Let Them Eat Cupcakes

Cambridge’s Bastille Day celebration proved to have better food than the typical street festival. At this event - hot dogs, cotton candy and fried dough were replaced with Crème Brûlée, Macaroons, Paninis and pastries - served up by local french bistros and cafés. Although Holyoke Street would have by no means passed for the Champs-Élysées, its lively music and great food visibly made many local Parisans proud.
Sweet – Improper Bostonian’s 2009 winner of the Boston’s Best Cupcakes sold creamy Madagascar Vanilla Bean and Dark Chocolate cupcakes topped with butter cream frosting and decorated on-theme with red, white and blue sprinkles. Chez Henri took street food to the next level, with their version of vanilla bean Crème Brûlée - with sugar crusts being burnt to order. The dessert was the perfect combination of rich and creamy, with a thin and crunchy crust.

French or not - Bastille Day (July 14) is the perfect excuse to make your own Crème Brûlée. I am posting a copy of my favorite recipe to make at home. This recipe replaces the typical vanilla bean with fresh ginger, and is paired with a warm fruit compote. Bon appetit!!

Alfred Portale’s Ginger Crème Brûlée with Warm Plum and Raspberry Compote

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
4 6-ounce ramekins

Position a rack in the center of the over and preheat to 325 F. Place the ramekins in a large baking pan. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and ginger to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar. Gradually whisk in the cream. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl, and discard the ginger. Place the baking dish with the ramekins in the oven, and carefully ladle or pour the mixture into the ramekins. Using a teaspoon, skim off any foam on the surface of the custards.

Pour enough hot water into the baking pan to come ½ inch up the side of the ramekins. Bake until the custard sets firm (the centers will be slightly loose), 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the water bath and cool completely. Cover each Ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Warm Plum and Raspberry Compote

2 tablespoons butter
3 ripe dark-skinned black plums, pitted and cut into sixths
2-3 tablespoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of the plums
¼ cup fresh orange juice
½ pint fresh raspberries

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the plums and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the plums begin to release their juices, 3-4 minutes. Add the orange juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the orange juice is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in the raspberries.

To serve:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler. Rub the brown sugar through a wire sieve to cover each custard with a dusting of sugar. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil, watching carefully to avoid scorching, until the brown sugar has caramelized, 1-2 minutes. On a large plate, place a Crème Brûlée and a small dish of the compote.

A Berry Merry Birthday

In my culinary mind, a 'momentous birthday' deserves more than the typical layer cake. With Mitti - the birthday girl in-mind, I decided to go to a recipe from Gourmet magazine that combines summer’s ripe berries, zesty candied ginger and puff pastry. The combination is fresh, sweet and a little spicy…hmmm…the birthday girl 'to a T'!

NOTE: This patriotic-looking summer dessert would also be a great treat for the 4th of July.

Charlestown Culinary's Berry Tart with Ginger Lemon Cream (Based on recipe from Gourmet)

1 large egg yolk
2 (17 1/4-oz) packages frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
8 ounces neufchâtel cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped finely

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jelly

1 pint strawberries, halved
1 pint blueberries

1/2 pint red raspberries

Whisk egg yolk in a small bowl with a fork. Cover a chilled cookie sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the pastry dough, covering the cookie sheet. Prick the entire surface evenly with a fork. With the remaining dough, cut 1-inch-wide strips and place them along the border of the pastry (border should be two layers thick). Chill dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove dough from freezer. Make 1/4-inch-long vertical cuts through double layers of edge about 1/2 inch apart (to help sides rise evenly).

Bake dough in an oven at 450° until puffed and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Allow pastry to cool completely. In the meantime, blend the neufchâtel cheese, vanilla, zest and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add ginger and pulse until finely chopped and mixture is combined well.

In a small bowl, microwave jelly with water for 60 seconds. Toss strawberries and blueberries in mixture. On the cooled pastry, spread the ginger cream. On the cream, arrange the berries in a decorative pattern. Serve within 3 hours.

Happy B-anniversary!!

On Saturday night, Mr. Charlestown Culinary and I celebrated 2 momentous occasions: His parent's 39th wedding anniversary and his father's birthday. I would love to say I made the celebratory cake we had that night, but alas we purchased it from Konditor Meister in Braintree, MA. I don't think anyone minded though...

