Tag Archives: walnut

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Walnut Caramels w/ Hawaiian Black Salt

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Hey! I have yet another salty-sweet combo for you today. This time in the form of nutty, chewy, caramels.

I pretty much make a batch of these caramels every year–with or without nuts–for certain friends and family members around the holidays. These caramels ship well AND can be made several days in advance AND you won’t even have to rush the shipping…plus, they won’t get damaged by rough handling. I love a treat that doesn’t cause me stress when it comes to shipping and sharing.

These walnut caramels start out by cooking sugar with a bit of water and some syrup (golden, corn, and honey all work nicely). The syrup helps the sugar from re-crystalizing and keeps the caramel smooth and free of gritty granules. Once the sugar becomes deeply golden–as dark as you dare, I shoot for a rich bourbon/whisky color–warm cream, butter, vanilla, and sea salt are added. There’s a lot of hissing and steaming and fuss at this point, but everything mellows out and comes together. The caramel is then cooked a little longer until it comes to temperature–key for a set caramel–it’s then mixed with plenty of toasty walnuts, scraped into a pan, and liberally sprinkled with black salt. The caramels are chewy, nutty, crunchy, and salty-sweet. I think they are really pretty wrapped in gold candy foils–like little gold nuggets–but parchment or wax paper is nice, too.

Walnut Caramels with Hawaiian Black Salt

adapted from this recipe

I love the black salt on these because it’s super -dark color makes for a dramatic piece of candy, but don’t feel like you have to go out and hunt for fancy salts. I have a variety of salts on hand, mainly because whenever I travel (or friends/fam travel) my favorite souvenirs are edibles–specifically specialty/locally harvested salts and honeys. Every time I use one of my fancy salts, I remember the trip or the people or the place–it’s a nice, edible reminder. This black salt–also called Hawaiian Black Lava Salt–was a gift from one of my brothers-in-law. It’s dramatically black, a bit mineral-y, and super crunchy–which is a great contrast with the sweet and chewy caramel. 

1 1/4 cups granualated sugar

1/4 cup golden or corn syrup, or honey (honey will impart a distinct flavor)

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (a touch less if using table or kosher) plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 generous cup toasted walnut pieces (I like halves and large pieces)

Prepare a standard loaf pan by lining with parchment, leaving an overhang on the two long sides, securing parchment with binder clips, and spraying the parchment and pan lightly with canola oil.

In a small sauce pan, gently heat the heavy cream, butter, salt, and vanilla. Bring to a bare simmer and remove from heat, set aside.

In a heavy bottomed, medium saucepan gently mix sugar, syrup, and water until everything is well moistened. Heat the sugar mixture over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and a clear syrup forms. At this point, it is important to not stir the sugar syrup–or it will re-crystalize and you will have to start over…if you must, you can swirl the pan, but mostly leave it alone. Continue to cook the sugar syrup, without stirring, until it becomes deep golden brown–it will start off a light honey color, but try to take it to a whiskey colored golden-brown. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the cream/butter mixture and stir to combine well. The caramel will hiss and steam violently–I recommend using a long wooden spoon and covering your stirring hand with an oven mitt.

Clip on your candy thermometer and continue to cook the caramel over medium heat, without stirring, until the thermometer reads 260*F (I found that at higher elevations, above 4,000 ft, the caramel becomes too hard–when I lived in Nevada, I always cooked to about 250-255*F). Remove the caramel from the heat, quickly stir in the nuts, and scrape into the prepared pan. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before sprinkling with salt–this keeps the salt from sinking into the caramel, but still allows it to stick nicely to the top. Allow caramels to cool before cutting into squares and wrapping. Can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

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Oatmeal Cherry Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips + Walnuts

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I made these cookies for my mom.

Well, I made the recipe for my mom so she’d have something to bake for my aunt’s annual holiday cookie party. In her usual fashion, my mom doesn’t want to bake anything.

To quote her, “I hate-dat-dang-baking…”(to get the full effect, say it in one word, in your head like a scolding-Korean-mother would).

