I would like to apologize outright to Standard Baking Company for taking a horrible photo. It truly does not do their Lingot d’Or bars any justice. The bars, which held a smooth chocolate and whiskey souffle on top of an almond shortbread, were nondescript. Sure, there was obviously a little gold dusting on top, but it didn’t look as interesting, or as decadent, as the first bite turned out to be. Of all of the pastries I’ve had from Standard this is, above and beyond, their finest. It was also the last bite of our evening and it was a lovely one to go out on.
Category Archives: desserts
Peacan Pie Bars
From the “I’ll just leave this right here” files, I’m sharing with the best dessert of the week. For the past few days I’ve been baking every night for my coworkers (apple cider spiced cupcakes, ‘crunch’ bars from Dorie Greenspan), trying to keep them fat and happy during the onslaught of madness from the holidays. Well, if this doesn’t send them into a blissful, sugary state…then I just don’t what will.
My recommendation for you:
Don’t worry about the floralness of the honey you use. I used some from Sparky’s of Maine and it was pretty intense but that calmed down after they baked.
Serve these with some vanilla ice cream or gelato.
And a cup of coffee from Bard.
I’m having one right now with my coffee. It’s perfect.
Pecan Pie Bars
(from Just a Taste)
For crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.
Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.
Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.
Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.
Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.
Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.
Crack Pie
I had my first hit of Crack a few months ago when a co-worker was more than kind enough to bring a piece back from her trip to NYC, which included a stop at Momofuku Milk Bar. I was hard pressed to share it with other co-workers, hell the Missus didn’t even get a bit of it, but didn’t want to come off as selfish even though I cringed at every bite they took. It was unlike any other pie I’d had before.
Fast forward to last week and me sitting down on the couch flipping through the latest Bon Appetit. When I reached the profile on Momofuku’s Pastry Chef, Christina Toshi, I nearly squealed when the recipe for the pie glared back at me from page 117.
Little time was wasted before I gathered up the ingredients, made a mess of my kitchen and tried my hand at my first batch o’ crack.
Because the recipe required the pie to set overnight, we enjoyed it as a wonderful Anniversary (#6) breakfast treat the next morning with coffee. My only complaint was a lack of light brown sugar in my house, for which I had to sub dark for. It did make a noticeable difference in color, flavor and texture but the pie was still enjoyable and, as the name implies, painfully addictive.
Oat Cookie Crust
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 5 1/2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
Filling
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
- 6 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Oat Cookie Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper; coat with nonstick spray. Combine 6 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy.
Add oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.
Turn oat mixture out onto prepared baking pan; press out evenly to edges of pan.
Bake until light golden on top, 17 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely.
Using hands, crumble oat cookie into large bowl; add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar. Rub in with fingertips until mixture is moist enough to stick together.
Transfer cookie crust mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Using fingers, press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie dish. Place pie dish with crust on rimmed baking sheet.
Filling
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
Whisk both sugars, milk powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and whisk until blended. Add cream, then egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
Pour filling into crust. Bake pie 30 minutes (filling may begin to bubble). Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Continue to bake pie until filling is brown in spots and set around edges but center still moves slightly when pie dish is gently shaken, about 20 minutes longer. Cool pie 2 hours in pie dish on rack.
Chill uncovered overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.