Chocolate Chip Cookies

Even though the average German eats over 18 pounds of chocolate per year (American's consume only 11 and a half pounds per year) I haven't been able to find a chocolate chips here. That's why when Kevin's parents came to visit last month I asked them to bring some chocolate chips. I am now in possession of the world's largest bag of Nestle Toll House Morsels.
Not that I'm complaining. I love to make chocolate chip cookies to share with European friends. They are 100 percent American.
This weekend, however, a real apron caper occurred in my kitchen. Kevin donned an apron and decided to make a batch of cookies himself. (His first ever!) I watched the entire process, but didn't help a bit.

I'm please to report that Kevin's first foray into the world of backing was extremely successful. Following Nestlé’s recipe to a t, the cookies were perfect!

Banana Bread

I almost always have bananas in the house. And even though Kevin will eat them way past the point of ripeness that I can stand, it's not that unusual for two or three to turn brown and bruised beyond the standards of acceptable snack.

Instead of getting frustrated by this waste, I relish it. It means that I have to make a batch of banana bread. And since my in-laws arrive with the world's biggest bag of chocolate chips (72 ounces to be exact) I added them to my last batch along with some toasted walnuts.

The loaf was consumed within a couple of days, with Kevin and I having heavy slices for breakfast as well as dessert.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup raw sugar
2 large eggs
3 medium-sized bananas, mashed (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x3x5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, blend butter and sugar together until completely combine. Mix in eggs. Mix in banana and vinegar.

Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add the remaining flour and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix to combine.

Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake until the top splits and a toothpick inserted into the center of comes out clean.

Allow the loaf to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Crepes Stuufed With Poached Pears

On our last night in Paris we had crepes. I finished my meal with a sweet crepe filled with poached pears and topped with chocolate, almonds, and vanilla ice cream. The combination was amazing, and I've thought about it often since returning home.
Over the weekend a pile of pears purchased at the farm's market finally wore me down. I had to try to recreate this treat at home. The results were easier that I expected. With the help of a jar of organic dark chocolate spread, I was able to recreate a dessert that could give the Parisian version a run for its berets.

To assemble, take one hot crepe. Place half of a poached pear (recipe below), thinly sliced, inside the crepe. Fold in half. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and top with chopped almonds and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Poached Pears
6 pears
1 quart apple juice
1 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peel pears and cut in half. Remove seeds and core. Place pears in a medium saucepan. Pour apple juice over pears to cover. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook pears until they are easily pierced with a fork, between 20 and 35 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

You can store the pears in the poaching liquid for up to three days.

Poaching liquid can also be reduced to a sauce and served with the pears.

Pumpkin Bread

Even though Halloween isn't a big deal in Germany -- last year I saw only a few trick or treaters -- there is still plenty of festive harvest time flair. There are corn mazes built at local farms, colored leaves and gourds adorn front doors and store windows, and the farmer’s market and local stores are overflowing with many different types of pumpkins and squash.
One that keeps catching my eye is a smallish, bright orange variety known as an ambercup. Not really a pumpkin, but a type of squash, the squash glossary on What's Cooking America, praises the ambercup fir its dry sweet tastes and extra long shelf life.

I wouldn't know anything about how long it lasts though. Whenever these little guys make it into my house they don't sit around very long. A few weeks ago I made a very yummy pumpkin soup. Most recently I used one to make a delicious batch of pumpkin bread. One average-sized, roasted ambercup yielded eight ounces of flesh, exactly what I needed for the following recipe.

2-pound pumpkin or winter squash
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat over to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, remove seeds, and rub with oil. Place flesh-side on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh can be easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. When it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and place flesh in a bowl.*

Reduce the oven's heat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, blend together oil, sugar, and eggs. Once thoroughly combine, mix in the roasted pumpkin. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking flour, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring to combine.

Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

* The pumpkin or squash can be cooked up to three days in advance.

Peach Cobbler

All summer long, a trip to the market is not complete without stopping by my favorite fruit lady to pick up some peaches. This week, seeing that she still had a nice supply, I decided to get a bunch while the getting was still good. I don't know how much longer her stash is going to last.

With my purchase I made the best peach cobbler I've ever concocted. The peaches were just ripe, but still firm enough to hold their shape throughout the cooking process. And they were so sweet that I hardly needed to add any sugar.

Cobbler is one of my favorite desserts to prepare, especially because I feel absolutely no guilt while eating it. (Okay, the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top may induce a moment or two of guilt, but it's worth it.) I always have a helping of cobbler the next morning for breakfast as well. Without the ice cream it's nothing more then cooked fruit with a whole grain topping. What could be better then that?

