White Chocolate and Strawberry Tarts

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Sweets

Spring is finally here! Oh, New York has just been disgracefully beautiful lately. I spent much of the last two weekends outside, basking in the bright sun, calm breeze, and clear skies. Even the woman in Grand Central who called me an idiot for walking past her at the coffee shop (????) can’t bring me down. I mentioned on Twitter that my supervisors gave me a Williams-Sonoma gift card for Staff Appreciation Week, and along with wedding cake supplies I ordered this adorable mini tart pan. It’s one of those totally useless kitchen items that are good for one thing and otherwise take up room, but I couldn’t say no. Besides, it’s not just good for one thing: I can make mini quiches too. So there.

I have a huge stash of white chocolate as part of Project Wedding Cake, and I just got some gorgeous, in-season strawberries, so let’s get Spring rolling!

White chocolate can be tricky to find, but you have to make sure that the only fat in the ingredient list is cocoa butter, not vegetable oil. Don't use anything labelled "White chocolate-flavored", and don't use white chocolate chips. Lindt, Baker's, and Valrhona (which I splurged on here) all make very good white chocolate.

Good white chocolate can be tricky to find, but you have to make sure that the only fat in the ingredient list is cocoa butter, not vegetable oil. Don’t use anything labelled “White chocolate-flavored”, and don’t use white chocolate chips. Lindt, Baker’s, Callebaut, and Valrhona (which I splurged on here) all make very good white chocolate.

White Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Tarts
adapted, barely, from Bon Appetit

For the crust:

1 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp (or more) ice water

For the mousse:

6 oz. good-quality white chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 c. chilled whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

For the topping:

1/3 c. seedless strawberry or raspberry jam
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
16 oz. strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is broken up and evenly incorporated; the mixture will look like coarse, damp sand. Whisk the egg yolk and the ice water together in a small bowl, then add to the processor and pulse to combine, until the dough just begins to come together, adding more ice water if necessary. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out evenly.

If you’re making one large tart, roll dough out into one large circle, fold it over a rolling pin, and ease into an 8″ or 9″ tart pan, pressing evenly. Fold any overhang over into the sides of the pan to create a double layer around the sides. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Line the pan with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. If you’re making tartlets, cut out circles slightly larger than the dimension of your pans and press them gently into the pans. Prick the crusts all over with a fork.

Place the prepared tart pan(s) in freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For one large tart: remove prepared pan from the freezer and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until crust is fully baked and golden brown.

For tartlets: remove prepared pans from freezer and bake for about 15 minutes, until fully baked and golden brown (no need for pie weights with the little guys).

Cool crusts completely.

Combine chopped white chocolate and 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth, and then allow to cool until lukewarm.

Beat 1 c. cream and the vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer until peaks form. In a separate bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the white chocolate in three additions, and then fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mousse into the cooled tart shells and chill for two hours until set (I had a TON left over, which, oh NO, I have leftover white chocolate mousse, I’ll have to portion it into individual ramekins and chill it too, what a bummer).

Top the tarts with sliced strawberries. Heat the jam and lemon juice in a small saucepan and stir until melted and smooth. Brush the tops of the tarts with the jam. Keep chilled until serving.

They’re so tiny!

* * * * *

For my lingerie pairing, I’m just going to tease you a little bit more:

New brand Tutti Rouge has finally arrived, with gorgeous, strawberry-colored Liliana making her debut. Full review tomorrow!

Blackberry Tart and Ginger Ice Cream

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Sweets

I decided at the last minute to travel to Boston this weekend to visit Lady Mary, who is one of my dearest friends. We met in high school and bonded over a shared love of reading, acting, and singing, and that bond was strengthened on a school trip to England to sing in the great cathedrals, during which we subsisted primarily on Cadbury eggs. She and her husband were such wonderful hosts, and even though it was a short visit, I got to see her neighborhood, get a cup of amazing hot chocolate, visit the butcher shop Julia Child used to frequent, attend the Easter Vigil service at her (Lady Mary’s, not Julia Child’s) gorgeous church, and then cook up a spectacular feast on Easter Sunday. We cared about the main course, obviously, but we were pretty focused on making the dessert spectacular (we have our priorities). Lady Mary suggested ginger, I suggested berries, and her husband’s delicious multi-grain scones suggested mixing up the pastry crust with a little something other than white flour. The results were a tender, delicate tart and a rich ice cream, both with the bite of fresh ginger to balance the sweetness.

Ginger Ice Cream
(from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)

2 c. cream, divided
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. granulated sugar
pinch of salt
3 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
6 egg yolks

Bring 1 c. of the cream, the milk, the sugar, the ginger, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep at room temperature for 1-3 hours. Pour the remaining 1 c. cream into a medium bowl (or, my preference, a quart-sized measuring cup) and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

Bring the cream-ginger mixture back to a simmer over medium-low heat. Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg yolks in a very thin stream, whisking vigorously so the eggs don’t scramble. Once the yolks are incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and begins to steam, and a candy thermometer reads about 168 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the custard through the strainer into the remaining 1 c. cream, discarding the ginger rounds. Refrigerate until very cold or overnight. Freeze the ginger ice cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Blackberry Tart with Cornmeal Crust

Crust:

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 c.) flour

4 tbsp. cold water

She made her apron. Lady Mary is very handy.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in medium-to-large bowl. Cut in butter with fingers or a pastry cutter. If your hands and/or kitchen are very warm, you’ll be better served by using a cutter, as you want lots and lots of tiny, unmelted bits of butter suspended throughout the dough. These will melt in the oven, leaving behind air pockets, leaving you with flaky deliciousness.

Stir in water with a fork, using only as much as needed to get the dough to come together. If dough is sticky, add a sprinkle of flour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the rolled out dough to a 9″ tart pan and gently press to line the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim the edges of the dough and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. If you have leftover dough scraps you can roll them out and bake them like cookies.

Trimming the crust. She did it with this ease, grace, and nonchalance that I find totally baffling.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filling:

3 c. fresh blackberries
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/8-1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
pinch sea salt

Rinse and pat dry the blackberries, then transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk together the sugar, flour, ginger, and sea salt. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over blackberries and mix together gently. Let sit 15 minutes. Gently spread the blackberry mixture over the prepared cornmeal crust. Your baking times will vary depending on your oven, but start checking it around 12 minutes. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the fruit is cooked and gently bubbling.

