Casting in LA: How Would You Keep Mrs. Fields' Cookies From Crumbling?

A casting director contacted me about a new show for Oprah Winfrey's network OWN and TLC. The show's topic? How to revive Mrs. Fields in this difficult economy. The show is looking for customers of the cookie company in the Los Angeles area who have ideas and opinions on what Mrs. Fields should do to increase sales and get the company going strong again. If they choose you for the show, there's monetary compensation. There's even the chance that you could be hired to work for Mrs. Fields. Plus, come on, you can't argue with that good feeling you get from saving cookies from destruction. Be the hero and apply for this show!

Here's how to apply:
Email customercasting@gmail.com and include the following info:

• Name
• Age
• Occupation
• Current contact info
• Which brand you'd like to help out (Mrs. Fields)
• What changes you would make if you were the boss

More details, direct from the casting guy:
This episode focuses on Mrs. Fields Cookies, which has been struggling in the current economy. They’re looking to reach out to the Los Angeles area and its neighboring communities for help. In each episode loyal customers will be given the chance of a lifetime to help a brand that they love re-establish itself. The show is extremely positive and allows the average everyday customer a chance to work with and help reconfigure one of their favorite companies in addition to aiding the current economy by saving some jobs in the area.

We are currently looking for outgoing, opinionated and creative consumers who might be interested in being a part of the show. Participants must be 18 years of age and over. We are open to customers from all walks of life as long as they are passionate about the company and creative enough to come up with ways to improve the brand.

And more from Happy Go Marni:
Good luck cookie-saving!

Buttery, Feathery, Puffy, Perfect Pull-Apart Rolls

 

It's the Happy Go Marni Limerick Happy Hour! In other words, I wrote a poem about these bread rolls.

Bread Roll Limerick
There once was a roll oh so good,
That you wonder if you even should.
The secret's the butter.
2 sticks; don't shudder.
Its perfection can't be misunderstood.

You know that round pan in your cabinet you use mostly for cheesecake? Yeah, the springform pan with a clasp on the side. I've got a new use for it. Bread rolls! I can't emphasize enough how incredible these rolls are. They are everything you want a roll to be, and then some. Soft, buttery, golden, feathery, fluffy, and sizable. Serve them with dinner, or spread some jam on the inside for a yummy breakfast alongside your coffee.

I'm thrilled to have discovered what will undoubtedly become a staple in my recipe repertoire. When I served them for dinner, they were a huge hit and I swear, eyeballs were rolling into the heads of my guests. No exaggeration. To get a reaction like that from a bread roll? That's pretty special. And that's why they warranted their own limerick. See corny limerick above.

And can I offer you some words of advice? Whatever you do, don't skimp on the butter. The recipe calls for a stick in the dough, and another stick melted on top. Just bite your tongue and play along. You'll be glad you used all that butter. I think that's where "guilty pleasure" came from. :)

Buttery, Feathery, Puffy, Perfect Pull-Apart Rolls
Adapted from a recipe by Marcy Goldman in The Best of Betterbaking.com
Makes 12, 14, or 16 buns

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
5 to 6 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for glazing

Grease a 10-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also use a 9x13-inch baking pan, but I think the round pan looks way cooler. Place the pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the water and yeast briefly and then let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in the sugar, salt, eggs, stick of softened butter, and 5 cups of flour until the dough forms a soft mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Spray a large bowl and place the ball of dough in the bowl, then turn the dough over so both sides are coated. Cover loosely and allow the dough to rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough to deflate it, then leave it alone to rest for 20 minutes. Return the dough to the lightly floured work surface. If the dough looks like it rose back up at all, gently deflate it. Divide the dough into 12 or 14 or 16 equal portions. To shape each roll, create a disk out of the piece of dough, and then pull three corners to the center, pinching to seal. Turn over so seal side is down and place in the baking pan. At first, it might not seem like all the rolls will fit into the pan, but they will. You just have to pack them in tightly. Brush the tops of the rolls generously with the melted butter and then dust with flour. Cover the pan loosely and allow the rolls to rise for 20 or 30 minutes, until very puffed up.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the round pan (which is on the parchment-lined baking sheet) in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Lift the round pan off the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then unclasp the springform pan and remove from the rolls. Serve at room temperature or still warm. You are going to love this!


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Mix the water and yeast together, and then add the sugar, salt, eggs, and softened butter...

