Oatmeal Ginger Cream Pies

       Be aware: I do not write the follow declarations lightly. If I ever had a small bakery, these would be a consistent menu options. They are downright phenomenal. The cookie is so perfectly chewy; I was shocked when I first bit into it. The texture is something I have strived for in many a cookie and when I finally achieved it in this one, I felt pure glee wash over me. 

       The oats are packed in to make a deliciously deep flavor and with the brown sugar, they create the most scrumptious sweet and nutty sensation. Now, I am not one of those people who rave about the healthy stomach benefits of crystalized ginger and truth be told, I am not its biggest fan. The one time I tried to eat it plain, I spit it out (just the honestly you needed, I am sure). However the way it plays with the sweet and simple cookie around it, and the harmony it has with the filling made me a lover. The large, chewy pieces of deep ginger flavor and hits of warm spice are how I want my oatmeal and ginger fed to me from now on. 

      Finally, the middle...the middle was what took this cookie from just being my happiness in a small little circle to being a wiggle back and forth, smile on my face, and pure joy of knowing this cookie was all I could ever ask of it to be. It was a simple combination of cream cheese, powdered sugar and plenty of vanilla. The plain cream cheese (no butter) base created an intensely creamy and tangy flavor profile next to the oats and ginger which I am convince made each of them taste their best. The large amount of vanilla used created a delicious, warm, simple and sweet accent that mellowed everything else out. 

     When I was making this cookie, I was not expecting to be head over heals for it you guys, but I am telling you, do not take this baby lightly. It will bring you kitchen bliss and if you have ever enjoyed a Little Debby Cream Pie, I am really positive you will completely forget about those very promptly.

Adapted from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook's "Oatmeal Cream Pies with Ginger Cream"
Makes approximately 11 cookie sandwiches a.k.a. packages of love

Cookies
3/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
1/4 TSP fine salt
3/4 C rolled oats
3/4 C instant oats
8 TBSP (1stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 ounce (approx. 1/3 C) chopped crystalized ginger
Filling
1 package (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature 
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in the oats. 
2. In a stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) beat together the butter and sugars until light and creamy-desired texture pictured here. Add in the egg and beat until combined on low speed, then continue for an additional 20 seconds on medium speed.
3. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides a few times until the mixture is fully combined (do not over mix here!) Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the crystalized ginger with a spatula.
4. Form the dough into an inch thick round and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let it chill in the fridge for 4-24 hours (the longer rest time is better). 
5. Remove the dough and let it come up to room temperature for about an hour before baking. When ready, preheat the oven to 350F and scoop the dough into rounds on a sheet tray (I used a 40 scoop, making 22 cookies**)
6. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, rotating the sheet trays at 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese for a few seconds, and then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until thoroughly combined and some air has entered the mixture. 
8. Once the cookies have completely cooled, spread a dollop of the filling evenly over half of the cookies. Top with the other halves and melt into happiness when you dig in!
   Because of the cream cheese filling, these will need to be refrigerated the majority of the time, however you can take them out for 2 hours to come up to room temperature before eating if that is what you prefer; I do.

**Note: If you make cookies even once a year, buy one of these! It makes it so much easier and your cookies will bake evenly. You can buy various sizes depending on your cookie size preference. The larger ones are also a good way to measure out scoops of muffin or cake batter. I cannot stress how useful they are!  Look around for what you like or go to a kitchen store and they should have plenty of options :) P.S. They would also make a great way to measure equal filling amounts in all of the cookies. 

Love,
    Boulder Butter

Almond + Cinnamon Sour Cream Squares

         This is something you make for a person you love. If you are nice enough to give it to someone, you know you love them because: 1) You are willing to part with it and lord knows you will not be willing to do that for anything less and 2) it calls for two and a half sticks of butter, and butter is a very precious commodity. Then you add sour cream in the mixture, and you know you really want to impress them!

          The bottom cake is soft and slightly crumbly and kind of cakey, but really moist. The middle is gooey; like melt in your mouth goodness that simultaneously melds into the vanilla bottom. The top is sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar right before it bakes, and becomes a caramelized bite, and where it hits the edges becomes just slightly chewy.

