FOMO Cookies + Podcast

There’s a trend on social media about FOMO cookies.  For those of you who don’t know, FOMO = the “Fear of Missing Out.”  Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies pretty much broke the internet.  Everyone was making them, which caused even more people to make them.  No one wanted to miss out on an awesome cookie!  —and not just food people—non-food people too.  These cookies have legit reached pop culture status. 

I’m not that keen on following trends. But, I was featured in a new podcast on Heritage Radio Network, Meat + 3.  You can listen to the premiere episode “Hitting a Snag” here.  It’s a jam-packed 15-minute episode, and I was featured alongside the author of this cookie recipe. There’s nothing I love more than a recipe with a personal connection, so I finally made these cookies this past weekend. 

Making these eggless, buttery cookies is certainly something any of us can do. But, it was a little more challenging that I thought it would be!  The forming the dough was pretty simple, but these cookies are rolled.  Not rolled with a rolling pin and cut into shapes, but rolled into a log.  You really gotta get in there and roll that dough into a log! And not a long, skinny one, which was tempting. Just a regular ole log whose thickness will dictate the diameter of the cookies.

Once I got the rolling done, I let them set in the refrigerator. I thought it would be smooth sailing after that. But, the next challenge came when it was time to slice the cookies. You slice the cookie dough from the log just like the Toll House tubes of cookie dough I’d buy growing up. The slicing proved challenging because of the big chunks of chocolate (It can be challenging to saw through chocolate). Also, as much as I love chocolate, I prefer a higher cookie to chocolate recipe than most. So, next time I’ll just use chocolate chips to avoid the issue of cutting through chocolate chunks.

And one note about baking: you probably want to under bake these cookies.  I baked them until they were lightly golden, and they lost that shortbread quality, and inched more into the butter cookie quality. (You know, those crispy little buttery cookies that came in tins at Christmastime back in the day.) But by under baking, they will have that nice, short crumbly texture that’s the hallmark of shortbread cookies.  Plus, the edges will be crispy due to the egg wash and demerara sugar.

These cookies were good, and were certainly different.  I realize I’m more of a chewy chocolate chip cookie kinda girl. I’m sure our chocolate chip cookie preferences vary as much as anything, but i'm glad I finally made them. There’s another FOMO cookie making its way around Instagram.. so stay tuned. I just have to make those too!

Here's  what makes these cookies different: They are made with salted butter, and there are flakes of sea salt on top.  (This makes that perfect salty-sweet combo.)  They are rolled into a log, brushed with egg wash, rolled in demerara sugar, and then sliced.  (This makes the edges super crispy.) 

Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

2 and 1/4 sticks salted butter (255g), cold, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (320g)
6 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks (I used less)
1 egg beaten
demerara sugar
flaky sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour.  Then, add the chocolate chunks and mix until just combined.  

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into two equal parts.  Use your hands if needed to incorporate all of the flour by lightly kneading.  Place each half in a large piece of plastic wrap.  Fold the plastic over the dough so the dough is completely encased in the plastic wrap. Then, use your hands to roll the dough into a 6-inch log.  The diameter should be about 2 inches.  Chill until firm, about 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Remove the two logs and remove the plastic wrap.  Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar.  Use a serrated knife to slice each log into half inch thick rounds. If the cookies break, just mold them back together.  Place each slice on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. (These, like most shortbread cookies, don't spread.)   Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges just start to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from NYTCooking

James Beard Awards "I Rise."

I had the honor of presenting the “Outstanding Baker” award at this year’s James Beard Awards at the Chicago Lyric Opera House to B.Patisserie in San Francisco.  The theme was “I rise.”  I wanted to honor this Maya Angelou-inspired theme the best way I knew how—with the words I used in my presentation.  In order to create the script for the event, I was asked what I rise for. In my response, this is what I said:

"I rise for the countless, unrecognized black women who have come before me. 
The black women who have nourished bodies and pleased palates.  
The black women who have used stoves and ovens to create delicious magic.  
The black women who have inspired us all with lovingly prepared food.
The black women, like my grandmothers Leona and Willie Mae, who always served others before serving themselves, often cooking for others before feeding their own families.
The women who cooked collard greens before they were trendy, made elegant layered cakes, and hearty rustic pies bursting with freshly-gathered fruit.   
I rise for them, and I stand on their shoulders.

