the skin. Do not put the twist in the espresso drink. Instead, rub the lemon around the rim of your cup to impart the bright lemon flavor. Ironically, although the espresso Romano is popular in North America, it is not popular in Italy; and, although the taste combination of coffee and lemon may seem incomprehensible to some, the best single-origin beans in the world (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, for example) actually display notes of lemon flavor. (For instructions on how to make your own candied lemon and orange peel, an elegant holiday treat with after-dinner espresso or coffee, turn to page 364.)
espresso con panna—An espresso served with a dollop of whipped cream.
macchiato—An espresso macchiato is an espresso that is “marked” or stained (that’s what macchiato means in Italian) with a small amount of foamed milk. Americans, however, are probably more familiar with the latte macchiato, which is the opposite—a steamed milk that is marked or stained with a bit of espresso. The biggest difference between a caffe latte and a latte macchiato is the method of making the drink. In a caffe latte, the espresso goes into the glass or cup first and the steamed milk is added. In a latte macchiato, the steamed milk is placed in the cup first and then “stained” by the addition of the espresso. A caramel macchiato, for example, would be made by placing vanilla syrup at the bottom of a cup, mixing in steamed milk, then adding the espresso (thus “staining” the milk), and finally topping the drink with caramel syrup—the heat of the espresso right under the caramel syrup will also help it melt down into the drink.
caffe freddo—A chilled espresso in a glass, sometimes served with ice and sweetened. In Italy the term freddo is sometimes used to mean coffee that is no longer hot—coffee that has simply gone cold. Note, however, that in Italy it is blasphemy to warm up cold coffee!
caffe Americano, Americano—The Italian answer to American-style drip coffee. An espresso diluted with hot water. It has a similar strength to drip coffee but a different flavor. The drink’s origin dates back to World War II when American GIs stationed in Italy added hot water to their espressos to create a drink closer to the type of coffee they were used to back home.
Americano misto—An Americano with steamed milk added.
cappuccino, cappa, cap—An espresso drink made with straight espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk spooned on top. Although baristas may vary their ratios of steamed milk to foamed milk, the most common ratio is one third espresso, one third steamed milk, and one third foamed milk. The basic thing to keep in mind when you order a cappuccino is that it has more foamed milk than a caffe latte and will give you a stronger espresso flavor than a caffe latte or latte.
cappuccino dry—Depending on the barista, a dry may mean a cappuccino with foam only or simply one with more foamed milk than steamed milk.
cappuccino wet—A cappuccino with more steamed milk and less foam.
caffe latte, latte—Mike’s drink. An espresso drink made with straight espresso and steamed milk (about one third espresso to two thirds steamed milk). In Italy, a latte will have only steamed milk. In America, baristas often top the drink with a bit of foamed milk. The basic thing to keep in mind here is that the latte has more milk than a cappuccino, so the strong espresso taste will be more diluted. The latte is the most popular drink in American espresso bars and is often flavored and sweetened with coffee syrups. (See the Coffee Syrups section.)
microfoam—Latte nirvana. Microfoam refers to properly textured steamed milk. It is a thick, velvety potion of pourable microbubbles created by the expert use of an espresso machine steam wand. (See latte art.)
latte art—An artistic design or pattern, such as a heart or rosette, created by a skillful pouring of steamed milk into your cup. You may think this is just a cutesy flourish, but major props are due to any barista who can master the steam-wand creation of pourable microfoam (a texture required to create latte art). So if you are served a latte that features artwork floating on top, you can be assured of two things: Your latte milk has been properly prepared, and your barista rocks!
breve—A term used to indicate that you’d like your drink made with half-and-half instead of milk, such as a latte breve or a cappuccino breve. mochaccino—A cappuccino with chocolate syrup added.
caffe mocha—A caffe latte with chocolate syrup added.
Fa-la-la-la Latte—A caffe latte that uses coffee syrups or flavorings that evoke memories of the holiday season, such as a Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, or Holiday Spice Latte. This term was my own invention for the purposes of this novel!
café au lait—The French version of a caffe latte, made with equal parts hot milk and freshly brewed, darkly roasted coffee, usually French roast.
caffe con leche—The Spanish version of caffe latte with equal parts scalded milk and a strong, freshly brewed coffee. Sugar is added according to taste.
frappe—A cold, frothy coffee drink usually made from blending espresso, milk, crushed ice, and sugar or sweet syrups that can give the drink a variety of flavors.
red eye—Mike’s drink when he’s on an all-night stakeout. A regular drip coffee with a shot of espresso dumped in. (I think of it as a much more sobering version of a boilermaker!)
unleaded—A slang term for a decaffeinated coffee.
half-caf—A cup of coffee that’s a 50/50 mixture of regular and decaffeinated.
single-origin—A single-origin coffee is one that comes from a single region or farm, as opposed to a coffee “blend,” which is a coffee that is created by a roaster or retailer who combines beans from more than one coffee-growing region. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, for example, is a single-origin coffee that comes from the Yirgacheffe region of the African country of Ethiopia. It is a single-origin coffee. A roaster may decide to combine the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with a coffee from Colombia and one from Sumatra to create a “blend.”
regular—In New York City, a regular is a cup of coffee brewed in a drip machine with milk and sugar added.
steamer—This beverage has no espresso. It’s simply a cup of milk that’s steamed to warm the beverage and increase its volume. It can be flavored with whatever sweet syrups suit your fancy: hazelnut, caramel, orange, French vanilla, peppermint, toasted marshmallow, toffee nut, and so on. (See the Coffee Syrups section.)
When coffee beans arrive at a roaster, they are “green.” The roaster then decides what style of roast will best bring out that particular bean’s flavor. Here is a basic guide to the spectrum of roasts and the terms often applied to them. Some coffee roasters even mix together medium- and dark-roasted beans for a delightful combination of flavors.
Light
Cinnamon, New England, Half City
Light to Medium
American, City, Brown
Medium to Dark
Full City, Vienna (or Viennese), Velvet
Darkest
Espresso, French, Italian, Spanish
In On What Grounds and Murder Most Frothy, Clare uses a small stovetop Moka Express pot to make herself a strong jolt of espresso-style coffee. Because affordable home espresso machines (remember, I said affordable!) cannot reproduce the kind of pressure that a professional, restaurant-quality machine can, I also use a stovetop Moka pot to make my espresso-style coffee at home. (Note to purists: I said espresso-style! I fully realize there’s no crema!)
The beautiful, eight-sided Moka Express pot is the same sort of inexpensive stovetop espresso maker that members of my Italian family have used for generations. The taste experience you’ll have with the stovetop pot is deliciously intense. Although not the same as a machine-made espresso (again, there won’t be any crema), the stovetop version produces a rich, satisfyingly bold jolt of java. This is also an excellent way to make strong shots of coffee if you’re planning to mix them with steamed or frothed milk and syrups to make caffe latte, café au lait, or cappuccino—or if you have a culinary recipe that calls for adding espresso.
The traditional eight-sided Moka pots come in 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-cup varieties. Note that a “cup” of stovetop espresso is not equal to a cup of regular drip coffee, which yields about 6 ounces of fluid. A “cup” of espresso made in a Moka pot will give you an intense little 2-ounce jolt (¼ of a measuring cup of fluid).
The beans: As any chef will tell you when you begin a culinary endeavor, the end product reflects the quality of your ingredients. You can’t make a decent cup of espresso with bad beans. So buy good-quality beans freshly roasted, and grind them fresh with a home grinder if you have one.
What beans? What roast? Espresso refers to the method of making the coffee and not the coffee itself. The dark “espresso roasts” are certainly a traditional way to go for that bold, dark, caramelized flavor with hints of bittersweet chocolate, and you’ll find them wherever a variety of coffees are sold. But you may find that a lighter roast is more enjoyable, giving you citrus, berry, or floral notes, depending on the coffee’s origin. Experiment with different types of coffees, blends, and roasts to see what flavors, bodies, and aromas appeal to your particular taste buds!
The stovetop method: Using a stovetop espresso maker is fairly simple. After a few tries, you’ll get the hang of the timing, so don’t stress over a few trial-run mistakes.
Step 1—Unscrew the top and bottom chambers. Remove the little basket (A) out of the bottom chamber and fill the bottom chamber with fresh, cold water. (Filtered is best.) You want to fill it just up to the base of the little steam valve (B). Don’t go over the valve.
Step 2—Grind the beans finely. You want the consistency of fine sand. Don’t grind them too finely—you don’t want powder—or you’ll make the beans bitter. Conversely, do not use coffee that’s been preground for a drip maker. The grind should be finer than a drip grind. If you don’t have your own grinder, then look for a coffee that’s been preground especially for making espresso.
Step 3—Measure the grinds loosely into your stovetop basket (A). For each cup, the measure is 1 to 3 level teaspoons of finely ground coffee—using the teaspoon from your measuring set. I use 2 level teaspoons per cup, which comes out to 6 level teaspoons total for a 3-cup Moka pot; 12 level teaspoons for a 6-cup pot, and so on. If you like your espresso milder, then add less coffee; if you like a stronger taste, add more. Don’t tamp the grounds in—just pile it up into a pyramid in the basket. NOTE: You should not try to make less coffee than the pot holds. If you have a 3-cup espresso pot, then you must make 3 cups every time—not 1 and not 5. If you have a 6-cup maker, you must make 6 cups, and so on.
Step 4—Tightly screw the upper pot down onto the lower one, making sure no coffee grounds are sitting on the rim to prevent a tight seal. Put the pot on the stove over low to medium heat. (If you make your espresso over heat that’s too high, you may overextract your espresso and turn it bitter. As with many things in life, you shouldn’t try to rush the process!)
Step 5—The entire brewing cycle takes between three and six minutes, depending on the size of your pot. The water will heat up in the lower chamber, producing steam. Because steam occupies more space than water, it builds pressure and forces the hot water up through the puck of coffee grinds in your filter. You will hear your espresso gurgling up through the pot’s “fountain” (C) and into the upper chamber. When you hear the gurgling slow, watch for steam puffing out of the pot’s spout, then check the upper chamber. If it’s filled with coffee, then you’re finished! Remove from the heat and pour into prewarmed cups. (To prewarm my cup, I simply use hot tap water. Fill the cup; let sit a minute; discard the water; wipe dry; and you’re good to go!)
