Various Summer Bakings

Want to know what's been happening in the kitchen? Check these out!

First up, shoe cupcakes. These were for my boss who loves shoes - I think some of us can relate. I've seen these made with Milano cookies but I made the cookies myself and attached Cadbury Fingers.

There was also these eye shadow palette cookies for a makeup themed bridal shower. This was the first time I decorated cookies with royal icing. Definitely need more practice - whoa these took time to decorate.

And finally, these cupcakes and cake for a birthday party. The cake was Neapolitan (vanilla and chocolate cake layers with strawberry swiss meringue frosting in the middle). Did you know that you can get images printed on rice paper at the grocery store? So awesome!

Check out the birthday girl :)

Ritz Cookies

The other day, I saw that Momofuku Milk Bar put out a Ritz Cookie. It sounded amazing! Buttery Ritz in cookie form with an explosion of salty, sweet, and chewy. Too bad I couldn't get my hands on them, and the recipe is not in the cookbook. So I decided to try to create them on my own - even though I don't really know what the real thing tastes like. Oh well, it'll be fun.

Just did a quick search and apparently the Ritz cookie came out 2 year ago. I am a bit slow.

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Ritz Cookies

Makes 18 large cookies

Inspired from Milk Bar.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup bread flour

1 1/2 cup Ritz crumbs - from 40 crackers (see directions below)

1/4 cup milk powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 baking soda

Directions

1. Make Ritz crumb by pulsing the crackers in a blender or food processor until fine and crumbly. Set aside.

2.  Beat butter and both sugars in a bowl until fluffy, 3 minutes.

3. Add egg and beat for 4 minutes.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add vanilla, and beat to combine.

5. In a separate bowl, mix flour, Ritz crumb, milk powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and mix slowly just until combined.

5. Portion dough with an ice cream scoop onto a baking sheet. Cover with foil and let marinate in the fridge for 2-3 days.

To bake

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Place 4 on a baking sheet and press down to slightly flatten. Bake for 14 minutes until the edges are golden.

8. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

 

Before baking.

After baking.

Verdict: These cookies turned out buttery, rich, and chewy! They were delicious and I'll definitely be making them again - maybe with some larger chunks of Ritz for a variation in texture.

Toasted Coconut White and Dark Chocolate Cookies

My current obsession is coconut. Toasted coconut to be specific.

Coconut seems to one of those love it or hate it ingredients. I know people who absolutely love it while other absolutely detest it. I fall in the former category. I decided to put together a dark chocolate cookie with bursts of white chocolate. After a bit of testing, I got it right – a chewy cookie with crispy edges and the warm nuttiness of toasted coconut.

Btw, I have a still have a bottle of coconut syrup from my trip to Hawaii last year. I should really do something with it…

Toasted Coconut White and Dark Chocolate Cookies

Makes…a lot.

Ingredients

3 cups fancy coconut (or shredded)

2 oz dark chocolate

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 Tablespoon glucose

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups bread flour

¼ cup cake flour

¼ cup + 2 Tablespoon cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Lay coconut on a baking sheet and bake in a 300 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Watch carefully and toss as the edges of pan get brown to ensure even toasting. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Set aside.

3.  With a beater attachment of a standmixer, beat butter for a minute until fluffy. Add both sugars and glucose and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.

4.  Add egg, vanilla, and melted chocolate and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.

5.  In the meantime, sift both flours, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl.

6.  Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until the mixture just comes together.

7.  Add 1 cup of toasted coconut and white chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

8.  Scoop dough with a 2-inch scoop and roll in the remaining coconut. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are firm.

9.  Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before cooling on a rack.

 

Toasted coconut.

Dough portioned out with the BIG scooper.

Verdict: These are one of my favorites now. A perfect balance of textures and flavours. This makes a large batch so feel free to cut the recipe in half, or portion out the dough and freeze it for a craving. You know what you’ll find in my freezer!

For all you Canadian readers, these cookies remind me of Tim Horton’s toasted coconut chocolate timbits, especially before baking!

Cinema Snack Cookies

I went to the movies last weekend to watch The Way Way Back – a coming of age story of an awkward teen who goes to a beach house with his blended family for the summer.  The boyfriend and I agreed that we love movies about summer as that seems to be when the growing up happens.  Plus, the movie made me long for those summer days at my childhood friend’s beach house – or wait, I think that was a Wonder Years episode.  Nevertheless, it was a great movie to the summer that’s coming to an end.

Going to the movies reminded me of this popcorn cookie that I’ve been meaning to make.  But why not take it up a notch by adding candy bars and making it a full out movie cookie.  Is there anything else that I can add to make it a complete movie snack experience in one bite? 

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Cinema Snack Cookies

Adapted from here.
Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

¼ cup popcorn kernels

2 tablespoon salted butter, melted

½ cup salted butter, room temperature

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups coarsely chopped candy bar of your choice (I used 1 ¼ cup Caramilk and ¾ cups toffee bits and chopped dark chocolate)

Directions

1.    Place popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag and fold down the top 2 times over.  Microwave on the popcorn setting until popping slows down to 1 or 2 every second.  Pour popcorn into a large bowl.  If you haven’t already melted the 2 tablespoons of butter, do so now before pouring over the popcorn and tossing to coat. Set aside.

2.    Whip ½ cup butter and both sugars using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until fluffy (3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3.    Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 5 minutes.

4.    In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, and baking soda.  Add to butter mixture and mix until nearly combined.

5.    Toss in popcorn (don’t add the unpopped kernels) and mix until combined (should only take a few seconds).

6.    Add chopped candy bar and mix until combined.

7.    Using a 2-inch scoop, portion out dough onto a baking sheet, wrap with foil and chill in the fridge for 24-72 hours.  You can skip this step and bake right away, but I always let my cookie dough sit in the fridge for a more complex flavor.

To bake:

8.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat.

9.    Place dough on baking sheet and press down with your palm to flatten them a bit (only if it’s been in the fridge).

10. Bake for 11 minutes (10 minutes if it hasn’t been in the fridge).  Cool on sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Ready for the fridge.

Verdict: These were amazingly delicious! They were nice and chewy with substance.  The corn flavour was such a nice contrast to the sweet caramel notes.  If you like a stronger popcorn flavour, I suggest using store bought microwave popcorn, as the above recipe makes a subtle flavour. I highly recommend Caramilk as your candy bar of choice for these cookies – you get bites of gooey caramel!  I can’t wait to make these again!