12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Chocolate Meringue Biscuits

On the third day of Christmas, Glamah baked for me… Chocolate Meringue Cookies, Benne Wafers,and Navettes Sucrees. ! Glamah’s meringues do not look as cute as the people at Gourmet.com, but they taste great. These were so refreshing to make between other baking. I love whipping up egg whites and happened to have plenty in the freezer from leftover from various projects. The only thing I changed due to economy and what was in my pantry was the addition of Hazelnut meal as opposed to ground blanched almonds. Plus Certain Someone loves Hazelnut and chocolate together.
Nothing to complain about with this one. Is that because it was published in October 1982 and the directions are more clear? Who knows. I should have piped the meringues bigger and with swirls, but the I like these odd little cookies.
These are pretty easy and will be great for everyone. Play around with the piping and surprise yourself!
Be sure to check out my other baking friends and see what they chose from Gourmet.com to bake for the holidays.
Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/
Judy – http://www.nofearentertaining.blogspot.com/
Sandy – http://www.bakersbench.blogspot.com
Kelly – http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/
Claire – http://www.thebarefootkitchen.com/
Andrea – http://www.andreasrecipes.com/

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Benne Wafers

Hey! You’re still with me on Day 2 of this cookie extravaganza? Great! We still got 10 more to go! On the second day of Christmas Glamah baked for me…Benne Wafers and Navettes Sucrees! This recipe was the first one I chose to bake. I had never heard of Benne Wafers before. I knew I had some sesame seeds sitting in my pantry from a Daring Baker challenge. They are caramelized cookies with benne seeds( sesame seeds). Benne Wafers are popular in South Carolina and other southern parts.Benne seeds are known as the seeds of good luck! seemed easy and minimal. I didn’t even research this one before, just choosing to stick to Gourmet.com version that was published in November 1954. Don’t they look pretty? Well all hell broke lose before I photographed this. I mixed up the batter that curiously only called for 2 tablespoons of flour. I did use dark brown sugar rather than light, because that’s what I had.I flattened the spoonfuls down on buttered parchment with a knife dipped in ice water. When I came to take them out they had spread into one thin sheet. I was about to toss them but grabbed a round cutter and cut the thin mess while warm. They cooled down to a buttery almost brittle like cookie. I tore away the scraps and from the cutter and ended up with a quite a few presentable wafers! Good thinking. I googled this cookie and found most modern recipes call for way more flour( like cups!)Oh well. I have to say these were tasty and crispy. A unusual treat for cookie boxes this holiday season.

Be sure to visit my other baking friends as we prepare cookies from Gourmet.com this holiday season!
Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…(Navettes Sucrees) Sugar Shuttles

I love food blogging and Twitter. Twitter is my latest addiction. If I hadn’t signed up for Twitter I would never had received an invitation from Andrea to participate in baking a collection of recipes from Gourmet.com. Gourmet has complied cookie recipes from 1941-2008 for the holidays! Each of us choose 12 cookies to bake and will present our cookies over the next 12 days. That’s a lot of baking, but I couldn’t resist. The trick is to do recipes in batches so your are not stressed each day. I also don’t want to be stressed about my bank account so I have tried to pick recipes where I have most of the ingredients on hand. But after a day of baking, I will have to stock up some more. What am I going to do with all these cookies you ask? Give them away to friends, family, etc all boxed up nice. How’s that for holiday cheer!
My first recipe is from December 1951 ,Navettes Sucrees( Sugar Shuttles).I have to say thus far this is one my favorites.Not to sweet and a little elegant cookie. They are called sugar shuttles because they look like a part that holds the thread on a sewing machine. Well if they say so. I love how the dough is dipped in egg whites and then rolled in sugar giving it a gentle crunch. Some of the older recipes don’t list the ingredients first and this caused some confusion for me at times.But Gourmet. com clearly states on each recipe that they have left the recipes unchanged and they are how they were originally printed.I’m sure some housewives back then where cursing them out! I had some issues with this recipe. I had to add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter, as the dough was dry. And I forgot to butter the parchment on the first batch. They turned out perfect! However the last batch I baked on buttered parchment. Those kind of caramelized and burned on the bottom so I recommend you just place them on parchment. Thankfully there were not many in that batch.With all the richness and over indulgence this holiday,these cookies are simple , wholesome , and satisfying while not being to rich nor sweet.