No, it is not the same as professional, coffeehouse-quality foamed milk, and I wouldn’t even try to pour latte art with it. For true microfoam nirvana, you should visit your local barista! To have some fun at home, however, my stovetop method allows you to create a rustic version of a coffeehouse cappuccino and latte in your own kitchen.
If you’re looking for something higher-tech, you can now find machines designed solely to heat and froth your milk. Just type “automatic milk frother” into an Internet search or shopping engine, and you’ll get a variety of affordable models to begin considering. In the meantime, here’s a low-tech solution for creating foam at home!
Step 1—Fill a medium-size saucepan about 2/3 full with water. Place the pan over high heat until the water begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the water to simmer.
Step 2—Select a heatproof mixing bowl from your cupboard that is large enough to sit on top of the saucepan. (You are creating a double boiler.) Make sure the simmering water beneath the bowl is not touching the bowl’s bottom. Pour fresh, cold milk into the bowl and allow it to warm over the boiling water for one minute, no longer! How much milk? About 2/3 cup per serving.
Step 3—With an oven mitt on one hand to hold the hot bowl and a handheld electric mixer in the other, tip the bowl enough to tilt all of the milk into one deep, concentrated pool and then whip it. (Whip it good! Use the fastest speed available on your mixer and simply hold the mixing beaters in the center of the milk pool—do not move the mixer around.) In a matter of seconds, you’ll see the warmed white fluid froth up. Whip the milk 20-90 seconds, depending on how much foam you’d like to create, and you’re done! Do not over whip the milk. You won’t be able to foam up every molecule of milk with this method, and if you whip it too much, you’ll just begin breaking down the foam you’ve created.
Troubleshooting: To make this rustic frothing method foolproof, keep these four suggestions in mind. (1) Never try to re-froth milk that’s been whipped and has fallen. It won’t work. You must always start with cold, fresh, undisturbed milk. Pour it straight from the fridge to your measuring cup to the bowl. That’s it. (2) Don’t try to start whipping at a low speed and increase it. Whip it like crazy from the start, using the highest speed possible on your blender—if there’s not enough immediate, vigorous whipping action, the milk won’t properly foam up. (3) If you want to infuse spices or flavorings into your latte or cappuccino, then stir them into your hot espresso shot. Do not add syrups, flavorings, or ground spices into the milk before trying to froth it. (4) Finally, do not allow the milk to warm much longer than a few minutes over the boiling water. Steaming milk properly brings out its sweetness. If the milk is overheated, however, your latte will have a terrible scorched taste instead of a sweet one. That’s why my rustic frothing method is done double boiler style instead of in a pan sitting directly on the stove burner. It’s the best way to control the heat and prevent your milk from scorching.
For one serving, start with 2/3 cup of cold, fresh milk. Follow my directions for frothing the milk. After 60-90 seconds of whipping, when much of the milk in the mixing bowl has grown into a thick cloud of rustic foam dense enough to scoop with a spoon, you’re ready to create your cappuccino.
Step 1—Pour 1-2 shots of hot espresso (1 shot = 2 tablespoons) into an 8-ounce mug. The number of shots depends on how strong a coffee flavor you’d like in your drink.
Step 2—Stir in 1-2 teaspoons sugar, if desired. Or, if you’d like a flavored cappuccino, this is the time to stir in syrups or other flavorings.
Step 3—Carefully tip the mixing bowl and allow a bit of the steamed milk fluid to pour into the espresso. (Use a spoon to hold back the gobs of foam as you pour.) Finally, spoon the remaining thick foam into your mug—or as much as you can fit!
MAKING A RUSTIC LATTE
A latte is similar to a cappuccino. The difference is in the amount of foam—a cappuccino has much more foamed milk than a latte. For one serving of a latte, start with 2/3 cup of cold, fresh milk, right from the fridge. Follow my directions for frothing the milk. Do not whip the milk more than 20- 30 seconds. At that point, about half of the milk in the bowl should still be fluid and half foamy. Now you’re ready to make your latte. Simply follow the directions for my Basic Caffe Latte recipe on page 311.
Note on type of milk: In Italy, the use of full-fat whole milk is the standard. If you order a cappuccino with skim milk, they’ll look at you like you’re crazy. Why? La dolce vita—“the sweet life”—is the philosophy. It means you should savor the joy of living. If you’re going to have a cappuccino, have it with the better-tasting milk and drink with joy. If you want to limit the fat and calories in your drink, however, by all means use 1% or skim milk for most of the recipes in this book.
In Italy, ending a meal with a freshly made demitasse of espresso is not only common, it’s also thought to aid digestion of the meal. Here are some ideas for serving espresso as an after-dinner experience in your home.
ESPRESSO ROMANO “SWEET”
“Sweet” is my own term for this way of serving espresso that I’ve seen in some Italian-American homes. Rub the edge of your cup with a lemon wedge, then dip the dampened edge in sugar and sip the espresso through the sweet, lemony rim.
ESPRESSO WITH CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
Simply serve the espresso with the candied citrus peel on the side of the demitasse saucer. See my recipe on page 364 for instructions on how to make your own candied orange, lemon, or grapefruit peels.
ESPRESSO AMERICANO
Pour 1 shot of hot espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Fill the rest of the mug with hot water.
ESPRESSO WITH SAMBUCA
Serve the demitasse of espresso with a shot of Sambuca on the side. Sambuca is an Italian liqueur with an anise flavor—and Italians believe that anise aids digestion after a meal. Traditionally it is served in a shot glass with roasted coffee beans floating on top. The beans can be ignored as ornamental, or you can chew them to increase the anise flavor of the liqueur. Three coffee beans is traditional good luck, standing for health, happiness, and prosperity. So when you serve your guests, count accordingly!
CAFFE CORRETTO (“CORRECTED COFFEE”)
Add ½ teaspoon of brandy or grappa (Italian brandy) to 1 shot of hot espresso.
ESPRESSO AMARETTO
Add 1 teaspoon of amaretto to 1 shot of hot espresso. Especially delicious served with Dante’s Christmas Fruitcake Cookies and Mike Quinn’s Cherry Cordial Fudge. (See recipes for these goodies and more in the following section.)
ESPRESSO ANISETTE
Add 1 teaspoon of anisette liquor to 1 shot of hot espresso. Serve with a lemon twist.
ESPRESSO KAHLUA
Add 1 teaspoon of Kahlua to 1 shot of hot espresso. Top with a bit of milk foam.
ESPRESSO WHISKEY
Add ½ teaspoon of Irish whiskey to 1 shot of hot espresso. Top with a bit of whipped cream.
ESPRESSO RUM
Add 1 teaspoon of dark rum to 1 shot of hot espresso. Top with whipped cream and a dash of ground cinnamon.
ESPRESSO COCONUT RUM
Add 1 teaspoon of Malibu rum to 1 shot of hot espresso. Malibu rum is made in Barbados with natural coconut extract. Top with a bit of whipped cream and a garnish of lightly toasted flaked coconut. A spirited accompaniment to Clare’s “Bar-ista” Special Macaroons. (See recipe on page 339.)
Flavored syrups date back to antiquity, when honey was used as a preservative for fresh fruit juices so that flavored drinks could be enjoyed all year long. As time went on, syrups evolved into flavors such as mint, orange, lemon, and almond and became a popular way to mix a refreshing drink. These days in Europe, flavored syrups are added to sparkling water to make classic “Italian sodas,” while in North America, they are more commonly found as a way to flavor a coffeehouse latte or cappuccino.
The flavored latte revolution is actually a very recent one. As the story goes, a coffee industry veteran named “Brandy” Brandenburger noticed bottles of Torani brand syrup behind a counter in San Francisco’s Caffe Trieste. These bottles were being used to create Italian sodas, but Brandy decided to bring home a bottle and experiment with espresso and steamed milk, and voila! The first flavored caffe latte was born! By the 1990s, adding syrups to espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos was an idea that had spread across the United States.
These days, there are a dizzying array of syrup flavors to choose from—not just vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut, but also butter rum, carrot cake, chocolate chip, maple spice, eggnog, English toffee, pistachio, piña co lada, roasted chestnut, tiramisu, toasted marshmallow, and many, many more! The possibilities for flavor combinations alone can make your head spin—and your mouth water.
As far as what brand of syrup to buy, coffeehouse pros will usually advise you to look for quality syrups that use pure cane sugar as the sweetening agent. Here are three great brand names to get you started. Go to their Web sites to learn more about the flavors they offer and where to purchase them. These sites are great. They even offer recipes! (Note: If any company does not sell its syrups directly to you from its Web site, just look for the link on the site where it suggests online retailers that do sell to the public.)
Torani—This is the oldest American brand of gourmet syrup, started in 1925 by Italian immigrants in San Francisco. www.torani.com
Monin—Monin was founded in France in 1912. Enjoyed for nearly a century by Europeans, it came to the American market in the early 1990s. www.monin.com
DaVinci Gourmet—This respected brand was launched in Seattle in 1989. www.davincigourmet.com
Tips for Using Gourmet Coffee Syrups
No need to add sugar—I love this. When you add a syrup to a drink (whether it’s a latte, a steamer, or a cold sparkling water), you’re automatically sweetening it, so there’s no need to add more sugar. One tablespoon of syrup equals about 1½ teaspoons of sugar and it brings plenty of flavor to the party, too, not just sweetness. (Sugar-free syrups are also available.)
Italian sodas—Just as the Europeans do, you can mix syrup flavors with sparkling water to create your own Italian sodas at home.
Cremosa—A cremosa is an Italian soda with a little cream, milk, or half-and-half added.
Steamer—A steamer is a latte without the espresso, and it’s great for kids or for someone who likes the idea of a delicious, warm latte but doesn’t want any caffeine. Simply warm some milk in a saucepan and add the syrup as a jazzy alternative to hot cocoa. A gingerbread-caramel steamer, chocolate-chestnut steamer, or eggnog-butter rum steamer, for example, would be delicious to serve around the holidays. Just look for those syrup flavors among the brands on the market.
