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In the Oven: Old-School Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Both National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (May 15) and Teacher Appreciation Day (May 9) will be over by the time we post our results for these throwback cookies, but every day is a good day for cookies. Posting day is May 21!

Old-School Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Yield: 40 to 48 cookies
Ingredients
  • 3 cups (480 g) rolled oats
  • 3⁄4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3⁄4 cup (105 g) bread flour
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄4 cup (50 g) vegetable shortening, cold
  • 6 ounces (1 1⁄2 sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (330 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 12 ounces (340 g) semisweet chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)
  • Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, process 2 1⁄4 cups (360 g) of the oats until they are a mix of fine and coarsely ground pieces.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, bread flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the processed oats and the remaining 3⁄4 cup (120 g) whole oats.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the shortening and butter on medium speed until blended (do not worry about eliminating all the lumps at this point). Add both sugars, the bourbon, vanilla, and molasses, and beat again until the mixture is well combined, about 1 minute. Add the cream, egg, and egg yolk, beating until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and slowly stream in the oat mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix until just combined (you might need to use your hands to fully incorporate). Using a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chunks. Refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Making the cookie dough 2 days in advance lets the flavors develop fully, but it’s not necessary.)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Using a small ice-cream scoop with a release mechanism (or a small spoon and your hands), form balls from heaping tablespoons of dough and place them about 1 1⁄2 inches (4 cm) apart on
  6. the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a little eur de sel.
  7. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until
  8. the edges of the cookies are golden brown or just start to darken, 11 to 13 minutes.
  9. Set the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack
  10. to cool completely.
Notes
How to store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

In the Oven: Caramel Candy Popcorn Balls

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Do you have a special administrative professional in your life? If so, these popcorn balls are the perfect way to show your appreciation on Administrative Professionals Day. If not, well, treat yourself! Posting date is April 23.

Caramel Candy Popcorn Balls
 
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Yield: 12 to 16 (2- to 3-inch / 5- to 7.5-cm) popcorn balls
Ingredients
  • 18 cups (about 250 g, depending on the brand) lightly salted popped popcorn (about 2 to 3 microwave-popcorn bags’ worth)
  • 2 cups (440 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the bowl
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 11⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup (210 g) M&M’s, or any other mix-in (like salty peanuts, tofee bits, or coarsely chopped salted, toasted almonds)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Divide the popcorn between the sheets and spread it in an even layer. Place the sheets in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to flip the popcorn. Return the sheets to the oven and continue baking until the popcorn is very dry and crunchy, about 5 more minutes; bake longer if you can, but do not let it brown or burn. Remove the sheets from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
  3. Lightly grease a large (preferably shallow, wide, and metal) bowl - the largest bowl you have - with butter or nonstick spray.
  4. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine both sugars, the corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter. Cook the mixture over medium heat, gently stirring together with the handle of a wooden spoon until the sugar is almost dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure the bulb of the thermometer is immersed in the syrup. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high. Boil the mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage (238°F to 240°F / 114°C to 116°C), about 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, transfer the popcorn to the large prepared bowl. Lightly grease or spray a heatproof rubber spatula and the existing parchment paper on the sheet pans (you do not need to change it).
  6. Once the sugar mixture has reached the soft-ball stage, remove it from the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam for a few seconds; when it subsides, stir gently to combine.
  7. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and, working very quickly with the prepared spatula, coat the popcorn with the caramel. Add the M&M's and quickly distribute throughout the mixture (you can fully integrate the mix-ins while shaping the popcorn balls). Working quickly, use your hands to form the popcorn into 2- to 3-inch (5- to 7.5-cm) balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets to set.
Notes
How to Store: The popcorn balls can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

In the Oven: Tricolor Cake

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Next up, we’re making a almond sponge cake that’s based on the Italian red and green tricolor cookies. Feel free to use Springtime colors rather than red and green – posting date is March 26!