Serve warm with a scoop of ginger ice cream.

Ohhh it was so good I’m dreaming of it today.

***

There are lots of lovely new lingerie and swim pieces starting to hit stores this month, but as I’ve been fitting women and revisiting those first oh-my-god-WHAT-size-do-I-wear? moments, I’m reminded that it might be a good idea to re-introduce some full-bust favorites that are widely available. Cleo’s “Lucy” bra and Freya’s “Deco” bra have been runaway hits ever since they launched, and both have been kind of enough to show up in purple for Spring, which goes so nicely with blackberry tart. I like recommending both these bras, in part because of how different they are. I’ve tried both, and even though neither is my perfect fit, I’m always happy to recommend them, because they are fantastic bras that a lot of new-to-the-full-bust-world women feel comfortable trying and wearing.

Deco Honey in Iris. Available in sizes 28-30 D-GG, 32-36 B-GG, 38 B-G (UK). Brief, short, and thong available in sizes XS-XL. Prices vary. (Image via Freya)

Deco has become a major, major player in Freya’s seasonal lineups. Originally a smooth, molded plunge bra designed to give amazing lift, shape, and cleavage, the line has expanded to include a strapless bra (my personal favorite strapless bra out there), a half-cup bra, and a wire-free bra, as well as different fashion ranges in prints, patterns, and colors. This month sees the launch of Deco Shape, a Deco range designed for maximum versatility under form-fitting clothes, which includes a longline strapless bra, convertible plunge bra, a bra-topped convertible slip, a high-waisted shaping brief, a short, and a thong. Deco Honey is one spin-off range, retaining the same classic shape of the original Deco but offering some sweet ruffled trims on the accessories and bright, vibrant solid colors, like this season’s beautiful Iris.

Deco Honey is available at Figleaves, Nordstrom, Large Cup Lingerie, Bravissimo, FreshPair, Bloomingdales, and Bare Necessities.

“Lucy” by Cleo. Available in sizes 28-38 D-J (UK), price varies. Matching brief and thong sizes 8-18 (UK). (Image via Panache)

Lucy is a great style to introduce women who feel safer in T-shirt bras to seamed bras. The seams lie very flat and give an absolutely gorgeous round, uplifted shape. This is the opposite of the “granny bra” many women think of when they think of non-molded bras, and the dots, lace, sheer mesh, low-rise brief and thong, and bright seasonal colors make it a wonderful option for younger customers as well as older. This Spring’s bright zingy purple is pretty and fun without being fussy. Dezi reviewed Lucy for A Sophisticated Pair here (don’t forget about A Sophisticated Pair’s wonderful special order policy), and check out Fuller Figure Fuller Bust’s review here!

Lucy is available at Figleaves, Nordstrom, Bare Necessities, FreshPair, Butterfly Collection, and ASOS.

Sweet Nothing Du Jour plus Rapid-Fire Reviews 3/21/13

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Sweets

You know how sometimes you have lots of awesome things going on at once, like, say, TWO catnip mice and a nice long ribbon to play with? And you get kind of overwhelmed, but you’re still having a rad time? Ruby knows. Yikes, I will never say “rad” again. That was weird.

Hey friends. This isn’t a real post, except to share some good things going on in the world and keeping me busy, which, as The Worst March of Them All (weather-wise) drags on, is a good thing.

Big News: I’m currently enrolled in a bra-fit certification program led by Ali Cudby, author of Busted!, which I reviewed last year when I started this blog and absolutely adored. I had the privilege of meeting her at CurveNY, and I had every intention of asking her intelligent, pointed questions about her career, the lingerie industry, consumer empowerment, the importance of bras to a woman’s self-esteem and self-image, and that sort of thing. Instead we talked about Bravissimo and our favorite bras. Whoops. Anyway, she’s lovely, warm, and incredibly knowledgeable, and the course is a wonderful reminder that women come in all shapes, our bra sizes are not set in stone and do not define us as people, and that no matter how we feel about our bodies or what we might be led to believe by the media/our own inner demons, there ARE bras out there for each and every one of us that will make us feel good. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to hone my bra fitting technique and especially to learn how to fit women who aren’t, you know, me.

The FabFit Academy is a new venture designed to improve the fit skills and customer service of boutique owners and employees. As such, it assumes course members have access to actual customers, and the homework assignments require questioning and fitting multiple women each week. As I work a full-time emphatically-non-lingerie job, my free time is dedicated to convincing my poor friends to let me see their boobs.

Speaking of work, I know it’s boring when people are all “oh my gosh, so sorry, work has been CRAZY lately,” but seriously, work has been CRAZY lately. Late nights, weekends, sigh, etc. Anticipate having free time to do laundry/cook real food/blog in two months or so.

When I’m NOT at the office or looking at boobs, I’m in my kitchen. One of my neighbors, a gorgeous, insanely talented, immensely generous woman who’s been my friend pretty much since I moved to New York, is getting married in June and has asked me to make her cake. I am flattered and honored to have been asked, and I’m so excited for her and her fiance. So naturally I, being a fool, chirped “oh of course!”, forgetting that I have shaky hands and usually decorate cakes by swirling the frosting and calling it a day. I’m currently keeping dairy farmers in the New York area afloat while I make sample cakes, curds, and frostings, test my decorating skills, and seek out new recipes. So far my freezer is 2/3 full, I’m two cakes and two lemon curds in, and I have only messed up one of each. Yep, I’m professional. Also, can I borrow ten dozen eggs and eighty pounds of sugar?

You know how at least once a year you run out of everything at once, and you have to restock shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, that face wash you’re convinced is overpriced nonsense, deodorant, razor blades, Q-tips, mascara, foundation, chapstick, tampons, hairspray, toothpaste, and nail polish remover in one fell swoop, and it leaves you financially shell-shocked and horrified and you resolve to stop grooming forever, but then it’s SO NICE having real shampoo instead of a watered-down bottle and real mascara instead of ditto? I just replaced a bunch of bras that were super, incredibly tired, and while I still feel sort of “gah you just had to buy a new computer and you still have to buy 1,302 sticks of butter before June, slow your roll,” oh MAN are these new bras nice.

