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~Chef Z
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars - REDUX!
So, Saturday night, I'm headed out to a Game Night, (UPDATE: Please see update below re: My Dumb) thrown by a few good friends of mine. Part of the tradition of the Game Night is a potluck. Normally, I would bring a dinner-type food. Last time, I brought lasagna rolls (recipe soon to come!) which were, frankly, pretty damn delicious. Alas, I had come late, and by the time I arrived, everyone had finished the dinner foods and wanted only to munch on desserts and snacks. Foiled. Despite the best attempts of the Midnight-Munchies crowd, most of my lasagna remained uneaten and was sent back with a friend. And I learned a valuable lesson: If you're going to show up late to a potluck and you want your food to be eaten, bring a dessert.
So, flipping through my stack of dessert favorites, I stumbled across the recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars that I had blogged about a while back. And I decided, now was the time to give those suckers another try. I doubled the crust, added a chocolate hazelnut layer, an additional raspberry layer, and some other alterations. So, without further ado, I bring you the latest tweaking of the Choco-Raspberry Cookie Bars: REDUX!
Choco-Raspberry Cookie Bars: REDUX!
(adapted from Nestle Classic Recipes' Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars recipe)
2 cups butter, softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. package of dark chocolate chips (1 package)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup Nutella
2 oz. white chocolate
Additional chocolate chips (white, dark, or semi sweet) for sprinkling on top.
First things first - preheat that oven to 350 degrees and grease up a 13x9" baking pan. Now to prepare the crust! Whip the butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add in the flour, brown sugar, and salt and mix until crumbly. Now reserve about a cup of dough and set it to the side. Take the rest of the dough and press it into the baking pan, making sure to cover the bottom and a bit of the sides as well. We're going to want to lightly bake this, so stick it in the oven until the edges are golden brown and it is no longer doughy in the center. Mine took around 15-20 minutes, but every oven is different. Keep an eye on yours, trust your gut, and don't worry if it seem a little soft in the center.
Let your crust cool. You don't want it falling apart during the next layer.
While your crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate-hazelnut layer. Melt the white chocolate and Nutella together and stir. BAM. That's your layer. Spread a thin layer onto the bottom of your cookie crust and let cool. I stuck mine in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
Once it's fairly cool, GENTLY spread a thin layer of raspberry (1/2-3/4 cup) on top of the hazelnut layer. I did mine by just spooning little piles of raspberry jam on the bottom and gently pushing them into a full layer.
Now set your crust aside for a bit to set while you prepare one of the most delicious layers- the chocolate fudge layer. Melt your 12 oz. of chocolate chips with your can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir. Yes, it looks THAT GOOD. I reccomend using a dark chocolate here because it balances out the ultra-sweet-creamy-richness that the sweetened condensed milk provides. I personally ran out of the DARK chocolate and instead used Godiva semi-sweet chocolate chips with 2 oz. of 100% baking chocolate. So, results may very.
ANYHOW, pour your fudge layer into your cookie crust and spread evenly.
Now, as to the topping. Sprinkle your additional chocolate chips on top as well as intermittent dabs of the remaining raspberry jam. Don't forget that cookie crust you set aside in the beginning! You can either crumble the remaining crust onto the top of the bars (like I did the first time around, and it came out great) or you can try what I did this time around (if you have the patience and motivation for it). Cookie Cutters! I cut out various shapes of dough with cookie cutters and decorated the top of my bars with them. It was pretty neat, but also entirely cosmetic.
Once you've finished topping your bars, stick them back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cookie topping is looking golden and the chocolate is melted. Then, remove, let cool completely, and get ready for deliciousness!
ENJOY!
~Chef Z
Post Notes (Updated- 2/21):
1) I am not a photographer, CLEARLY.
2) The crust on the side really helped. However, all that crust also made me realize that the cookie crust in this recipe isn't anything to write home about. It's good, but not really up to the level I like. This will have to be revised.
3) The extra raspberry jam was a good choice. There was a hint of hazelnut, but not a lot. So if you want more hazelnut in the bar, double the hazelnut/chocolate layer.
4) Th chocolate layer came out rich and chocolatey without being TOO rich. Again, score.
5) I used Godiva White Chocolate Chips on top and apparently, they are not made for melting easily. The just sort of browned, instead. Will probably go a different route next time around.
6) The cookie cutter shapes came out well and kept shape, but unless I have a good reason to pretty-up the bars, I will probably go back to crumbling dough on the top. Also, definitely more jam and chocolate chips, next time.
*UPDATE*
Another important lesson to learn:
Friday =/= Saturday.