Mix in 5 cups of the flour...

Add enough additional flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl...

Knead the dough and shape into a ball...

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, and cover until doubled in size...

Once it's doubled in size, gently deflate the dough...

Remove from the bowl and divide the dough into as many portions as you want rolls (I made 16)...

Shape each piece into a roll and place seal side down in the baking pan...

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flour...

Let rise, covered loosely, for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are very puffed up...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden on top...

Allow to cool off the baking sheet but with the springform still attached for 30 minutes...

Then remove the springform, and enjoy!

Meeting Alice Medrich, the First Lady of Chocolate

Several weeks ago I flew up to San Francisco to hear a talk at Omnivore Books in Noe Valley with my mom. Omnivore Books is a charming cookbook shop with little square footage and yet a surprisingly, deceptively huge cookbook collection. The shop owners regularly invite cookbook authors to host talks in their shop, allowing these authors an opportunity to introduce the crowd to their most recently published cookbook.

This is not the first time I've booked a flight from LA for the sole purpose of hearing a cookbook author speak. It's such a fun afternoon in the City, and a great excuse to visit my parents and see family and friends in the Bay Area. I can't do it all the time, but I must say, this particular weekend was a no-brainer. Alice Medrich, the First Lady of Chocolate, was scheduled to speak about her latest book Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts. I own most of Medrich's cookbooks. So adding her latest to my collection was something I was very interested in doing. And in the process, I got to meet her, chat with her, have her sign my book, and take this photo! Note the garb. My mom and I dressed in our most baking-obsessed clothing for the afternoon. We are baking dorks to the max!

The Making Of: A Happy Go Marni Plate!

Soooooooo, I decided to make a Happy Go Marni heart-shaped plate. I love me some hearts! And a serving plate for my baked goods is always a good idea (you can never have too many). Plus, how cool is it to be able to tell your guests you made this awesome dish?

To make this plate, I went to Color Me Mine in Beverly Hills, a ceramics shop where you select a piece to paint and then they glaze and fire it for you. It's ready for pick-up 3 days later.

To get the Happy Go Marni logo onto the plate, I used the computer in the shop and pulled up my logo, resized it to fit the surface of the plate, and printed it out. I then placed the image over special carbon paper and used a pen to outline the design, pressing hard enough for the lines to appear on the plate. That created the perfect stencil for me to paint on! And the carbon lines disappear when the pottery is fired in the kiln.

Keeping the paint within such an intricate design was not the easiest thing in the world since I couldn't find any paint brushes with a fine enough point. It took a combination of patience, concentration, and letting go of my perfectionism to get the job done. But I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! It was so exciting to return to the shop 3 days after the painting day to see the results of my hard work. I now have a one-of-a-kind piece of art with my name on it. I can't wait to serve blondies on this plate! But as far as making a matching mug? No way, Jose. :)


The Making of the Plate: In Photos
Placing the logo over the carbon paper, and centering it over the plate...

Tracing the design with a pen...

Lots of concentration required! :)

 

And the painting is done! This is what it looks like pre-fired...

3 days later and here it is glazed, fired, and ready for serving!

Stovetop Crispy Corn Flake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

If you are a peanut butter fan, this bar is for you! I can comfortably make that claim because I served it to a bunch of peanut butter lovers and they all had glowing assessments. One said, "I think you need to add this to your regular repertoire." Another said, "I really shouldn't have seconds but I'll make an exception this once! Darn you, Marni!" And another asked, "When is this going up on the blog!?!?!?!?!"

I love that it's a no-bake, stovetop-only bar. Put a couple ingredients in a saucepan, stir corn flakes in, spread the mixture into a foil-lined pan, and cover with melted chocolate and chopped peanuts. The bars never go in the oven. They just chill in the fridge for a few hours. Easy as pie, er, bars! And if you store the leftovers in the fridge (uhhhh, what leftovers?), the corn flakes seem to stay crispy for days! GREAT SUCCESS! GREAT SUCCESS!

Since these corn flake bars remind me a lot of a rice krispy bar, I'm kind of curious to try the exact same recipe using a different cereal next time. Though as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And these do not need fixing! A+!

Shabbat Note: It would be very easy to make these pareve for Shabbat. Simply use margarine instead of butter and use pareve bittersweet, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate for the top layer.

