Photography by Alan Richardson

Snickery Squares

From: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin. 2006

I like to think of these as classy Snickers, a made-at-home, slimmer, sleeker version of the beloved candy bar.  The squares are composed of a buttery shortbread base, a layer of smooth caramel dulce de leche mixed with crunchy candied salted peanuts (like the ones you get in Cracker Jacks) and a top coat of dark chocolate sprinkled with crushed candied peanuts.  All the pieces are simple and each is tasty on its own, but put them together, and you get something much better than the individual components

For the Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the topping

• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

For the filling

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ cups salted peanuts
• about 1 ½ cups store-bought dulce de leche

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To make the crust: Toss the flour, sugar, confectioners' sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Toss in the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds - stop before the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and slide the sheet into the oven.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it takes on just a little color around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.  

To make the filling:  Have a parchment - or, better yet, a silicone mat-lined baking sheet at the ready, as well as a long-handled wooden spoon (you'll be cooking sugar that will climb to over 300 degrees F, so you'll want to keep as far away from it as possible) and a medium (about 2-quart) heavy-bottomed sauce pan.

Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color.  (If sugar splatters onto the sides of the saucepan, wash down the splatters with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.)  Toss in the peanuts and immediately start stirring.  Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with the sugar.  Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white - keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel.  When the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto the baking sheet, using the wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can.  Cool the nuts to room temperature.  

When they are cool enough to handle, separate the nuts or break them into small pieces.  Divide the nuts in half.  Keep half of the nuts whole or in biggish pieces for the filling, and finely chop the other half for the topping.

Spread the dulce de leche over the shortbread base and sprinkle over the whole candied nuts or the big pieces.

To make the topping: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water or in a microwave oven, using a low power setting.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and gently stir in the butter, stirring until it is fully blended into the chocolate.

Pour the chocolate over the dulce de leche, smoothing it with a long metal icing spatula, then sprinkle over the finely chopped candied peanuts. Slide the pan into the refrigerator to set the topping, about 20 minutes; if you'd like to serve the squares cold, keep them refrigerated for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Cut into 16 bars, each roughly 2 ½ inches on a side.

About Baking: From My Home to Yours

Dorie Greenspan has written recipes for the most eminent chefs in the world: Pierre Hermé, Daniel Boulud, and arguably the greatest of them all, Julia Child, who once told Dorie, "You write recipes just the way I do". In Baking: From My Home to Yours, her masterwork, Dorie applies the lessons from three decades of experience to her first and real love: home baking. The 300 recipes will seduce a new generation of bakers, whether their favorite kitchen tools are a bowl and a whisk or a stand mixer and a baker's torch. Even the most homey of the recipes are very special. Dorie's favorite raisin swirl bread. Big spicy muffins from her stint as a baker in a famous New York City restaurant. French chocolate brownies (a Parisian pastry chef begged for the recipe). A dramatic black and white cake for a "wow" occasion. Pierre Hermé's extraordinary lemon tart. The generous helpings of background information, abundant stories, and hundreds of professional hints set Baking apart as a one-of-a-kind cookbook. And as if all of this weren't more than enough, Dorie has appended a fascinating minibook, A Dessertmaker's Glossary, with more than 100 entries, from why using one's fingers is often best, to how to buy the finest butter, to how the bundt pan got its name.

Get Baking: From My Home to Yours at:

• Amazon.com

Do you like ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, ice milk or frozen soy milk? If you're anything like us then the answer is an emphatic Yes!  But have you tried making any or all of these at home?  Or what about making your own homemade frozen ice cream creations?  Well, thanks to Peggy Fallon's new cookbook, "Ice Cream and Frozen Treats" you can now make all of these wonderful treats and temptations at home!  

"Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" begins with a collection of ice cream, frozen custard and gelato recipes.  You'll find many traditional favorites and corresponding variations including vanilla and chocolate but you'll also be tempted with wonderful modern ice creams such as chocolate-chipotle, cinnamon-basil and green tea ice creams.  As great as these recipes are, "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" has much more to offer.  Peggy provides a wide assortment of light ice creams, ice milks, sorbets, frozen yogurts and even frozen soy ice milk recipes that you will absolutely crave.  Of course, these frozen treats are not as rich tasting as real ice cream but by eliminating egg yolks and cream, Peggy has provided us with wonderful frozen treats without the guilt inherent in full-fledged ice cream.

"Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" also has recipes for frozen creations using store bought ice creams that are great for entertaining.  One example is today's recipe, "Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes".  This recipe can be made with store bought vanilla ice cream or even better with Peggy's "Tahitian Vanilla" ice cream in wonderful little frozen chocolate cups for the ultimate in adult entertaining.  You'll also love her "Baked Potato Sundae" dessert that converts vanilla ice cream, chocolate, pine nuts, and whipped cream into a whimsical baked potato that will entertain your guests and taste great.  Many of the frozen creations Peggy provides are quick and easy, or as she calls them "practically instant", treats that both you and your kids will love such as "Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Cake" and "Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie".  

With so many great recipes either to make your own ice cream or to convert store bought ice cream into an amazing treat you'll surely be craving for Peggy Fallon's "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts".

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

• 12 ounces (350 grams) semisweet or white chocolate, chopped
• 1 quart (1 liter) Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe below) or your favorite brand
• Chocolate Whipped Cream, for garnish
• Fresh raspberries or crystallized violets, for garnish

Serves 8 to 10

1. Line 10 muffin or cupcake tins with paper liners.  Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted smooth.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each paper liner.  Using a narrow pastry brush, spread the chocolate over the bottom and up the sides of the liners to coat evenly, leaving a 1/8 inch (1/3 cm) margin at the top.  Freeze for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.  Set the bowl of chocolate sauce aside.

3. When the cups are set, return the bowl of chocolate to the pan of barely simmering water.  Add 1 more tablespoon of warm chocolate to each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides of the paper liner, forming a second layer, still leaving the bare margin at the top.  Refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour.

4. To remove the chocolate from each paper liner, grasp the top edges of the paper and gently peel it away from the chocolate; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Do not rush this process, as the cups are fragile.  Refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is firm; then cover and refrigerate until needed.

5. To serve, carefully set a frozen chocolate cupcake on each dessert plate.  Fill with a scoop of Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream.  Top with a dollop of Chocolate Whipped Cream and garnish with a single berry or crystallized violet.

Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream

From Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts by Peggy Fallon, DK Publishing 2007

If you love vanilla, why bother with an ice cream recipe that contains only a miserly teaspoon of the luscious essence?  This version flaunts a double dose of fragrant vanilla, placing it right at the head of its class.  Tahitian vanilla has a heady floral flavor, worth its extra price.

• 1 vanilla bean, preferably Tahitian
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Dash of salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon Tahitian vanilla extract
  

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

1. Using the pointed tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the tiny black seeds into a heavy medium saucepan.  Add the vanilla bean, cream, and milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from the heat, cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

2. Add the sugar and salt.  Return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.

3. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the warm vanilla cream.  Return the egg mixture to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170° to 175°F (75° to 80°C).  Do not let boil, or the egg yolks will curdle.

4. Strain the custard into a bowl, pressing through as many of the vanilla seeds as you can.  Refrigerate covered, until the custard is very cold, at least 6 hours or as long as 2 days.

5. Stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour the custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.  Transfer the ice cream to a covered container and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 3 hours or overnight.

About Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts by Peggy Fallon puts your ice cream machine to delicious use with a rainbow of flavors for rich ice creams, light sorbets, creamy frozen yogurts, and party-perfect molded desserts.  Enjoy over 125 easy, all-natural, homemade recipes, ranging from elegant Cinnamon-Basil ice cream to traditional Tahitian vanilla ice cream to playful chocolate chip birthday pizza with scoops du Jour.  You'll also find an enticing array of quick, creative, "almost-instant" desserts made from store-bought or freshly made ice cream that are ideal for entertaining.  

Get Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts at:

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Corn Nugget Crab Cakes

From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan  2006

Serves 4 as a first course

• 4 large ears corn (about 3 pounds), shucked and silks removed
• 2 ounces shelled and deveined fresh or frozen shrimp (about 2 large), cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

Crab Cakes

• 8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Tartar Sauce, see recipe below
  

A word of caution - actually encouragement - before you read the recipe. Because it's long, you might think that it is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. It's not. Better yet, it delivers all the delicious flavor of corn and crab, but you don't have to deal with cobs or shells at the table. The sugar in the corn kernels caramelizes and crisps up in the finishing steps, which makes for a sweet-smelling and sweet-tasting crunch.

Hint: This is a great do-ahead recipe. Both the crab cakes and the tartar sauce can be prepared a day ahead, and the cakes finished in the oven just before serving.

