Gooey Butter Cookies

Recipe: http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2011/12/day-5-mathew-rice-and-gooey-butter-cookies/

Ghughra

http://www.rakskitchen.net/2010/04/badhusha.html
http://www.dessarts.com/2010/10/traditional-diwali-treats-ghugra-karanji.html

Teaser pics!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I expected more from these cookies.  They were soft and chewy with crunchy edges and just a hint of spice.  When Joy the Baker describes them as chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips, she's right.  And that's what was missing.  Silly Sally and I, attempting to make cookies without chocolate... that never ends well.

Brown Sugar Cookies
adapted from here and here
makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
12 tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg
Directions
1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (yes, your arm will want to fall off if you do this by hand).  Add the egg and beat into the mix.  Add the dry mixture and stir until combined (it will look very dry at first, just keep mixing and everything will come together).
3.  Cover the bowl with saran wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
4.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5.  Roll about a tablespoon full of dough into a ball and flatten.  Place dough on a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie (seriously.  these things spread).  Bake 8 minutes, turning the tray halfway through.  The edges should be slightly brown.  Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, until set (seriously.  they will fall apart if you try to move them sooner. and you will be sad).  Transfer to a cooling rack.

An Apple Tart

There is always a chance, in any endeavor, that something will go horribly wrong.  A badly written recipe, poorly described instructions, forgetting to add a vital ingredient - what? You've never done that?  Never been so careless as to simply misplace that last 2 tbsp. of butter or miscount the number of cups of flour?

When Sally first learned of my forgetful nature, she was sympathetic.  Granted, my muttering questions about the location of my cell phone or car keys had no direct impact on her.  But when my minor bouts of amnesia started to intrude on her life (hours stranded in parking lots on cold winter nights searching for the car, Christmas presents in July...) she decided to take a stand.  There would be no forgetfulness around Sally.  Twas simply not allowed.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that.  Oh, things certainly got better now that I had an incentive to remember things - breaking a 5 year friendship due to misplaced birthday cards was not too dramatic for Sally - but every now any then, I would have a minor relapse.

Like when it came to this tart.  This gorgeous, delicious, flaky apply tart.  That survived a minor scorching in the oven due to my forgetfulness... good thing I checked on it 15 minutes in, and was able to save most of it.  I'd say "Don't tell Sally!" except she obviously already knows - good thing the apple tart was yummy enough to distract her.

Alice Water's Apple Tart
adapted (more like followed) from here
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
6 tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 1/2 tbs. chilled water
2 pounds apples (I used 4 granny smith), peeled, cored (save the peels and cores), and sliced
2 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
3 tbs. sugar
1/4 cup sugar (glaze)
Directions
1.  Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add 2 tbs. of the butter.  Mix until dough resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add remaining butter and mix until pieces look like large peas.
2.  Pour in some of the water, mix, and then add more until dough just holds together.  Toss with hands until it's ropy with some dry patches.  Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball.  Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk and refrigerate.  Remove after at least 30 minutes and let soften.  Smooth cracks at edges.  Roll out dough into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
3.  Place dough into lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
4.  Place apple slices on dough in a ring, continue inward until reaching the center.  Fold the dough hanging off the edge of the pan onto itself and crimp edges at 1 inch intervals.
5.  Brush melted butter over apples and onto dough edge.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over dough edge and apples.  Place tart in oven until edges brown (about 45 minutes, make sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes).
6.  Meanwhile, make the glaze by putting apple peels and cores in saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar.  Pour in just enough water to cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Strain syrup through cheesecloth.
7.  Remove tart from oven, let cool for 15 minutes.  Brush glaze over tart, then slice and serve.

Banana Bottom Baked Oatmeal

This isn't the healthy recipe the title would lead you to think.  Nope, it's chock full of sugary and buttery goodness, perfect for those cool fall mornings.  Maybe even too much sugar - though, according to Sally, you can never have too much sugar.

(pre-oven photo shoot)

It's perfect for those mornings when you crave something more substantial than milk and cereal and more satisfying than a granola bar.  The texture is similar to a dense, chewy granola bar, and the fruit on the bottom is a nice surprise.  Keep some in the fridge and reheat whenever you're craving oatmeal - it lasted a week before Sally and I managed to finish it all.

Banana Bottom Baked Oatmeal
makes around 6 servings
adapted from Annie's Eats
Ingredients
1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 cups very hot water
2 bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. cardamom (optional)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
2 tbs. maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (you can use a toaster oven - Sally and I did).  Lightly grease a 1 quart baking dish (an 8x8 glass dish would be perfect, or a large pyrex bowl)
2. Add the steel cut oats into a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the butter.  Pout the hot water over the oats and cover the bowl.  Let sit for 20 minutes.
3. For the caramelized bananas: Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the bananas, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the pan.  Toss gently and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.  Stop before the bananas start to break apart.  Remove from heat and pour into prepared baking dish.  Spread evenly on bottom of dish.
4. After the steel cut oats are done, stir in the old fashioned oats, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves.  Add the milk.
5. Pour the oatmeal mixture on top of the bananas.  Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  Remove and let cool before serving. To reheat leftover oatmeal, place in microwave bowl, add a dribble or two of milk, and reheat in microwave for 30 seconds.

Teaser pics!

Are you ready for fall yet? Coming soon:

Caramelized Bananas & Baked Oatmeal

Simple Apple Tart

Non-edible but still gorgeous: