Heart Linzer Cookies

In honor of Valentine's Day I made some Heart Linzer Cookies.  Crisp shortbread sandwiched with tart raspberry jam and showered in powdered sugar is never a bad thing in my opinion.  I used this recipe from Preppy Kitchen which includes almond flour in the dough.  These beauties will be included in a Valentine's Day cookie box that I'm planning to assemble.  Stay tuned!

 

Homemade Nutter Butters

Oreos may be the store-bought cookie of choice for many in the world but I'm proud to be in the minority with my preference for Nutter Butters, the delicious peanut butter sandwich cookies.  I'm a huge peanut butter fan so these cookies are right up my alley.  When I saw that Stella Parks had included a recipe for a homemade version of Nutter Butters in her fantastic cookbook, BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, I bookmarked the pages for a future baking project.  No better time than the present, especially when we're still under shelter in place orders for the next few months, at least!

The cookie is a thin and crispy peanut flavored shortbread, but in my opinion the real star is the whipped peanut butter creme filling.  Made with butter, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar, the creme is a peanut lover's dream!  I could seriously just eat the creme on its own and it would also be amazing as a frosting for cake or cupcakes.

The sandwiched cookies are pretty darn close to the original from Nabisco, if I do say so myself.  In all honesty I won't be making homemade Nutter Butters frequently because it's much easier to just buy a small pack at the store, but it was a fun project!

Bánh Mì

The Vietnamese Baguettes I made were destined to become Bánh Mì sandwiches.  I filled the baguettes ith char siu pork, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cucumber and a bunch of cilantro.  By way of condiments I prefer lots of mayonnaise and a splash of Maggi seasoning.  The only thing missing was some pork pâté but I'll get some for next time.

Alfajores

I'll start off by saying these alfajores aren't the most authentic but they are quite delicious nonetheless. I had my first encounter with these cookies many years ago when I visited Buenos Aires.  One taste of the little sandwich filled with dulce de leche and I was hooked.  

My alfajores use shortbread but the true version that you'll find in Argentina uses a softer cookie made with cornstarch.  The real star though, in my opinion, is the delicious dulce de leche.  Sure, you can make your own milk jam but since I had a jar in my fridge I took the easy route. 

White Loaves and TWD

I recently joined the online baking group Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) and I'm so excited to be a part of this community!  They became famous for taking on the very Herculean task of making every single recipe in Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking: From My Home to Yours."   It took them four years, but they did it!  When I found out they were accepting bloggers for their next Dorie book, "Baking with Julia," I immediately signed up.    

The first recipe selected was White Loaves, an all-purpose sandwich bread.  As I mentioned in previous posts I've only just scratched the surface when it comes to making yeast breads.  This recipe has given me the confidence to continue.  It's super easy to make and the smells coming from your oven while the loaves are baking are completely hypnotic.

I took a few slices and made grilled cheese, one of my favorite sandwiches.  The bread is nice and sturdy and can hold up to the grilling.  My only caveat is that it may not keep well for too long, two days max.  You're best bet is to freeze any leftovers.  Mine are already earmarked for future croutons or bread crumbs.    

You can find the recipe on Jules' blog Someone's in the Kitchen.   {Sorry for the inconvenience but they ask that only the weekly hosts post the actual recipe.}

Whoopie Pies

A while back I was on Dorie Greenspan's blog and one of her posts talked about how whoopie pies have become as trendy in France as macarons are here.  Never in a million years would I have foreseen that.   Since I've never made whoopie pies before I figured now is as good a time as any to try.  I wanted to see for myself what all the French fuss was about.

I used a great recipe from Cook's Country for these whoopie pies.   I was pleasantly surprised that their version wasn't sickeningly sweet and actually reminded me of Hostess' Suzy Q's.  After one bite I can see why the Frenchies are crazy about these chocolate cake/cookies!   

I'm gifting these across cyberspace to one of my besties who is celebrating her birthday this week.     

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!!!!