Winning Hearts with Cookies

People stopped and watched J walk down the rural streets of Mexico. The first time we went to El Potero Chico for a climbing trip the glances naturally caught us a bit off guard. Flattering but weird. Then someone shed some light, J has a bright and firey red beard, which was similar trait as mythical hero in their culture. Kind of suiting I thought. He even had the school girls swooning which was oddly cute. The strong sense of confidence in his stride, easy smile and fluent grasp of the native language makes him the perfect travel companion in Mexico. I have a mythical warrior at my side.

When we moved to the Tri Cities, J and I were both drawn to Pasco and the cities prevalent Hispanic heritage. J found a little restaurant, El Asadero (the grill), known for their grilled meats. We fell in love the moment we walked  into the humble restaurant that shares a building with an independent auto parts store. The husband cooks and the wife is the face of the restaurant, the kids are always at a table politely doing homework or outside playing in the warm evenings. Predictable and consistent style has surprisingly captivated our dining experience. The restaurant wins my heart in so many ways.

J warmed up to the owner the minute we walked in. Me I probably tripped, pushed my wild blond curls from my face while giggling, I stood no chance, a common theme these days.

The food at El Asadero is out of this world. I cannot get enough as much as I try. I order guacamole every time and when no one is looking I eat it with a spoon. I love their simple presentation, reasonable portions and never will you see your plate swimming in a pool of orange cheddar cheese rather a light sprinkle of fresh cojita and a tortilla chip thoughtfully standing up in a scoop of guacamole.  We always wash it down with a cold Negro Modelo in a frosty glass that is priced at a whopping $2.50. Greasy meat and refried beans need to be washed down with cold beer. We always leave satisfied and never feel over charged, a magical combination that keeps us in the ranks of regulars.

When company comes to town we drive them across the Columbia River that dissects these three sprawling cities via big blue bridge, we nearly park in the Taco Bell parking lot and on the weekend pass the spit that sets up on the weekends for grilling pastor, a welcome addition to any entree. Everyone seems to like it or just go along with our enthusiasm as J goes over the menu explaining what he likes.

Week after week we warm the doors of El Asadero at least once but more than we would sometimes admit. She relieves me warming the skillet and the TV in the background blaring Spanish soap operas is a welcome distraction from our apartment.

I had to aid in my cause because I will be occupying a chair in her restaurant until the day we flee this desert. Cookies, I thought, cookies can cure anything. I did it, I showed up Saturday afternoon with perfect snickerdoodle cookies packaged and tied with a ribbon.

She actually smiled.

She gave me chips and guacamole and my eyes got big and shiny.

Perfect ending to a story.

Snickerdoodles

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Martha Stewart

These cookies are great gifts because of their beautiful cinnamon and sugar crust the cracks as it bakes. A great snickerdoodle will manage to be both crisp at the edges and soft nearly to the point of cakiness in the middle. J even smiled and nodded as he came back for a second cookie. Make a batch and take half to a person that you have been meaning to make smile.

Makes three dozen 3 to 4-inch cookies. Your mileage will vary by the size scoop you use.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 stick or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400°, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

Chill the dough for an hours to ease the shaping process.

Once dough has chilled, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. In theory, they can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.

Cinnamon Toast Biscotti

Remember our little fettish with cinnamon toast? I am taking ramping it up a bit so we can dunk it in our coffee, well that is if you are a dunker. Me? Yes, I am a totally dunker.

Cinnamon toast:

Bread + butter + cinnamon + sugar = dreaminess

Pure bliss for breakfast.

Cinnamon toast biscotti:

I am going to eat cookies and have my toast too.

SO there you have it. Can't argue that.

Growing up mom kept a shaker of equal parts sugar and cinnamon next to the salt and pepper. I would liberally dust warm buttered flour tortillas or slices of toast when the urge hit. Sweet slightly spicey comfort food.

These days I shake the cinnamon sugar over my coffee, cookies and these biscotti.

I love biscotti. The crunch, the crumbs, the subtle flavors. For years I used this recipe for chocolate biscotti and I thought I was really on to something. A cookie with no butter. WAIT a minute! A cookie with no butter! They are good with the greatest chocolate intentions and I will continue to make them but when I want something decadent I want the real deal meal with butter and sugar in all of it's glory.