Vanilla cake soaked with Grand Marnier, with white chocolate mousse and fresh strawberry filling, butter cream frosting and chocolate covered strawberries

Kiss Me, I’m Portuguese

I am sure you have heard of kissing the Irish – but the Portuguese? The next time you visit Cape Cod, head to the Portuguese Bakery in Provincetown and you will see why. Here you can buy freshly fried malasadas – the Portuguese version of fried dough.Don't let the grease-stained bag scare you off. Just think of it this way – the more the bag soaks in – the less you are consuming. HINT: Buy an extra while you are there, the eggy fried dough tastes great the next morning cold with a hot cup of coffee.

P.S. They also pair perfectly with a trip to the gym!

Rascally Rabbit

Unfortunately, the Easter Bunny did not visit Mr. Charlestown Culinary and I on Sunday morning. SO-- we tried to lure him to our home with a dinner menu that we thought no bunny could resist:

• Golden Beet Salad
• Carrot Risotto
• Lemon Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms
• Hazelnut Lemon Meringue Tart

All dishes were made from scratch with my own recipes. But-none-the-less, that chocolate-carrying bunny was a no-show. If he only knew what he missed... Charlestown Culinary’s Golden Beet Salad

8 small golden beets, remove and reserve greens
1 orange
¼ shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chives
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Rinse and dry beets. In bunches of 4, wrap beets in foil. Roast in 425°F oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and segment 1 orange, squeezing excess juice into a bowl. To the orange juice add the shallots, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, chives, salt and pepper. Removed roasted beets from oven, cool, peel and quarter. Toss beets with orange segments and vinaigrette. Plate on beet leaves. Charlestown Culinary’s Carrot Risotto

3 cups carrots, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
¾ shallot, finely chopped
½ onion, diced
1 ¼ cup arborio rice
1 cup white wine
6 cups chicken stock
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chives, chopped

In a 10 inch sauté pan add chopped carrots and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add water until carrots are just covered. Cook until all water is reduced and carrots start to caramelize, remove from heat. In a blender, puree 1 cup of carrots with ½ cup hot water. Set remaining carrots aside. In the meantime, bring chicken stock to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

In the same pan used for the carrots, heat the remaining olive oil and sauté shallots and onions until soft. Add rice and stir until translucent. Add wine and stir until evaporated. Add carrot puree and 1 cup of stock. Stir until evaporated. Repeat process, stirring a cup of stock at a time. Towards the end of cooking, add the caramelized carrots, salt and pepper. Garnish with the chives.
Charlestown Culinary’s Lemon Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms

4 chicken drumsticks
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup vermouth
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, halved
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon corn starch
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Combine first 3 ingredients and marinade for at least 4 hours. Combine chicken and marinade with mushrooms, and bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully pour the lemon, mushroom sauce into a pan over medium heat. Turn oven up to 450°F and continue baking chicken until skin is crispy. Meanwhile, add chicken stock and corn starch to sauce and whisk until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with the chives.
Charlestown Culinary’s Hazelnut Lemon Meringue Tart

½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and finely ground
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup sugar
¼ cup corn starch
¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup cold water
4 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

For the crust, combine the ground hazelnuts, flour, brown sugar, olive oil, salt and water. Press into a deep 8 inch tart plan. Bake tart crust in a 425°F oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove crust and cool.

For the lemon filling, over medium heat, combine sugar, corn starch, lemon juice and water. Whisk in yolks, 1 at a time. Continue whisking until lemon mixture comes to boil. Pour thickened lemon mixture into the cooled tart crust.

For meringue topping, beat egg white with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and continue beating until shiny, stiff peaks form. Cover lemon mixture with meringue topping. Bake tart crust in a 325°F until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Twice-Baked

Every week Mr. Charlestown Culinary and his friends go to a bar in Somerville for trivia night. A few months back, in the category of 'Food', they were asked 'What Italian dessert translates to twice-baked?'. Unfortunately, he was not channeling his wife that night and was unable to answer the question correctly. The answer, as he now knows, was 'Biscotti'.
In one of my first blog posts, I posted my recipe for Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti. This time, I chose to follow a recipe from Bon Appétit. Although I love my recipe, I could not resist trying the combination of chocolate with hazelnuts and candied ginger.

Hints: To prevent crumbling while slicing, make sure to let the 'logs' cool completely and use a sharpened chef's knife instead of a serrated one. To make these breakfast friendly, I chose to cut back slightly on the sugar and omit the white chocolate drizzle. Also, to bring out the nuttiness of the Biscotti, I also added a teaspoon of almond extract.
Bon Appétit's Recipe for Chocolate, Hazelnut and Ginger Biscotti

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 ounces)
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Add 3 eggs and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and crystallized ginger (dough will be firm). Turn dough out onto floured surface. Gather into ball. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 12-inch-long log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten each to 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Brush logs with some of beaten egg.