What she really wants is to bribe one of her baking-friendly pals into make something totally cute and delish for her… except, according to my aunt, that is cheating. And, my aunt is totally right! You cannot show up to a cookie party with another persons baked goods–it’s a tragic holiday charade. I told mom to suck it up and get to baking! Usually moms dole out the tough love, but sometimes adult-daughters have to step it up.

So, after figuring out what my moms dream cookie would be–something chewy and oat-y, with mix-ins, and the possibility of sandwiching some cream cheese frosting between two–I came up with these lightly spiced, chewy oatmeal cookies full of dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. It also had to come together quickly and with the least amount of fuss possible–since my mother thinks  the no-bake, rice krispy treat is fussy and somehow a baked good. While mom will most certainly switch out the chocolate chips for white chocolate (excuse me while I weep, I have a white-chocolate bias), and the dried cherries may become cranberries, these cookies are everything she asked for–chew, chunky texture, endless mix-in possibilities, sandwich capability, easy assembly…the works.

These cookies have molasses and thick oats, for lots of rich and chewy goodness. The dried cherries are tart and deep, the walnuts are toasty, and the chocolate does it’s chocolate thing. These are a great cookie-jar cookie. They are not too sweet and would totally welcome a slick of tart-creamy frosting to make the best holiday cookie sandwich. Like those oatmeal cream pies in the cellophane but, well, better.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

These don’t have to be cherry-walnut-chocolate cookies, you can use whatever nutty, dried fruit, chocolate-y mix-ins you’d like. I made small cookies, about the size of a silver dollar–but you could make these larger, just bake a few minutes longer. I used my favorite Extra-Thick Rolled Oats, but regular Quaker rolled oats will work just as well. 

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup each dried cherries, walnut pieces, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment, set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and molasses, beat well until combined, scraping bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine well.

Scrape bowl and add the dry ingredients, pulsing mixer until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in the dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. Scoop cookies in desired amount (I used a mini disher for these) and place on a baking sheet spaced about 1-2 inches apart (1 for smaller cookies, 2 for larger) and bake 1 sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11-13 minutes–possibly more for larger cookies–until the bottoms are golden brown and cookies are just done in the center. Over-baking will make for a less chewy cookie. Cool on sheet pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining dough. Can be kept in a cookie jar or other container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

 

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Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Bread

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I love working with yeast.

It seems a lot of you have a little bit of yeast-fear…and I totally get it. The idea of wasted ingredients and failed baking endeavors is always a bummer. Nothing gets under my bakers-skin like a failed mess of a recipe that either ends up being thrown angrily into the trash whilst swearing, or, ends up languishing in the refrigerator for weeks until I begrudgingly toss it into the trash–though with less anger, yet more resentment. It’s no fun.

I mean, I know yeast can be scary–sometimes it dead before you even begin, sometimes you just don’t know what’s going to happen. Will it rise, deflate and fall flat, come out dense and heavy and flavorless?

The thing is, working with yeast–as scary as it may seem–is incredibly rewarding. It’s where science and domesticity converge to create something amazing. For me, there is nothing like working with a smooth, elastic ball of dough…and not to get too weird, but I absolutely LOVE the way it feels in my hands (thats’s why you don’t see any bread-machine recipes here…not that there is anything wrong with a bread machine, promise!).

I just have to feel the dough–plus, it’s the best way, over time, to figure out exactly what you are looking for. At this point, I know exactly how sticky I want an unrisen dough to feel–and that, friends, feels like a major accomplishment. So, if my “I-wanna-touch-all-the-bread-dough-in-the-lands” didn’t freak you out, and maybe you want to do a little more yeasted baking, I have a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

Is it ALIVE?! Your yeast can die on you. If it’s been lounging in the pantry for who-knows-how-long, it could be inactive. Meaning, all your efforts are completely wasted ’cause those little dudes are D-E-A-D. You can avoid all that heartache by sprinkling a pinch of yeast into a cup of warm water–if it doesn’t start to foam, ever, it’s done-zo.