Desserts and baking—You can drizzle gourmet coffee syrup over ice cream or fruit (poached pears, caramelized bananas, glazed peaches, fresh strawberries). You can even add them to a favorite recipe for a slightly different flavor profile. For instance, you might add 1 tablespoon of hazelnut syrup to your chocolate chip cookie recipe; 2 tablespoons of rum syrup to a yellow cake mix; or 1-2 tablespoons English toffee syrup to your favorite brownie recipe.
Syrups with “spirit”—Gourmet syrups are nonalcoholic, even the rum and crème de menthe flavors are alcohol free! But if you’d like to be your own bartender and make your own version of a liqueur, just combine any flavored coffee syrup with vodka in a 1:1 ratio. One ounce of cherry syrup and 1 ounce of vodka, for example, will give you 2 ounces of cherry liqueur. You can serve these in a decorative shot glass with after-dinner coffee, or add espresso and steamed milk for a “spirited” caffe latte.
Using a Syrup Pump—A syrup bar can be a lot of fun, especially for parties where guests can experiment with mixing flavors. If you like the idea of setting up your own coffeehouse-style syrup bar—for coffee drinks, cold drinks, or Italian ices—then consider purchasing pumps to dispense the syrup. These plastic pumps are inexpensive and reusable. (Just remember that every syrup company offers its own pump to fit its own bottles—some Web sites sell them with the syrups and some under the heading Accessories.) As far as measure, a syrup pump will give you ¼ ounce per pump (¼ ounce = ½ tablespoon or 1½ teaspoons). Coffeehouse baristas use pumps regularly, which is why they memorize drink recipes by number of “pumps” per cup. Tastes vary and some syrups carry much stronger flavor profiles than others, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1 pump of syrup for every 4 ounces of other liquid (coffee, carbonated water, milk, etc). So for an 8 ounce drink, you’d add 2 pumps of syrup (1 tablespoon). For a 12 ounce drink, you’d add 3 pumps of syrup (1½ tablespoons); and so on.
Step 1—For one serving, start with 2/3 cup of cold, fresh milk, right from the fridge. Heat the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method for creating cappuccino and latte froth (page 300).
Step 2—Into an 8-ounce mug, pour 1-2 shots of hot espresso, depending on how strong a coffee flavor you’d like in your latte. Remember that 1 shot = 2 tablespoons.
Step 3—Stir in your favorite flavored syrup—1-2 tablespoons (or 2-4 pumps from a syrup bottle), adding more or less, depending on the strength of the particular syrup and your own taste. Stirring the syrup into the hot espresso helps infuse it into the drink. Or skip the syrup if you want a plain traditional latte.
Step 4—Carefully tilting your milk pitcher or bowl, pour the steamed milk into your 8-ounce mug, filling it nearly to the top. (Use a spoon to prevent any foamed milk from pouring out, too.) Stir the mug again to distribute the flavor.
Step 5—Spoon the remaining foamed milk onto your drink. Serve plain or, depending on the syrup flavors you may have added, garnish with any number of finishers: whipped cream, a dusting of sweetened cocoa powder, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, white or dark chocolate shavings, or even rainbow or chocolate jimmies (aka sprinkles).
NOTE: If you don’t have an espresso machine or a stovetop Moka pot, simply brew up some dark-roasted coffee at double strength to use in my latte recipes.
CAFFE MOCHA
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup in Step 2. If you don’t have bottled chocolate syrup, try one of my Homemade Chocolate Syrups (page 313).
CAFFE CARAMELLA
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of caramel syrup in Step 2. Try my Homemade Caramel Syrup (page 315).
CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL LATTE
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of my Homemade Chocolate-Caramel Sauce in Step 2 (page 316).
TURTLE LATTE
Use my Basic Caffee Latte recipe. In Step 2, add ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) of my Homemade Chocolate-Caramel Sauce and ½ tablespoon of hazelnut syrup or a nut-flavored liqueur (such as Frangelico or amaretto). Top this latte with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate-caramel sauce, and chocolate jimmies or shavings.
APPLE PIE LATTE
Pour 1 shot of hot espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of my Homemade Apple Cider Syrup (page 317). Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk, created with an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Stir again to distribute the flavors. Top with a cloud of foamed milk and a drizzle of my Homemade Apple Cider Syrup.
RASPBERRY TRUFFLE LATTE
Pour 1 shot of hot espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) of my Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup (recipe follows) and ½ tablespoon of raspberry syrup. (You can make your own raspberry syrup by using my Easy Homemade Fruit Syrup recipe, which also follows.) Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk, created with an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Stir again to distribute the flavors. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Try serving with fresh raspberries on the side!
Makes about 1 cup
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
⅛ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Step 1—In a bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt (but not the vanilla). Add the water and whisk well until thoroughly blended. Pour into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture comes to a rolling boil; continue stirring and boiling the mixture for a full 7 minutes. (You’re watching for the syrup to reduce and thicken. It will also darken a bit.) If the mixture threatens to boil over, just reduce the heat a bit and keep stirring.
Step 2—After 7 full minutes, remove from heat. Allow to cool a minute and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator. When completely chilled, remove any skin from the top and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. I recommend storing this syrup in a standard plastic squeeze bottle in refrigerator. Once chilled, this syrup may firm up on you. Just reheat the bottle in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or set plastic bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
HELPFUL HINT: Chef’s say stirring in a continuous circle is not the best way to mix ingredients. Instead, stir in a figure eight, an S-shape, and a circle. In other words, vary the way you stir the pot to make sure the ingredients are blended well.
Makes about 1½ cups
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, milk, corn syrup, and cream. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and you have a smooth mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture boils, then keep it boiling for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. After 7 minutes, remove from the heat, let the mixture cool for a minute and then stir in the vanilla. Before storing, allow the syrup to come to room temperature. I recommend storing in a standard plastic squeeze bottle in refrigerator. Once chilled, this syrup may firm up on you. Just reheat bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a nonstick pan, combine the cream, whole milk, corn syrup, sugars, and salt. Stir over medium heat until smooth and blended. Bring to a roiling boil and maintain for 8-10 minutes. Keep stirring—do not let it burn! After 10 minutes, stir in butter; continue heating and stirring for another 3 minutes until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat. Let stand a minute, then stir in vanilla. Serve warm in your latte or try drizzling over ice cream, baked apples, or pie. Let syrup come to room temperature before pouring into a standard plastic squeeze bottle and storing in refrigerator. Once chilled, syrup will firm up a bit. To use right out of fridge, simply reheat plastic bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Makes about 2 cups
Use all of the ingredients in the Homemade Caramel Syrup recipe, plus:
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Step 1—Follow the directions for previous caramel syrup recipe. When caramel syrup has finished simmering and recipe asks you to add butter, increase amount by 2 tablespoons—for a total of 4 tablespoons added to caramel syrup mixture. Stir until butter is melted and then stir in the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. (Make sure cocoa is sifted or you’ll be battling lumps.)
Step 2—Remove chocolate-caramel sauce from heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon vanilla—as per previous caramel syrup recipe. If your hot sauce is still lumpy, transfer to heatproof mixing bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Let sauce cool to room temperature before pouring into a plastic squeeze bottle and storing in fridge. Once chilled, the sauce will firm up quite a bit (like a hot fudge sauce). To use right out of fridge, simply reheat plastic bottle in microwave for 60-90 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups apple cider
2 cups light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine apple cider, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a nonstick saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. After mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking or burning. The mixture will reduce and become thicker. Now add butter and stir continuously until completely melted. Remove pan from heat. After a minute, stir in vanilla. Syrup will thicken as it cools.
Serve in your latte or try this delicious Apple Cider Syrup over ice cream or even pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
318 CAFFE LATTE RECIPES
The best way to store homemade syrups is in a plastic squeeze bottle. To reheat fast, place bottle in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or set in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups water
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup of your favorite flavor of jam, jelly, or fruit preserves
Flavor suggestions: Raspberry, strawberry, peach, apricot, orange, blueberry, mango, mint.
In a nonstick saucepan, stir together water and sugar with your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. After 20 minutes, mixture should be slightly reduced and thicker. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Strain a second time if needed.) Allow to cool to room temperature in a bowl and remove any skin that forms. Transfer syrup to a plastic squeeze bottle and store in refrigerator. To re-warm syrup, simply place the plastic bottle in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath.
NOTE: If using an “all-fruit” preserve—the kind sweetened with fruit juice or concentrate instead of corn syrup—add about 10 minutes to the simmering process. The corn syrup in standard jellies and preserves is what helps the mixture thicken. If your jelly or jam does not have corn syrup in it (check the ingredient label), you’ll simply have to boil this mixture down a bit longer for the same result.
Unless otherwise indicated, the recipes that follow are for single servings.
Pour the espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in gingersnap syrup. Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk. (Use an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method on page 300.) Top with a cloud of foamed milk and a crisscrossing drizzle of gingersnap syrup.
Makes about 1½ cups syrup
2 cups water
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a nonstick saucepan, combine the water, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking or burning. The mixture will reduce and become slightly thicker. Remove pan from heat. After mixture cools a minute, stir in vanilla. Serve warm in your latte or try it over ice cream! The best way to store homemade syrups is in a plastic squeeze bottle. To reheat fast, place bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
2 teaspoons canned pumpkin
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
1 tablespoon vanilla syrup (or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar)
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
cup cold milk
Cinnamon stick
Step 1—In an 8-ounce mug combine canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract and sugar).
Step 2—Pour the hot espresso into the mug. Stir well to blend the flavors.
Step 3—Froth up the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Using a spoon to hold back the foam in your pitcher or bowl, pour the steamed milk fluid into the hot espresso. Add a cinnamon stick and stir to mix the flavors. Top with foamed milk.