Butter makes everything better. Put butter in your biscotti. Biscotti needs butter.

Cinnamon Toast Biscotti

Adapted from Michael Ruhlman

Yield: About 2 dozen biscotti 

 Break out those scales, it will be worth it, I promise! Or use this conversion.

280 grams all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
120 grams butter, unsalted
170 grams sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Topping:

50 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg (for brushing biscotti before baking)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or silpat.

Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping and set aside. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and whisk it to distribute the ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugar together with a paddle attachment in a standing mixer (or however you mix), for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the eggs one at a time, scrape sides of bowl down with a rubber spatula after each addition of egg, then add vanilla extract.

Once the eggs are incorporated, turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together.

Flour a work surface and spatula the dough out of the bowl. Divide in half (it should be sticky, thus the flour; use as little flour as possible). Roll the dough into two cylinders 2 inches in diameter and place on the lined sheet tray far enough apart that they won’t relax into each other.

Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle very generously with cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake until golden brown, 35 minutes, then set aside to cool enough to handle, leaving the oven on.

Slice the cooled loaves with a serrated knife on the diaganal making 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces, sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar.

Place these slices on the sheet tray and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until they are lightly golden.

Remove from oven cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Meyer Lemon and Cinnamon Scented Flan

I have this friend, even better folks - she is family, she is sweet like sugar, yep - she is mother - in - law, Mama B.

See Mama B. is a very passionate person. I love it. She is about as passionate as she is energetic, I enjoy spending time with her, she will run circles around me all day long then give me a massage after which she will sing you a song while playing her new ukulele. That really happens.

She is as talented as the day is long.

Mama B lives on a big ranch in the big 'ole state of Texas, I imagine she chases dogs, probably gets tussled by a few mutts and I hope she watches the sun set on the big open country sky.

She is fueled by her many passions which include....... none other but a deep and wide soft spot for caramel. She probably tastes like caramel if you lick her. Don't go lickin' her now!

Someday I will feature her secret technique for making caramel, I promise next time I am in the Lone Star State I will feature Mama B.'s special sauce.

The lady is gaga for the timeless sweet treat. GAGA. I can't look at anything that has caramel in it and not think of her. This makes it hard passing up caramel when it is around, just thinking about her getting excited about it makes me want to share in the enjoyment.

I made this flan for J and I. I wish I could have shared it with Mama B. the caramel would make her dance.

Besides caramel there is the subtle scent of cinnamon and lemon. J loves cinnamon, I love Meyer lemons. It works out.

The J and I both don't care for sugary treats late ate night, I will take a good night sleep instead.  Usually, we save desserts for the morning hours.

Flan happened this morning. Just sayin' - what did you have for breakfast?  Betcha not flan....

Since this flan is neither sweet nor heavy - I am going to go out on a limb and say flan is a perfectly acceptable breakfast. Healthy eggs, whole milk, a little bit of sugar. Brain fuel. Just trust me on this one. It is a serious treat paired with coffee. Breakfast flan - I can see/smell the wheels turning! It is the next big breakfast rave because, honestly if I read about poached eggs on toast or toast with spinach and poached egg.... well there are plenty of good uses for eggs....

Meyer Lemon and Cinnamon Scented Flan

 

 

Adapted from Food and Wine

Makes 4 medium sized ramekins. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 2 days.

 

2 1/2 cups whole milk

 

Peel of  a Meyer Lemon

 

3 medium cinnamon sticks, broken

 

1 cup sugar 

 

1/4 cup water

 

5 large eggs 

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Set 4 ramekins or custard cups in a medium baking pan. 
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, lemon peel and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes; discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick pieces.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook 1/2 cup of the sugar with the water over moderately high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to moderate and let the sugar syrup simmer, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 15 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into the ramekins, tilting them as necessary to evenly coat the bottoms.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, then strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into a flan comes out clean. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let the flans cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the flans for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. To serve, run a thin knife around each flan. Top each flan with an inverted dessert plate and unmold, letting the caramel run over the flans. Serve at once.

 There you have it folks, breakfast eggs. Just brilliant eggs in sugar and milk! FLAN. Check out Kitchen Play for other great breakfasts featuring eggs and thank you American Egg Board for the idea!