Apparently, Game Night was TONIGHT and not TOMORROW NIGHT as I had thought.
And we've learned ANOTHER important lesson. It doesn't matter what you bake for a potluck, IF YOU NEVER SHOW UP TO THE POTLUCK.
Apparently, I take dumbassery to a whole new level.
Someone's got to eat these bars, dammit!
-Z
So, flipping through my stack of dessert favorites, I stumbled across the recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars that I had blogged about a while back. And I decided, now was the time to give those suckers another try. I doubled the crust, added a chocolate hazelnut layer, an additional raspberry layer, and some other alterations. So, without further ado, I bring you the latest tweaking of the Choco-Raspberry Cookie Bars: REDUX!
Choco-Raspberry Cookie Bars: REDUX!(adapted from Nestle Classic Recipes' Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars recipe)
2 cups butter, softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. package of dark chocolate chips (1 package)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup Nutella
2 oz. white chocolate
Additional chocolate chips (white, dark, or semi sweet) for sprinkling on top.
First things first - preheat that oven to 350 degrees and grease up a 13x9" baking pan. Now to prepare the crust! Whip the butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add in the flour, brown sugar, and salt and mix until crumbly. Now reserve about a cup of dough and set it to the side. Take the rest of the dough and press it into the baking pan, making sure to cover the bottom and a bit of the sides as well. We're going to want to lightly bake this, so stick it in the oven until the edges are golden brown and it is no longer doughy in the center. Mine took around 15-20 minutes, but every oven is different. Keep an eye on yours, trust your gut, and don't worry if it seem a little soft in the center.
Let your crust cool. You don't want it falling apart during the next layer.
While your crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate-hazelnut layer. Melt the white chocolate and Nutella together and stir. BAM. That's your layer. Spread a thin layer onto the bottom of your cookie crust and let cool. I stuck mine in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
Once it's fairly cool, GENTLY spread a thin layer of raspberry (1/2-3/4 cup) on top of the hazelnut layer. I did mine by just spooning little piles of raspberry jam on the bottom and gently pushing them into a full layer.
Now set your crust aside for a bit to set while you prepare one of the most delicious layers- the chocolate fudge layer. Melt your 12 oz. of chocolate chips with your can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir. Yes, it looks THAT GOOD. I reccomend using a dark chocolate here because it balances out the ultra-sweet-creamy-richness that the sweetened condensed milk provides. I personally ran out of the DARK chocolate and instead used Godiva semi-sweet chocolate chips with 2 oz. of 100% baking chocolate. So, results may very.
ANYHOW, pour your fudge layer into your cookie crust and spread evenly.
Now, as to the topping. Sprinkle your additional chocolate chips on top as well as intermittent dabs of the remaining raspberry jam. Don't forget that cookie crust you set aside in the beginning! You can either crumble the remaining crust onto the top of the bars (like I did the first time around, and it came out great) or you can try what I did this time around (if you have the patience and motivation for it). Cookie Cutters! I cut out various shapes of dough with cookie cutters and decorated the top of my bars with them. It was pretty neat, but also entirely cosmetic.
Once you've finished topping your bars, stick them back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cookie topping is looking golden and the chocolate is melted. Then, remove, let cool completely, and get ready for deliciousness!
ENJOY!
~Chef Z
Post Notes (Updated- 2/21):
1) I am not a photographer, CLEARLY.
2) The crust on the side really helped. However, all that crust also made me realize that the cookie crust in this recipe isn't anything to write home about. It's good, but not really up to the level I like. This will have to be revised.
3) The extra raspberry jam was a good choice. There was a hint of hazelnut, but not a lot. So if you want more hazelnut in the bar, double the hazelnut/chocolate layer.
4) Th chocolate layer came out rich and chocolatey without being TOO rich. Again, score.
5) I used Godiva White Chocolate Chips on top and apparently, they are not made for melting easily. The just sort of browned, instead. Will probably go a different route next time around.
6) The cookie cutter shapes came out well and kept shape, but unless I have a good reason to pretty-up the bars, I will probably go back to crumbling dough on the top. Also, definitely more jam and chocolate chips, next time.
*UPDATE*
Another important lesson to learn:
Friday =/= Saturday.
Apparently, Game Night was TONIGHT and not TOMORROW NIGHT as I had thought.
And we've learned ANOTHER important lesson. It doesn't matter what you bake for a potluck, IF YOU NEVER SHOW UP TO THE POTLUCK.
Apparently, I take dumbassery to a whole new level.
Someone's got to eat these bars, dammit!