Rapid-Fire Reviews:

Starburst Bra by Bravissimo

Starburst Bra by Bravissimo. £29.00, available in sizes 28-38 DD-J (UK). Matching brief and thong, sizes XS-2XL.

Hot damn, I’ve been looking for a bra like this for a long time now. Bravissimo’s own brand bras seem to suit me really, really well. First Lola Luxe, then Boudoir Beau (pretty please more colors, Bravissimo?), and now this cutie, a star-spangled, unpadded plunge bra. The band closes with three sets of three hooks-and-eyes, and that extra depth gives nice, smooth support. The shape is lovely and rounded, the wires aren’t too wide-set, and there’s enough room in the top of the cup that the plunging neckline doesn’t cut into my full breasts. It’s not a super-push-up bra, but I’d say it’s a fair cross between Freya’s Deco and Panache’s Tango plunge in terms of cleavage– work appropriate so that it won’t show under a button-down or V-neck, but sassy enough for a fun night out. I wish the stars were slightly bigger, bolder, and starrier, but that’s me; others may appreciate the print’s smaller scale.

Marcie by Cleo

"Marci" by Cleo. Available in sizes 28-38 D-J (UK), briefs sizes 8-18 (UK). Prices vary.

“Marcie” by Cleo. Available in sizes 28-38 D-J (UK), briefs sizes 8-18 (UK). Prices vary.

I don’t have much to add except it’s just as awesome as the last one. Fabulous color, lovely round, uplifted shape, good for “perky” full boobs, comfy straps, dots, ruffles– what’s not to like? This shape works incredible well for me, and I love having a mesh bra that’s supportive yet lightweight and cute. I’m going to try to treat this one a little nicer than my last one and maybe not wear it pole dancing, just to see if I can make it last longer. I’m hesitating on getting the matching briefs, as freaking adorable as they are, just because they are SO dang low-cut they keep wanting to slip right off my hips. I may size up to see if it fixes the problem; but I do wish the rise were 2-3 inches higher.

Jasmine by Panache Superbra

“Jasmine” by Panache Superbra, available in sizes 30-38 D-K (UK). Matching brief sizes 8-18 (UK). Price varies.

I had heard very, very good things about this bra, and I loved the bird print for Fall/Winter 2012, so when it came time to choose a new “everyday” bra, I decided to try out the pretty new floral print. Jasmine is very similar to Panache’s classic “Andorra” bra, which I like . . . okay. Both the plunge and full-cup versions of Andorra sit a little strangely on me, but I really, REALLY like the Jasmine. The bottom of the cup is laminated for sturdy support, while the top of the cup features the same soft stretch lace as the Andorra, which is so user-friendly for monthly boob fluctuations. The band closes with three sets of three hooks and eyes, and it just doesn’t budge– I wore it all day Saturday to go wedding-dress shopping with my friend, and I felt comfortable, supported, and pretty (the matching briefs are lovely and comfy). A+, would buy again, etc. Panache and I didn’t use to get along, but all of a sudden they’ve become my go-to brands for a good fit and pretty designs.

How are YOU? What’s new in your world? What is UP with all this rain/snow nonsense? Anyone else super behind on TV?

It’s okay Ruby. You’ll catch up on Downton Abbey one day.

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender Caramel Sauce

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Sweets

In all of the Curve/Lingerie Collective/LingerieFW madness, my domestic goddess skills totally fell by the wayside. My desk and coffee table are buried under catalogues and line sheets, there’s a stack of business cards I deeply hope the cat doesn’t discover and knock over, and the laundry pile is growing ominous. One night I stopped by Whole Foods to find something, anything, even slightly healthy to eat for dinner, as there was nothing but rice and baking chocolate in my apartment. The horrifyingly long check-out line snaked past the cheese & chocolate cases, and who am I not to inspect a chocolate case? Please. We don’t have to pretend here. And lo, there was a jar of Lavender-Floral Caramel sauce, and I stopped in my tracks to stare at it. I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t thought of making infused caramel before, and as the jar was $13, which is foolishness, I decided there was no time like the present to get started!

I WANTS TO HELP YOU!

Now, sure, I could have made a basic batch of vanilla ice cream that would have been delicious and decadent. I COULD have. But having just seen dozens of lingerie collections that played with unexpected and unusual combinations, I decided to go for an ice cream that was infused with an unexpected flavor that would complement the delicate lavender without overwhelming it and that wouldn’t be buried under smoky caramel goodness. I’ve had green tea ice cream in the past, but I’ve been on an Earl Grey kick lately, and that’s where I went. Yep, it’s pretty awesome: perfect for a little late-night cozying with a good book.

For the ice cream:

2 tbsp. loose Earl Grey tea leaves
1 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream, divided
3/4 c. granulated sugar
pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir 1 c. of the cream, the whole milk, the sugar, the tea leaves, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, cover, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Combine the remaining cup of cream and the vanilla extract in a large measuring cup and place a mesh strainer over it.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl.

Return the saucepan with the tea mixture to the stove and bring to a bare simmer. Slowly pour the hot tea mixture into the egg yolks in a very thin stream (lest you scramble the eggs), whisking until combined. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and return to the stove over medium-low heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula until a candy thermometer registers 165-168 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the cooked custard through the strainer into the measuring cup containing the remaining 1 c. of cream and vanilla and stir to combine. Refrigerate until quite cold, and then freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the caramel:

Soooooo I may have had trouble deciding which size bag of lavender to buy off Amazon. I think we can all agree I have enough.

Soooooo I may have had trouble deciding which size bag of lavender to buy off Amazon (somewhere all my past math teachers just shuddered without knowing why). I think we can all agree I have enough.

So this is a slightly different caramel technique than the one I described in the Chocolate Caramel Tart recipe, but only slightly. It’s called dry-burn,

Although if you actually burn it, you just have burned caramel. And then you have to start over.

and you caramelize the sugar without adding any water to it. It will cook up slightly faster, which means you just need to be extra mindful of it, because once it hits the dark amber stage you are super-close to burning it.