Bulk up–buying yeast in bulk is super economical  If you like to bake yeasted goodies, it’s definitely the way to go. I buy yeast in bulk–like, Costco style. I keep it in a screw-cap jar in the refirgerator where it will last for daaaaaays. Like, well over a year. You can also freeze yeast and possibly even extend its life further.

Feed your yeast. If your recipe calls for some sugar–granulated, honey, etc.–add some to the liquid while you proof. It will feed the yeast and get it started a bit faster. Add your salt to the dry mix, don’t add it to the yeast as it will inhibit it from doing it’s thing and it may just die on you.

Perfect isn’t everything. Maybe you’re looking for the perfect artisan-whatever-bread. It’s probably not going to happen the first time. I worked as a baker, mostly cookies and cakes, but the bread baker was a pro. He’d been doing it for almost as long as I’ve been alive and would still phone his consultants and take classes. It’s a learning process and the more you do it the better you’ll get. Really though, few things beat warm, homemade bread–even if it is imperfect.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is, if you are a bit of a yeast-a-phobe–don’t be too scared. It’s only bread, don’t let it defeat you because it is SO worth the effort–even if only every once in a while. Plus, everyone you share your baking-spoils with will think you’re like a baking champion or something…which is totally worth mowing through the self-doubt and yeast-fear.

Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Bread

Adapted from this recipe. 

Yields , 9x5inch loaf

I added some whole wheat flour to this version, though it can certainly be made with just all-purpose. This bread is the very best the day it is made, still warm and slightly gooey. Make it when there are people around for sharing, as you might find yourself in a bread-coma, otherwise. The apples and walnuts make for a messy filling, if they fall out from between the layers, just tuck any stray bits in between the folds of dough after you have placed them into the pan. I streamlined the original steps in the recipe to make it a bit easier to pull together. 

Dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or 1 envelope)

1/3 cup whole milk

4 Tablespoons (2 oz.) butter, unsalted

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, room temp, beaten lightly

Filling:

1 large apple, peeled and diced small (I used a Honeycrisp)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 Tablespoons (2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

Icing:

3 Tablespoons butter, browned

1 cup powdered sugar

milk to thin

To make the dough, heat milk with butter in a small saucepan just until butter has melted. Add the water and sugar, set aside to cool for a minute–you want it to be just warm, not hot or the yeast will die. Once it has cooled (to about 120*F), stir in the yeast and set aside until foamy–about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours and salt. Stir the beaten egg and vanilla into the yeast mixture and using the dough hook, or your strength and a sturdy spoon or bowl scraper, mix the wet into the dry until a dough forms. Knead–either with the mixer or by hand–until you get a fairly sticky and tacky, but well mixed dough.

Grease a large bowl (the one you mixed in is perfect), place the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, melt the butter for the filling, pour into a small dish and set aside. Brown the butter for the icing in a skillet–heat butter over medium until the solids turn deep brown and smell like nuts and toffee. Pour browned butter into a bowl and set aside. Add the diced apples to the skillet and sauté with a pinch of salt, until softened slightly–3-5 minutes. Set the apples aside to cool. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the filling, set aside.

Deflate the dough (at this point you can recover and place in the refrigerator overnight and continue the next day).

On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough into roughly a 12 X 20 inch rectangle (erring on the side of smaller is okay here as the finished dough will rises considerably, filling in any gaps). Using a pastry brush spread all of the melted butter over the dough. Cut the dough North to South in strips (12X4 in pieces). Spread 1/5 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto a rectangle of dough followed by the apples and walnuts, stack another rectangle on top and repeat. You can reshape and maniupulate the dough as needed to make a nice stack.

Preheat the oven to 350F and place rack in the center. Lightly grease a 9X5 loaf pan.

Slice the stack through the five layers into 6 equal sections, about 2X4 inches. Fit the layered strip into the loaf pan, cut side down…as if it were a loaf of pre-sliced bread. Cover the pan in plastic and allow to rise another 45-50 minutes until nearly doubled in size. If you poke the dough and the indentation stays it is ready to bake.

