Checkerboard icebox cookies

It goes without saying that the clock ticks on and that seems never more true than during the holidays, around December, when time is precious and it really flies.  That said, I've been making an effort to be organized and realistic in my December plans.  I think I'm doing well this year - I don't feel rushed and I'm savoring the season, which means simple things like family gatherings, an outing or two to see the lights and sights of the city, and time to enjoy all the wonderful seasonal treats.

I love seeing, buying, and enjoying all the festive holiday goodies at this time of year!  I can hardly resist a colorful box or any kind of foil-wrapped chocolates.  I make sure we indulge in plenty of that along with some homemade treats. Holiday baking is a real pleasure and I love days when the kitchen turns into a mini cookie factory and I churn out a batch or two of Christmas cookies.  

Come this time of year, I think of all kinds of cookies but particularly, I think of shortbread and icebox type cookies - the sandy, crumbly cookies that I frankly don't make too often otherwise.  They always seem to hit the spot - a great accompaniment to a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.  The slice-and-bake kind of cookies are also convenient, great for impromptu enjoyment or for gift-giving.   

For fun, I recently tried a batch of checkerboard icebox cookies.  Not only is the pattern fun (like that Battenberg cake I made a while back) but you also get to combine two classic flavors - vanilla and chocolate - in one cookie.  Best of both worlds!

I was afraid the cookie might be tricky to pull off but the recipe comes from The Perfect Cookie book by America's Test Kitchen, which gave me the convenience to tackle it.  It really was easy to do and the cookies came together like a charm.  I'm happy with how my first attempt turned out and the pattern of the cookie is not only fun to see but tasty to eat.  I think we were partial to the chocolate part of these checkerboard cookies but that probably doesn't surprise anyone who knows me.

Chestnut cream tea cakes

What do you do when you see a madeleine recipe you really want to try but don't have a madeleine pan?  You improvise...

Naturally, I thought of using a mini muffin tin but then I had the idea that it might be nice to bake the batter in mini tart tins.  So that's what I did, turning what should have been madeleines into what I'll call, tea cakes.  

A couple of my tea cakes are about 2 1/2 inches in diameter while the others (4 larger ones in my small batch) were slightly bigger at about 3 1/2 inches wide.  I would've preferred them all in the smaller size but I discovered I only had two of the smaller tart tins so I was out of luck.  I filled the larger ones a little less so as not to end up with very thick tea cakes. I was aiming for dainty.

Now let me tell you why I wanted to make these so much...yes, it was the chestnut cream factor.  I do love myself some chestnuts and love finding recipes like this one that use chestnut cream.  And since I have a pretty substantial stash of chestnut cream in my pantry right now thanks to my sister, who stocked up for me on a recent trip to Paris, I'm really on the lookout for good recipes.

This chestnut cream madeleine (or "tea cake") recipe fit the bill and was all the more appealing given how easy the batter is to put together; we're talking bowls and some good old-fashion stirring.  I divvied up the batter into my tart tins and these small tea cakes emerged from the oven.  I was happy.  

These little cakes are just simple and lovely.  They're moist, with an unmistakable flavor of sweetened chestnuts from the chestnut cream that made me smile.  Also lightly flavored with a touch of vanilla extract and rum, these little bites were just what I was looking for in a mid-afternoon tea cake.  Whether with tea or coffee, they are a lovely little sweet treat for any chestnut lover.

Chestnut pudding

It's no secret that I absolutely love chestnuts and jump at the chance to enjoy chestnut desserts.  So when I saw an easy chestnut pudding recipe from Saveur recently, I had to set the Christmas cookies aside and make time to try it!

I popped open one of my prized jars of Clement Faugier steamed chestnuts (I stock up when I see it in sale at Williams-Sonoma) and made the pudding in no time.  You basically blend chestnuts with milk, making a chestnut milk, in effect.  Since I love the simple combination of chestnut with vanilla, I sliced open a vanilla bean and added the seeds to this milk.  This is then cooked with a thickener of cornstarch and eggs until a pudding forms.