Tricolor Cake
 
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Yield: 1 8-inch (20-cm) three-layer cake • about 16 servings
Ingredients
For the Tricolor Cake
  • 3 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounces (3 sticks/340 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 14 ounces (395 g) or 2 (7-ounce/198-g) tubes almond paste, at room temperature and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) whole milk Red and green food dyes or gels
For the Raspberry Filling
  • 1 cup (320 g) raspberry preserves
  • 2 tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional)
For the Ganache Crumb Coat
  • 12 ounces (340 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao)
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional)
For the Dark Chocolate Glaze
  • 10 ounces (285 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), chopped (a scant 2 cups)
  • 7 ounces (13⁄4 sticks/200 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
For Décor
  • Red and green sprinkles
Instructions
Make the tricolor cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter three 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment with our and knock out the excess.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed until each is just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the almond paste and extract, and beat until combined. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  5. Transfer one-third of the batter to a separate bowl. Add 5 to 10 drops of green food dye and fold with a rubber spatula until fully and evenly incorporated and the desired color is achieved. Add 8 to 10 drops of red food dye to the remaining two-thirds of the batter in the mixing bowl and fold with a rubber spatula until fully and evenly incorporated and desired color is achieved. (The amount of food dye is entirely up to you; we enjoy paler, less radioactive red and green layers.)
  6. Divide the red batter equally into two of the prepared pans. Pour the green batter into the remaining prepared pan. Smooth the tops with an o set spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely. Once all of the layers are cool to the touch, you can start to prepare the other components of the cake in the order described below.
Make the raspberry filling
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the raspberry preserves and framboise, if using, until the mixture is uniform, warmed through, and the framboise is absorbed completely into the preserves, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the ganache crumb coat
  1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate and 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) cream and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler method, see page 19). Stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Whisk in the framboise, if using. The glaze should be thick (not quite as thick as hot fudge, but thick enough to coat a cake; if it is too thin it will just run off the sides) in order to get a straight, evenly glazed cake. If the mixture is thin, place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to thicken, stirring at least once or twice; if the mixture is too thick, add the remaining cream, a tablespoon at a time until workable.
Assemble the cake
  1. Place one red layer on an 8-inch (20-cm) cardboard round (or alternatively, place it on at plate, but know that you will have to transfer the entire cake from the plate to a wire rack to glaze it). Trim the top to create a at surface. Spread about 1⁄2 cup (155 g) of the preserve mixture into an even layer, leaving a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) border around the edge. Place the green layer on top of the red layer, trim the top, and spread another 1⁄2 cup (155 g) of preserves into an even layer leaving a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) border around the edge. With the remaining red layer, trim the top to create a smooth surface. Place the just-cut surface on top of the green layer so that the bottom of the red layer becomes the top of your cake. Refrigerate your cake for 5 minutes to set.
  2. Once the ganache is spreadable, cover the cake, using the ganache like a crumb coat, making sure to use the crumb coat to ll in edges, crevices, and the space between layers. Create as smooth a cake as possible. Refrigerate the cake for about 5 minutes.
Make the dark chocolate glaze
  1. Remove your crumb-coated cake from the refrigerator and smooth out any bumps with an o set spatula. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack set atop a cookie sheet or half sheet pan lined with parchment.
  2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19) and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
  3. Working quickly, pour the glaze around the rim of the cake, allowing excess glaze to run down and coat the sides of the cake. Once you have covered the entire perimeter of the cake, work your way inward with the glaze until the entire top of the cake is covered. Do not worry if it looks like there is too much glaze in one spot—you can even out and scrape off excess once done pouring. After all of the glaze has been poured, use an offset spatula to smooth the top—pushing the excess glaze over the sides of the cake. Smooth the sides of the cake. Once the entire cake is completely covered in an even layer of chocolate glaze, decorate the border with sprinkles. Any leftover glaze that was caught by the cookie sheet can be gathered up and spooned into a piping bag and used to pipe a simple border along the bottom of the cake for a super-clean appearance. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator until set, about 60 minutes.
  4. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for about 10 minutes. Run a chef’s knife under hot water, dry it, and slice the cake with the warm knife. Serve immediately.
Notes
How to store: The cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.