1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. dried culinary lavender blossoms (yep. still have enough)
1/2 tsp. honey
1 sprinkle cinnamon
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring the cream, lavender blossoms, honey, and cinnamon to a simmer over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and allow to steep at room temperature for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture into a small bowl or measuring cup and discard the lavender blossoms (too much lavender or too long an infusion can turn your dessert bitter, as I’ve learned the hard way in the past). Stir in the vanilla extract and set aside.

Spread the granulated sugar evenly in a smooth layer across the bottom of a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven with deep sides. Sprinkle the salt over over the layer of sugar. Cook the sugar and salt over medium-low heat without stirring. You’ll eventually get to a point where you can tell that the sugar at the bottom of the pan is melted and starting to color, but there’s still a fine layer of uncooked white sugar crystals on top. Using a heat-proof spatula, gently and slowly pull the melted, darkening edges of the caramel towards the center of the pan (note: these are the classic instructions. I used my Dutch oven (thanks mom!), and the sugar began to cook from the center out instead of the edges in, so I just reversed the direction). Continue this gentle pulling/stirring maneuver slowly until all of the sugar is melted. If you stir too much it’ll get clumpy, so go gently.

Things will move quickly once most of the solid bits have melted and dissolved. Once the mixture is a deep, dark brown and it’s just barely starting to smoke (about 20 minutes start-to-finish depending on your pan and your oven temperature) immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold butter and begin to whisk vigorously. The mixture will bubble and steam a lot, so take care to avoid splatters. Once the butter and melted sugar are mostly combined, whisk in the lavender cream. If any lumps of undissolved caramel remain, return the pan to low heat and whisk until completely dissolved (if there are any stubborn bits you can strain them out). Serve right away or allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a storage container and chilling. The sauce will thicken as it cools, and if it gets too thick for your liking you can add a little milk or cream to thin it out.

Yums.

Serve warm over Earl Grey ice cream, get lost in a good book.

Mmm. Hello, friend.

* * * * *

Speaking of getting lost in a good book, don’t you want some appropriate attire? I’ve been devouring the early-to-mid twentieth century classic British mystery writers lately (currently tearing through Ngaio Marsh’s Inspector Alleyn series), and so many of their gentleman and lady-detectives have these really spectacular writing/reading-the-paper/answering-correspondence/drinking-tea dressing gowns and smoking jackets. Now, considering I sometimes contort myself into fantastical sprawling positions when I’m reading, perhaps such elegance is currently beyond me, but in case you are of a more refined bent, allow me to suggest this beauty from Marika Vera, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Lingerie Collective (and who is a complete and utter delight).

“Selene” robe by Marika Vera, via Faire Frou Frou. Sizes S/M and M/L. $650.

It’s relaxed, breezy, sexy, delicate, and teasing, with a price tag Lord Peter Wimsey would approve of. Can’t you just picture how the open panels of the skirt will flutter and swirl as you rush to answer the midnight call from Scotland Yard? I’m sure you can. Marabou slippers are also appropriate here.

Lemon Tart à la Julia

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Sweets

I’ve been wanting a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking for a long, long time. I owned quite a few dessert/baking cookbooks from an early age, and almost every author acknowledged a heavy and long-standing debt to Julia Child for the way she revolutionized how we think about cooking and food in the USA. When my copy arrived shortly after Christmas this year, I was charmed, not only by how pretty it is, but how utterly unlike the glossy, expensively photographed cookbooks, iPad apps, and cooking blogs it is.

The illustration of “fraisage”, one of the steps Julia describes for making homemade pie, tart, and quiche doughs.

The few images are hand-drawn illustrations of technique, not mouth-watering “food porn” (NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH FOOD PORN). If you’ve never looked at Child’s magnum opus, it’s a crash course in hundreds of years of French culinary techniques, adapted for American grocery stores, butchers, and appliances (Julia endorses the food processor, as do I). She and her co-authors, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, break down French cuisine into a series of master recipes, followed by variations that lead to a full range of dishes. Each recipe’s instructions are accompanied by the relevant ingredients and equipment in the left-hand margin of the page, so no matter where you are in the recipe, the tools you’ll need are only a glance away.

As part of my computer-free-banish-the-burglar week, I found myself one night with a clean kitchen, several hours to kill, and half a dozen lemons. I had envisioned making a big batch of lemon curd and working from there, but I was intrigued by Child’s Tarte Au Citron, which differs distinctly from what I’d always thought of as lemon tart. Instead of a pastry shell filled with rich lemon curd and layered with berries, Child offers up a light, sweet, delicately-lemon-scented soufflé that puffs up beautifully in the oven and can be served hot, warm-temperature, or cold. Seeing as how this recipe would get me from start-to-tasting more quickly than a curd tart, with all of the cooking and chilling curd requires, I dove in!

Gus helped/interfered the whole time. He either wanted to learn at the feet of the master, or he was punishing me for running the vacuum all day. Gus feels strongly that the vacuum is an evil machine of terror.

Tarte Au Citron
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

For the pâte sablée:

1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. baking powder
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
2 tbsp. shortening, chilled
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. ice water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Dice the butter and shortening and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse the machine 4 or 5 times to blend and begin to break up the fats. Add the beaten egg and water and pulse the machine off and on until the dough begins to gather together around the blade, adding ice water a teaspoon at a time if needed. Once the dough has just begun to mass around the blade, turn off the machine and dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface or pastry board (apparently bakers in ye olden times used giant slabs of marble, which kept the fats in pastry crusts from melting, so if you have a giant slab of marble handy, go to town).

Now you get to fraisage, just like in the picture!

Fraisage, bitches.

Using the heel of your hand (not the palm, which is too warm and will soften the dough too quickly), press the pastry out in small portions away from you and along your work surface “in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches.” Once that’s done, gather the dough into a ball and wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight.

When the dough has chilled thoroughly, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to a clean, lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, roll the dough out into a circle (or, in my case, an approximate-square-shape) a few inches larger in proportion than your tart pan (you’ll want a 9″ round pan or equivalent). Fold the dough in half over the pin and use the pin to help transfer the rolled-out tart shell to the pan. Unfold the dough and gently press it into the pan, trimming off any overhang (pâte sablée differs from pâte sucrée in that it has egg in it, so what you’ve essentially got is a light sugar cookie dough. Feel free to bake those scraps, much as you would cookies).