NOTE: Pumpkin pie spice can be found in most grocery store spice sections. If you don’t have it or can’t find it, you can make your own. Simply mix the following ground spices to get 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
½ cup cold eggnog
¼ cup cold milk
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
Pinch ground nutmeg
Step 1—Combine the eggnog with the milk. Steam the liquid mixture using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Note that eggnog will scorch faster than milk, so watch the steaming process closely.
Step 2—Pour the espresso into your mug. Fill the mug with the steamed eggnog mixture. Top the drink with a bit of foamed eggnog mixture. Garnish with ground nutmeg.
½ cup milk
¼ cup white chocolate, chopped, or white chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 shots hot espresso or strong coffee
Whipped cream (optional)
Step 1—Combine milk and white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan aboutfull of boiling water. (The water level should be under the bowl but not touching it.) Stir constantly until chocolate is melted.
Step 2—Using a whisk or handheld electric beater, whip in the vanilla. Continue to whip about a minute until the warm mixture is loosely frothy.
Step 3—Pour the espresso into a large mug. Add the steamed white chocolate milk and stir to blend the flavors. You can top with whipped cream, but I serve it without. (This drink is absolute heaven. It tastes like a rich, warm coffee-infused milkshake! Enjoy!)
2/3 cup cold milk
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
1 candy cane
½ tablespoon kirsch (cherry liqueur) or cherry syrup
½ tablespoon crème de menthe liqueur or peppermint syrup
Whipped cream
Finely crushed candy canes (optional)
Step 1—Froth the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300).
Step 2—Pour the espresso into an 8-ounce mug and use the candy cane to stir in the kirsch and crème de menthe.
Step 3—Fill the rest of the mug, nearly to the top, with steamed milk and stir a second time with the candy cane to distribute the flavors. Top the drink with whipped cream and a sprinkling of finely crushed candy canes. Leave the whole candy cane in the mug for a festive serving touch!
2/3 cup cold milk
½ tablespoon orange syrup (see note) or Grand Marnier liqueur
½ tablespoon amaretto syrup or liqueur
Pinch of allspice
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
Cinnamon stick
Whipped cream
Step 1—Froth the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or the rustic stovetop method (page 300).
Step 2—Measure out the flavored syrups or liqueurs into an 8-ounce mug. Add the allspice, pour in the shot of hot espresso, and stir well with the cinnamon stick to distribute the flavors.
Step 3—Fill the rest of the mug, nearly to the top, with steamed milk and stir a second time with the cinnamon stick to mix the flavorings through the drink. Leave the cinnamon stick in the mug to continue adding spiced flavor. Top the drink with whipped cream.
NOTE: You can either use bottled orange syrup or follow the Easy Homemade Fruit Syrup recipe (page 318), using orange marmalade to create your syrup. You can also use the orange bar syrup that’s created as a byproduct of making the homemade candied orange peels (page 364).
2/3 cup cold milk
1 tablespoon Homemade Caramel Syrup (see note)
1 tablespoon Homemade Raspberry Syrup (see note)
2 shots of hot espresso or strong coffee
Powdered sugar for garnish
Step 1—Steam the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my stovetop method (page 300).
Step 2—Measure homemade raspberry and caramel syrups into an 8-ounce mug, add the hot espresso and stir.
Step 3—Fill the rest of the mug, nearly to the top, with steamed milk (using a spoon to hold back the foam in your pitcher or bowl) and stir a second time to distribute the flavors through the milk. Top the drink with a cloud of foamed milk; garnish with crisscrossing drizzles of homemade raspberry and caramel syrups and a light dusting of powdered sugar. (It really does taste like a jelly doughnut!)
NOTE: To make your own raspberry and caramel syrups, see Easy Homemade Fruit Syrup and Homemade Caramel Syrup recipes (pages 318 and 315).
At the start of the holiday season, Clare Cosi mixes up a big batch of this sugar cookie dough and keeps it in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic. When she’s ready to make a sheet pan full of cookies, she breaks off a piece of dough about the size of an orange, rolls it out, and bakes up a panful so she can serve freshly baked cookies to guests with their after-dinner coffee.
Makes 48-60 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters and how thin or thick you prefer to roll your dough.
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature!
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Step 1—Make your dough: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the room temperature eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a smooth dough forms. (Do not overwork dough or your cookies will be tough.) Lightly pat the dough into a big ball, wrap snugly in plastic, and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 2—Roll your dough: First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Break off an orange-sized ball of dough, place it on a flat surface that’s been rubbed with flour, and (if you know what you’re doing) roll away! For a thin, crisp cookie—which Clare recommends—roll the dough between ¼ and ⅛ inch thick. If you prefer a thicker cookie, roll the dough ½ inch thick.
WARNING: If you skipped the chilling of the dough as suggested in Step 1, it may be too warm to work with and will stick to everything. So chill it, baby! When you take it out of the fridge, it will be firm. If it’s too firm, let it warm until it becomes pliable. If you start having trouble rolling out the dough, then read the following suggestions to prevent sticking, tearing, or the toughening of your cookies by adding too much dusting flour!
Parchment paper solution: A good way to prevent dough from sticking is to roll the dough out between two flour-dusted sheets of parchment paper. The best method for rolling, by the way, is to roll in one direction, then turn the dough (paper and all) clockwise to the right and roll again. Keep turning the dough and rolling, turning the dough and rolling, until it’s nice and thin. Before removing the paper, slide the sheet of rolled-out dough (paper and all) onto a flat pan and place the whole thing in the fridge to chill for ten to fifteen minutes. This will firm up the butter in the dough and make it less sticky so you can easily peel away the top sheet of paper without chunks of dough sticking to it.
Step 3—Cut your dough: Once the dough is all rolled out, cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies carefully on a sheet pan covered in parchment paper or silicon sheets. (If you have neither, use cooking spray to keep the cookies from sticking.) Ball up any remaining dough pieces and either place them back with the remaining dough in your fridge or roll them out all over again to cut more cookies.
Step 4—Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so watch your cookies and don’t let them overcook or they’ll be tough instead of tender! Determine the best time for baking based on your own particular oven and your cookie’s size and thickness.
Step 5—Decorate: While your freshly baked cookies are still on the sheet pan, brush them with Sugar Cookie Glaze and sprinkle with colored sugar.
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Few drops food coloring
Combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Clare makes three bowls of this glaze: one with red food coloring, one with green, and one she leaves as a clear glaze with no coloring. After creatively “painting” her holiday cookies, she sprinkles them with colored sugar.
This is a mini version of the cookies that Clare baked for Mike Quinn the morning after she found Alf’s body; when she asked her baker to reproduce batches to sell in the Village Blend pastry case, they sold out in record time! Chopped pistachios are what give this festive cookie its hint of green, and dried cranberries provide the cheerful red accent. Dipping the top edges in melted white chocolate bestows holiday richness while mimicking a kiss of winter snow. Clare’s addition of ground cinnamon is unconventional for biscotti, but the hint of holiday spice strikes a surprisingly harmonious chord with this combination of flavors. The melted butter imparts a pleasant taste, too; and while the addition of shortening to any biscotti recipe reduces its shelf life, these cookies look and taste so good, they disappear quickly anyway!
Makes 36-40 mini biscotti
1 cup dried cranberries, or “Craisins”
1 cup pistachios (I use dry roasted, salted pistachios from the snack food aisle and remove shells by hand.)
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk (save egg white for glaze)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups white chocolate, chopped into small pieces or use chips
Step 1—Prepare Red and Green Goodies: Place dried cranberries in a bowl and cover with hot tap water to plump up. Let sit for at least 15 minutes but no longer than an hour. Drain well before adding to recipe. For pistachios: Remove shells, measure out 1 cup’s worth, then roughly chop. Clare simply places nuts in a plastic bag and bangs away with a ladle or meat hammer. (If using a food processor or spice grinder, be careful. You want roughly chopped pistachios not green powder.)
Step 2—Make dough: Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolk, and sugar for 2 full minutes. Add vanilla and melted (and cooled) butter and beat for another full minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Now marry your wet and dry ingredients, mixing only enough to form dough. Fold in drained, dried cranberries and roughly chopped pistachios. (At this stage, Clare dusts her hands with flour and uses her fingers to fold in the goodies, making sure they’re evenly incorporated. Just take care not to overwork the dough.)
Step 3—Form logs and glaze: Divide dough into two equal portions. On a floured surface, use floured fingers to form each portion into a round log measuring 12-inches long and no more than 1-inch in diameter. Place both logs onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silicon sheets to prevent sticking. Press down lightly to flatten a bit. These skinny logs will spread out more during baking so be sure they’re well separated. Using a pastry brush, glaze the unbaked logs with the reserved egg white (just whip it up a bit with a fork before brushing). Now sprinkle both logs with granulated sugar. The glaze will help brown the logs and hold them together when you slice them.
Step 4—Bake and slice: Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 25 to 35 minutes (depending on your oven). Logs are finished baking when they are light golden brown, firm to the touch, and cracking a bit on the surface. Remove from oven, transfer off the hot baking sheet, and let cool completely. Wait at least 1 hour (3 is better!) and slice up like a loaf of bread. Ideally, cookies should be about ¾ of an inch in thickness. Each log will yield 18 to 20 mini-biscotti, depending on how thick or thin you slice them. For tips on preventing crumbling, see CLARE’S CRUMBLE ALERT at the end of the recipe.
Step 5—Second baking: In Italian the term “biscotti” actually means baked again. So turn the sliced mini-cookies onto their sides and bake again, in 350ºF oven, for 8 minutes on one side, then carefully (don’t burn your fingers!) turn over and bake another 7 minutes on the other side. You want your cookies to dry out and toast a bit on the surface.
Step 6—Dip in White Chocolate: Let your biscotti cool completely and then dip the top edges of each cookie with melted white chocolate. (Melting chocolate is easy but tricky. See melting instructions at the end of this recipe.) Set your freshly chocolate-dipped cookies on flat plates covered with wax or parchment paper for easy clean-up. (Do not use paper towels. They’ll stick to the chocolate!) Wait until chocolate hardens before moving again. To speed up this process, I pop the plates in the freezer for 5 minutes (just be sure to use the wax or parchment paper or some may freeze to the plate). Then fire up the coffee maker or espresso machine and enjoy!