Be sure to visit my other baking friends and see what they chose to bake for the holidays from Gourmet.com.

Darings Bakers Do Shuna Fish Lyndon’s Signature Carmel Cake

Photos by Certain Someone
I was worried about getting this challenge done this month with a vacation and the holiday. But here I am on Black Friday ,waking early not to shop, but bake. This months hostess is the lovely Dolores ,and co hosts Alex, and Jenny. And let us not forget Natalie who always is a huge help in adapting these recipes to Gluten Free versions.This months challenge was by a renown pastry chef, I have to admit I had never heard of. But there is lot I haven’t heard of.Shuna Fish Lyndon is pretty well known for this signature caramel cake in the San Francisco regions. When I saw the challenge I was like Meh?It looked good , but reminded me of cakes friends and family make all time.And there was a additional challenge of making Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, to accompany. Diabetes runs in my family and that was just a little to much much sugar going on for Glamah’s house. But I need the practice and love Daring Bakers Challenges, so I went with it. I decided to halve the recipe and make a tiny 6 inch cake.Unfortunately I was out of vanilla but had vanilla bean. Reading Shuna’s suggestions to us on the forum about flavorings, I decided to infuse my caramel syrup with a quarter of a pod of vanilla bean with beans scraped out. My caramel syrup kept crystallizing when it cooled down. I don’t know if it was the addition of the vanilla bean( which Shuna warned that additions could alter) or my choice in sugar. I had been using this raw pure cane sugar from Mexico all year, but switched back to Domino ( which they say is cane?). Anyway the batter and frosting came together smoothly once I reheated the syrup. Since my pan was deeper, but smaller, it still used about the same baking time. I iced it and piped some. Dusted some gold lustre, and drizzled some syrup. I don’t know if you can see the black pods from the vanilla in on the surface., but it made a nice speckle. I cut little wedges for Certain Someone and I . He’s not a big dessert eater, but he said it was good. Washed down with an ice cold glass of milk. Judging by some forum talk I hear it gets better even the next day. I thought the same. Not the most exciting challenge, but wholesome and good. Kind of like the way Mommy used to make it.

Shuna Fish Lyndon’s Caramel Cake With Caramelized Butter Frosting
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature
Notes from Natalie for those of you baking gluten-free:
So the GF changes to the cake would be:
2 cups of gluten free flour blend (w/xanthan gum) or
2 cups of gf flour blend + 1 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1/2 – 1 tsp baking powder (this would be the recipe amount to the amount it might need to be raised to & I’m going to check)I’ll let you when I get the cake finished, how it turns out and if the baking powder amount needs to be raised.
Preheat oven to 350FButter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.Sift flour and baking powder.Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it. Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.CARAMEL SYRUP2 cups sugar1/2 cup water1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.
CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light(recipes above courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon)
Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels
Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111(Optional)
GOLDEN VANILLA BEAN CARAMELS- makes eighty-one 1-inch caramels –
Ingredients
1 cup golden syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened
Equipment
A 9-inch square baking pan
Candy thermometer
Procedure
Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot. When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°f for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F; for firmer chewy caramels. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm. Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane. VariationsFleur de Sel Caramels: Extra salt, in the form of fleur de sel or another coarse flaked salt, brings out the flavor of the caramel and offers a little ying to the yang. Add an extra scant 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt to the recipe. Or, to keep the salt crunchy, let the caramel cool and firm. Then sprinkle with two pinches of flaky salt and press it in. Invert, remove the pan liner, sprinkle with more salt. Then cut and wrap the caramels in wax paper or cellophane.
Nutmeg and Vanilla Bean Caramels:
Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg to the cream before you heat it.
Cardamom Caramels: Omit the vanilla. Add 1/2 teaspoon slightly crushed cardamom seeds (from about 15 cardamom pods) to the cream before heating it. Strain the cream when you add it to the caramel; discard the seeds.
Caramel Sauce: Stop cooking any caramel recipe or variation when it reaches 225°F or, for a sauce that thickens like hot fudge over ice cream, 228°F. Pour it into a sauceboat to serve or into a heatproof jar for storage. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for ages and reheated gently in the microwave or a saucepan just until hot and flowing before use. You can stir in rum or brandy to taste. If the sauce is too thick or stiff to serve over ice cream, it can always be thinned with a little water or cream. Or, if you like a sauce that thickens more over ice cream, simmer it for a few minutes longer. (recipe from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert)