Anything is possible with passion and determination. I was a full-time practicing attorney when I fulfilled my baking dreams and won the Great American Baking Show.  And while there a few things more important to me than a really flaky puff pastry, one is ensuring that diversity in our food community is represented in the media.

I want the next generation of
Curly-Haired
Melanin-Rich
Thick-Accented
Queer and Straight
Immigrant
Little girls—and boys--
To see that there’s a place for them at the table, too."

*Note: The May 7th remarks were abridged, and the first paragraph was omitted.

Ganache-Filled Corks

My mother loves tea cakes. She was always searching for a recipe that would replicate the tea cakes that her grandmother made for her. I'm not sure if she ever found that exact recipe, but she has come across many tea cake recipes she's loved over the years. One that I can specifically remember was from "Ms. Debroah."  She loved the texture of the tea cakes--something between a cookie and a muffin.

When I went to France in 2010 during my i-just-finished-law-school self-imposed sabbatical, I discovered the tea cakes that France has to offer.  Sophie, a teacher at the school I was working at as a language assistant invited me to her home for tea. She knew I loved to bake, and her father was a pastry chef, so there were plenty of "tea cakes" or petit gateaux  as the French like to call them.  She made madeleines, cake marbre, and financiers.  Financiers are squarely in the "tea cake" category--they're made with almond flour and the melted butter gives a crispy exterior.  

And you know what's better than a tea cake?  A tea cake filled with chocolate.  So, when Guittard asked me to help celebrate their 150th anniversary, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have long been impressed by Guittard. They are the American standard bearer for what the highest quality of chocolate is. And when you're putting so much time, energy and love into making something, it's only natural to want to use the best ingredients.  

In the meantime, you can check out my recipe for these tea cakes filled with chocolate ganache! Oh, and I came across this lovely cork-shaped bundt pan, and I knew the cavities were perfect for holding the ganache, but you can use a regular mini-bundt pan, and even a cupcake pan.  

Ganache-Filled Corks, adapted from Cyril Lignac's Tigres

Makes 12

Ganache: 
125 grams heavy cream
125 grams Guittard 66% semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Mini Cakes:
65 grams finely ground almonds (almond flour)
195 grams confectioner’s sugar
75 grams all-purpose flour
3 grams (3/4 teaspoon) baking powder
2 grams salt
200 grams egg whites
105 grams (7 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
165 grams Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips
flaky sea salt, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare molds, such as a 12-capacity mini bundt pan, by generously coating each mold with softened butter.  Add flour to each mold and turn the pan over to tap out any excess flour.

Prepare the ganache. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over low heat.  Remove the cream from the heat as soon as bubbles form around the surface. Place the finely chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler and gently melt. Remove the chocolate from the heat.  Add 1/3 of the cream to the chocolate and stir to combine. Add remaining cream in thirds and stir until a smooth ganache is formed. Set the ganache aside.

Sift the almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.   With the mixer running on low, slowly add the egg whites, then melted butter. Mix until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into the prepare molds.  Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for ten minutes.  Once the ten minutes have gone by, remove the cakes from the pan by inverting the pan on the cooling rack and lightly tapping the cakes until they come out. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling.

To assemble, fill the center of the cakes with the ganache (depending on the design of your pan, you may need to cut the center out of the cakes. Once filled with ganache, garnish with flaky sea salt.  Serve the same day. 

Backstage at Hallmark Channel + L.A. Trip

I recently returned from a whirlwind trip to the City of Angels!  I was invited by the Hallmark Channel’s talk show, “Home & Family,” to film a segment talking a little about my life and making my passionfruit macarons. It was such an amazing trip, because I felt like I was walking in my purpose! Preparing certainly took a lot of work—like nailing down the purple color in the macarons--but being on set just felt magical!  And if you missed it, don't worry, the segment is below:

The set of Home & Family is an actual house.  It’s located in the Universal Studios backlot—nestled between the “Wild Wild West” and “Little Europe.” (Westworld is filmed in the Wild Wild West area.) In fact, as I was roaming around, I saw tour groups from Universal Studios rolling by in the little trams.  (They were taking pictures of me, and I was taking pictures of them!) 