CLARE’S CRUMBLE ALERT: Here are four tips to help prevent mini-biscotti from crumbling: (1) Let your logs cool completely, 3-4 hours is best. You can even allow the cooling logs to rest overnight. (2) Use a sharp, non-serrated knife. (3) Press straight down. No sawing. (4) Don’t try to slice cookies any thinner than ½ inch (¾ of an inch is ideal). Inevitably, a cookie or two will break apart. No worries, a few usually do (and you wanted to taste them anyway, didn’t you?). In the end, remember what Nonna Cosi always said: “Good is better than perfect.”
WARNING: Make sure your bowls, pans, and utensils are completely dry before you begin. Even a few drops of water can make the chocolate seize up!
Easy microwave method: Place chopped chocolate pieces or chocolate chips in a dry microwave-safe bowl and warm on medium power for only 30 seconds. (Why? Because you are trying to prevent scorching, which will ruin the taste of your chocolate!) Now take the bowl out of the microwave and stir it with a dry rubber spatula. Continue warming, 30 seconds at a time, stopping to stir each time. As the chocolate gets closer to melting completely, shorten the interval to 15 seconds, continuing to stir until the chocolate is just melted. Because of their milk solids, white chocolate and milk chocolate are more sensitive to scorching than dark, so be careful not to overheat.
Stovetop method: Place chopped chocolate pieces or chocolate chips in the dry top of a double boiler with hot water in the pan beneath. If you don’t have a double boiler, create your own by placing a dry, heatproof glass or metal bowl over a saucepan with hot water in it. The fit between your larger bowl and smaller saucepan beneath it should be snug and not loose. WARNING: The water you use should be hot but not boiling or simmering; neither should it be touching the container holding the chocolate. While your white chocolate melts, stir constantly with a dry rubber spatula. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. Do not allow it to scorch!
To bring the taste of home-baked holiday spices to her coffeehouse customers, Clare created these light, moist, gingery muffins for the Village Blend’s pastry case. You’ll notice there is no sugar in the muffin part of this recipe. The sweetness comes from the pure maple syrup, which is an important ingredient to get right. Pure maple syrup is not the same thing as “pancake syrup.” Pancake syrup is usually just maple-flavored corn syrup. Be sure to use real maple syrup for this recipe or the texture of your muffins will be dry instead of moist and buttery, and the taste will be less appealing, too. When in doubt, check the label. As Clare puts it: “Pure maple syrup will list only one ingredient—maple syrup!”
Makes 12 muffins
1 cup raisins
2 extra large eggs, room temperature
1 cup pure maple syrup (do not substitute pancake syrup)
1 tablespoon molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice (see note)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Step 1—Make the batter: First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place your raisins in a bowl and cover with hot tap water for 15 minutes to plump. Drain the water and set the raisins aside. Using a whisk or electric mixer, whip up the (room temperature) eggs for two minutes, until they double in volume, then beat in real maple syrup, molasses, sour cream, milk, and melted butter. In a second bowl, stir together the flour, ginger, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Now blend your dry ingredients into your wet ones, fold in raisins, and mix the batter just enough until blended (do not overmix at this stage or your muffins will be tough).
Step 2—Bake the muffins: Spray the tops of your standard muffin pans with a nonstick cooking spray to prevent big muffin tops from sticking. Line 12 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Fill each cup with the thick batter. (You may think there’s too much batter for 12 standard muffin cups, but it’s the right amount.) Don’t be afraid to heap the batter high, dividing it evenly among the cups until all the batter is used up. Filling the cups this much will create big, coffeehouse-style muffin tops. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 350ºF.
They’re done when a wooden skewer or knife inserted in the center of a test muffin comes out clean.
Step 3—Dust or glaze: Muffin tops will spread out during baking and fuse together. Use a knife to carefully separate them. Then remove the muffins from the pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle (about 5 minutes). Do not leave the muffins in the hot pan to cool or the bottoms will steam and become tough! You can pretty up these muffins with a light dusting of powdered sugar (shake the sugar through a fine-mesh sieve) or you can glaze the tops with the Warm Holiday-Spice Glaze below. Let cool completely before glazing.
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon allspice
1¼ cup powdered sugar
Warm pure maple syrup, butter, water, and allspice in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Keep stirring and heating, simmering for a few minutes, until mixture is smoothly blended. This is a thin glaze that will appear almost transparent on the muffins. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top of your cooled muffins while the glaze is still warm. If glaze hardens up in pan, reheat and stir. Serve glazed muffins immediately or let the glaze cool first. Glaze will harden in 20 to 30 minutes.
NOTE: Sure, it sounds like a combination of spices, but allspice is actually one spice that mimics the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Because the cost of buying spices can be pricey—especially ground cloves—allspice is not only a delicious alternative, it’s a clever way to keep your holiday baking within your budget. The pea-sized allspice berry comes from the evergreen pimiento tree, by the way. Although the tree is grown in the West Indies and South America, Dexter’s island of Jamaica provides most of the world’s supply!
As Clare noted in one of her old In the Kitchen with Clare columns: Your basic coconut macaroon is simply a cookie made with lots of flaked coconut that’s mixed into a paste and baked. One way to do this is with sweetened condensed milk and egg whites. Another way is to combine a 14-ounce package of sweetened flaked coconut (5cups) with cup granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons flour, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Fold in 4 egg whites that have been lightly beaten with a fork and mix well. Create cookies by packing the coconut batter into the rounded tablespoon (from your measuring spoon set) and dropping onto a cookie sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper or well greased to prevent sticking. Using your fingers, mold each cookie into a little pyramid. The triangular shape actually helps the cookie to brown on the outside for a slightly crispy bite while remaining soft and chewy on the inside. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges of cookie are golden brown. Do not over bake or inside won’t give you the proper chewy consistency. (Makes about 30 cookies.)
Clare’s “Bar-ista Special” Macaroon recipe puts the basic macaroon on top of a bar cookie that’s quick and easy to make and sell out of the coffeehouse pastry case.
Makes 16 bars or 36 bite-sized squares
For the cookie crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 egg yolks, room temperature (save whites for topping)
For the macaroon topping:
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut, not shredded
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Step 1—Make cookie crust: First, preheat the oven to 325°F. Using an electric mixer, blend all of the cookie crust ingredients together. Using your fingers, press the dough into a 9-inch square pan that’s been greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. No more! You want the cookie crust to set but not brown. Leave the oven at 325°F for Step 3.
Step 2—Make macaroon topping: In a small bowl, mix the coconut with the condensed milk. Let stand to soak. In a larger bowl, beat the egg whites until you see soft mounds. Keep beating while adding the sugar. When stiff peaks begin to form, fold in the milk-soaked coconut. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and spread the topping on the cookie crust.
Step 3—Bake macaroons: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into 16 bars or 36 bite-sized squares.
As with many Italian families, Clare Cosi grew up with the holiday tradition of eating “seven fishes” on the night before Christmas. Italian cooks take this tradition very seriously, coming up with many different fish dishes to serve. Clare’s grandmother almost always served this one. The clam sauce is so easy to make that Clare got into the habit of keeping cans of clams, packages of pasta, and Wondra flour in her pantry so she could throw together a quick, delicious meal without much notice—just the way she did for Mike Quinn the night she was arrested. Of course, Clare’s Nonna didn’t have “packages” of linguine. She always made her pasta from scratch. Those were the days!
Makes 4-6 servings
For the white clam sauce:
½ cup scallions (green onions), minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
24-ounces of canned minced clams
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
4 tablespoons Wondra flour (see note)
1½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
For the pasta:
5 quarts water
1½ tablespoons (5 teaspoons) salt
Splash olive oil
1 pound linguine (or pasta of your choice)
Step 1—Prepare ingredients: Put the pasta water over low heat and then mince the scallions and garlic and chop the parsley. Drain your canned clams, reserving the clam juice. (You’ll get about 2 cups.)
Step 2—Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Do not allow the butter to brown or burn! Add minced scallions and garlic. Sauté until the scallions are transparent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour until all of the liquid is absorbed. With the heat still on low, add the milk, stirring constantly to keep from forming lumps (whisk if you need to). Add your minced clams and half of the reserved clam juice (1 cup). Stir in your parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 3—Thicken the sauce: Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring. In about 3-5 minutes, you’ll see the sauce begin to simmer. Continue stirring and simmering on medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. When done, remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand about 10 minutes, letting flavors continue to blend while you cook your pasta.
Step 4—Cook the pasta: Turn the heat to high under the pasta water pot that you put on to boil in Step 1. As bubbles begin to appear, add the salt and a splash of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. When the water is at a roiling boil, add your pasta and stir the pot every so often to prevent sticking. Cook until tender—about 9-10 minutes, depending on your pasta. (Check the package instructions if you’re using premade pasta. Check your recipe if you’re using homemade.)
Step 5—Finish and serve: Drain the pasta, then return it to the original pot (now drained of water). Add the sauce and stir until well blended. Serve immediately with suggested garnishes (see note).
NOTE ON FLOUR: You can substitute regular flour in this recipe, but Wondra is a great product to have in your cupboard. This superfine flour helps thicken sauces and gravies with a minimum amount of lumps. Look for its blue cardboard canister in the same grocery store aisle that shelves all-purpose flour. (A handy, foolproof recipe for making a basic white sauce can be found right on the canister’s label, too.)
NOTE ON GARNISHES: A number of garnishes will work well with this dish. Try freshly ground black or white pepper, lemon zest, and/or sea salt. In lieu of salt—and contrary to those who say seafood should not be paired with cheese—I find a strong, aged cheese like Pecorino Romano lends a delicious, piquant note when freshly grated over this dish!
Because Gardner’s memories of the holidays always included Caribbean rum (thanks to his auntie), he contributed this deliciously decadent recipe. Sophisticated yet easy (and fun) to make, these treats blend the flavors of chocolate and dark rum with another ingredient Jamaica has long been proud of exporting—coffee.
