KITCHEN TABLE
FOR THE LOVE OF COOKIES!
You – and all the cookie monsters in your life – will love treats from The Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton (Alfred A Knopf, $54).
CHEWY ALMOND COOKIES
Image credit: he Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton.
50 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
227 grams (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) blanched almond paste
40 grams egg whites (from about 1½ extra-large eggs)
Put the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble the almond paste into the bowl, fit the mixer with the paddle, and beat on medium speed until the paste is combined with the sugar and the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg white and mix until it is incorporated, and the dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer, remove the paddle and bowl from the stand, and clean them with the spatula, scraping the bowl from the bottom up to release any ingredients that may be stuck there. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until the dough is firm, at least 1 hour.
Adjust the oven racks so one is in the top third and the other is in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Scoop up 15 grams (about 1 tablespoon) of the dough and roll it between your palms into a ball. Place the ball on one of the prepared baking sheets. Press lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten the ball slightly. Repeat, rolling the rest of the dough into balls and placing them on the baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between them.
Place one baking sheet on each oven rack and bake the cookies until they are lightly browned and springy to the touch, about 15 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through the baking time so the cookies bake evenly. Remove the cookies from the oven and set them aside to cool to room temperature on the baking sheets before peeling them off the baking mat.
GRANOLA
Image credit: he Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton.
250 grams (2½ cups) rolled oats
60 grams (generous ½ cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
75 grams about ½ cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
100 grams (1½ cup packed) dark brown sugar
40 grams unsweetened coconut chips
150 grams large, fresh dates, pitted and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter
80 grams (¼ cup) artisanal maple syrup (preferably barrel-aged)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon ammonium bicarbonate (baker’s ammonia)
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the oats, pecans, flour, brown sugar, coconut, dates, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix with your hands to distribute the ingredients evenly and break apart any clusters of dates.
Have your prepared baking sheet, a whisk, and a rubber spatula handy to you can work quickly for the following steps.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, taking care not to let it brown. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the ammonium bicarbonate, and whisk quickly and vigorously to combine. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the oats and other ingredients and mix quickly with the rubber spatula to coat the ingredients with the liquid. (In order to reap the benefits of the ammonium bicarbonate, which results in a light and crispy granola, you need to coat the ingredients before the liquid stops bubbling. Try to avoid inhaling it while you are stirring; it is not dangerous, but it is unpleasant.)
Spread the granola evenly over the prepared baking sheet and bake it on the centre rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently stir the granola, taking care not to break up the clumps. Return the baking sheet to the oven, rotating it from front to back, and bake the granola until it is golden brown and crunchy, another 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the granola from the oven.
The Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton is published by Alfred A Knopf, $54.