sel et sucre

Tag: baked good

  • Snickerdoodle Bars

    snickerdoodle bars

    I’m a big fan of cinnamon – it’s a major flavor in many of my favorite sweet and savory dishes, featuring in garam masala, spiced chocolate, and even my favorite chili recipe. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m a big fan of snickerdoodles. But I prefer my cookies in bar form (easier to make and much more decadent!), so these snickerdoodle bars are, in my opinion, even better than the traditional snickerdoodles. I dialed up the cinnamon, adding extra to the batter and a thorough topping of cinnamon sugar (using turbinado sugar for a little change in texture – I like the crunch on top). Perfect for any other cinnamon lovers out there, and you certainly won’t have a hard time getting anyone else to eat them either.

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  • Empanada Dough

    empanada dough

    Today, I’m going to start this post with an apology. Anyone who follows this blog knows that I’ve been very good from the beginning about posting every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In fact, up until last week, I had not yet missed a post (in over a year). So, I’m sorry for letting Sel et Sucre go dark last Wednesday and Friday. As I’d mentioned previously, I moved to Buenos Aires this past Wednesday, and despite my (in retrospect, delusional) hopes of keeping up my posting, I was far too overwhelmed to do so. This week, I’ll be doing something extra special to make up for it though – posting every weekday!

    Before leaving, in honor of the trip, I cooked up four different varieties of empanadas, stuffed pastries (typically savory) that are very popular in Argentina, eaten as an appetizer or full meal. I’ll be posting all week about these empanadas, starting with today’s recipe for the dough. Similar to a pie dough, it’s quite easy to throw together, with the most important thing being not to overwork it. The flaky result is the perfect base for all sorts of different fillings. I actually ended up making three times this dough recipe for a total of 96 mini empanadas. I think I would have preferred larger empanadas though, so that each would have more filling (which would also mean less work filling and closing the empanadas). Whether you make small (appetizer-sized) or large (entree-sized) empanadas, this dough recipe is worth trying out, for not much more effort than heading to the store and buying frozen dough, but a lot more flavor!

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  • Honey Lavender Shortbread

    honey lavender shortbread

    I remember baking shortbread when I was younger and craving something sweet. The memory is fuzzy so I must’ve been fairly young, perhaps late elementary school, but I definitely remember the feelings of surprise and pride at my ability to combine ingredients and create something delicious. Shortbread is still a favorite of mine and, luckily for young me, is quite easy to throw together. Adding a little corn starch, as I’ve done here, helps to create the rich crumbly texture. This version is also delicately flavored with lavender and honey for a grown-up twist (that kids will still love). A great recipe, no matter your age!

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  • Brownie Cookies

    brownie cookies

    Some people love brownies, and some people love cookies, but most people, myself included, love both. For all of them, these are a revelatory dessert. All of the chocolate decadence of a brownie in cookie form. The key to this magical crossover dessert is large quantities of melted chocolate and eggs which give the cookies a fudge-like texture. Simple to make and guaranteed to please, these cookies should most definitely make their way into your life. You’ll never look at brownies or cookies quite the same way again.

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  • Homemade Graham Crackers

    homemade graham crackers

    This is probably not shocking to anyone who’s perused this blog, but I can be really ambitious with my cooking projects sometimes. Which is how I found myself in a bind with these graham crackers. I’d committed to making s’mores on an early Saturday afternoon to be the grand finale for the first grill session of the year; I had already invited a couple friends to join and made homemade marshmallows, and I was absolutely determined to make homemade graham crackers for the perfect s’mores. Somehow I easily envisioned myself making the dough on Friday night and baking the crackers on Saturday morning. Of course, I chose not to take into account my full day of work that Friday as well as a party happening at my house that night. The inevitable outcome of which was me frantically making the dough as party guests arrived. But the dough came together surprisingly easily and was soon chilling safely in the fridge for the night while I stayed up, engrossed in conversations. The next thing I knew, I was forcing myself out of bed the next morning with less than eight hours of sleep, because I was absolutely determined to finish these graham crackers. After rolling, cutting, sprinkling on some cinnamon, sugar, and smoked salt (I can’t help myself when it comes to salt and baked goods, and the smokiness seemed like it would be perfect paired with toasted marshmallows), and, inevitably, dropping a few crackers onto the floor (I’ve given up on pretending I’m not a clumsy person), I watched eagerly as they baked and filled the house with an irresistible aroma. The graham crackers were an undisputed success, well worth the frantic stress and lack of sleep (there’s always time to relax and sleep after my stomach is full). And the s’mores? You’ll have to come back on Friday to hear how those turned out.

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  • Brown Butter Blondies

    brown butter blondies

    Browning butter is truly a magical process. Somehow, simply by adding heat, your run of the mill stick of butter transforms with nutty caramel notes that elevate nearly everything. I’m not usually a butter fiend, but when the aroma of browning butter starts to waft through the air, it’s all I can do not to start eating it plain. Brown butter can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, but I think my favorite use is these brown butter blondies. They’re incredibly easy to make and really showcase the butter’s phenomenal transformation (the combination of the brown butter with brown sugar has prompted many to ask me if there’s caramel in these). This time around, I mixed in finely chopped walnuts and cocoa nibs, but they’ve been equally delicious in the past with hazelnuts and toffee bits. Actually, nearly any leftover sweet bits (or savory, if you’re feeling adventurous) in your pantry can work here, or you can even forgo the mix-ins entirely. I’ve made these blondies for hosting friends, meeting new roommates (one of whom I ended up dating – can’t be a coincidence, right?), bringing along to parties, and just when craving something sweet. Toss these together the next time you’re in the mood for a decadent treat, and you will most assuredly not be disappointed.

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  • Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Ganache

    chocolate cake with salted caramel ganache

    This is a cake so amazing, so delicious, so decadent that I made it for my birthday two years in a row. I wanted to make a different cake this year, I really did; I love cooking things that are exciting and new, and I don’t have nearly enough excuses to bake cakes. But as the day neared, I found my mind constantly wandering back to this rich, dense chocolate cake, layered with salted caramel ganache, just the right balance of salty and sweet. And I finally admitted that I’d already found my birthday perfection; it’s my day after all, dammit, and I was going to have this cake.

    (Yes, it was recently my birthday, and yes, I am now a year older, and no, I’m not worried about getting older, just excited because I think this upcoming year will be even better than the last.)

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