          If I were not making this for someone I love, then I would be very tempted to stop writing this and go cut off all the edges of this cake and slowly savor my way around them. If you are like me, you may also struggle with that when you lift it out of the pan and have the cinnamon and almond scents filling your nose.

         You may also struggle not to just take a spoon right too it and burn your mouth when you pull in out of the oven. I did not do either of these things, but it was only by the greatest practices of self-restraint. I wish you luck.

P.S. The person I gave them too described them as "the perfect meeting of coffee cake and cinnamon roll." I really like that :)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "Gooey Cinnamon Squares" in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Cookie/Cake Base:
8 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 TSP cream of tartar
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/4 TSP table salt
3/4 C sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 C (generous) full-fat sour cream
Gooey Layer
1/4 light corn syrup (honey is fine too)
1/4 C (generous) sour cream
1 1/2 TSP almond extract
1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
12 TBSP butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/4 TSP salt 
1 large egg, room temp.
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 TSP cinnamon
Topping:
2 TBSP sugar
3/4 TSP cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and butter and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Allow 2 inches of excess parchment paper to go up the sides so you will be able to lift the bars out.
The Base
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add them to the wet mixture in 2 additions and mix until combined.
4. Pour the base into the prepared pan; spread it evenly over the pan using an offset spatula- the dough will be sticky. Set the pan aside.
The Goo
5. Whisk together the corn syrup, sour cream and extracts in a small bowl.
6. Wipe down the bowl of the stand mixer, and beat together the butter and sugar. Add the salt and egg and beat until combined. 
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and flour.
8. In alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour, add the sour cream and flour mixtures (flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour). Mix until incorporated and scrape down the sides between the additions.
9. Dollop the cinnamon mixture over the cookie base and spread evenly.
The Top 
10. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small cup and sprinkle it over the top. It will look like a lot but it will cook and while baking-don't worry about it.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cookies have bronzed. Remove and all the cookies to full cool on a rack before removing. These will keep at room temperature for at least a week. 

Love, 
   Boulder Butter

Peanut Butter Cookies

     The creation of these cookies led to the most embarrassing baking-centered disaster I have ever had. That is not to say that if you make these cookies this will happen to you, because quite frankly, it could only happen to a person at their most illogical and flight-minded moment. Let us begin:

      The other day I had an hour and a half before work. I needed to cook and eat lunch, pack dinner, and bake cookies to photograph. I finished making lunch and simultaneously placed my cookies in the oven. I took off my mitt and went over to the table to eat. I thought something smelled off about my dish-was the mustard bad? Was the tofu funky? Finally, I realized the bottom edge of the oven mitt was touching the burner that had just been on and was still wicked hot. I examined the oven mitt that was pouring smoke, and I could see the embers in it. 

      I calmly went to the outside door of my building, held it open and proceeded to do the stupidest thing I could have. I tried to hit the mitt against the stone wall...swinging it back and forth in the sweet oxygen-fueling air that fires love so much. At this point, the back parking lot was full of smoke and the glove was obviously beginning to pick up speed in its disintegration. I realized my absent mindedness, folded up the glove so the hot part was on the bottom and stepped on the un-damaged area with my barefoot. The smoke was dissipating and I relaxed. However, I relaxed to the point that my arm let the building door gently close. No shoes, no phone, no key, I was locked out...meanwhile, the oven mitt was still burning away.

      The parking lot was empty so I decided to walk around to the front, carrying the burning mitt. Lucky for me, a police car happened to be sitting right on the side of the block. When I explained to him what had happened he looked down and just said, "Um, yeah, that oven mitt is still on fire, so I am going to need you to put that out..." When I responded that I didn't have shoes on and he got out to assist. 

      We went around the building and he tried to pick the lock. With no success, he had me bang on the front door, as he walked around and hit all the windows he could with his flashlight to try to get someone to answer. I knocked away with looming knowledge that I still had cookies in the oven and work in an hour.