Makes about 48 cookies
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature and cut into small pieces
3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon dark rum or 1½ teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee
¼ teaspoon salt
One or more of the following finishers: chocolate jimmies; toasted coconut; toasted almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or another favorite nut (see note on toasting nuts)
Step 1—Melt the chocolate: Melting chocolate is very easy, but also tricky. If you do it wrong, the chocolate can seize up on you and become coarse and grainy. If the chocolate scorches, the flavor will suffer. Avoid these disasters by following Clare’s directions for properly melting chocolate (page 335).
Step 2—Mix the dough: To avoid problems mixing the dough, you’ll want to keep the bowl of melted chocolate warm. If you used a microwave to melt the chocolate, then simply transfer the bowl to sit snugly over a saucepan with hot water in it. (The water should not be touching the bowl.) The pan of water can sit on your stovetop with the burner turned very low. Just don’t let the water boil or you’ll risk scorching the chocolate and ruining the taste of the cookies. To make the dough, work quickly: Stir in the softened butter pieces. After they have completely melted, stir in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Dissolve the instant coffee crystals into the dark rum and espresso, and then stir into the chocolate mixture. Finally, mix in the salt and the rest of your powdered sugar (the remaining 1/3 cups). If you’re having trouble getting the final bit of sugar to melt into the dough, you probably allowed the bowl to cool off too much. Just turn up the heat under the saucepan of water and keep stirring until all of the sugar is incorporated.
Step 3—Roll the balls: When the dough is smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated, begin making your cookies. This pliable dough should be warm yet cool enough to touch. (If it’s too warm, turn down the heat under your saucepan of water and keep mixing with a spatula until it’s cool enough to work with.) Using your hands, roll the mocha mixture into balls. These are very rich cookies so keep them small, no more than 1-inch in diameter. Between every few cookies, use a spatula to remix the dough, bringing up the warmer dough from the bottom of the bowl and folding it into the top layer. Troubleshooting: As you work, if you see liquid forming on the surface of the dough, then your dough is separating: Turn down the heat beneath your pan of water and fold the dough again, remixing with a rubber spatula until it’s smooth and dry and pliable once more. On the other hand, if you’re having trouble getting the garnish (below) to stick to your mocha balls, then your dough is too cool! Turn up the heat and make sure the dough is warm and sticky enough to allow the finishers to adhere to the surface.
Step 4—Garnish with flare: The brown balls themselves won’t look too impressive until you finish them. Immediately after you roll each ball, transfer it to a shallow bowl and coat with one of the following finishers: chocolate jimmies, toasted almonds ground finely in a food processor or spice grinder, toasted coconut. Gardner suggests dividing up your cookies and giving guests a variety of these flavor combinations.
Step 5—Serve or store: Place finished mocha balls on a flat surface and allow them to set. This will take one to two hours. Serve or store in an airtight container. Warning: Do not place mocha balls in fridge or freezer before cookies set on their own or you’ll end up with a cookie texture that’s grainy instead of smooth. For best results, simply allow cookies to remain in a cool, dry area of your kitchen until they’ve hardened enough to handle without changing shape. For a polished presentation, especially on dessert trays or party tables, nestle each mocha ball in its own fluted paper liner. (I use the mini muffin cup liners sold in the baking supplies aisle of my grocery.)
NOTE: To toast nuts or coconut, preheat oven to 350ºF, spread nuts or flaked or shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) in a single layer on cookie sheet and heat for 10 minutes. Stir a few times during this process to ensure even toasting.
A slice of fudgy heaven with hints of rum and coffee. Just as good, if not better, when served the day after baking. Of course, Dexter wants you to purchase dark Jamaican rum for this recipe, but any good dark rum will work; and (don’t tell him I told you, but...) here’s a good rule of thumb to remember for rum-flavored baking: If you’d rather not use alcoholic rum, you can always substitute rum extract by following this ratio:
1 tablespoon dark rum = 1½ teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon light rum = ½ teaspoon rum extract
Makes 1 sinfully fudgy single-layer cake (serves 8)
Butter
Granulated sugar
5 extra large eggs, room temperature!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons espresso or coffee brewed at double strength
2 tablespoons dark rum or 3 teaspoons of rum extract
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
Coffee-Rum Sauce, optional
Step 1—Prepare your 9-inch single layer cake pan: First, preheat the oven to 350°F. This cake is truly amazing, but you’ll be heartbroken if it sticks to your pan. The absolute foolproof method to prevent sticking is: (1) Generously butter the sides of the pan and dust with a bit of granulated sugar (dumping out excess). The sugar will give your cake its caramelized crust. (2) Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of your pan. (If you’ve never used parchment paper, look for it where wax paper and plastic wrap are sold.)
Step 2—Make your cake batter: Whip up room temperature eggs using an electric mixer. Continue beating 2 to 3 minutes until the eggs double in volume. Now mix in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Dissolve your instant coffee crystals into your espresso (or double-strength coffee) and dark rum, and add these ingredients to your eggs. To make sure the cornstarch blends in smoothly and does not clump, stir it into your powdered sugar first and then add these ingredients to the egg mixture. Continue whipping with your mixer for another minute or two, making sure the mixture is light and frothy. Set aside as you melt the chocolate.
Step 3—Add melted chocolate: Melt your chocolate. Very easy to do but just as easy to ruin—take care to follow Clare’s directions and warnings on page 335 (How to Melt Chocolate). Now slowly pour the melted chocolate into your egg mixture while continuing to beat with mixer. (You don’t want the warm chocolate to cook your eggs!) Set aside for a minute while you whip your cream.
Step 4—Whip your cream: In a separate chilled bowl, beat your cold heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff. Using a spoon or spatula, fold your freshly whipped cream into your chocolate batter.
Step 5—Bake:> Pour finished batter into your prepared 9-inch layer cake pan. In the process of rising, the cake may slosh a bit of batter over the sides of the pan. To prevent spillage in your oven, simply place a sheet pan on the rack beneath your cake pan. Bake for one hour. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. No kidding. Let that cake cool on a rack at least 40 minutes before removing or you’ll risk it breaking!
Step 6—Cool and plate: As the cake cools, you’ll see it fall and that’s okay. The finished cake should be dense and fudgy and only about 1 inch high. Don’t worry about any cracks on the cake’s top, either, because nobody will see them! After cooling at least 40 minutes, run a butter knife around edges of your cake pan.) Place your serving plate over the top of the cake and gently invert (like pineapple upside-down cake). Now gently peel away the parchment paper to reveal a perfect, level cake top. (See, I told you!) Leave cake inverted this way on the serving plate. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a wonderfully rustic presentation.
Step 7—Serve or store: To serve, cut the cake into slices. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream make delicious accompaniments for this baby. For a delicious and decadent finish, make the Coffee-Rum Sauce (recipe follows). Pool the sauce on the dessert plate and place your slice of Chocolate Rum cake right on top of the sauce, or scoop ice cream beside or on top of the cake and drizzle the warm sauce over both. This cake is even better the second and third day! To store, make sure it’s completely cool, then wrap in plastic, and store in a cool, dry area of your kitchen.
Coffee-Rum Sauce
Makes 1 cup sauce
¼ cup freshly brewed coffee
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dark rum or 3 teaspoons rum extract
1½ cups powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, warm brewed coffee over low heat (do not boil). Add butter, stirring until completely melted. Finally, stir in rum and powdered sugar. At no time should this mixture be allowed to boil. When sugar is completely dissolved, the sauce is ready to serve. Pool the sauce warm on each dessert plate and place a slice of rum cake right on top of sauce. This sauce is also delicious over ice cream! If you don’t have the time to make Dexter’s Flourless Chocolate Rum Cake, simply buy a pound cake from the bakery, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each slice, and generously pour the warm Coffee-Rum Sauce over it all.
Latkes or potato pancakes are Esther’s favorite Chanukah food. The Jewish custom of eating foods fried or baked in oil comes from the original miracle of the Chanukah menorah, which involved the discovery of a small flask of oil that lasted many more days than it should have—which is why the “Festival of Lights” is eight days long and is marked each night by the lighting of a new candle! Here’s Esther’s own unique spin on her mom’s traditional latke recipe, which adds the pungent flavor of roasted garlic as well as the aromatic notes of rosemary and scallion. You can even try experimenting with this recipe, replacing the fresh rosemary with a favorite herb of your choice. Serve the pancakes plain or with sour cream on the side. Yum!
Makes 2 servings or about nine 3- to 4-inch latkes; for family-size meals, you’ll want to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe and have two frying pans working at the same time!
10 garlic cloves, roasted and smashed (see note)
¾ cup onions (2 to 3 medium size onions), finely grated
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (optional) or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1½ pounds Idaho baking potatoes (about 3 medium russet potatoes)
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
Canola or light olive oil
Sour cream (optional)
Step 1—Prepare aromatics: First, preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large bowl, combine the garlic with the onions, scallions, rosemary, and salt.
Step 2—Grate potatoes: Do not peel your potatoes. Grate by hand with a simple box grater, or use a food processor. Add the grated potatoes to the bowl of aromatics and stir well.
Step 3—Press out moisture: Place the potato mixture in a large sieve and press down to strain out moisture. Esther notes that getting rid of excess moisture will help you create latkes that are crisp and golden brown. Now return the mixture to the bowl and stir in the egg to finish your latke mixture. Cook immediately.
Step 4—Fry pancakes: Place a heavy frying pan over medium heat and add oil, at least ½ inch deep. As Esther says, “Don’t freak over the amount of oil. It’s the temperature of the oil that makes for greasy latkes, not the amount of oil. Besides, the mitzvah is the oil!” When the oil is hot enough, begin cooking. (See note at the end of recipe on judging when oil is hot enough.) Pack potato mixture into a ¼ cup measuring cup. Turn out onto a plate in a little mound. Do this four times. Place the four mounds in quick succession into the hot oil and immediately flatten each mound into a 3- to 4-inch pancake. (Flattening is important or you may have latkes that are cooked on the edges but raw in the middle!) Cook each pancake for about 3 minutes on the first side, until the bottom is golden brown. Now flip and cook the other side 1-3 minutes until it’s golden brown, too. Do not flip more than once, but Esther suggests lightly pressing the pancakes a few times with your spatula during the cooking process to make sure the centers cook. Drain in a single layer on paper towels. Keep finished latkes warm in the 250ºF oven while you’re cooking the rest of the batter. Serve warm with sour cream!
