Gooey Turtle Bars, Where Gooey Describes the Homemade Caramel Layer!

I bought a new cookbook. I know I'm not supposed to because I'm out of room. But I couldn't resist. Alice Medrich came out with a new cookie cookbook. I spent an evening studying it from cover to cover. In typical Marni fashion, I sat comfortably on the couch in sweats, I had HGTV on in the background, and I had a pack of Post-It note strips to mark the pages of the cookbook that I'd want to return to. But by the end of reading this cookbook, I had marked so many pages that the usefulness of this page-marking technique had been lost. I can't wait to make, well, basically everything out of this book!


Gooey Turtle Bars has an adjective in the title that I'm quite fond of. Not only is homemade caramel gooey, but it is unbeatable. Alice Medrich's version is perfect. It does require a candy thermometer because caramel is very sensitive to temperature. You have to watch closely to be sure you do not go over the specified temperature or your caramel will not be caramel. But I have faith in your abilities as a baker and I'm sure you can handle it! If you want to experiment with different flavors, try adding something other than vanilla to the caramel, such as lavender or almond extract. Or maybe add some fleur de sel.

And remember, when you're tired of stirring (you aren't allowed to stop for the entire 15 minutes the caramel is cooking), and you're about to throw in the towel and you find yourself whining that it's never going to reach 235 degrees F, just remember, your bicep is going to be so impressive! And your tummy is going to be so happy. And then I promise you'll make it through okay.


Gooey Turtle Bars
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Medrich in Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

1 recipe Shortbread Crust (see below)
1 3/4 cups (12.25 ounces) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey or light corn syrup
3/8 teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon for coarse or flaky sea salt)
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (7 ounces) pecan halves, toasted
6 ounces milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with foil on the bottom and all four sides, leaving some overhang for pulling the baked goods out of the pan to cut later. Follow the recipe below for the Shortbread Crust and then continue here with the instructions.

To make the topping: In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan (about 8 inches in diameter) with a candy thermometer attached to the inside, combine the brown sugar, honey, salt, and water and cook on medium heat. Drop the 4 tablespoons butter into the pan. Stir constantly so the mixture doesn't burn (be sure you're using a heatproof spatula or you'll have delicious plastic in your caramel). Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as you stir. Allow the mixture to reach a medium boil and continue stirring and scraping the pan for about 3 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and bring the mixture back to a boil. Don't stop stirring!

Continue boiling the mixture until the candy thermometer reads 235 degrees F. From beginning to end, it should take you about 15 minutes of stirring to make this caramel. Yes, your arm may get tired, but think of the biceps you're generating! As soon as the temperature reads 235, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Moving quickly, pour the caramel over the warm Shortbread Crust. You can tilt the pan or use an offset spatula to make sure the caramel is covering the entire crust. The caramel will start to set right away so you'll need to be quick. Sprinkle the toasted pecans and chopped chocolate over the sticky caramel and carefully press the pieces into the caramel with the palm of your hand so that everything is "glued" in place. Allow the caramel to cool and the chocolate to set before cutting into squares.

When you're ready to cut into pieces, lift up the overhang of foil, transfer to your cutting board, and peel off the foil. Use a long sharp knife to cut through the nuts and all the way down into the bars. Store in an airtight container for about a week.


Shortbread Crust
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line the pan with foil on the bottom and all four sides.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix well, then add the flour and mix just until incorporated. The dough will be oily and wet but that's totally normal. Use your hands to press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Smooth out any bumps and make sure to get the dough to reach the edges and corners of the pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a rich golden brown with well-browned darker edges. Let cool before adding the caramel layer of the Gooey Turtle Bars above.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
To make the crust, melt the butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt...

Stir to combine...

Add the flour and stir just until incorporated...

The dough will be oily and wet but that's normal...

Press the dough into the pan so that the surface is even and smooth...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden...

To make the caramel topping, combine the brown sugar, honey or corn syrup, salt, and water over medium heat...

Add the butter...

Allow the mixture to reach a boil and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the sweetened condensed milk and let it return to boil...