Once the pudding chills and is ready to serve, I whipped up some heavy cream to dollop on top.  Instead of garnishing with a dusting of grated nutmeg as suggested, I continued with the vanilla theme and added some more vanilla bean seeds into my whipped cream.  Since the chestnut pudding itself is so flavorful, the vanilla-scented whipped cream is a welcome contrast.  

My one regret is not cooking my pudding a little longer because mine wasn't as thick as it should have been.  It's pretty typical of me; once a pudding mixture thickens and I spot a speck or two of cooked egg white in the mix, I get nervous and end up taking it off the stove a little too early.  It's something for me to work on in 2016.  But flavor-wise, this pudding is bound to put a smile on any chestnut-lover's face!  

This pudding was described as the best part of a mont blanc and I totally agree.  What a simple, do-able, way to enjoy the flavors of that classic (and complicated) dessert! Every spoonful of the pudding packs a ton of chestnut flavor - it's sweet, creamy, and just delicious.  If you want to stretch the mont blanc theme a little further, how about sprinkling some crushed meringue cookies on top?

So amidst all the Christmas cookies we're baking and eating, I'm glad I took a little break to enjoy something slightly different, this full-on chestnut pudding! 

Experimenting with yellow cake

It's time for what I'm starting to think of as my "September", or "back-to-school", cake.  I figure there's no better way to start things off on a positive note than to celebrate with a cake (and a little pizza party at home)!  Last year, I made a Brooklyn Blackout Cake to celebrate the start of first grade.  This year, I went with a yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.

Can it be I've never actually made an authentic yellow or vanilla cake before?  Well, maybe this one doesn't qualify either because it's more of a hybrid yellow/vanilla/chiffon/sponge cake.  I think the whole thing is pretty confusing anyway given the similarities between cakes like sponge, genoise, and chiffon.

I originally planned to make the yellow cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen (and maybe I should've) but due to (most likely unfounded) fears of that cake being denser and dryer than I'd like, I decided on a recipe I found and read about on Food52.  The recipe had rave reviews and caught my attention because it's made with oil as opposed to butter.  I generally love cakes (like this one, this one, and even these muffins) made with oil - the benefit being the cake is typically quite moist and usually stays that way for a few days.  Additionally, the eggs in this recipe are separated and whipped whites are folded into the base, which again suggests a lighter texture.

So instead of going full-out chocolate like I typically would, I layered chocolate buttercream frosting on to this "hybrid" yellow cake.  At one point during the making of this cake, I thought I must've done something terribly wrong, like accidentally doubled the flour because it was mixing up like dough!  As it turns out, that's how it's supposed to be until you add the rest of the wet ingredients and I did end up with two moist and tender cake layers.  The texture is firmer than the delicious chiffon cake that I'm used to, making it ready to support fillings and frosting; and it is reminiscent of a sponge but with the addition of oil.

This cake provides a blank canvas for a flavorful, rich frosting.  But to be honest, I was disappointed by the lack of flavor in the cake itself.  Maybe I just prefer cakes like this one that have a little more going on.  I am certainly no expert on yellow cakes so I mean no offense to the author of this recipe! 

I assume using butter instead of oil would improve the flavor and I think the cake could use a few more egg yolks for added richness and flavor.  Maybe I'll eventually give that recipe from Smitten Kitchen a try.  Cook's Illustrated also has a relatively similar yellow cake recipe that sounds interesting; it uses butter, buttermilk, a little bit of vegetable oil, and also involves folding whipped egg whites into the batter.  Could that be the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and texture?

I think it's good to try something different once in a while, even if it's just a little different from what you're used to and even if you end up going back to what you know best.  My family, including the guest of honor (the newly minted 2nd grader), enjoyed a slice of this cake after our pizza dinner but given the option, we'd all grab this one or this one instead.

So far, the new school year is off to a good start.  I'm hoping for a far smoother transition this year than last.  Here's to a happy, calm, and successful school year for all school kids out there!