Gently press a layer of aluminum foil into the pan atop the dough. Fill the foil with beans, rice, lentils, or pie weights and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil and weights. Prick the dough all over with a fork and return the pan to the oven for about 7 minutes, until the tart shell is very, very lightly browned (it will go back in the oven once more, so be sure not to over-bake). Remove the shell from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the lemon soufflé:

1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
Grated zest of 1 lemon (2 if yours are small)
3 tbsp. lemon juice

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar

Beat the egg yolks in an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip until thoroughly blended, then add the 1/2 c. granulated sugar and continue to beat on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and forms slow-dissolving ribbons when the whip is lifted out of the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to the top half of a double boiler and set over a pan filled with about 1 inch of barely-simmering water. Stir the mixture gently, either with a wooden spoon or a heat-proof spatula, until the mixture is hot, about 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer, being careful not to overcook the mixture and scramble the eggs (ew). Remove the egg yolk mixture from the heat and set aside until needed.

In a clean stainless-steel bowl, mix the 4 egg whites and the pinch of salt on low speed until well-combined and beginning to foam. Gradually increase the mixer’s speed and beat until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted out. Sprinkle the 1/4 c. sugar over the egg whites and continue to beat at medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

Like so.

Fold about a third of the egg white mixture into the warm yolk mixture to lighten in, and then gently fold in the remaining whites. Turn the mixture into the pre-baked tart shell. Bake the tart for about 30 minutes. When the tart puffs and begins to brown, sprinkle the top with confectioner’s sugar. It’s ready when a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mine may have gotten over-brown, but it didn’t affect the taste or texture, so don’t worry too much about your cooking times.

Julia says that she and her colleagues preferred to eat this hot out of the oven, but if you’d rather wait, turn the oven off and leave the tart to cool in the oven with the door open (it will sink and de-puff as it cools). I have to say I kind of liked it best at room temperature. It’s a simple, comforting kind of dessert that doesn’t smack you over the head with richness or frills. It makes a lovely accompaniment to afternoon tea, and a quick dollop of freshly whipped cream, lightly sweetened, would transform it into an elegant special-occasion dessert. Bon appétit!

* * * * *

It’s always so refreshing to see lingerie, in any shape or size, in colors other than black/white/beige/pink/red. I think a lot of women are really coming to think of their lingerie as an extension of their wardrobe and as something they’d like to apply their individual fashion sense to. There are some charming lemon-yellow options beginning to pop up for Spring, but I’m particularly taken with these fun bras from Just Peachy by Figleaves, both for their amazing price points (just $32 regularly, and $24 on sale!) and for their availability in two sets of sizes. There’s a lovely padded balconette bra in sizes 30-38 A-DD and a sweet unlined balconette bra in sizes 30-38 DD-G (all sizes UK), as well as a matching brief and short (8-18 UK), both of which are regularly $16 and are currently on sale for $12.80. While I haven’t tried either style and can’t comment on fit, it’s always such a treat to find pretty lingerie for such a great price!

Chloe Spot Padded Balconette Bra

Chloe Spot Non-Padded Balconette Bra

All styles are available White/Lemon as well as Black/Blush. How sweet it is!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Hearts

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Sweets

Fact: Heart-shaped cookie cutters make everything infinitely more adorable. Everyone at work cooed when I brought these in.

It’s amazing how much I accomplished this weekend without a computer (or a sense of security) to distract me. I mean, I went DOMESTIC on my apartment. Seriously. So much laundry and cleaning and clearing and organizing and planning and shaking out the bad juju. The place is gleaming. I polished wood furniture. I hung pictures. I tidied my desk (a little). I cleaned out the fridge. When 7:00 p.m. rolled around Sunday night, I looked at my shining, spotless, never-been-cleaner kitchen, and I immediately wanted to mess it up.

I confess I also wanted to use my heart-shaped cookie cutter. Just because I hate manufactured/mandatory seasonal displays of affection doesn’t mean I’m immune to cute.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
pinch of flaky sea salt

1 cookie cutter, shape of your choosing. Pick one towards the smaller end of the size spectrum, otherwise you’ll wind up with A LOT of cookie.

For the cookies:

Beat butter in an electric mixer until smooth, light, and creamy, about three minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth, then add the sugars. Beat the mixture for about 2-3 minutes until well-combined, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl (is there anything that smells better than brown sugar and peanut butter combined? Well, yes, but not in this moment). Add the egg and mix until combined.

Set a sifter on tip of the mixing bowl and measure the dry ingredients into it. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix on low speed until combined. Dump the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, gather into a loose ball (it will be very crumbly), flatten into a thick disc, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and break out the rolling pin.

You know it.

Unwrap the chilled dough and place on floured work surface. Deb, in her book, tells you that the dough will be crumbly, and you’ll be all “psh, I am an EXCELLENT baker, I got this,” and then the dough will crumble all over the place, just like Deb said it would, and you will be humbled. I actually recommend using your fingers to press the dough out and then using the rolling pin towards the end to smooth and level things out. You want the dough to be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies and transfer them carefully to the prepared cookie sheets. An offset spatula or dull knife will help with this process, although there will still be some crumbling. Just press the cookie back into shape, and the oven will fix everything.

Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops are set and the edges are ever-so-lightly browned. Allow to cool while preparing the filling.

For the chocolate peanut-butter ganache filling:

In a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, combine the butter, peanut butter, chopped chocolate, and sea salt. Stir over heat until chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until thickened and spreadable. I confess that I got bored/impatient and used the refrigerator to hurry things along, but you must keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t solidify.

Assemble the cookies:

Transfer the cooled ganache to a pastry bag, or do as Sweets did and use a ziplock bag with one of the bottom corners snipped off. Pipe a generous teaspoon (or more, depending on the size of your cookies; I probably used about a tablespoon for each of mine) onto one cookie, top with a second cookie. Repeat. Allow cookies to sit at room temperature about 30 minutes until set.

