Washboards from ATK's The Perfect Cookie & a Giveaway

If you follow my blog then you already know how much I love everything that comes out of America's Test Kitchen.  I'd even wager to say I'm their #1 fan, albeit a self-appointed title to be sure!  So when they reached out to me inquiring if I was interested in reviewing their new baking book, The Perfect Cookie,  there was no hesitation on my part whatsoever.   

 

If ever there was a cookbook with my name written all over it, this was it.    As I flipped through the countless pages of beautiful imagery I noted that almost every foolproof recipe you could imagine was covered.  No doubt you'll be like me, reaching for this tome again and again when you've got those cookie cravings.  [Notice the myriad of Post-Its peeking out from my copy!]

Since I've been baking along with ATK for ages now I've made quite a lot of their cookie recipes already.  For this review I wanted to try one that was new to me.  I'm a sucker for coconut in baked goods so I was immediately drawn to the Washboards.  Crispy, crunchy and lightly sweetened with coconut flavor, these would be the perfect treat to serve along with ice cream or a cup of tea.

Even better, because they were "slice and bake" cookies I could make the dough days in advance and bake them off whenever I wanted.   Forming and shaping the washboards couldn't be easier and the ridges on top are made using a fork.  The cookies baked to a gorgeous golden brown and after a cool down I devoured three of them straight away.   The texture and flavor actually reminded me of a coconut flavored Biscoff cookie....so delicious!   As far as I'm concerned ATK is batting a thousand with this recipe and the new cookbook. 

To celebrate the release of their newest publication ATK was kind enough to host a giveaway for 2 copies of the cookbook.  Here's how you can enter:

1) Blog: comment on this blog post with your email address 

2) Instagram: Follow me @treatssf and ATK @testkitchen, then like the giveaway post

RULES: 

• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST on Saturday Sept 30, 2017
• Winners chosen at random and have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Only open to U.S. mailing addresses 

Bacon & Maple Syrup Scones

Sometimes you go to a restaurant and there's one item on the menu that really stands out and forever sticks in your mind.  When I went to Frenchie Covent Garden this past July that thing turned out to be their snack of Bacon Scones with Maple Syrup.  

 

One bite and I was a complete goner.  Salty, sweet, smoky and savory....what more could I ask for?  They were so good, in fact, that I not only had them as my starter but later on as my dessert!  Don't get me wrong, the entire meal and service at Frenchie was fantastic, but one month on and I am still dreaming about those amazing scones.    

Lucky for me the recipe for their signature dish was readily available on the internet.   The ingredients are easy to gather and the dough comes together super quick.  Try and use the best maple syrup you can find for this recipe.  I finished off the glazed scones with a light sprinkling of smoked Maldon sea salt to further enhance the smoky flavor.    

 

While the restaurant's version will always taste best in my mind, I think these homemade beauties are a pretty good substitute - and I don't need to travel 5,000 miles to get them!

Aloha Bundt Cake

If ever there was a thing called baking bad luck, this Aloha Bundt was its poster child.  Why?  Because for some crazy reason this particular pan seems to incite power outages.  Read on and you'll see what I mean.

Proof #1: I found this fantastic Nordic Ware pineapple bundt pan on sale at Sur La Table in Palo Alto.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm crazy about pineapples, they're my favorite fruit of all time.  Just as I was about to pay all the power in the store (and mall) went out.   No till, no purchase.  Argh!  Luckily the electricity was restored half an hour later and I was able to complete the transaction and take my pan home.  But you can be sure I was worried I'd have to leave it behind in the shop.

Proof #2: Got up early this past Sunday to make my favorite lemon poppy seed sour cream bundt cake using the new pan.  I was supposed to meet up with some friends for brunch later that morning and wanted to make sure the cake was done beforehand.  Forty five minutes in to baking and suddenly all the power in my flat went out.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Rien.  No worries I thought, I've got a gas range.  Not so fast.  Little did I know that while the oven was fueled by gas, electricity kept it running.  Suffice it to say 3 hours later and the power came back on.  Luckily I was able to finish baking the cake without any issues but it was definitely a close call. 

No-Bake Lime Cheesecake

When the temperature rises even I, as an avid baker, hesitate to turn on the oven.   Call me crazy, but when I was a kid growing up in the sweltering summers of California's San Joaquin Valley I used to bake all the time.  But mind you, I was wearing my bathing suit at the time - it was the only way I could tolerate the crazy hot weather.  These days you definitely won't catch me wearing that particular attire!

So when I was browsing the July/Aug 2017 issue of Martha Stewart Living the recipe for a No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake immediately jumped out at me.   Even better, I had all the ingredients in my kitchen.  [Note: I used regular organic limes, not key limes.]  Graham cracker crusts are de rigueur for cheesecakes, but the twist with this recipe was it didn't require baking.  Instead you just pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes.  Genius!

The filling is super light, creamy and jam packed with lime flavor.  If you love citrus this cheesecake is right up your alley.  It's the perfect dessert for your next BBQ, but honestly I'd indulge in it for any occasion.