Stir constantly and maintain a boil until the thermometer reads 235 degrees F...

Stir in the vanilla, then pour the caramel into the pan over the crust...

Scatter the toasted pecans and chopped chocolate over the caramel and press the pieces down so they stick...

Let the caramel cool and the chocolate set before slicing and serving. YUM!!

Challah from Amazing Baker Beatrice Ojakangas

I keep trying new challah recipes. It's such a common bread type that most of my cookbooks seem to have a version of the recipe. So slowly but surely I'm making my way through the recipes. This one by Beatrice Ojakangas is a great one! The dough feels awesome as you knead it. That's the moment I can tell the bread is going to be good. There's just something special about working with a dough that's soft and supple and shiny and perfect! For this Shabbat meal, I decided to braid it in the four-strand round method because I love that look. But feel free to braid it however you prefer.


The making of this bread marks an important milestone for me. It is the first bread I've made in my new kitchen! And I really do mean IN my new kitchen. You see, I moved in October. My last kitchen, which I had occupied for the last 5 years, was so small I was forced to knead dough on the dining room table in the next room. There simply wasn't a surface large enough for me to stay in the kitchen.

Now, in my new kitchen, I have so much space I can spread out, leave the flour bin beside my work station, not immediately wash my mixing bowl to get it out of the way, keep the prepared baking sheet ready to go right next to where I'm working so I don't have to lift and transfer the braided loaf very far in my hands, and other thrilling usually-taken-for-granted aspects of spacious living. It's all too good to be true! Somebody pinch me!


Challah
Adapted from a recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas in the Great Holiday Baking Book
Makes 1 loaf

3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (2 3/4 teaspoons) instant active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (about 130 degrees F)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
2 teaspoons poppy seeds, for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir to blend. Then make a well in the center and pour in the water, oil, and 2 eggs. Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Beat in the remaining flour (1/2 to 1 more cup flour). The dough will be stiff. If the dough is still really sticky to work with, add a little flour, only a tablespoon at a time. Always err on the side of less flour because you may be able to knead the dough and you don't want to add too much flour or your bread will be more like a brick! Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. If you're using an electric mixer with a dough hook, only knead for about 5 minutes (the dough hook is much more efficient than by hand so it requires less time for kneading and you don't want to overknead).

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl that you sprayed with Pam, then turn the dough ball over so both sides are greased. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for about a 1/2 hour or until doubled in size.

Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Divide the dough into 3 chunks. Shape each chunk into a long rope about 1 inch in diameter. Braid the three strands together and pinch the ends to seal them. You can transfer the loaf to the baking sheet as a long braid or you can place it on the sheet in a ring shape. You can also use any of several other braiding techniques. Cover the baking sheet with a towel and place in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes or until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Create an egg wash out of the egg yolk combined with one teaspoon of water. Brush the egg was over the loaf and immediately sprinkle with the poppy seeds (the egg wash dries pretty quickly so hurry and add your poppy seeds or they won't stick!).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. If the loaf looks like it's getting dark but it's not cooked through in the middle, place a foil tent over the loaf in the oven for the remaining baking time. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, the salt, and the yeast...

Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, and 2 eggs. Beat, and then cover and let rest for 15 minutes...

Add the remaining flour until it forms a stiff dough...

Allow to rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, then shape the loaf, cover and let rise again until puffy. Brush with the egg wash, then bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes...

Slice and serve!

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

This is an amazing chocolate chip cookie. It's chewy and spicy (from cinnamon!) and attractive and thick! It's also festive for the holidays with the red polka dots of dried cranberries.

And let's talk for a second about cranberries. I was just at my parents' house for Thanksgiving weekend. My mom went crazy with the cranberries. She bought two giant bags of fresh and two more bags of dried. She said, "I'm sure we'll find a use for these." Ha! Well, it would take weeks of baking up a storm to use up that many cranberries, but I did bake several cranberry-required desserts over the weekend and managed to make quite a dent in my mom's cranberry stash. So ok, maybe she was kind of right.