Share with a loved one, receive pledge of eternal devotion.

I am always single around Valentine’s Day. Always. 28 years of single Valentine’s Days. Fellas, behold what you’re missing.

This is a cookie that is full of delightful contradictions. It’s tender yet sturdy, light yet rich. The flavors are classic and nostalgic, the execution refined. My lingerie pick is perhaps unexpected, yet it perfectly captures the cookie’s many moods, and it’s so, so appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Behold, from Dottie’s Delights:

Bricolage Longline Bra, Garter Belt, and Knickers, Long Sheer Dressing Robe. All by Dottie’s Delights. Bra ($225) 32-34 A-D, Garter Belt ($125) and Knicker ($85) XS-XL, Robe ($170) One Size.

Sophisticated, elegant, retro, and sexy as hell. I will have a robe like that one day, as God is my witness.

Holiday Tart, in Chocolate and Caramel

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Sweets

So last year I made this dessert to take to my father’s house for Christmas night dinner. I mean, I knew we’d all like it, as it is primarily composed of chocolate, butter, and cream, but I was wholly unprepared for the almost maniacal passion Dad conceived for this thing. In the lead-up to Christmas 2012, nary a phone conversation ended before Dad let me know in no uncertain terms that if this tart failed to materialize on his table Christmas night, I’d have wasted a plane ticket to Virginia. Bless him, is it any wonder I love chocolate as much as I do? I had also hoped to share the dessert planned for the pre-Christmas party at Mom’s house, but my flight was cancelled and Julia Lambert was forced to make it solo, which she did beautifully. I made it home in time to make the tart, though, and here it is, my last post of 2012.

[Note: remember how I said that I didn't understand why pie crust was such a big deal, and how I never had a problem with it, and how I was the greatest pastry chef of them all? Yeah, making caramel turns me into a STRESS BALL. Don't let that stop you. Take your time, follow your color cues, and at the end of the day, it's just sugar. Let your pan soak overnight and try again. Lady Mary recommends just making jar after jar of caramel until it's second-nature, and I can't help but wonder if she's on to something.]

Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Fleur de Sel
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Rockstars

Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (store-bought chocolate wafers or chocolate Teddy Grahams work beautifully. I used Deb’s homemade chocolate wafers, and I encountered some interesting hiccups, to be explained below)
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

Caramel:

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. water
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 oz. pieces
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Ganache:

3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
6 oz. high-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, I swore up and down that I had sent Mom a detailed grocery list for all the holiday meals and cooking projects. Turns out I only sent the menus, which are significantly less helpful. As a result, when it came time to make the tart, there were no cookies to be had in the house, and unsurprisingly, none of us wanted to go to the grocery store the morning of Christmas Eve. So I decided to make my own.

The beauty of making cookies only to pulverize them into crumbs is that your cookies can be TERRIBLY shaped, tra la.

Pulverize your cookies into fine crumbs and measure out about two cups of crumbs. Return the crumbs to the bowl of the processor.

Take it from me: if you use homemade cookies instead of store-bought, use only as much melted butter as you need to coat all of the cookie crumbs and make a damp, crumbly mass. Nice lovely homemade cookies are softer and already contain plenty of butter, unlike their drier store-bought counterparts. I made cookies, let them cool, pulverized them, and then merrily dumped all the butter in, creating buttery cookie soup. Don’t be like me. You probably need about 1/4 c. melted butter if you use homemade cookies, and 3/4 c. if you use store-bought.

Once all of the cookie crumbs are coated, transfer them to a 9-inch tart pan or pie pan, pressing them up the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake the crust for ten minutes, then remove and allow to cool at room temperature.

So this is maybe not the healthiest recipe.

Caramel time! Look, it’s not that big a deal. Caramel is just sugar that’s been cooked to not-quite-burning. Drizzle it over a cake or a sheet of parchment paper, and it hardens into to shining golden strands; add butter and cream and you have luscious, smooth, gooey, drippy caramel sauce. Let’s do this thing.

I suggest that this photo is pretty indicative of what it’s like to cook with Julia Lambert. Julia Lambert maintains that she was just reading a text from her boyfriend, and that she was being helpful. I counter that about 1 minute after I took this photo she abandoned her post at the stove to have a private dance party in her pajamas in the middle of the kitchen. She replies that this was to “entertain me”. Members of the jury, how do you find?

Combine the cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt in a measuring cup. Combine the sugar and 1/3 c. the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.

I mean, really, how did you ever cook before you had blurry smartphone photos to guide you on your way?

Continue to cook until the color deepens to a rich amber color. The time will depend on your pan and your stove, but for us the whole process was about 20-25 minutes (Lady Mary advises that as soon as the caramel starts to smoke slightly, it’s ready).

Boom. Amber.

Immediately remove the pan from heat and dump in the butter and cream-vanilla-salt mixture. It will sputter and steam and bubble quite a lot, but don’t panic.

More truly breathtaking food photography.

Return the pan to heat and bring back to the boil. Continue to cook until the butter is melted, any hardened caramel bits have dissolved, and the color deepens further, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and refrigerate until the caramel has cooled but is still pourable, about 45-50 minutes.

HELLO, lovely.

Pour the cooled caramel into the prepared pie crust and transfer the tart to the refrigerator to set. You’ll want a nice deep layer of caramel, but there may be some left over, which, oh no, WHATEVER WILL YOU DO?

Now, here’s the best part: ganache. Ganache, I love you, for being so blessedly simple. Bring cream to a low boil over medium heat, remove from the stove, dump in the chopped chocolate, whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, then pour in a smooth, even layer over the chilled caramel. Refrigerate the tart until chocolate is fully set, at least an hour.

I didn’t get a picture of the final product, because we were busy eating it, but I think you can imagine what’s going on here.

Remove the tart from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with a fairly generous sprinkle of sea salt over the chocolate layer right before slicing. Serve very, very thin slivers, then collapse in a blissful sugar coma. Enjoy!

Last gratuitous cat of 2012, I swear.

Can you even handle my Dad’s cat, Bucky? Dad loves him more than he loves most people. He’s a Siamese. He’s adorable. He’s also brutally, brutally cross-eyed. I mean, holy pants, THIS CAT, y’all.