Bake logs until golden and firm to touch, about 35 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut logs crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-wide slices. Place slices, cut side down, on large baking sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer Biscotti to racks and cool completely.

Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Place Biscotti on rack set over baking sheet. Using spoon, drizzle melted white chocolate decoratively in zigzag pattern over Biscotti. Let stand until chocolate is firm. (Can be prepared ahead. Store Biscotti in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.)

Course 4: Valrhona Chocolate Ebelskivers

Sometimes a meal is so filling, you need a break in between the entree and dessert. In my case, the delay between courses 3 and 4 of the 'Wine Scavenger Hunt' was due to a trip to visit my parents, Mom and Dad Culinary in New Mexico.

With the wine pairing and dessert my responsibility, I first started with my favorite dessert wine, Moscato d'Asti Nivole. Nivole, is a lightly sparkling wine from Italy that is crisp and fruity without being overwhelmingly sweet. Mr. Charlestown Culinary and I have enjoyed this wine numerous time, twice on very special occasions - the night we got got engaged and at our wedding. To complement the sweetness of the wine, I made ebelskivers filled with Valrhona chocolate. To balance the sharpness of the french dark chocolate, I served the dessert with a raspberry chambord sauce and freshly whipped cream.

Course 3: Coq au Vin

Prior to Saturday night, the best Coq au Vin I have ever eaten was while wine-tasting in France with my friend Marije. We had the Coq au Vin for dinner the first night of our week-long trip at a little inn in Beaujolais. I remember the dish as being extremely tender, rich and flavorful.

Although made with chicken, versus the traditional rooster, I believe Saturday night's entree, as part of the 'Wine Scavenger Hunt', rivalled the dish I had 3 years ago in France. The dish was based on a a recipe from epicurious.com, and was served with a fruity and spicy Haut-Medoc that was paired by the 'Passionate Salter'.

Charlestown Culinary's Recipe for Coq au Vin, adapted from Epicurious.com:

Chicken Marinade:
1 750-ml bottle French Burgundy or California Pinot Noir
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled, flattened
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4 chicken thighs, 4 drumsticks

Combine wine, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and peppercorns in large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Cool completely. Place chicken pieces in large glass bowl. Pour wine mixture over chicken; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 2 days, turning chicken occasionally. For cooking chicken:Using tongs, transfer chicken pieces from marinade to paper towels to drain; pat dry. Strain marinade; reserve vegetables and liquid separately.

To Finish the Coq au Vin:

6 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, diced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 large shallots, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
4 large fresh parsley sprigs
2 small bay leaves
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 pound baby bella mushrooms sliced in half
10 cipolline onions, peeled
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy large pot (wide enough to hold chicken in single layer) over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to small bowl. Add chicken, skin side down, to drippings in pot. Sauté until brown, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to large bowl. Add vegetables reserved from marinade to pot. Sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in reserved marinade liquid. Bring to boil, whisking frequently. Cook until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally, about 2 minutes. Mix in shallots, garlic, herb sprigs, and bay leaves, then broth. Return chicken to pot, arranging skin side up in single layer. Bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and simmer chicken 30 minutes, skimming off fat as the chicken cooks. Using tongs, turn chicken over. Cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cooking until nicely browned. Transfer onions to bowl. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet. Add mushrooms and half of bacon, sauté about 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate. Strain sauce from pot into reserved skillet, pressing on solids in strainer to extract all sauce; discard solids. Bring sauce to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Return sauce to pot and add salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to sauce. Cool slightly. When ready to serve, skim off fat. Add onions and bacon mushrooms and rewarm over low heat.

Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin served with Blanched Asparagus and Roasted Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes

Oompa Loompa Doom-pa-dee-do

Have a chocolate craving? Mr. Charlestown Culinary and I found your cure. On Valentine's Day, we followed up our meal at Casablanca's with a walk around Harvard Square and dessert at L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop and Cafe.

Although crowded with couples, the experience was amazing. We both ordered their famous hot chocolate, which was amazingly rich and creamy. That alone, could have been dessert. But our eyes and stomach had their say and we ended up sharing a slice of their Linzer Torte. A combination of almond, hazelnut and raspberry - it paired phenomenally with our chocolate beverages.

Happy Valentines Day

For Valentines Day I made Mr. Charlestown Culinary carrot cupcakes. In my mind - nothing says 'I love you', like making someone their favorite food.

For the mini carrot cakes, I followed a recipe from Martha Stewart. With a few additions (extra carrots, freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins), the results were spicy, moist and delicious.