A tram giving a tour from Universal Studios

In the Wild Wild West

In front of the Home & Family House

But I digress—back to the actual segment.  I worked with the super talented culinary producers before arriving, and it’s really nice to have everything all set up for you!  All I had to focus on was having fun!  Well.. having fun while making sure I get through the various steps of making the macarons.  The show is filmed live, which pretty much means, anything can happen. Even though I briefly rehearsed the steps of making the macarons, there was no preparation for the many questions from the host and the team tasting the macarons.  

I always find the sheer amount of energy radiating from television hosts fascinating.  There’s a saying that the cameras basically suck the life out of whatever you’re doing, so to appear “normal” you have to actually be like, 50% more energetic!  So basically, it’s some of the most extroverted people you’ve ever met, who all love to talk (like me), under one roof. As an extrovert who is fueled by other people, I left feeling completely rejuvenated!

Everyone was wearing pink! With Ali Fedotowsky.

The lovely trailer/green room where I hung out until go time

Oh, and everyone loved the macarons!  In fact, the host Debbie was like, “You should sell these.” And I’m starting to think maybe I should…

While I was in L.A., I also hit up one of my favorite hangouts from when I was a college student at USC—Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. We ended many a nights out at this Pico and LaBrea mainstay.  I ordered the #13, the Carole C. Special, “one succulent chicken breast and a delicious waffle.”  So much has changed since I last lived in Los Angeles eight years ago—but being able to pull into that super cramped parking lot, walk into the dimly lit restaurants, and order without even having to consult the menu, offered some solace to all of the uncertainty in my life!

Chef Rahanna!

Lodge Bread Co.

Republique

 Husbands that Cook

I also discovered some new places. Since I’m presenting the “Outstanding Baker” award at the James Beard gala (more on that later!), I decided I should go check out some of the nominees. I stopped by Republique more times than I’d care to admit (nominated for outstanding pastry chef). Their selection of pastries is outta this world, but get there early. They run out pretty early in the day! I also ventured to a wonderful little bakery in Culver City, Lodge Bread Company.  The breads here were all incredible, but they're also known for their pizza (pizza crust!) Lastly, I met up with some of my “foodie friends”—I had lunch with “Husbands that Cook” and even met Chef Rahanna (finalist from Top Chef Junior).

And I’ve already booked my next trip back to Los Angeles!

Passionfruit Macarons

Today I'm sharing my macaron recipe. I use it every time I make macarons, and it has become fail-safe for me. Macarons were my first pastry undertaking where I really challenged myself. It was spring of 2011 and I had nothing to guide but a cookbook on macarons. And this book was written in French. I got the zany idea that this girl from south Louisiana could master one of the most intriguing little pastries because I witnessed my roommate make them.

At the time, I was taking this self-appointed gap year of sorts when I finished law school. It was 2010, and instead of toughing it out in the jobless job market, I decided that it was an ideal time to spend a year in France. During that year, I was an "English language assistant" at a high school in the Paris suburbs. And during the rest of my time, I was exploring all that France and Europe had to offer.  I lived in an apartment with some other 20-something recently-graduated French students. And it was my roommate at the time who made macarons, inspiring me that I could make them too.

I didn't try to make them until I moved to New York City months later. With my macaron textbook in tow, I decided that I would not only master them, but that I would sell them.  Fast forward many weeks, even months, and dozens of failed attempts. Any type of way one can fail to make a macaron, I did. Some were footless. Some were cooked on the outside and TOO gooey on the inside. Some took on too much color (overbaked!). And many, many cracked--leaving unsightly little monsters who clamored to the baking sheet. And finally, one day, I figured them out. 