Instructions:

Cut the kernels off the corncobs with a sharp knife or on a Benriner fitted with the straight blade. You will need about 2½ cups of kernels; reserve any remaining corn for another use. Set a steamer basket in a pot over simmering water. Place the corn in the steamer basket, cover, and steam for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Pour the corn onto paper towels to cool. Set the steamer aside.

Place the shrimp in a small food processor, add the milk, and process to a completely smooth paste. Use a small spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cooled corn, and mix well. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the crab.

For the crab cakes, place the crab in a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon, chives, and soy sauce, and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and if desired, cayenne pepper. Mix carefully to blend the ingredients, but don't overmix the delicate crab. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.

To form the cakes and wrap them in plastic: Rub a clean counter with dampened hands, to anchor the plastic, and place a piece of plastic wrap about 12 inches long on the damp surface. Place one-quarter of the corn mixture in the center of the plastic, pushing the corn kernels together into a circle. Top with another piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the kernels with your hand, then roll a rolling pin over the corn to shape a flat disk 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Remove the top piece of plastic.

Form one-quarter of the crab mixture into a 2-3-inch circle in the center of the corn. Smooth and shape the circle, leaving a 1-inch border of corn exposed around the edges. Lift the corners of the plastic and gather them up over the crab cake, then twist the plastic to tighten the mixture and completely encase the crab cake in the corn (it will become round in shape). Place the still-wrapped crab cake into a 4-inch round cookie cutter or ring mold and press the top gently with your hand to shape it into a disk. Remove from the mold and trim the plastic wrap, leaving about 1 inch extra. Repeat to make a total of 4 crab cakes.

Return the water in the steamer to a simmer. Arrange the crab cakes, still in the plastic, seam side down in the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a plate. Cool slightly, still in the plastic, then refrigerate to chill and set for a few hours, or up to a day.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a heatproof baking dish large enough to hold the crab cakes.

Remove the cakes from the refrigerator. With scissors, cut off the twisted plastic as close as possible to one cake. Carefully flip the cake over onto the buttered pan, pinch the top of the plastic wrap, and carefully lift and pull it off the crab cake. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Brush the tops of the cakes with the softened butter.

Place in the oven for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through. Once they are hot, turn on the broiler, and broil until the corn kernels are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with the Tartar Sauce passed on the side.

Tartar Sauce

From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan  2006

This is my Shallot Dressing amped up with capers and cornichons.

• ¼ cup rinsed, dried, and chopped capers
• 6 cornichons, coarsely chopped
• Shallot Dressing, made without basil, see recipe below

Stir Capers and cornichons into dressing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Shallot Dressing

From "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard, Artisan  2006

Anytime you might think of using ranch dressing, try this instead. It's tangy, creamy, and intense. You can blend it completely to super smoothness or leave some texture. I use it for almost anything except dessert.

• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup finely minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 drops Tabasco sauce
• ¼ cup minced chives
• ¼ cup chopped basil
• ¼ cup chopped chervil (optional)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  

Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse to blend, scarping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Leave a bit of texture to the mixture, or blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 2 days.

Makes about ¾ cup

About Happy in the Kitchen

Among his colleagues, Michel Richard is the chef's chef, the one others look to for inspiration. "Why didn't I think of that?" asks Thomas Keller, in his foreword to Happy in the Kitchen, about Richard's innovative technique. Michel Richard leads the way and always has at his L.A. restaurants, Citrus and Citronelle, and now in Washington, D.C., at Michel Richard Citronelle and his newly opened Central. He never ceases to explore and his food never fails to satisfy. Happy in the Kitchen is teeming with "Richard-esque" discoveries, whether it's an amazingly simple technique for dicing vegetables, a delicious [low-carb] carbonara made with onions rather than pasta, or a schnitzel made of pureed squid. He's always playful, but also a perfectionist and an iconoclast. Every delicious moment is captured in glorious images of finished dishes, as well as exceptional step-by-step photographs that make easy work of slicing, dicing, shaping, and other essential hand skills. Happy in the Kitchen is a book that will make you laugh and learn, and it will delight you every step of the way. Step-by-step photos demonstrate Richard's innovative technique that makes easy work of dicing, shaping, ruffling, and a plethora of other indispensable hand skills. With recipe titles such as Shrimp "Einstein," Jackson Pollock Soup, Chicken Faux Gras, Figgy Piggy, and Happy Kid Pudding (made in the microwave), Happy in the Kitchen's promise is good tastes and good times.