Even better, I left half the cakes unfrosted and we enjoyed them for breakfast this morning.

'C' is for Cookie

While flipping through a copy of Cooking Light, my husband's eyes and stomach lit up for their Espresso Crinkles. Being the sport that I am, while he watched the Superbowl, I baked up a batch. The end result reminds me of the edge of a brownie. Even better, relatively speaking, these chocolate cookies are actually healthy...
Cooking Light's Recipe for Espresso Crinkles

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 1/4 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine oil and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat; cook until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Add espresso granules to pan; stir until blended. Remove from heat. Pour chocolate mixture into a large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, syrup, and vanilla. Add egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring gently just until combined. Cover; chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dredge balls in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar; place balls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and almost set. Cool cookies on pan 2 minutes or until set; remove from pan. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Happy Birthday Dawn - Part 2

Yesterday's birthday tease turned into a multi-layer decadent chocolate cake with coconut frosting, chocolate butter cream, macadamia nuts and chocolate ganache. Diet food? Definitely NOT. Delicious? ABSOLUTELY!!

Chocolate Cake recipe, adapted from epicurious.com:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Beat in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks. Peel off parchment.

Emily's Coconut Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add butter and vanilla, mix until blended. Add sugar, cream of coconut and shredded coconut, mix until smooth.

Emily's Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Beat sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add cocoa and milk, beat until well mixed.

Emily's Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
1 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan, heat cream to a simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until melted and smooth.

Emily's Cake Assembly:

Flat side up, place first chocolate cake on a platter. Spread with coconut frosting. Sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts. Using a pastry bag, pipe chocolate ganache around the outer edge of the first cake layer. Layer on the second cake tier, flat side down. Spread with coconut frosting. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Alternate butter cream rosetts and whole macadamia nuts around out edge of cake. Pour warm ganache over cake.

Happy Birthday Dawn

One mess later, a birthday cake has been made. Here's a sneak peek... check in tomorrow to see the results.

ZINGIBER

QUESTION: What is the common name for 'ZINGIBER', a spice often used in holiday baking?

Fortunately, the night before I made a batch of 'Zingiber' cookies for Christmas and was quite familiar with the spice. Even more fortunate for my husband's team trivia team, I had also joined them for their weekly game of bar trivia in Somerville. The answer was 'Ginger'.

Emily's recipe for Zingerbar Spice cookies, loosely based on a recipe from epicurious.com.

2 cups of flour
3 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 cup turbino sugar

Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and sea salt in a bowl, until well blended. Add in crystallized ginger. In a separate bowl, with a mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour turbino sugar into a small bowl. Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Carefully transfer to racks and cool.

Honeymoon Macaroons

On our honeymoon in Hawaii, we ate macadamia nuts almost everyday. In pancakes, crusted on fish, covering desserts... when we left, with us came a few bags of the wonderfully delicious nuts. While looking for holiday cooking inspiration I came across a recipe on epicurious for 'Island Macaroons' - coconut and macadamia nut macaroons topped with chocolate. MMMM... I drizzled the chocolate on top instead of dipping, but otherwise the recipe is wonderful.

From epiurious.com:

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place coconut and macadamia nuts on large cookie sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Grease parchment. Combine condensed milk and vanilla in large bowl. Mix in coconut and macadamia nuts thoroughly. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into coconut mixture. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake until macaroons just turn golden brown around edges, about 14 minutes. Cool completely on cookie sheets.

Line another cookie sheet with waxed paper. Dip cookie bottoms into melted chocolate. Place cookies, chocolate side down, on prepared cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Store cookies in airtight container in refrigerate.)

'Nicholas Cage' Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

Yesterday I spent almost 2 hours shelling and pealing the skin off of a bag of pistachios -to get just under a cup of nuts. I think it was doing it in front of the Nicholas Cage movie my husband was watching that made it even more painful -- but the results were delicious!

I admit, I usually lose a couple slices in between the first and second bake. The ends and anything that crumbled during slicing is devoured. MMMM... hot cookies.

Emily's recipe for Chocolate Dipped Cranberry - Pistachio Biscotti:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 stick salted butter + 1 tablespoon

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon anise extract

3/4 cup shelled whole pistachios + 1/8 cup finely chopped
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in orange zest, vanilla, and anise. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and whole pistachios. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into log. Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 25-30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet at least 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs to cutting board. Using a chefs knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand slices on baking sheets, bake until firm and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Put chocolate and tablespoon of butter in micorwaving for 30 second intervals, stirring in between each. Microwave until fully melted. (Be careful to no overcook!) Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place cookies on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Chill until chocolate is firm.