Stovetop Crispy Corn Flake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Adapted from a recipe by Yvonne Ruperti in Serious Eats
Makes 16 hefty bars

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Pinch salt
4 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed
1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped and divided (from the 1/3 cup measure, pour into a 1/4 cup measure and leave the remaining nuts in the 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan (or a 9x9-inch but the squares will not be as tall) with foil so that some foil hangs over the edge on two opposite sides (for pulling up the bars later).

In a medium or large saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter. Add peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt and stir until all melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Stir in corn flakes, 1/4 cup peanuts, and vanilla until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top with the back of a spoon.

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water (or simply using the microwave), heat chocolate until just melted (if using microwave, be very careful not to burn the chocolate and heat just long enough to warm the chocolate pieces so you can stir them to melt them). Spread chocolate over top of corn flake mixture using offset spatula. Sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from pan using the foil overhangs and cut into 2-inch squares. Or if you're like me, cut them into bite size pieces. A little goes a long way!


Step-by-Step in Pictures
In a saucepan, heat together the butter, peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt. Remove from the heat.

Add the corn flakes, 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, and vanilla and stir until everything is combined...

Pour this corn flake filling into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the top...

Melt chocolate and spread over the corn flake mixture in the pan...

Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, cover with foil, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours...

Once chilled, slice and serve!

Chocolate Pecan Pie with the Flakiest Crust Everrrrrr!

This is such an amazing chocolate pecan pie, and I shouldn't be surprised...it's from Alice Medrich! Don't just make it at Thanksgiving time. Pecans are always readily available, and deliciousness should be fair game anytime of year. It's not a difficult recipe, either. The filling is pretty basic, and no challenging cooking technique required. The crust only has a few ingredients and you don't need a food processor. If you want to go all out, choose extra special chocolate. The chocolate shines through in this pie, so splurging on better quality chocolate is actually worth considering here.

Make it for a dinner party, a holiday get together, or for a weekend all by yourself. Just be sure to sign up for an intense cardio class at the gym if you opt for option 3.

I'm thinking there will be more pies in my future. This was really fun to make, impressive, and absolutely beyond delicious. The flaky crust did my guests and me in! I haven't recovered from that yet.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Medrich in Chocolate Holidays
Serves 8-10

Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4-5 tablespoons water

Filling
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum, bourbon, or brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
Vanilla bean ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

For the crust, in a mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter chunks into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives. Continue until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest are the size of bread crumbs. Be careful not to overmix or the butter will turn into a paste or even melt. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of water over the mixture and distribute this moisture into the dough with a rubber spatula, folding and pressing as you go, until the mixture is just wet enough to hold together. Add up to 1 tablespoon more water if necessary. Press the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 3 days before using.

When you're ready to bake the crust, remove the dough from the fridge and let stand until you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface and it won't crack. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick, rotating the dough as you go. Fold the dough into quarters and transfer to the pie pan. Unfold the quarters and carefully press into the pan so that the dough reaches 1 inch beyond the rim of the pan. With the dough that's hanging over, tuck it under and flute or crimp the edge. Chill the crust in the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the chilled pie crust from the fridge. Press foil (shiny side down) over the crust, taking care not to wreck the crimped edges. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust all over, piercing right through the foil. Use pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil liner and pie weights and return to the oven to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

For the filling, which you should prepare while the crust is baking, combine the chocolate with the corn syrup and butter in the top of a double boiler set over a pan of barely simmering water. Or you can skip the double boiler and cook directly over the stove, but you have to be much more careful about not burning the chocolate. Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth, then stir in the brown sugar, salt, rum, and vanilla. Add the eggs and continue stirring until well combined and hot to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat and stir occasionally until ready to use.

When the crust is done, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on. Scatter the toasted pecans over the bottom of the crust. Pour the hot filling over the pecans and return the pie pan to the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the filling is puffed and cracked at the edges, golden brown in spots, but still jiggles in the center if poked or shaken slightly. Unfortunately you can't use the toothpick rule here because if you insert a toothpick, it's not supposed to come out clean. There will be gooey deliciousness stuck to it. As the filling is baking, if you notice that the crust is browning too fast, cover the edges with foil. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla bean ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream...The Bi-Rite Creamery Way!