* * * * *

I have looked at A LOT of lingerie in 2012, thanks to starting Sweet Nothings. I have learned a tremendous amount about the needs, loves, requirements, and desires that lots of different women have when it comes to their lingerie. I have loved a lot of what I’ve looked at. Of everything I’ve looked at, of everything I’ve tried, the most surprising, the most delightful, and the loveliest has been the beautiful pink babydoll by Bijte I won at the Busty Clothing Swap. There’s really nothing else like it out there, especially in the full-bust market. So I paired our tart with the same lovely babydoll, in a chocolate shade rich enough and luxurious enough to hold its own against such sinful sweetness.

Silk Chiffon and Charmeuse Halter Babydoll by Bijte. Available in sizes Small (Plus) through Large (Plus). $95.00. Available on the Bijte website and at Iris Lingerie in Brooklyn, NY.

Thank you for being such enthusiastic readers, for sharing your stories and finds and questions, and for being your gorgeous, talented, sensitive selves. Have a very, very Happy New Year!

Sweet Nothing Du Jour: Thanksgiving Edition

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Sweets

Edible Glitter: For All Those Times Your Truffles Wind Up Looking Like Weirdly-Shaped Rocks and Need A Little Pizzazz. Also Helps to Distract From the Chocolate That’s Now All Over Your Kitchen.

A very happy Thanksgiving to all American readers!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Sweets

These biscuits have been present at almost every major family holiday and party for as long as I can remember. When I went through my very brief food aversion phases (I didn’t like shrimp or mashed potatoes for a few hot seconds, clearly illustrating that CHILDREN ARE NUTS), sweet potatoes made it onto the “I will not eat this if my life depends on it” list. Despite this firm anti-sweet potatoes position, I wanted to eat these biscuits for every meal. They’re some of the first things I learned to make in the kitchen, and in college I’d insist on driving back from Richmond with a batch wrapped in foil to stuff in my dorm’s mini-fridge. I have made them multiple times in every apartment I’ve lived in in New York, and the recipe is the one people ask for most frequently. They’re awesome, and they’re kind of foolproof: I’ve made them by hand, with an electric mixer, and in a food processer (Mère Sweets’ method of choice). You can make them big for sandwiches or tiny for cocktail parties. You can even make the dough and cut them out ahead of time, freeze them on a cookie sheet for two hours, and then dump them in a freezer ziplock bag to have on hand to pop in the oven at the drop of a hat. If you get a good salty country ham, and you do not slice it thin and eat it on these biscuits, then you are a damn fool (although leftover Thanksgiving turkey is also acceptable).

There are a few things that can, well, not ruin them, but alter them and make them slightly less magnificent, and unfortunately one of them is out of your control: your potatoes. You want the bright, deep orange beauties that I sometimes see called “Garnet Yams”. They have provided the most consistent results for me, as well as the best color. Sometimes, for whatever reason, your biscuits won’t be as moist or flavorful as they’ve been before, and it’s okay. It’s not you; it’s your potatoes (it’s not you; it’s your bra. THIS BLOG COMES FULL CIRCLE!). The one thing that IS in your control, however, is your baking powder, and I will shout this so you always remember it: ALUMINUM-FREE. Check your labels. Clabber Girl is an adorably retro/beloved baking powder brand, and we had it in the house in Virginia once, and when our biscuits tasted bitter and turned kind of green-ish, I read the label on the baking powder. Yep, aluminum. For best baking results no matter what, always make sure your baking powder is aluminum free. And now, the best things ever:

Sweet Potato Biscuits
From Mom, by way of Blue Pete’s Restaurant in Virginia Beach

1 ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes, baked (directions below) and still warm (about 2-3 medium potatoes)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp. whole milk, cream, or ½ and ½ (don’t use skim or low-fat milk; it’ll make your biscuits dry)
3 ½ to 4 cups flour
1 tsp. table salt
4 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, and bake until they’re quite soft and tender when pierced with a fork, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on size. (Mom wraps each potato individually in foil, which I did not realize until this Thanksgiving, but since I’d been baking them unwrapped for about five years before then, I think we can safely say either method works).

Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes, then peel and mash with a fork. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato and reserve the rest for dinner (yum).

Mix the sweet potatoes, sugar, butter and milk in a large bowl, with an electric mixer (paddle attachment), or pulse in the bowl of a food processor until combined.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Blend dry ingredients into the potato mixture. Knead/pulse until the dough just barely doesn’t stick to your fingers.

Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a floured work surface. Roll out the dough to about ½ inch in thickness. Using a juice glass or a round cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out the biscuits and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, very closely spaced together.

You’ll want to go as easy on the flour as possible, just enough to keep the dough from sticking to everything. Use too much, and the biscuits will get tough and dry.

Bake on the middle rack for 14-16 minutes (if your biscuits are coming from the freezer, you’ll need to add a few minutes to the baking time). Serve warm, or allow to cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Biscuits heading from the freezer to the oven. Your guests will be dazzled.

Seriously, these make ham biscuits so good you’ll want to weep. I recommend a good, salty country ham. They’re also delicious with apple butter or honey butter.

The cinnamon gives these a distinctly Autumnal vibe, but if you’re looking for a variation for Spring/Summer, Mom recommends omitting the cinnamon and substituting 1-2 tbsp. finely minced fresh rosemary.

* * * * *

Seriously, how could I not go for this?

“Cracked Cinnamon Jumper” by Zinke. Available at Anthropologie.

Orange-colored cinnamon biscuits, meet orange-colored cinnamon LACY ADORABLENESS. Smaller-busted ladies, please rock the hell out of this for me.

Oh swoon. So pretty, so sexy.

It’s also available in navy and cream on the Zinke website, along with their other beautiful silk and lace lingerie, bralettes, loungewear, and completely amazing swimwear. Go get yourself a treat, and have a biscuit.

*Note: I am neck-deep in a major work project this week, and this post has been pre-scheduled. My responses may be limited or nonexistent until the project is over.