-Z
A Cautionary Tale
I know certain folks tuning in right now are expecting a delightful post about my re-tweaking of Nestle Tollhouse's Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars. And I swear, it's coming by this evening. But I want to take a moment to talk to you all about why I had to wait until later this evening to finish the bars. And in the process, we'll all get to learn three VERY important lessons.
1) Flour CAN go rancid. A lot of beginning bakers don't know this, but flour can go rancid. Flour contains a small amount of fat, and anything with fat can go rancid. Whole grain flours go bad much faster than white flour for the simple reason that whole grains contain a higher amount of fat. But white flours can still go bad. So, if you're dipping into an old bag of flour, take a whiff. If it smells "off" or musty or just plain gag-worthy, toss it.
2) Always be prepared. After being faced with a bag of rancid all-purpose flour and it's eventual disposal, I found myself no longer in possession of flour for my cookie bars. Not only that, I had contaminated the rest of my butter with the flour before I had noticed it had gone the way of the US economy. I then found myself with no flour AND no butter, despite having been to the store just that evening. And with naught a grocery store open at 2am, I eventually caved in and went to coffee with the Bearded Men's Insomniac Coffee Club just to be able to get an escort to a 7-11 in the sketchier part of town.
So, what I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to have a bit of a back-up when baking.
3) Let your cookie dough sit overnight. Granted, this was not part of the original plan, but it should have been. Fact: Cookie dough is ALWAYS better if it is left to sit overnight. It gives the flour time to hydrate and mingle, leading to a far superior flavor. Of course, I mostly did it because after making the dough, I did not have the strength to try to finish making the bars at 4am. But my sad situation aside, it really is good practice to let your cookie dough rest in the fridge for a few hours, at least.
And those, friends, are the three fantastic lessons you can learn from my unfortunate situation.
Check back later tonight for cookie bars + recipe!
~Chef Z
1) Flour CAN go rancid. A lot of beginning bakers don't know this, but flour can go rancid. Flour contains a small amount of fat, and anything with fat can go rancid. Whole grain flours go bad much faster than white flour for the simple reason that whole grains contain a higher amount of fat. But white flours can still go bad. So, if you're dipping into an old bag of flour, take a whiff. If it smells "off" or musty or just plain gag-worthy, toss it.
2) Always be prepared. After being faced with a bag of rancid all-purpose flour and it's eventual disposal, I found myself no longer in possession of flour for my cookie bars. Not only that, I had contaminated the rest of my butter with the flour before I had noticed it had gone the way of the US economy. I then found myself with no flour AND no butter, despite having been to the store just that evening. And with naught a grocery store open at 2am, I eventually caved in and went to coffee with the Bearded Men's Insomniac Coffee Club just to be able to get an escort to a 7-11 in the sketchier part of town.
So, what I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to have a bit of a back-up when baking.
3) Let your cookie dough sit overnight. Granted, this was not part of the original plan, but it should have been. Fact: Cookie dough is ALWAYS better if it is left to sit overnight. It gives the flour time to hydrate and mingle, leading to a far superior flavor. Of course, I mostly did it because after making the dough, I did not have the strength to try to finish making the bars at 4am. But my sad situation aside, it really is good practice to let your cookie dough rest in the fridge for a few hours, at least.
And those, friends, are the three fantastic lessons you can learn from my unfortunate situation.
Check back later tonight for cookie bars + recipe!
~Chef Z
Hiatus: DONE!
Sorry for the extended hiatus! Thanks to the magic of interwebz and foodie friends, it's looking as if we're going to have a veritable renaissance of this blog! Check back tomorrow for an update on an old favorite and keep an eye out in the future for brand spankin' new contributers!
It's gonna be some sort of delicious!
~ Chef Z
It's gonna be some sort of delicious!
~ Chef Z
Monday, February 25, 2008
Global Happy Hour - Week 2
This week's drink is a favorite of mine. I often order this at bars if I don't find a beer I like. It's also a drink I favor while I'm cooking. So, this week, I'm glad to share the Screwdriver as the Global Happy Hour drink of the week.
THIS WEEK'S DRINK:
Screwdriver
2oz Vodka
5-6 oz. Orange Juice
Pour vodka over ice in a highball glass. Add orange juice, stir, and serve!
THIS WEEK'S DRINK:
Screwdriver
2oz Vodka
5-6 oz. Orange Juice
Pour vodka over ice in a highball glass. Add orange juice, stir, and serve!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Making the Best of Things #1
Sometimes, things go wrong. Chef Z knows this. Sometimes, despite best intentions, you just plain fail. But fear not! A Hardcore Gourmet does not fret! A Hardcore Gourmet makes the best of things! So, welcome to the first edition of The Hardcore Gourmet's "Making the Best of Things."