I had an out of body experience eating this ice cream. I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream. If you've never gone to Bi-Rite Creamery in the Mission in San Francisco, you are really missing out. I remember when I was there last, I got caramelized bananas and they used a giant blow torch from a hardware store, not some dainty creme brulee kitchen torch. They mean business. But more importantly, I remember the salted caramel ice cream. That's because it's the flavor to be reckoned with. It's the flavor people travel far and wide for. And it's unreal.

This month, Bi-Rite released an ice cream cookbook to the world called Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones. Bi-Rite, the world thanks you! It means I can now make salted caramel ice cream at home. And living in L.A., it's not so easy to drive up to SF on a whim whenever I'm craving the stuff.

I saw that Serious Eats had posted the recipe and I decided it was important to test it out at home, make sure it was doable, that the recipe lived up to its reputation, and it wasn't just something to be left to the experts at the ice cream shop. If all went well, I would buy the cookbook because obviously where there's one to-die-for ice cream recipe, there are bound to be more.

Well, the ice cream lived up to its reputation. Ha! Understatement of the century. It was surprisingly doable, and the intense taste of salted caramel was unbeatable. The texture was perfectly smooth and so creamy that it felt almost too indulgent! Every spoonful was filled with guilt!

The bottom line is, I brought Bi-Rite Creamery to my L.A. kitchen and I'm so excited!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Adapted from a recipe in Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough

1 3/4 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks

Note from Marni: Before you begin, be sure to read the instructions below completely. There are various ingredients to measure out or combine ahead, as well as having bowls, strainers, and even an ice bath ready. You'll be glad you prepped in advance because the recipe is time sensitive and you can't afford to be measuring things out while the mixture is cooking and you're stirring constantly. Consider yourself warned! :)

For the Caramel: Set a heavy bottom saucepan over the stove. Measure 1/2 cup of the sugar (the remaining 1/4 cup will go in with the egg yolks for the ice cream base). Start with 2 tablespoons of sugar from that 1/2 cup and place in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts around the edges and turns an amber color, about 2 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons of sugar until it melts, then continue, adding 2 tablespoons at a time until all the sugar is added and melted, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let the sugar burn; scrape the sides and bottom often.

When the caramel is a dark mahogony color, remove the saucepan from the heat and place it on a trivet. Immediately pour all of the cream in. Be very careful to use an oven mitt and protect your hand because the steam from adding the cream can burn you. Stir carefully to incorporate the cream so that no caramel lumps remain. If necessary because the lumps won't go away on their own, put the saucepan back on the stove and cook over low heat until the lumps are melted, then remove again from the heat.

For the Ice Cream Base: With the saucepan still off the heat, add the 3/4 cup milk and the salt to the caramel mixture and stir to blend. Place the saucepan back on the stove and cook on medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to reach a light simmer, barely bubbling, and then reduce the heat to medium.

In a medium heatproof bowl, such as a glass bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Since you can't add this egg mixture directly to the ice cream base because the eggs will turn into scrambled eggs, you have to temper them first and bring their temperature up. To do that, carefully scoop out a 1/4 cup of the hot base mixture and whisk it into the egg yolks. The egg yolks will start to warm up. Add another 1/4 cup of the base mixture into the yolk mixture. Continue little by little until the eggs feel very warm when you touch the bottom of the glass bowl. They are now ready to be added back into the saucepan with the base. Pour all of the warmed up egg yolks into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the base is thick enough to coat the back of a heatproof spatula. This only takes about 2 minutes. You'll know it's ready if you run your finger across the back of the spatula and it leaves the mark of your finger.

Have another medium-size bowl ready, and sitting in an ice bath. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl. Pour the hot ice cream base through the strainer into the bowl. Stir the base constantly until it cools down from the ice bath and stops cooking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

The following night, when the base is completely chilled, pour the base into the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions and churn for approximately 20 minutes until the ice cream has thickened to a soft serve consistency and the churning slows down. While it is churning, place the ice cream storage container in the freezer so it is really cold when the ice cream is ready and needs to be transferred into its container. Store the ice cream in the freezer and let it firm up for a few hours before serving. Then enjoy a little taste of San Francisco heaven!


The Making of Salted Caramel Ice Cream in Photos
The chilled base is ready to get churned into ice cream...

Pour the base into the ice cream maker...

It's done when the ice cream has thickened to a soft serve consistency and the churning slows down...

Transfer the ice cream to a cold container and store in the freezer to set for a few hours...

Scoop and enjoy!