Grand Bahama and Some Pigeon Peas and Rice

Well I’m back. I don’t want make this a wordy post so I’m going to let Certain Someones pictures speak for most of the trip to Grand Bahama. We stayed at the the Westin Our Grand Lucaya. This is a wonderful resort that allowed us to just chill and do nothing. Unfortunately Certain Someone could not escape work and spent the first half of the trip working. But he did manage some beach time and a round of golf on one of their several golf courses. I was amazed at how easily Certain Someone could become a beach bum. I like to see him relax.

Isn’t this beautiful? These are debris from a earlier hurricane . The photo was taken at a beach in the Grand Lucayan National Park. We took these pictures after a visit to underwater caves across to road. If you were a diver you could dive between the cavernous caves which housed Arawak Indian remains.The path to the beach was a lesson in flora and fauna. Who knew walking mangrove could be so beautiful. Reminded me of a tropical vineyard with all the gnarled branches. I was startled by the depth and life down there.But it was nice to come up and take in this beauty. A Victoria Secrets Photo shoot was going on a few miles down the sand bar.
I like this shot Certain Someone took. It doesn’t make me look fat.

After our excursion we went to this lovely sea side restaurant and beach, Banana Bay. I had my first real Bahamian lunch of cracked conch( like fried calamari) and pigeon peas and rice in which I will give you the recipe at the end.Certain Someone regretted his fries and took to my rice. Unfortunately the Bahamas let me down with the food. Cynthia explained its not really the Caribbean because of its close proximity to the United States. And at the resorts its a lot of tourist fare.The Port Lucaya marketplace across the street was the got to place if you didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for hotel food. Thinks bars, pizza, Greek , Italian , etc.Stuff I can get at home. Conch is huge in the Bahamas. You will find this shell fish in Chowders,fritters,pasta, pizza, fries, steamed, etc. Its on every menu and pretty cheap. I liked it, Certain Someone not so much.Fish Fry’s are big too. Grouper rules, but Barracuda can be found. A local told me not to fear it. A test to see if Barracuda is poisonous is to see if the flies come to it. If so, its good!But the drinks were plentiful and excellent wherever you went.Rum Runners was our favorite hangout. Drinks averaging $5 and great fun staff. I was sure to bring back my allowed liquor allocation. One of our favorite drinks was this retro Bahamian cocktail called a Gully Wash. Its Gin, Coconut Water, Condensed milk, with cinnamon and coconut meat shavings. Its great for the hoildays and even better served up in a coconut and allowed to brew. Its packs a punch for sure.
My final thoughts are of the locals. The dependence on tourism is huge in the Bahamas and the economic hardships we are all facing will really trickle down to to places like this where tourism employs a lot of the island. Even though it was still coming off season, there were a lot of empty tables and shops.I loved that they really thankful for each and every guests business. You don’t get that lot and it makes you feel appreciated. In same token we were conscious of where we spent to be sure to visit everyone. The high season is about to begin and hope it goes better than expected. But as one retailer told me, we are all in this together.
I leave you with this Pigeon Peas and Rice I recreated at home today. Its full of island soul.

1 can Pigeon Peas( 1 lb)

2 cups rice
2 slices salt pork( soaked in water for a few hours and chopped up)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
3-4 cloves garlic
3 cups water
black pepper to taste
In a large skillet fry up salt pork, onion, pepper for a few minutes. Add chopped garlic. Cook a few more minutes. Add sauce and pigeon peas. Add rice and water. Cover and cook until rice is done. Approx 30 minutes.
*Due to the salt in the salt pork, no extra salt is needed. Bacon is used more commonly.