5 pounds ripe peaches
1/4 cup plus one 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whole oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter
2 to 4 tablespoons of fruit juice* or water

Peel and slice peaches. Place in a mixing bowl and toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar (depending on your preference and the sweetness of the fruit), 2 tablespoons flour, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Pour peaches into a glass baking pan.

For the topping mix oats, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Using your finger tips, incorporate the butter until most of the mixture comes together into small clumps. Add juice or water, one tablespoon at a time, until the topping is moist but not soggy.

Distribute the topping evenly over the peaches. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. When the juice in the fruit is bubbling, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, allowing the topping to turn golden brown.

Cool a bit before serving to allow the juices to thicken. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* I used a multi-vitamin juice that included a mixture of peach, pineapple, and apple. Orange or apple would also work well.

Mini Fruit Tarts

Chocolate, pastry, and fresh summer berries. What could be a better combo then that? Here's a simple recipe for accentuating the best of summer with a little dark chocolate.

1/2 basic pastry dough
1/4 cup chocolate ganache
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup strawberries, cut in half or quartered

Roll out 1/2 of the basic pastry dough. (The other half can be frozen for another use.) Cut dough into four pieces and line four three-inch tart pans. Remove excess dough from the edges by rolling your rolling pin along the top of the pan.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the bottom of the tart crust several times with a fork. Cover each tart crust with foil and pie weights. Bake for seven to ten minutes. Remove foil and pie weights. Bake for another two to three minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Make basic ganache. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.

Carefully remove tart crusts from the pans. Pour 1 tablespoon of chocolate into each crust and gently rotate to allow the chocolate to cover the bottom and the sides of the crust. Fill each shell with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Place tarts in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes to allow chocolate to set. Serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Over the weekend I made four mini fruit tarts,* which only used half of my pastry dough recipe. The other half I wrapped in plastic and stuck in the freezer for a later use.Later came sooner, and yesterday I decided to treat Kevin to one of his favorite desserts: a chocolate peanut butter tart. Well, I actually made chocolate peanut butter tartlets, since I didn't have enough dough made to cover an entire pie pan. I think they were even cuter this way!

1/2 basic pastry dough
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Preheat over to 375. Roll out pastry dough and divide among four four-inch round tart pans. Cover each tart shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minuets. Remove from refrigerator, poke the bottom of the tart shells a few times with a fork, cover with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights.* Bake tarts for 10 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil. Bake for another 3 minutes.

Place peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients together until creamy. Set a side.

Create a double boiler by placing a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add chocolate to the bowl and allow to melt. Whisk in cream and remove from heat.

To assemble the tarts, remove tart shells from the pans. Pour one tablespoon of chocolate into each tart shell. Gently swirl chocolate around to coat the bottom and sides of the pastry. Divide the peanut butter mixture evenly among each tart. Spread to make even. Top the peanut butter with chopped peanuts. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the top of each tart. Refrigerate until chocolate sets.

* I'll post the super easy recipe for that one soon. I promise.
** No need to invest in pie weights. I use dried beans. The same quart of black-eyed peas has been cooked over and over again for almost ten years.

Chocolate Pecan Tart

For anyone who loves dark, bittersweet chocolate, this is the dessert for you. Here I've topped it with pecans, but other options include raspberries, poached pears, or candied orange slices.

1 butter pastry crust
12 ounces dark chocolate
1 cup cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups toasted pecans

Roll out pastry crust and place in tart pan. Cover with plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork every few inches. Cover with aluminum foil, place pie weights* on top of the foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights and bake until the crust is light golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.

To make the filling, set a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Chop chocolate into pieces and add to the bowl. When the chocolate has melted, whisk in cream. Add vanilla, salt, and oil. Remove from heat and pour chocolate mixture into the piecrust. Add pecans or other topping and allow chocolate filling to set.

If your kitchen is warm you may need to put the tart in the refrigerator to set. Remove it as soon as the filling is solid to avoid condensation from forming on the crust, which will make it soggy.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

* Dried beans work perfectly as pie weights.

Easy as Pie: Basic Pastry Dough

Making pies and tarts is really more like cooking then baking. Unlike a cake, which requires precise measurements in order rise properly and achieve the desired crumb, pies and tarts are made by look and feel.

I think, with frozen piecrust readily available in every supermarket freezer case, many people have the mistaken impression that it is difficult to make. This is absolutely not true. All you need to know is work with cold ingredients and chill the dough twice: after forming and after rolling. Also work quickly and don't overwork mix. Here's my basic butter crust recipe.

Basic Butter Pastry Dough*
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into pieces and add to flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the four. The butter/flour mixture should be grainy and individual pieces should be about the size of a small pea.

Add water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Press into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Roll out dough and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.