NOTE: If your oil is too hot, you’ll burn the latkes. If your oil is too cool, your latkes will be greasy. Test the oil with a drop of water. When it dances or bounces on top of the oil, it’s ready. If the oil begins to smoke, it’s too hot! Also keep in mind that if you crowd the pan with too many latkes, the oil temperature will drop dramatically, so don’t fry too many at once—for big batches, have two pans going at the same time.
Using a whole head: Cut the top off the head (the pointed end), then wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Remove from the oven. Let the foil-wrapped garlic cool down enough to handle. Pop the warm, roasted garlic pieces out of their skin and you’re good to go. Roasted garlic is delicious and good for you! Try spreading it on slices of a French baguette or Italian bread, or mashing it and mixing it into your mashed potatoes!
Using prepeeled cloves from a jar or green market: Place your peeled cloves into a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a bit of oil (olive is best), and add a splash of water. Cover with foil, place in the oven, and bake as described for a whole head.
As a fine arts painter, Dante appreciates the jewel-toned colors of the traditional holiday fruitcake, but he never tasted a fruitcake he actually liked. This is his solution—yummy, buttery, refrigerator cookies with chopped candied fruit peeking through the batter like stained glass windows in a brown brick church. Like a hot cross bun, the simple snow-white glaze cross finishes off each treat, reminding us all of the reason for the season.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen refrigerator cookies, depending on how you slice them
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten with a fork
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon orange extract or 1½ teaspoons Grand Marnier
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1½ cups candied fruit, finely chopped and drained of any liquid (see note)
¼ cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Step 1—Make your dough: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugars. Add the eggs, sour cream, orange extract, vanilla, and lemon zest, and blend well. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, and nutmeg.
Step 2—Fold in your goodies: Using a large spoon or spatula, fold in the chopped fruit and (optional) pecans.
Step 3—Form your log and chill: Dust your hands with flour. Dump your dough onto a nice big sheet of wax paper. Form the dough into a long log about 1 foot in length and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log up tightly in the wax paper and chill well in refrigerator—at least 3 full hours. (Overnight is even better. You can even make the dough in advance of baking and keep in the fridge for a day or two.)
Step 4—Bake, cool, and glaze: First, preheat the oven to 375ºF. When ready to bake, unwrap your well-chilled log and make uniform slices between ¼ and ½ inch in thickness. Slicing tip: use a sharp, smooth knife (one that is not serrated) and press straight down, no sawing. Place cookies on a lined or greased cookie sheet and bake for 9-13 minutes. Cool completely and serve plain or drizzle a cross, like a hot cross bun, over each cookie with the easy Snow-White Glaze (recipe follows).
NOTE ON CANDIED FRUIT: Around the holidays, containers of ready-made candied “fruit and peel” are usually easy to find in grocery stores. (Always drain these well before using.) Like any homemade goodies, however, the quality of the final product is reflected in the quality of your ingredients. That’s why, like Dante, I always create my own candied fruit mix for these cookies. I start with jarred maraschino cherries (be sure to drain and chop before adding). To the cherries, I add chopped golden raisins and candied pineapple, bought at my local grocery store. Finally, I add candied orange peels, which I make myself at home—you can, too, just follow my recipe (page 364). It’s easy to create your own unique mix based on what appeals to you. Here are more suggestions: candied citron; candied papaya; dried blueberries, figs, dates, currants, cranberries, prunes; or any of your own favorite dried or candied fruits or peels. If you’ve got a really picky crowd to bake for or finicky kids and don’t think a fruit mix will fly, just drain and finely chop 1½ cups of maraschino cherries. Most people love these sweet cherries on their ice cream sundaes and should enjoy finding the same flavor in these buttery sweet cookies.
SNOW-WHITE GLAZE
Whisk together both ingredients and drizzle glaze in the shape of a cross (like a hot cross bun) over cooled Christmas Fruitcake Cookies. Let dry 20 minutes, then serve or store in an airtight container.
Tucker’s ex-Hollywood actress mom did love her bourbon. According to Tuck, this gingersnap recipe was something her southern family baked for years around the holidays. The whiskey-lemon glaze, however, was his mother’s own “spirited” version of the more traditional royal icing!
Makes 36-48 cookies
2½ cups cake flour (see note)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
2/3 cup milk
Step 1—Assemble dry ingredients: First, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and ginger. Set aside.
Step 2—Make dough: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar; add the molasses and milk, and blend again. While continuing to beat at a low speed, slowly add in your dry ingredients, blending just enough to make a smooth dough. Do not overbeat at this stage or your cookies will be tough.
Step 3—Wrap and chill: The dough will be very sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, overnight is fine, too. (You can also make the dough a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge.)
Step 4—Roll dough: Using a rolling pin, roll out the refrigerated dough on a flour-dusted board or between sheets of flour-dusted parchment paper. For tips on rolling out dough, see the recipe for Clare’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies (page 330). The biggest issue you’ll have is with the dough’s stickiness. Adding flour to your board and rolling pin will help. If using the parchment paper method, slip the flat sheets of paper (with the rolled-out dough between them) into the freezer for 10 minutes. Once the rolled-out dough is well chilled, it will firm up and separate more easily from the paper. The thinner you roll your gingersnap cookies, the crispier they’ll bake. Tucker suggests ⅛ inch, but you may prefer ¼ inch or thicker for a softer cookie. Experiment with what appeals to you.
Step 5—Cut cookies: Use your favorite shaped cookie cutter or a small biscuit cutter, or even the round rim of a juice glass. When you lift the snaps onto the baking sheet, be careful since they’re thin and soft. (Try slipping a metal spatula or pie server under the cutout cookie dough. Or bake the cookies right on the parchment paper where you rolled it.)
Step 6—Bake and glaze: Your baking sheet should be greased, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or lined with parchment or silicon sheets to prevent sticking. Bake for 8- 10 minutes. Cool on a rack and brush with Whiskey-Lemon Glaze (recipe follows).
NOTE ON CAKE FLOUR: I strongly recommend using cake flour for this recipe for the best results. Cake flour is milled finer and lighter than regular, all-purpose flour and will give you a more tender cookie. If you’ve never bought cake flour before, look for it in boxes (not sacks) in the grocery store aisle where all-purpose flour is sold. If I still haven’t convinced you to use cake flour, and you want to use all-purpose flour for this recipe, then make sure to reduce the amount of flour by ¼ cup. In other words replace 2½ cups cake flour with 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour.
WHISKEY-LEMON GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon whiskey
Too easy. Just place the sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and whiskey until smooth. Brush onto your freshly baked gingersnap cookies—but allow cookies to cool before glazing!
1 package of your favorite brownie mix
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions. Fold the pecans and chocolate chips into the batter. Bake according to the package directions. Cool, frost with Candy Cane Frosting (recipe follows), and cut.
CANDY CANE FROSTING
Makes 1¾ cups frosting—enough to frost a 9 × 13-inch pan of brownies (also fun to use on birthday cakes and cupcakes)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1-2 tablespoons milk
1½ cups powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract or 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps
¼ cup candy canes, finely crushed (see note)
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until it’s light and fluffy. Stop the mixer! Add the milk, sugar, and peppermint extract. Fire up that mixer again—at a low speed—and blend until the sugar is fully dissolved (about 1 minute). Add the crushed candy canes and beat at a higher speed until the frosting is light and fluffy (about 1 minute more). If the frosting is too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of milk. Frost your brownies, cut, and enjoy!
NOTE: To make finely crushed candy canes, simply place your store-bought candy canes in a plastic storage bag and bang the heck out of them with the back of a ladle or meat hammer. An instant holiday stress reliever, too.
Yes, this is the recipe Mike made for Clare. Mike’s mom gave him the recipe for this candy with helpful, handwritten notes. She made it almost every year at Christmas for family and friends.
30 maraschino cherries with stems (one 10-ounce jar has about 30 cherries)
¼ cup amaretto or other liqueur (optional)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 cups chocolate chips (see note)
NOTE: If you would like to use blocks of chocolate instead of chips, you’ll need 18 ounces, chopped into small, uniform pieces to ensure even melting. You can use milk, dark, or white chocolate for this recipe, depending on your preference. Or divide the total amount of chocolate into thirds and make a variety of chocolate cherry cordials: 1 cup of melted chocolate chips will cover 10-12 cherries.
Helpful hint on chocolate conversion:
6 ounces of block chocolate = 1 cup chips
Recipe notes from Mike’s mom: There are four simple steps to making this candy. Step 1 is getting the liqueur flavor into your cherries, which you need to do the day before you make this candy. If you don’t want your cherries to have any alcohol infused in them, you can skip the first step. Step 2 is creating the sugar coating around the cherry. Step 3 is dipping the candy-coated cherry in chocolate. Step 4 is letting the finished chocolate-dipped candy set in the fridge for 1-2 weeks so the sugar coating around the cherry has time to liquefy inside the chocolate shell, giving you the sweet liquid around the cherry center. So keep the timing in mind if you are planning to serve this candy for a special occasion. In other words, be sure to start well in advance!
Step 1—(Optional) Infuse cherries with liqueur flavor: Drain the liquid from one 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries, reserving the juice. If the reserved cherry juice measures less than ¾ cup, add water to make ¾ cup of liquid. In a saucepan, bring the cherry liquid to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 minutes before stirring in ¼ cup of any one of the following: amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur), Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur), white crème de cacao (clear chocolate-flavored liqueur), OR kirsch (cherry-flavored liqueur). Add the cherries and stir. Once the mixture has reached room temperature, transfer the cherries and the liquid to a bowl, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight or even longer if you’re in no hurry. You can allow them to sit for a few days or even a week. (NOTE: Liqueurs work best to create “spirited” cherries because of their high sugar content. Sweet wines and champagnes will also work, but stay away from hard alcohols like rum, whiskey, gin, and vodka—they’re strong, but they won’t give you a pleasant taste.)