Sugar and Spice Cookies

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Sweets

I’m so predictable when it comes to my baking. As soon as the temperatures drop below sixty all I can think about is all of the delicious, warm, comforting things I didn’t want to bake when it was hot out. Sweet potatoes, roasted root vegetables, homemade pizzas, biscuits, rolls, bread, pumpkin, and, most of all, anything involving the spices many North Americans associate with Fall and Winter desserts: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. One of the things you learn in a lot of acting schools is the idea of sense memory, which I’m about to explain appallingly badly because I can’t be bothered to dig up any of my old notes (yep, I kept all of my notebooks and papers, in case the Hamlet paper I wrote when I was 15 changes the course of English Renaissance scholarship). The idea is that sensory experiences are strongly linked to memories, and if we can identify a personal sensory experience that links to a strong emotional memory, then we can engage that sensory experience in performance and take any given moment to a deep, powerful place. Of all of our senses, smell has the strongest ties to memory, hands-down.

Baking these cookies is an instant mood booster. The sweet scent of the molasses and spices automatically takes me to childhood memories: Christmas, Thanksgiving, learning to bake from my mother, making cookies with schoolfriends. I’ve made these so often that once I pull out the recipe each Fall, I can pretty much coast by on memory for the rest of the season. These are classic, simple cookies, adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (my mom’s has a fading red plaid cover, each section separated by a yellow tab. I think her edition is from the 1970s or 1980s). I love them in their simplest form, but I’m also not afraid to try to mix things up, so I present to you my adapted version.

So, look, these cookies call for shortening. Shortening is one of those ingredients that I use but kind of wish I didn’t have to. It has absolutely zero flavor, and it’s super-processed and kind of weird and white and gunky and — ew. That being said, it makes baked things fluffy like nothing else. These cookies are in the gingersnap family, but they’re soft and tender and chewy, and that’s thanks in part to shortening. You can substitute butter if you want, but you’ll lose some of the chew and get a crisper, snappier cookie.

I’m not sure why I have so much whole wheat flour in my pantry right now, because I think I’ve baked with it twice in my life. I decided to take it out for a spin with these cookies. Whole wheat flour has well-known health benefits (more fiber, protein, etc. than white flour), but it can mess with your baking if you’re not careful– the flavor can overwhelm milder ingredients, the texture can toughen a cookie or cake, and the final product can dry out quickly. To counterract some of these problems, I cut the whole wheat flour with some all-purpose flour, I definitely used shortening (instead of butter), and I added an egg for more moisture.

I also upped the ante, flavor-wise. Kicking up the ginger helps, and I expanded on the original recipe’s three spices to add two of my favorites: nutmeg and cardamom. These two spices improve everything from basic crème brûlée and cheesecakes to quiches and macaroni and cheese. As long as you have a hefty kick of ginger and cinnamon, feel free to use any other spice you love and have on hand. I also found a stash of crystallized ginger in my pantry. Crystallized ginger is very sweet and quite spicy, so I reduced the amount of sugar in the cookies to compensate. If you leave the crystallized ginger out, increase the brown sugar to 2 cups.

Molasses Spice Cookies
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 3/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. whole wheat flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

about 1/2 – 3/4 c. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, and spices onto a piece of waxed paper; set aside.

Making these cookies just makes me feel so damned domestic. Never mind that the laundry pile is taking over my room and I think some of the dust bunnies are sentient.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the shortening, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until well-mixed and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the crystallized ginger and beat for about 30 seconds until incorporated. With the mixer running on low, using the waxed paper as a funnel, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure that all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl. Roll out a blob of dough, about 1 heaping tablespoon, into a ball using your hands. Drop the ball into the sugar, turning to coat, and then place on the prepared cookie sheet. Space the cookies evenly, about two inches apart. Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes until the centers are set and the edges are just starting to deepen in color. If you prefer a crisper, snappier cookie, increase the bake time by a few minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet or transfer to a plate. These go so perfectly with coffee and tea, and I have been known to have one with bourbon or whisky.

Chamomile tea, because I walk on the wild side.

Knowing that refrigerator time works miracles for chocolate chip cookies, I experimented to see if allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator made any noticeable differences to the finished product. The batch made right away was pretty good– tender and moist, but I wanted to see if some time in the refrigerator would maybe make them a bit denser and chewier, or even help soften some of the aggressiveness of the whole wheat flavor. Did it? Honestly, not noticeably. The whole wheat flavor mellowed a bit and the ginger stood out a bit more, but the first batch and the second batch seemed evenly matched, texture-wise. If you’re not a fan of whole wheat flour, a rest in the fridge will help your dough, but if you don’t care then carry on!

* * * * *

Since ginger cookies are both sassy and sweet, I paired them with Freya’s new Carys style, available in a longline or balconette bra.

“Carys” longline bra. Available in sizes 30 D-G, 32-38 C-G. Pictured with matching short, sizes XS-XL.

The soft brown color and whimsical print give this set a sweet, retro touch, while the flirty lace and half-cup/cleavage-rocking shape bring the spice. I really, really, really, really wish Freya would expand their longline styles past G cups. I think if I say it enough times maybe someone will listen to me. Women in the G+ cup size spectrum would benefit so much from the deeper band (5-7 hooks on most longline styles), both in terms of comfort and support. Plus I just think longline bras are sexy.

The balconette bra, available in sizes 28 D-J, 30-36 D-K, 38 D-J. Pictured with matching Brazilian brief, sizes XS-XL.

Slap a longline band on this cup shape and you’d have a longline bra up to a K-cup. Says I. One day some designer/pattern-maker is going to smack me upside the head with their construction knowledge and why all the things I suggest aren’t possible, and I will be humbled. Till then: longline balconette bras! Sweets wants one!

Carys is available at Bare Necessities, Bloomingdales (holy pants, Bloomingdales is carrying Freya and Fantasie now!), Figleaves, ASOS, and Nordstrom, among others.

Sweet Nothings

Category Archives: Baking

White Chocolate and Strawberry Tarts

Blackberry Tart and Ginger Ice Cream

Sweet Nothing Du Jour plus Rapid-Fire Reviews 3/21/13

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender Caramel Sauce

Lemon Tart à la Julia

Peanut Butter Chocolate Hearts

Holiday Tart, in Chocolate and Caramel

Sweet Nothing Du Jour: Thanksgiving Edition

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Sugar and Spice Cookies

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