Bake until the top is golden and brown and the insides are done (you can test this with a thermometer, it should read between 189-190*F). Check it after 30 minutes or so…this loaf took about 45 minutes to bake–if it starts to brown too much before the interior is done, tent the top with foil and continue baking.

Make the icing by stirring together the browned butter and powdered sugar, adding milk to thin to desired consistency.

Turn the baked bread out onto a cooling rack while it is still warm and glaze.

 

 

 

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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These cookie bars are after my heart.

They are everything I crave and love about a chocolate chip cookie–all crisp edges, chewy middles, toffee-like butteryness, dark chocolate, and crunchy nuts–except, there’s none of that portioning/scooping business. This means that these go from oven to mouth in a little less time with a bit less hassle.

Cookie Heaven.

When I spied this recipe on Not Without Salt, I needed it in my life with a quickness. I made them the same day, with what I had on hand–sharing them with neighbors and Sean’s co-workers–then, made them again 2 days later with a few adaptations of my own.

It’s not often that I make the same recipe twice in a month, let alone in a week. This is a recipe for the recipe box. It deserves a handwritten card and coveted space among the favorites…the ones you go back to over and over again, endlessly adaptable, always familiar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Adapted from Not Without Salt

I used black salt for sprinkling over the top. It was a purely aesthetic decision and I had some on hand in my salt hoard–a gift from my brother-in-law–you can use any sea salt you have or like. I think smoked salt would be a nice as well. Also, I would encourage switching up the mix-ins if you like…different or no nuts, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, toffee bits, etc. 

1 stick (4 ounces), plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, browned

4 ounces (1/2 bar) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granualted sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling

12 ounces dark chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate

5 ounces nuts–I used walnuts–toasted and cooled

Grease a 9×13 pan, line with parchment and grease again. Preheat oven to 350F.

Toast nuts on a sheet pan for about 5-10 minutes, being careful not to burn. Remove from oven and cool.

Brown the butter in a skillet over medium low, until milk solids are brown and fragrant like toffee. Remove from heat and scrape into the bowl of a mixer, allow to cool slightly while you gather your ingredients.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a seperate bowl, toss together chocolate and nuts and set aside.

Add sugar and cream cheese to the browned butter in the mixing bowl and cream for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the bowl. Mix in vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to just combine, allowing a few streaks of flour to remain, it will be incorporated when you fold in the mix-ins. Fold in the nuts and chocolate by hand so as not to overmix.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan–I used clean and oiled fingertips–and bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes until the edges are deeply golden and the center is just set. Remove from oven and cool in the pan.

 

 

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Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I LOVE chocolate chip cookies.

Sean love, love, loves them too.

We’re just a pair of chocolate-chip-cookie-sauruses.

That’s a chocolate chip cookie eating dinosaur…it’s a true thing.

In my brain…

Anyway…can you believe I have not, in recent memory, posted a chocolate chip cookie on this blog?

What the heck, dude?!

I only make them ALL THE TIME!

But, we just gobble them up and don’t even share.

Well, we share with our whale cookie jar…but no one else.

Not with neighbors, not coworkers, not even you.

So rude, right?!

Well, I’m sorry.

Really, truly.

I made some to share for once! It’s a recipe I’ve never made, and…it’s our new favorite!

You might be thinking, whole wheat?

Really right now?

Really, Cindy?!

Yes, friends, for realies.

These are so super delightful. The whole wheat gives these cookies texture, body, density, and a lovely nuttiness that is simply addicting.

It’s chewy, buttery, nutty, salty-sweet, chocolate-chip cookie heaven.

Make these and they might just be your new favorite too.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have been floating around the internets for some time now. They originally come from the book Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce with Amy Scattergood. I first heard the praises of these cookies from the blog Sweet Amandine. I have to admit that I forgot to sprinkle some sea salt over the top…it’s just mixed into the dough. Next time I wil; try to remember because I am sure that it would add the perfect crunchy texture. I also swapped out 1 cup of the whole wheat for regular ol’ all-purpose. Next time I’ll go big and do all whole wheat, maybe even whole wheat pastry flour!