Cranberries are a really special ingredient because they're seasonal and gorgeous. I absolutely LOVE them! And from the looks of my mom's giant cranberry purchase, she loves them, too. But over the weekend, we heard on the radio that a lot of people have an aversion to cranberries like they have an aversion to marzipan and caviar. The radio host said it's a love it or hate it kind of food, no in between. Well, I hope you love it, because I'll be sharing more cranberry recipes with you soon!


Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Marcel Desaulniers in I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas
Makes about 40 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and softened
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt onto a large piece of wax paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Should only take a few minutes, but the mixture should be completely smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary to incorporate all of the mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and beat another 15 seconds.

On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients (that you sifted onto wax paper) by lifting up and folding the wax paper and aiming it into the bowl. Mix for about 1 minute, until the mixture is well-combined.

Add the chocolate chips, oats, and cranberries (and pecans if using) and mix on low for another 30 seconds. The dough will be pretty thick with these latest additions. It's a lot of add-ins! Take the bowl out of the stand mixer and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the add-ins are evenly distributed.

Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets, at least an inch apart so they don't grow into each other. The larger the cookie you decide to make, the more space you will need in between them.

Bake the cookies on the top and center racks of the oven for 10-15 minutes depending on cookie size. Halfway through the baking time, switch the sheets between top and center racks and turn them around from back to front.

If you can't bake all the cookies at once, leave the unbaked cookie dough in the bowl out on the counter at room temperature while you finish up baking the first batch (as opposed to chilling the dough).

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 30 minutes before using a spatula to slide them onto a cooling rack. Store in an airtight plastic container. They'll keep well for a few days out on the counter or you can refrigerate them and they'll last for a few weeks (2 or 3 easily)! Or you can do what I like to do and freeze a bunch for later.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt...

Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar...

Add the two eggs, one at a time...

Add the vanilla...

Gradually add the dry ingredients...

Add the chocolate chips, oats, and cranberries (and pecans if using) and mix on low...

Then take the bowl out of the stand mixer and continue stirring by hand till incorporated...

Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, spaced evenly apart...

Perfect little mounds of yumminess!

Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, cool, and enjoy!

Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Streusel and Caramel Brandy Sauce

Let the title of this post sink in, then pick up your jaw so you can get on with your day.

Everything about this recipe is perfect. It is a combination of several delicious ingredients. And applying that saying about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, if you put a bunch of good ingredients together, you are going to get one GREAT thing out of it.

It all started when my friend told me she had a chocolate babka loaf and thought it could be turned into a baked good. She suggested bread pudding. I knew she was onto something. Chocolate babka is great on its own; baked into something, it could be head-turning. I agreed to take her up on the challenge to create a chocolate babka bread pudding, so the only question was, what recipe. I browsed various recipe websites for inspiration and ultimately landed on Paula Deen's "Best Bread Pudding" recipe from the Food Network. I read several stellar reviews by others who tried the recipe, including several comments that the recipe was so sweet it could actually use cutting back on the sugar. So I cut the white sugar quantity of the bread pudding mixture in half. Perfection.


The Brown Sugar Streusel Topping is an amazing addition to an already amazing bread pudding because the pecans become candied and give every bite a bit of crunch and grainy texture on your tongue. The boozy sauce is, well, boozy, and I loved it. Not everyone is into alcoholic-tasting desserts, so I recommend leaving the sauce in a bowl on the table and letting people serve themselves.

Not only did my friend and her husband love this bread pudding (which was such a relief since they donated their babka to this experiment!), but I also shared a piece with another friend who has extremely discerning taste, comes from a dessert loving, food loving background, and is generally very picky and reserved when it comes to expressing positive superlatives about what he eats. But after finishing his serving of the bread pudding, he did not hold back on the superlatives. He said this bread pudding was one of the best desserts he had ever had in his life. Maybe you don't know this guy and can't grasp the meaning of his words (I guess you'll have to bake this and find out for yourself!), but to me, those were golden words. Coming from him, they formed the kind of compliment any baker would dream of hearing. Dessert perfection: Achieved!


Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Streusel Topping and Caramel Brandy Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by Paula Deen on FoodNetwork.com

Bread Pudding
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 9x5-inch loaf chocolate babka, cubed, and allow to get stale in an uncovered bowl overnight

Streusel Topping
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Brandy Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy (warning: this is a LOT of brandy and creates a very boozy, strong alcoholic flavor; feel free to use less or omit completely)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

For the bread pudding: In a medium bowl, mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk. Add vanilla. Place the cubed babka in a large bowl and pour the milk mixture over the babka so that all cubes are wet. Stir gently to coat all pieces. Let sit for 10 minutes.

For the Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, softened butter, and pecans. Then with a fork or your fingers, crumble the ingredients together.

To bake: Pour the milky babka mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the Sauce: In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla over medium heat. Continue stirring until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, if using, and stir until slightly thickened. Drizzle over the bread pudding. Can be served warm or cold.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Combine the sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla...

Pour the mixture over the cubed babka and let stand about 10 minutes...

Pour the milky babka mixture into the prepared baking dish...

To make the streusel topping, combine the butter, brown sugar, and pecans...

Crumble the ingredients together...
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka pieces in the baking dish...

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes...

To make the caramel brandy sauce, stir together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla...
Add the brandy and continue stirring until heated through and slightly thickened...
Drizzle over individual servings of the bread pudding and enjoy!

Last night I had a dream that I hugged Susan Feniger. Oh wait, that really happened!

Me with Susan Feniger! THE Susan Feniger!

Last night I had dinner with 6 awesome friends (Maya, Tara, Caroline, Esther, Lindsay, and H.C.) at Street, Susan Feniger's newish restaurant on Highland, just north of Melrose, in Los Angeles. The food was incredible. All the flavors and spices I love so much. It is very much an international cuisine restaurant. Indian dishes I'm used to from growing up in Silicon Valley (where chaat houses, in particular, are a dime a dozen). Turkish doughnuts for dessert. Ukrainian dumplings with spinach, cheese, and lemon marmalade. An outstanding Pear Blossom cocktail with pureed pear and pear brandy. And something called Kaya Toast with a coconut jam filling that you dip into soy sauce and a soft fried egg. Out of this world.

I could go on and on about the food. Instead, I'll suffice it to say, you must go. I LOVED it.

However, there was one more element to the evening that took this delicious meal to the next level that I must mention. What could make the experience better than it already was? Um, hello? Notice a certain picture of two smiling faces at the top of this post? Yes! I not only met Susan Feniger, Susan came to our table, recommended dishes off the menu, checked back with us throughout the evening, posed for a pic with me because I'm such a Susan groupie, and tapped me on the shoulder to say goodbye to me before she left for the night. I wasn't even getting any sort of royal treatment or display of favoritism. She was wandering the dining room all night, coming in and out of the kitchen to say hello to guests at just about every table. She exudes warmth, smiles nonstop, and speaks about her food with such confidence you can't help but yearn for one more small plate.

Go! Go! Go! And tell Susan that Marni sent you.

The Details
Street
742 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 203-0500

There are Neon Orange KitchenAid Stand Mixers and I Own a Boring White One? It's a Cruel, Cruel World...

This morning I opened up an email from Bed, Bath & Beyond and all the brightly colored pretty photos should have made me smile as I sipped my morning coffee. But no, giant frown upon my face! The email was advertising all the awesome colors available on the KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

Now, I swear by my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It is one of my best friends. I've had it for years. It's a big one. The professional 6 quart with a lift head. But it's white. Boring, plain jane, vanilla, white. The machine costs hundreds of dollars. And at the time I bought it, I didn't know fun colors were an option. I only knew that I was getting an amazing machine on sale and I'm not going to question the white when the price is right (I can rhyme!).

Well guess what? Now I'm questioning the white. All those pretty colors in the Bed, Bath & Beyond email got my heart melting. I want hot pink. Or neon orange! Yellow! Or bright blue? But not white! Noooooooooooo.

Somebody please buy my used white one at full-price (Ha! Yeah right! Laughing at self as I write this) so I can get a colorful one.

If you already have one or are planning to get one, what color do you have/want?