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In the Oven: Peanut Butter Blossoms

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We’re still making holiday cookies in July… Next up: Peanut Butter Blossoms. Posting date is July 30!

Peanut Butter Blossoms
 
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Yield: 36-48 cookies
Ingredients
  • 36 to 48 Hershey’s Kisses
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 cup (50 g) vegetable shortening, cool but not cold
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter, cool but not cold
  • 3⁄4 cup (195 g) creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1⁄3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄3 cup (75 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄3 cup (80 g) demerara sugar
Instructions
  1. Remove the wrappers from all 48 Hershey’s Kisses and place in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Add the peanut butter and beat again on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and add the granulated and brown sugars. Continue beating until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until completely blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add half of the our mixture. Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, stop the mixer, and add the remaining flour mixture. Continue beating until completely blended, about 1 more minute.
  4. If the dough feels a little wet, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm it up, about 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Otherwise, move directly on to the next step.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the demerara sugar in a small shallow bowl.
  6. Scoop and roll the dough into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Roll them in the demerara sugar to coat and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 11⁄2 inches (4 cm) apart. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until the cookies appear set and are dry to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes.
  7. Remove the sheets from the oven, and place them on cooling racks. Immediately gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, making sure it’s good and snug so it doesn’t fall out when cooled. The cookie will crack around the edges. Cool completely and serve.
Notes
How to store: The cookies can be kept, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

In the Oven: Exceedingly Chocolate Crinkles

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We’re down to our last five recipes in Baked Occasions. Join us in late September as we start to bake our way through the first Baked book – Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. Schedule will be posted soon.

Now on to our next recipe – we’re continuing with more chocolate, this time in the form of crinkly cookies. Posting date is July 16!

Exceedingly Chocolate Crinkles
 
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Yield: 24 to 30 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces (170 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1⁄4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (110 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3⁄4 cup (85 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons fleur de sel (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double- boiler method, see page 19), and stir occasionally until they are almost completely melted and combined. Stir in the espresso powder. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the last remaining chunks of chocolate and butter are melted. Let cool to room temperature.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer tted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth and the color of a very light cappuccino, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again until incorporated. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and add the flour mixture all at once. On the lowest speed possible, beat the mixture until just incorporated; do not overmix. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small wide bowl.
  5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and form the dough into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Roll them in the confectioners’ sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking sheets about 11⁄2 inches (4 cm) apart. If the cookies do not pick up enough confectioners’ sugar at first pass (which is important for visual flair), go back and give the cookies a second roll.
  6. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until the cookies start to firm up along the edges, 9 to 12 minutes. If anything, pull these cookies a minute before you think they are done; they still taste fantastic slightly underbaked (with a gooey brownie-like texture inside). While they are still hot from the oven, sprinkle the tops of them with a little fleur de sel, if you like. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Serve warm or transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Notes
How to store: The cookies can be kept, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

 

In the Oven: Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake

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In honor of National Chocolate Pudding Day, we’re making Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake! Posting date is July 2.

Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake
 
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Yield: 9 to 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake
  • 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 1⁄2 ounces (40 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1⁄3 cup (30 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
  • 3⁄4 cup (165 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Topping
  • 1⁄3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄3 cup (75 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (25 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
  • 1 1⁄4 cups (300 ml) boiling water
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 2 ounces (55 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped (about 1⁄3 cup)
For the Assembly
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
MAKE THE HOT CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray the sides and bottom of an 8-by-8-by-2-inch (20-by-20-by-5-cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, and oil. Set aside.
  4. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl placed over simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19) set over low heat until almost completely melted. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is combined and completely melted. Remove it from the heat and continue whisking gently for about 1 minute to cool the mixture slightly. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and continue whisking until completely combined. Whisk in the buttermilk mixture until incorporated, then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and set aside.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together both sugars and the cocoa powder. You might need to use your fingers to rub the clumps of brown sugar into the rest of the mix.
  2. Stir the boiling water and instant espresso powder together in a small bowl.
  3. Sprinkle the chocolate chunks over the cake batter. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the chocolate chips and batter, covering it completely. Pour the hot espresso liquid evenly over the top of the sugar mixture. Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the cake looks set but still feels jiggly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.
  4. Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest about 20 minutes, then slice and serve warm. Slices can be served upside down (with pudding on top), or serve each slice on a plate and spoon the pudding (the batter in the bottom of the pan) alongside the cake. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if you like.
Notes
How to store: Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic, for up to 3 days. To reheat, cook individual portions in the microwave for 20- to 30-second bursts, until warmed through.

 

In the Oven: Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies

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Get out your sheet pans, bakers – we’re back to cookies! Posting date is June 18.

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies
 
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Yield: About 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
  • (145 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 ounces (1¼ sticks/140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 ounces (140 g) smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces (115 g) butterscotch chips
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and lump-free. Add the peanut butter and beat until combined.
  4. Add both sugars and continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat again until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the flour mixture all at once, and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir in the butterscotch chips.
  5. Scoop and roll the dough into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Place them on the prepared
  6. baking sheets about 1½ inches (4 cm) apart. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the tops with the sea salt, if you like. Continue baking until the cookies just start to brown on the edges, another 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the sheets on cooling racks for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies from the sheets to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
Notes
How to store: The cookies can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for
up to 3 days.