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

8 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup good quality chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet chips), or chopped bar chocolate

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together cold butter and sugar on low speed until just blended (about 2 minutes). Scrape down sides of the bowl, add eggs 1 at a time until just incorporated, scraping bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Add in flour mixture and mix until nearly combined before adding chips and nuts (if using). Mix until just combined, if there are some streaks of flour left, just finish mixing by hand.

I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scooper and spaced the cookies 1 inch apart on silicone lined baking sheets. Cookies can be baked immediately in a 350F oven for 12-14 minutes. I actually chilled the dough for about 12 hours before baking (I made the dough before I went to bed and baked the cookies in the morning).

 

 

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Announcement and a Recipe: Chocolate Cake + Coconut-Walnut Dulce de Leche Icing

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Last weekend was kind of a big deal. I have been avoiding writing about it all week. Writing it down makes it all really, real…and really, real means both really, exciting and really, scary. Do you get that?

My dear friend turned 27, I made her this cake, and…Sean, my husband, got a job offer. A good one. One that will be great for his career as an engineer. One that will move us across the country to Michigan. Somewhere I have never even been.

It’s exciting and a little bit sad. For the first time in 13 years I will not live within 5 minutes of my best friends. People I could not imagine my life without. As I type this, tears sting the corners of my eyes, and I can’t help but wonder if I can handle it. Our conversations jump from excited chatter about where I will live, the new things to discover, and promises of visits…to the sobering reality that they won’t be moments away. Coffee and lunch dates will be missed and crafting and art projects done separately. But, I remind myself people do this all of the time, under much more serious and dire circumstances. When my mom was my age she had 2 kids, lived in a foreign country, and lost her husband to a tragic accident. Moving for a new job is cause for celebration and I count my stars.

I know I am a lucky girl. Lucky to have friends that are more than family. Lucky to have a great family. Lucky to have an amazing, supportive husband. Lucky to be able to afford a simple, yet beautiful life. Lucky to be able to dream and do what I like. Lucky, that despite these dire economic times, my husband found an excellent job, in his field, in a time when so many others cannot.

I couldn’t be more thrilled, excited, anxious, and scared at once.

I remind myself,

Homesickness ain’t nothin’, girl…plus, I have chocolate cake.

 

Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Walnut Dulce de Leche

Cake recipe adapted from Bittersweet

I used Valrhona cocoa, which is Dutch-processed. To assemble the cake as I have above, I baked the cake in an 8inch-square pan. After cooling, I cut the cake in half before dividing each half into layers…which resulted in the rectangular cake you see above :)

1 cup +2 Tablespoons sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs (cold)

1 large egg white (cold)

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a measuring cup, combine milk with espresso powder and vanilla. Stir to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add butter, whole (cold) eggs and egg white, to the dry mixture. Mix on medium-high for 2 minutes (set a timer). Scrape the bowl and add the milk mixture. Continue to mix batter on medium-high for 2 more minutes.

Scrape batter into a prepared pan (either a 6 cup capacity tube pan or an 8in-square pan). Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dulce de Leche Coconut-Walnut “Frosting”

This is not so much a recipe for frosting as it is opening 2 cans of Dulce de Leche and mixing in coconut + walnuts. You can find prepared Dulce de Leche in the “Latin Foods” section of most well-stocked super markets.

2-14 ounce cans prepared Dulce de Leche

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (I used both sweetened and unsweetened…cause I had them both in the cupboard)

1 1/2 cups walnut pieces (or other nut, pecans would be lovely)

Open both cans of dulce de leche and place in a medium saucepan. Melt dulce de leche until it is smooth and easy to stir. Add in coconut and walnuts. Stir to combine and allow to cool before spreading. I found that the slightly warm dulce de leche mixture spreads best…meaning, cooled completely it was a little tough to spread.