Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

A cookie is a cookie . . . right? Not this cookie. Ina Garten has done it again. She has transformed a ho-hum oatmeal cookie into something very special indeed. I tried to exercise my weight control strategy of portion control by eating just one cookie to see if it was worth the effort and found that I needed just one more . . . and then another. By bedtime, I could not resist a glass of milk and just one more cookie. Even my husband, who loves all things chocolate said these were really good cookies. I am trying to analyse what made them so good. Was it the buttery flavor? Was it the generous amount of cinnamon? The dark brown sugar or the vanilla? Maybe toasting the pecan pieces first brought out the nutty goodness. Whatever it was, it was a “perfect storm” of flavors that came together from the first bite to the last. The only advice I would pass on to you is that I ended up with 52 cookies and Ina says that the recipe makes 30 to 35. Mine were smaller and crispier. Not a bad thing in my opinion.

It is Barefoot Blogger Thursday again and I want to thank Leslie of Lethally Delicious for choosing an Ina Garten recipe that I normally would have passed up as just another ordinary oatmeal cookie. It is anything but ordinary. Come and join the rest of our group and cook up everything Barefoot Contessa on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. How easy is that?

RAISIN PECAN OATMEAL COOKIES

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon groun d cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2 inch mound of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Printable recipe

It is very early on Thursday morning and I have just baked Ina Garten’s croissant bread pudding because today is Barefoot Blogger posting time. Peggy of Pantry Revisited chose this first Barefoot Contessa recipe for the month of December and it is a good one. I was especially interested in this bread pudding because I have been experimenting with dishes to serve at a brunch later in the month. The beauty of the dish is that it goes together quickly and is so adaptable. I did not add anything extra to the recipe this time, but it lends itself to many flavor options. Peggy added cinnamon and pecans. You could also add orange or lemon zest to it. It might even be good with almonds and almond extract. I halved the recipe because we were not anxious to eat a casserole that serves 10. I also used the small croissants and dried cranberries instead of raisins. Let me know if you have other suggestions and feel free to join our group of Barefoot Bloggers.

CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients

3 exra large whole eggs
8 extra large egg yolks
5 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half and half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2 inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1 inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn’t touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Printable recipe

I have always made my apple pies the same way, the way that my Grandmother and Mother made them, but I am trying to get away from using Crisco. All butter crusts are hard to handle though and I don’t have a source for pure lard. We have friends coming to visit tomorrow and I decided to make a dessert from what I had on hand. I had Granny Smith apples and the ingredients for a pie crust. This time I did a combination of Crisco and butter and the pie dough rolled out like a dream. It lifted easily from the rolling board and baked up beautifully. I am hoping that the combination will prove to be consistant and not just serendipitous.

MY NEW FAVORITE APPLE PIE

For the crust:
2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour ( I used King Arthurs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk

For the filling:
5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup Sugar
1 to 2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbls flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and flour and add to apples. Toss to combine and let stand so that the apples will release their juices.

Place the flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Add the 1/2 cup crisco and the cold butter pieces. Working with a serrated steak knife or pastry cutter, cut the shortenings into the flour. Be patient with this. The butter and shortening should be small pea size pieces when done. Add the milk and mix gently to combine. Divide dough into two pieces and flatten slightly. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate 1/2 hour.

On a floured surface roll the bottom dough piece into a circle large enough for a 9 inch pie plate. Place in pie pan and add the apple mixture. Roll out the second dough for the top. Slice a crescent in the center and prick several times with a fork. Place over bottom crust and filling. Press edges to seal and crimp the edges decoratively. If you would like brush the top with a beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

Printable recipe

What a difference lighting makes. I took the first picture in the evening by kitchen lighting and the second picture in the morning by sunlight.

I have gotten a good response to my Kitchen Reveal. Thank you to all of you who are posting pictures on Wednesday. There is still time to join in the fun. I will post links to all of the kitchens some time late Wednesday afternoon.