A few nights ago, in the interest of having some fresh bread for my French Onion Soup (recipe soon!), I got to work baking a few loaves. I had altered my recipe slightly to add more yeast to the dough. I noticed that the dough was rising extraordinarily well. I was excited. But suspicious.
I gave it a second rise and threw it in the oven. The loaves looked like they were doing fine. I took out the bread, let it cool slightly, then FINALLY sliced in, hoping for some delicious goodness.
Alas.
The bread was flat-tasting. Immediately, it all made sense. The bland taste, the hyper-rise...
I had forgotten the salt.
Dumb.
So, I had a bland, though edible, loaf of bread. What was I to do?
Make the best of things.
Immediately, I took the easy route. Having a problem with funny tasting bread?
Make croûtons.
The saving grace of any bread blunder.
I sliced up the bread into thick slices, think Texas toast thick, then sliced again into strips.
You can choose to slice again into cubes, but I just tore the slices into smaller pieces in the interest of convenience. Then, I tossed the bread in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Then, I laid the croûtons to be on a pizza pan, and stuck it into a an oven, preheated to 350 degrees. Once the croûtons were browned and crunchy looking, I took them out.
Voila!
Saved!
And delicious. ;-)
A few nights ago, in the interest of having some fresh bread for my French Onion Soup (recipe soon!), I got to work baking a few loaves. I had altered my recipe slightly to add more yeast to the dough. I noticed that the dough was rising extraordinarily well. I was excited. But suspicious.
I gave it a second rise and threw it in the oven. The loaves looked like they were doing fine. I took out the bread, let it cool slightly, then FINALLY sliced in, hoping for some delicious goodness.
Alas.
The bread was flat-tasting. Immediately, it all made sense. The bland taste, the hyper-rise...
I had forgotten the salt.
Dumb.
So, I had a bland, though edible, loaf of bread. What was I to do?
Make the best of things.
Immediately, I took the easy route. Having a problem with funny tasting bread?
Make croûtons.
The saving grace of any bread blunder.
I sliced up the bread into thick slices, think Texas toast thick, then sliced again into strips.
You can choose to slice again into cubes, but I just tore the slices into smaller pieces in the interest of convenience. Then, I tossed the bread in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Then, I laid the croûtons to be on a pizza pan, and stuck it into a an oven, preheated to 350 degrees. Once the croûtons were browned and crunchy looking, I took them out.
Voila!
Saved!
And delicious. ;-)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Global Happy Hour - Week 1
One night, while slamming away kamikaze shots at a local bar, the guy sitting next to me turned to me, bought me another shot, and asked,
"Where did you learn to drink like that?"
I took down another shot and answered.
"My parents."
And it's true! While my parents taught me many socially-acceptable morals, they also taught me that there's nothing wrong with a good drink. So, when my father suggested a communal drinking time for my interwebs readers, I took notice.
So, let me be the first to welcome you to the Global Happy Hour!
It works like this, kids. Every Monday, I'll tell you what is the drink of the week. You have until Friday to gather the ingredients. FRIDAY NIGHT at 8PM EST, DRINK THAT DRINK. Drink it with friends, drink it with loved ones, drink it with strangers, drink it with pets, drink it with your cyber-buddies. But we will ALL be drinking together.
So, I dedicate this week's drink to my parents by using one of their staples. HI MOM AND DAD!
They're very proud.
THIS WEEK'S DRINK:
Vodka and Tonic
2oz. Vodka
4oz. Tonic water
Pour vodka over ice in a highball glass. Add tonic water, stir, and drink!
Have fun!
~Chef Z
"Where did you learn to drink like that?"
I took down another shot and answered.
"My parents."
And it's true! While my parents taught me many socially-acceptable morals, they also taught me that there's nothing wrong with a good drink. So, when my father suggested a communal drinking time for my interwebs readers, I took notice.
So, let me be the first to welcome you to the Global Happy Hour!
It works like this, kids. Every Monday, I'll tell you what is the drink of the week. You have until Friday to gather the ingredients. FRIDAY NIGHT at 8PM EST, DRINK THAT DRINK. Drink it with friends, drink it with loved ones, drink it with strangers, drink it with pets, drink it with your cyber-buddies. But we will ALL be drinking together.
So, I dedicate this week's drink to my parents by using one of their staples. HI MOM AND DAD!
They're very proud.
THIS WEEK'S DRINK:
Vodka and Tonic
2oz. Vodka
4oz. Tonic water
Pour vodka over ice in a highball glass. Add tonic water, stir, and drink!
Have fun!
~Chef Z
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