Get Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating at:

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Challah

Reprinted with permission from Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein. Copyright 2007. Published by Ten Speed Press.

Challah, or egg bread, is a sweet, egg-rich, festive-looking bread with an elegant mahogany hue. This bread was originally baked by Jewish families to grace the Sabbath or holiday table. Years ago, bakery customers who were unfamiliar with the name would ask for "the Friday bread."

Challah can be made up in different shapes, ranging from a sectioned pan loaf to fancy and intricate braids (see "Braiding Challah," below). On certain holidays it is made into a round, turban shaped bread. Today its use is becoming universal. It is found in ethnic bakeries and food markets of all kinds. Challah is often used as a centerpiece at Sunday dinner and appears on many Easter tables. When the bread is baked in braided form, it is customary to break off small knobs of it rather than cutting or slicing it. One literally breaks bread with guests and family. Leftover challah makes the best French toast I've ever eaten.
Challah dough is also used as rich egg roll dough and is made into many varieties of party or dinner rolls. In hot weather it's advisable to use cold ingredients to keep the dough temperature from becoming too high.

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast (1-1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour (see Note)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Vegetable oil, for coating bowl
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt, for egg wash
• Poppy or sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
• Cornmeal, for dusting baking pan
  

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and allow to soften. Add the egg, egg yolks, oil, sugar, 4 cups of the flour, and the salt. Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time if the dough is sticky or very soft. The dough should be firm. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and the gluten is well developed (10 to 15 minutes).

When you push down, the dough should feel firm and push back.

Rising: Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise, covered, until tripled in volume (30 to 40 minutes). When fully risen, an indentation made with a finger pushed down into the center of the dough should remain and not recede. This is a fully aged, or ready, dough. Punch down the dough, cut in half, cover, and allow to rise for 15 minutes.

Shaping: Punch down again and, on a very lightly floured work surface, use your palms to roll the pieces into 2 ropes, at least 12 inches long. Cut each into 6 equal pieces and braid or make up into a 6-section pan challah. Brush with the egg wash, using care to cover completely, but do not let excess egg drip into the crevices. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired.

If you are making the braided challah, transfer the challah to a cornmeal-dusted baking pan. For section challah, place the loaves in 2 well-greased 8 or 9 inch loaf pans. Place in a warm, draft-free area, preferably enclosed, and allow to rise until doubled in size.

Baker's Secret: Before sprinkling with the seeds, allow the egg wash to air-dry, then brush with egg wash a second time. This will give the bread its characteristic shine.

Baking:  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the loaves have a rich mahogany color and emit a hollow sound when tapped lightly on the bottom with your fingertips (35 minutes). If the top begins to brown excessively and the bottom is raw, cover the bread with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil that has been creased down the center to form a tent. If there is a white line visible between the braids, continue baking until it disappears. To test for doneness, press lightly between the braids on the highest part of the bread; it should be firm. If you feel the creases give when lightly pressed, continue baking until they firm up. Let cool on a wire rack. Challah keeps very well for several days in a plastic bag in a bread box. It can be frozen; defrost slowly, preferably wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

Yields 2 loaves.

Note You can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, but the challah will not be as light or tender.

Food Processor: Steel Blade

In the recipe above, instead of 1 cup warm water use:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup ice water

In the work bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and allow to stand for a few minutes to soften.
Add the ice water, egg, egg yolks, oil, sugar, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt; pulse to combine. Add 2 more cups of flour 1 cup at a time. More flour can be added 1/4 cup at a time if necessary. The dough should be firm. Pulse until the dough forms up into a ball, then continue pulsing for 2 to 3 minutes. If the machine strains, divide the dough in half and process each half separately, then knead together by hand. If using a dough thermometer, keep the dough at 78°F to 82°F. Do not over mix. If necessary, knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic and the gluten is well developed. When you push down, the dough should be firm and push back. Knead together and shape into a ball. Proceed as in Rising, Shaping, and Baking, above.

About Secrets of a Jewish Baker

For more than 20 years, George Greenstein owned and operated a Jewish bakery in Long Island. In this highly acclaimed cookbook, he reveals the unwritten tips that were passed down in his family through three generations of bakers. With a broad selection of basic breads, authentic New York-style staples, and ethnic favorites, SECRETS OF A JEWISH BAKER covers everything bakers need know to ensure a successful loaf every time.

Get Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World at:

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