Now, I can make macarons in my sleep. Well, not exactly..  You see, there was actually a "macaron tower" challenge on episode 3 of the Great American Baking Show--one of those episodes that no one got to see. The thing about the Great American Baking Show is that we were actually outside. It happened to be humid with thunderstorms abound that day. And if there's one thing about macarons, it's that they are sensitive. I mean hypersensitive. Any little change in the environment can impact their outcome. And normally it's no big deal--in baking, you've got to adapt. But when there's a clock counting down and cameras coming at you from every angle, it's a lot easier to make mistakes!  My macarons came out beautifully, but they still weren't to the caliber I'm used to! 

So, enough about that, and let's get on to the recipe!  The recipe I'm sharing is for passion fruit macarons.  But, this recipe can be adapted for any type of macarons.  You can of course skip the food coloring altogether, and use whatever filling you'd like.  Raspberry jam is a simple, tasting filling for a macaron. You can also use ganache, buttercream, or even straight-from-the-jar lemon curd.  Enjoy!

Passion Fruit Macarons (Makes about 36)

Macaron Shells

110 grams egg whites (55 grams + 55 grams)
1/2 teaspoon red powder food coloring*
1/2 teaspoon lavender powder food coloring*
150 grams powdered sugar
150 grams super fine almond flour from blanched almonds
40 grams water
150 grams granulated sugar

*The food coloring is optional. OR, you can use liquid food coloring instead, just don't use too much or you'll mess up your the proportions. 

To Prepare Macaron Shells:

Place 55 grams egg whites in the bowl of stand mixer. Start whisking on low and allow to whisk continuously.  Place the remaining 55 grams egg whites in separate bowl. Add red and lavender food coloring to the separate bowl and whisk, using a fork or hand whisk, to combine. Set aside. 

Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into a separate large bowl. Set aside. 

Prepare the Italian meringue by placing water and granulated sugar in small pot over medium heat. (While the sugar and water are heating, increase the speed on the mixer with the egg whites to medium.) Without stirring, cook on medium until the mixture reaches 115 C / 239 F, or when bubbles of the sugar-water slowly break the surface.

Increase the speed on the mixer (where the 55 grams eggs whites are) to high.  The egg whites should be just starting to form peaks as the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/ 244 F. Once the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/ 244 F, carefully pour the hot syrup into the whisking egg whites, as the mixer is going on high, by resting the lip of the pot on the side of the mixing bowl and slowly pouring in a steady stream. Continue to whisk on high for about 5 minutes, until the mixture cools slightly to 50C/122F.

Meanwhile, prepare piping bags by fitting them with an 11-pt tip.  Return to the bowl of the sifted almond four and powdered sugar.  Pour the 55 grams of dyed egg whites into the almond-powdered sugar mix.  Use a rubber spatula to incorporate the dyed egg whites and mix well.  It will form a thick, paste-like mixture. 

 Add a quarter of the slightly-cooled meringue to the almond mix and stir it in to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining meringue and fold it in until the mixture is incorporated, starts to shine, and slowly falls off the spatula in a thick ribbon when lifted.  The mixture is now ready to be piped.

Transfer mixture to the prepared piping bag with an 11-pt tip. (Only about half of the mixture will fit.)  Pipe according to the template on a silplat-lined baking sheet. Once a full sheet of macarons of have been piped, pick up the baking sheet and drop it on a table from about 5 inches.  Repeat with the remaining macaron mix.  Let the shells sit undisturbed for 2 hours, or until dry to to the touch.  Preheat the oven to 325F.

Once the shells are dry, bake them in a 325F oven for about 12 minutes. After the first 8 minutes, open the oven door slightly, and then close it. Repeat this step after 10 minutes.

Once the macaron shells are cooked, remove the pan from the oven, and transfer it to a cooling rack. After about 10 minutes, carefully remove the macaron shells from the lined pan. (If you don’t remove them, they may end up sticking.) An easy way to remove them is to gently peel them from the silplat liner.   Set aside while the filling is being prepared. 

Note: They can be filled with anything- from jam, to ganache, buttercream or lemon curd. 

Passion Fruit Cream Filling*

65 grams granulated sugar
4 large eggs (200 grams)
140 grams passion fruit puree**
20 grams freshly squeezed lemon juice
250 grams unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces

**Can be purchased frozen from Amazon or found frozen in select grocers.

Add the sugar and eggs to a large glass bowl. Whisk to combine. Once the mixture has been combined well, whisk in the passion fruit puree and lemon juice.

Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water.  The bowl should not touch the water.  Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and reaches 160F on an instant-read thermometer.  Once the mixture thickens and reaches 160F in temperature, remove the bowl from on top of the pot and immediately pour the curd through a strainer into a medium-sized bowl.  (The strainer will strain out any curdled bits.)

Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the softened butter. Use an immersion blender and blend for 2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Cover the mixture with plastic, touching the cream, and allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Once the cream is set, place the filling in a piping bag fitted with an 11-pt tip. 

Assemble the macarons by piping the filling in the center of half of the macaron shells. Lightly place a shell on top of each. Refrigerate the macarons overnight, which allows the filling to set. Remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving. 

*This filling is extremely tart to balance the sweetness from the macaron shells. You can add up to an additional 50 grams of granulated sugar without changing the rest of the recipe.

Hot Cross Buns

I made a couple batches of these sweet rolls that are a cross between yeast-y dinner rolls and sweet breakfast buns. When I shared a picture with my mom, she asked what they were.  I didn’t grow up eating hot cross buns, but when I told my mom the name, she was transported to her childhood—not for the buns themselves, but because of a nursery rhyme.  “Hot Cross Buns! Hot Cross Buns! … If you have no daughters, give them to your sons” is now playing on repeat in my head.

But even more fun than the Hot Cross Buns! song is making these warm, barely sweet delightful rolls. I saw these popping up on Instagram last year around Easter, so I started do my research on them. They are traditionally eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent.  They aren’t super sweet, but they aren’t savory either. They’re a wonderful blend of barely sweet and barely savory. Plus, a paste of equal parts flour and water is piped on them after they’ve risen, but before they’re baked, to give them their iconic look featuring a cross.  After baking them, I brushed some honey butter on top to give them a nice glaze. 

This recipe cheats a little and uses both yeast and baking powder.  I did make a batch of these using just yeast, but yeast + baking powder works just fine too. In fact, I found the rolls with baking powder to have a slightly better texture.  I hope you feel inspired to make these for Easter. I think this will be a new tradition for me!

Hot Cross Buns

1 and ¼ cup (10 ounces) whole milk, at room temp.
2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (1 package)
4 ½ cups (560 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder
2 (10 grams) teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons (~5 grams) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 grams or 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk, at room temp. 
zest from one small orange
1 cup raisins
1 apple, peeled and finely diced

For the Paste

2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (85 ml)  water

For the Honey Butter Glaze

3 tablespoons (45 grams) salted butter, melted
3 tablespoons (60 grams) honey

1.    Line a 9 x 13” pan with parchment paper or a silplat. Add the room temperature milk to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whisk in the yeast to dissolve. Sift in the flour and baking powder.  Add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, softened butter, 2 eggs + yolk, and zest from one orange.  Stir to combine.

2.    Using the dough hook, knead for 7 minutes on medium-low speed (level 3 for KitchenAid).  Add the raisins and diced apple and knead and additional two minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic and the raisins and apple are evenly dispersed.

3.    Lightly butter a large glass bowl. Scrape the dough into the bowl and cover with either a dish cloth or plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise for about an hour.  It will become puffy, but it’s ok if it doesn’t double in size.

4.    Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into 12 parts.  Using floured hands, form each part into a ball.  Due to the raisins and apple, the ball won’t be completely smooth, but that’s ok. Add each ball to the lined baking sheet, spacing all 12 evenly apart. Cover the baking (plastic wrap ok) and allow to rise a second time until they’re touching and look bloated and puffy.  

5.    Preheat oven to 375F. Make the flour paste by whisking together equal parts flour and water. Whisk well so the batter is not lumpy.  Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain, small to medium tip. (The batter will be runny.)  Pipe a cross on each bun. Transfer the buns to the oven.

6.    Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden-brown. While baking, prepare the honey butter by stirring the melted butter with honey in a small bowl.  Once the buns are golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush the tops with the honey butter.

7.     Carefully lift up the parchment paper or silplat and transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool.  Allow to cool completely (or enjoy warm, if you’re like me and you can’t wait!)