Step 2—Create sugar coating: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and stir in the corn syrup. Add the sugar and continue stirring until it’s completely dissolved. Remove pan from heat and transfer the thick white mixture to a bowl. Let cool for a full 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep smooth. Use your fingers to mold about a teaspoonful of the white doughy mixture around each cherry. Be generous and make sure the entire cherry is covered, sealing it up to the stem. Place the finished cherries (stem-side up) on plates lined with wax or parchment paper. Chill in the fridge until firm—at least 3 hours.
Step 3—Briefly freeze cherries: To prevent the white sugar coating from melting off your cherries during this process, transfer the cherries from the fridge to the freezer for at least 10 minutes before you begin enrobing them in warm chocolate.
Step 4—Melt chocolate: You’ll need a heatproof bowl and a rubber spatula. Make sure both are completely dry. (Even a few drops of water can ruin the texture.) Place chocolate chips or pieces into the bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan with water. Turn heat to low and stir chocolate with your dry rubber spatula until it’s completely melted and smooth. Make sure the chocolate stays melted during the coating process or you’ll have trouble working with it. Just keep the heat on low beneath the pan and every so often, stir the melted chocolate. (Do not let the water boil or touch the bowl’s bottom or you’ll risk scorching the chocolate and ruining its taste.) For advice on properly melting chocolate, see How to Melt Chocolate instructions on page 335.
Step 5—Cover cherries with chocolate: Work in small batches, taking only five or six cherries out of the freezer at a time, keeping the rest chilled until it’s their turn. Do not dip the cherries. If you do, the sugar coating may melt right off into the bowl of hot chocolate! Instead, hold each cherry by its stem over the melted chocolate. Using a rubber spatula (spoons won’t work, the chocolate sticks too much), drip gobs of the melted chocolate down over the cherry, gently turning the cherry by its stem until it’s completely covered. As the chocolate drips off, pat the bottom with more chocolate to make sure the cherry is completely coated. For the candy to be successful, you need to seal up the entire cherry with chocolate, from the bottom to the cherry stem. Allow excess chocolate to drip off each cherry and then place them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Once the chocolate shells around the cherries have cooled and firmed up, transfer to a tightly covered container and store in the fridge for 1 week.
Step 6—Taste test: After 1 week in the fridge, the sugar coating around each cherry will break down and liquefy. Do a taste test to gauge when the cherry cordials are ready to serve. When you bite through the crisp chocolate shell, you should have a sweet semi-liquid center around your cherry. If you don’t, give it another 2 days and test again until your candy is ready to serve. (It can take up to 2 weeks.)
As a holiday tradition, Mike Quinn’s mother would infuse maraschino cherries with liqueur for her Chocolate Cherry Cordials (see the preceding recipe). What cherries were left over ended up in this quick and easy holiday fudge.
Makes about 2½ pounds of fudge
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2½ cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
5 ounce can evaporated milk
7½ ounce jar marshmallow fluff
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or 12-ounces of block chocolate, chopped
1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup maraschino cherries, drained, dried, and chopped (see note)
NOTE ON CHERRIES: For 2/3 cup, you’ll need about 25 cherries. (There are about 30 cherries in one 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries.) To infuse the cherries with liqueur, simply follow Step 1 in previous recipe for Mike Quinn’s Chocolate Cherry Cordials. Just make sure that you drain the cherries well and dry completely on paper towels. You don’t want excess liquid messing up your fudge!
Step 1—Combine ingredients: In a large nonstick saucepan, melt butter (do not let brown or burn). Add the sugar, salt, evaporated milk, and marshmallow fluff. Warm mixture over low heat, stirring until blended.
Step 2—Boil the candy: Bring to a boil over moderate heat. This will take 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to mistake escaping bubbles (from the air in the marshmallow fluff) for a real boil. Continue to boil slowly, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. (This entire step will take about 10 minutes.)
Step 3—Add the flavor: Stir in the chocolate chips or pieces until completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Finally, fold in the cherries, making sure (whether they are “spirited” or not) that they’re drained of all liquid and dried on paper towels. Now stir again for two minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. This final stirring is important. Be sure to stir for a full two minutes.
Step 4—Pour and set: Transfer to a 9 × 9-inch pan that’s been buttered or lined with parchment paper to prevent fudge from sticking. Even out the mixture with a dry rubber spatula and allow fudge to cool, uncovered, for at least 2½-3 hours before cutting. DO NOT place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up the hardening process, or the sugar in the fudge may crystallize and the final texture will be grainy instead of smooth. Simply let your pan sit at room temperature until completely firm. (Also, be sure to keep uncovered. If you put plastic or foil over the pan, the heat will condense liquid into the fudge and ruin it.) After 6-8 hours (or overnight), the fudge will be hard enough to store safely in the fridge without worry of crystallization. Or simply store the fudge in an airtight container in a cool, dry area of your kitchen.
HELPFUL HINT: Mike’s mom could never get her sons to wait more than 2½ hours to start gobbling up the fudge. If you live in a cold, dry climate, this shouldn’t be a problem. But if you’re living in a warm or humid climate, the center of the pan may still be a little soft after such a short time, so take care in removing the fudge squares. A smart way to serve fudge that’s still a little soft—or to give your fudge as a gift—is to place each fudge square in its own little, fluted paper holder. No need to scout out bakery supply stores for pretty paper holders, Mike’s mom recommends using fluted cupcake pan liners sold in most grocery store.
These sweet little strips of crystallized citrus can be a festive addition to after-dinner coffee trays, especially around the holidays. They’re also great flavor enhancers for recipes. Just chop up the strips and add ¼ cup to a favorite cookie, cake, or muffin recipe. Making your own candied peels also gives you a fantastic byproduct. If you follow this recipe, you’ll end up with 2 cups of incredible, citrus-infused syrup that can be used to sweeten iced tea or mix your holiday bar drinks.
The unused fruit can be stored in the freezer in small plastic bags and used to make smoothies. Candied citrus is also delicious with chocolate. Try giving your guests a variety of chocolate experiences to choose from in the serving bowl by dipping some strips in milk chocolate and others in dark or white chocolate. You can even offer different degrees of the chocolate-citrus taste combination—just the tip of the candied strip, half of the strip, or the entire strip.
Makes 70-90 sugared citrus-peel strips
7 average size or 5 very large oranges, navels work best (see note)
6½ cups granulated sugar
Optional holiday flavor ideas: 2 cinnamon sticks or 2 vanilla beans or 2 whole cloves.
Recipe Variation: This recipe will also work with 10 lemons or 5 grapefruit. Always look for citrus with thick skins.
Step 1—Cut and peel: Rinse and dry your fruit, and cut into quarters or eighths. Now gently separate the citrus skins from the fruit inside, taking care not to tear or rip skin. The easiest way to do this is with your fingers, as if you were peeling the fruit to eat it. Make sure to keep the white pith attached to the skin. The final citrus peels should include the white pith. (See my suggestions at the end of this recipe for what to do with the unused fruit.)
Step 2—Boil out the bitterness: Place your citrus peel sections into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and repeat. (Boiling two times removes bitterness.)
Step 3—Cook in simple syrup: In a saucepan (nonstick is best), stir 4½ cups of the sugar into 3 cups of cold water. (If using a flavor enhancer like cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, or cloves, then add to the pot now.) Bring to a boil. Add your citrus peels and turn the heat down to medium. Simmer the peels uncovered for 1 hour. When cooking is done, gently remove citrus strips from saucepan and drain. Keep the liquid! See note below on citrus-flavored bar syrup. Handle your peels with care at this stage. They are still wet and soft, so they can rip easily. (They’ll firm up as they dry.)
Step 4—Cut into strips and roll in sugar: When peels are cool enough to handle, use kitchen sheers to cut them into strips about ¼ inch thick. Roll the strips in the remaining 2 cups of sugar. Use more sugar if you need it.
Step 5—Dry the strips: Preheat the oven to 180°F. Spread the sugar-coated strips in a single layer on cookie sheets. Bake for 60-90 minutes. (Do not try to speed up the drying process by turning up the heat! Keep oven temperature low or you will melt the sugar! Do not leave in oven longer than 90 minutes for the same reason.) Remove from oven and transfer strips to a rack or paper towels to cool to room temperature (another hour at least, but you can allow to dry overnight if you wish). Once completely cool and completely dry, store in an airtight container. (If you store these while they’re still damp, they’ll become soggy and the sugar will begin to melt off. If that happens, simply re-roll in sugar and allow to dry at room temperature overnight before storing again.)
DIPPING IN CHOCOLATE: If you are going to chocolate dip part or all of your citrus strips, make sure they are completely dry first. For advice on properly melting chocolate, see How to Melt Chocolate instruction on page 335.
CITRUS-INFUSED BAR SYRUP: A fantastic byproduct of this recipe is the drained liquid leftover from boiling the peels. Do not discard this liquid. This is a citrus-infused simple syrup that can be used to sweeten iced tea or mix bar drinks. Simply allow the liquid to cool to room temperature, and then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. For mixing into bar drinks, here’s one suggestion: 1 part citrus-infused syrup to 4 parts club soda or seltzer. Serve over ice for a virgin drink or splash in some of your favorite alcohol: I like amaretto, but you can always add something stronger, such as vodka, gin, or (Gardner’s favorite) Caribbean rum!
UNUSED CITRUS FRUIT: The other byproduct of this recipe are sections of unused citrus fruit. Don’t let these go to waste. You can either drop them in a blender for a quick, delicious pint of fresh fruit juice. Or seal them in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer. Whenever you’re in the mood for a fruit smoothie, remove some of the frozen citrus sections and drop them in a blender with a sliced up banana, a bit of milk, and a few ice cubes (strawberries or blueberries are a great, healthy addition, too). Blend on high until smooth, pour into a chilled glass, and enjoy!
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