Compost Cookies: Milk Bar Special

Happy New Year! My first post in 2013 and it goes against every resolution I made this year. I've been delaying on writing this entry for a while. And of course, now it comes at the worst of times, when most of us have sworn of sweets for 2013, singing this will be the year I give up sugar! File this one away - you'll want to save the Compost Cookie recipe for a rainy day when those sugar-free-carb-free-calorie-free-taste-free "treats" just won't do. Trust me. Every bite will be worth it.

I first made these cookies for Thanksgiving, when a  bunch of us NYers were getting together to celebrate the holiday. And nothing says New York like Momofuko Milk Bar, so I decided to test out these Compost Cookies.

These are no ordinary cookies (if you've eaten at Milk Bar you know nothing there is ordinary!). These cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty - chewy and gooey - chocolate and chips (potato!). Some of the ingredients were hard to track down in Hong Kong but generally these were pretty easy to make.

I got some weird looks while baking these. You're putting those pretzels where?! In The cookie batter?! Traditional cookies these are not. But you're guaranteed to love every bite. 

Milk Bar Compost Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

What You'll need:

chopped Almond Roca

2 C unsalted butter at room temperature 

• 1 C granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons glucose (available at Olivers)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• • 
    
  • GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
• 1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs 
• 1/4 C milk powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 1/4 C heavy cream
• What To Do:                             In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugars and glucose on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for an additional 7 to 8 minutes.  
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute, being careful not to overmix the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
                                                                  Still on low speed, add the chocolate and butterscotch chips, the graham crust, oats and coffee and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels and beat, still on low speed, just until incorporated, being careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. (You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.)
  Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a 1/3-cup measure, portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing each portion roughly 4 inches apart. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to one week. Do not bake the cookies while at room temperature — they will not bake up properly.
  Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies, one tray at a time on the center rack, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the cookies halfway through baking for even cooking. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread while baking, and should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if needed.
  Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; frozen, they will keep for up to 1 month.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
•  
•   Indulge, enjoy and savor!
  

• 
  
  • 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
  • 3/4 C mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 C mini butterscotch chips (I used chopped Almond Roca, available in HK supermarkets)
  • 1/2 C graham cracker crumb (recipe below)
  • 1/3 C rolled oats
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground coffee (not instant)
  • 2 C potato chips (Milk Bar suggests Cape Cod)
  • 1 C mini pretzels

  • 

    graham cracker crumbs

  
  

  
  

  

  a little bit of love (and salt)
  
  
  

  •  
  • 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

When Life Gives You Lemons….

Tangy and sweet, I love these lemon bars for their amazing blend of flavors. The crust is the perfect bite of a sugary, buttery base, while the inside oozes with the taste of pure lemon perfection. 

Leave it to Ina to always have the best recipe! I paired these lemon bars with Alton Brown’s brownies and served them side-by-side on a platter. They are the perfect summer dessert and your guests will be nothing short of impressed.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

What You’ll Need:

Crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt


Filling:
6 eggs at room temp
3 C granulated sugar
2 Tbs lemon zest
1 C fresh lemon juice
1 C flour
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Celsius). Make the crust: In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light. Combine the flour and salt and slowly add to the butter until just mixed. Gather the dough onto a floured surface and make into a ball. With your hands (flour them first!) flatten the dough and press into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Leave the oven on. Let crust cool.

Make the filling: whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles or squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Chocolatey Goodness Brownies!

This weekend we had some friends over for a good old-fashioned BBQ. After all, it was Memorial Day in the states and nothing says summer kick off like grilling! So while we don’t celebrate Memorial Day here in Hong Kong, it was nice to have a little taste of home.

We kept it simple with a green salad, grilled zucchini and burgers with all the fixins.

For dessert, I was craving a simple chocolatey treat and so I attempted my first Hong Kong baking and made Alton Brown’s brownies. 

The prep was ridiculously easy, calling for only a handful of ingredients that I already had in my cabinet. This is a great recipe to have on hand for a last minute dessert emergency (as if you don’t have those often!).

The brownies turned out to have a nice, crisp top to them but were all chew and goo on the inside. They boast deep and sweet chocolate notes without being too rich. One-bite brownie? No way. Be prepared to go back for seconds.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

What You’ll Need:

4 large eggs

1 C Sugar

1 C brow sugar

8 Oz butter, melted + square of butter for greasing pan

1 ¼ C cocoa powder, unsweetened

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ C flour + extra for dusting the pan

2 pinches kosher salt

What To Do:

Grease an 8x8 pan with butter and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs on medium until light and fluffy. Add both sugars and mix. Add butter, cocoa, vanilla, flour and salt. Mix all ingredients until batter is well combined.

Pour batter into greased pan. Bake at 300 for 45-55 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick in the center – when it comes out clean, your brownies are done.  Let brownies cool. Cut and serve.  Enjoy!