BROWN BUTTER SALTED CARAMEL SNICKERDOODLES

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter

1 1/4 Cups Dark Brown Sugar - packed

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

2  Large Eggs

1 Tbs Vanilla Extract

1 Tbs Sour Cream (Greek Yogurt can be substituted)

Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramels - cut in half

For Coating The Cookies:

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Sea Salt - for sprinkling on top

First, brown butter by placing it in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until melted. Continue cooking until it becomes slightly foamy and small flecks form on the bottom. Cook until the bits turn brown and the butter has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt). Set aside.

In a stand mixer ( a handheld is fine also), cream the brown butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla and sour cream until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients until combined. Form mixed dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least a half hour. Longer is fine.

For coating the cookies, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Measured chilled dough into a ball (about two tablespoons) and flatten slightly. Place a half caramel in center and wrap dough around caramel.

Roll dough balls in the cinnamon sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon liner. About two inches apart.

Bake the cookies for approximately 8 - 10 minutes until the edges turn slightly brown. Do not over bake! The center of the cookie will be soft due to caramel filling. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt and let cool on cookie sheets for two minutes, or until set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Try not to eat them all! They are addictive!

  

Berry Compote

One thing I love about summer is all the fresh berries that are in season, sweet and tart all at the same time. My son loves to eat any kind of berry, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, you name it he eats it. Since we have a growing boy on our hands, I tend to buy fruit and veggies in bulk at Costco. We generally always eat them before they go bad, but occasionally we cannot get through all the fruit fast enough and this is when I make berry compote. 

You can put the compote on anything you like-waffles, pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the most amazing chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted! They are soft, gooey, and chewy in the middle and slightly crisp on the outside. If you don't believe me you will have to just try them for yourself. But I can tell you one thing, I will never be making another chocolate chip cookie recipe again. This one has taken top spot in my recipe book!

Angel Wings or Crostoli

Angel Wings is a recipe that my Grandma Balogh used to make for us children. Although the family recipe has been lost, this is the closest that my aunt and I have come to the original. Making these cookies brings back fond memories of special treats that Grandma used to make!

Here is what you will need:

1 lb Flour (4 cups)
1 Tbs Crisco or Lard
2 Egg Yokes
1 Whole Egg
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 tsp orange extract or Brandy (we used Almond Extract instead - yum!)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Milk
Powdered Sugar
2 cups Crisco or Lard
2 cups Vegetable Oil

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, 1 tsp lard (or Crisco), egg yolks, whole eggs, extract or brandy and salt. Gradually add milk until the dough forms a firm ball and begins to pull away from the side or the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead for about 5 minutes. This dough will be elastic, but firm. Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Cut dough into four parts, keeping all but one covered. Keeping surface floured, roll one quarter of the dough to about 1/8" thick. With a pastry wheel, pizza wheel or knife, cut dough into 4X2 diamonds or strips. Make a small horizontal slit in the center of each strip and draw an end of the strip through and curl it back in the opposite direction.

In a deep pan, heat oil and lard (or Crisco) to about 375 degrees. Oil is ready when a test strip of dough bubbles. Fry in hot oil until golden, about 30 seconds on each side, gently turning with tongs. Place angel wings on paper towels and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar when cooled. Store in an airtight container.

Note: My aunt and I have also used 1 tsp ground cardamom to season these cookies.

Tips for Angel Food Cake

Here are some helpful tips to make perfect Angel Food Cake, courtesy of Grandma Bauer:

1. First you need to start with very cold kitchen equipment, make sure to put your mixing bowl and hand-mixer beaters in the refrigerator a couple hours before you want to make the cake.

2. Clean your Angel Food Cake loaf pan or circular pan right before using, to insure there are no dust or food particles have been left behind. You need to use a loaf pan or circular pan that is meant for Angel Food Cake, a regular bundt pan with not allow the cake to rise properly and you will not be able to remove the cake from the pan correctly.

3. Make sure to have all the ingredients and pan ready to use before you make the cake, that way the egg whites will not deflate or fall while you are preparing the pan.

4. Make sure to use ice cold water in the cake mix.

5. Follow instructions on back of the cake mix box, my Grandma uses Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake mix.

6. Bake the cake until it is nicely browned, very dry to the touch, and has risen.

7. After the cake comes out of the oven, hang the pan upside down (if you pan doesn't have legs, you can prop it up on a long-neck bottle) until completely cooled. If using a loaf pan, turn upside down and prop up the two short edges so the pan is lifted off the counter about an inch.

8. Once the cake has cooled completely, you should be able to easily remove the cake from the pan. If the cake seems to stick, run a knife around the edges and then try to remove.

9. Serve with your favorite fruit and ice cream. You could also frost or lightly glaze the cake as well.

Enjoy!