      We couldn't get anyone so he walked back down to the street and radioed in "...The party cannot gain entrance to the building..." Within four minutes though, I realized how dramatic he must have made the situation seem. A multitude of sirens were coming from all directions. No less than five fire trucks, three police expedition cars, and an ambulance rushed to the scene of me covering my face with my hands, simultaneously crying and laughing in embarrassment, barefoot in my sweatpants. Neighbors came out to see the spectacle and stare at me, while in the meantime I prayed no one tell them this was simply over peanut butter cookies.

     The firefighters busted into the building, carrying their giant extinguishers and returned to the front door about a minute later to ask me to come with them. Upon entrance, they had pulled the cookie out of the oven and turned it off. Miraculously, they had not burned and still looked and smelled delectable. So, I did what any baker would do in this situation. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I am so embarrassed. Oh my goodness...do you guys want cookies??"

      One of the firefighters and I chatted about the use of Silpats and I highly recommended them for even browning and easy clean up while also continuing to apologize about every five words. After a few minutes, the men left, I finished my lunch, put in new cookies with no disaster or oven mitt involved. RIP Mitty, looks like its just me and kitchen towels for protections for now. You did me well, I am sorry I cannot say the same for you. 

Adapted from Alice Medrich's "Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 TSP baking soda
3/4 fine sea salt
8 TBSP butter, unsalted, melted
1/4 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 1/4 natural, salted peanut butter, smooth (stirred)
1/3-1/2 C roasted, salted peanuts 

Instructions:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugars. 
3. Add the egg, vanilla,and peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Add in the peanuts stir to incorporate.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet-ingrediants and stir until no more flour streaks are visable. It is a thick dough.
5. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 2 hours to 3 days. 
6. When you are ready, take out the dough to warm up for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F. Then, scoop the dough into balls and flatten with your hand or the back of a glass.
7. Bake for 13-17 minutes (less if you want softer and chewier and longer if you want a bit more crumbly-they are good both ways but the lesser time was my favorite!)
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks!

Love, 
Boulder Butter

Chili Lime + White Chocolate Macadamia Bars

     I have been thinking about bars a lot recently. No, not like pull up bars, nor the bars at the trendy ballet classes, or even the bars that fill you with beer and margaritas. I mean, I have been on a complete cake fixation for months, and then about two weeks ago, it hit me- I wanted my dessert to be in bar form. Particularly, brownies were becoming an obsessive thought. How to make the perfect fudgy brownie? I researched and read up on the science of brownies from the classic sources of chocolate knowledge. It was settled; I would go home one night and make a big batch of brownies, open a red wine and relax. 

     I had the chocolate in hand, walked into the kitchen and all of a sudden, I remembered a recipe I had promised to come months ago when my step-mom bought me a bag of macadamia nuts. I had white chocolate. The wheels started to turn. I no longer wanted brownies; I wanted white chocolate macadamia nut bars. I put away the semi-sweet and replaced it with a bag of white. The ideas started to flow...about an hour later, out came these.

      I disregarded all my thoughts of brownies the moment the chili and sugar coated the macadamias and wafted up at me. By the time they came out of the oven, all I wanted was the rich, buttery squares in front of me. The macadamias are toasted in butter, sugar, and chili and achieve a rich creaminess of their own. They provided the perfect amount of buttery crunch, with tingles of chili in every bite. Occasionally, you get a stronger chili-punched mouthful, but its softened and sweetened by the white chocolate melted throughout. The small chips allow the flavor of white chocolate to never overpower, but only hold in check all the strong flavors vying for your attention. Balancing the bar with their unique sweetness.

     The lime adds a bright fun flavor with the same sensation of the chili-prevalent in every, bite but with strong burst hidden throughout. The chili and lime create a competing warm and cool liveliness on your tongue, dancing around in the sweet, the butter, and the hints of salt. Although this is technically a Blondie, the browned butter yields a dark colored bar. It ups the creaminess significantly and adds a nutty richness. I mean honestly, it does what browned butter does best-just makes everything so much freaking better. These are not as chewy as a traditional Blondie, but they are not at all cakey. Instead they mirror their cousin, the cookie, more than I realized was even possible in a bar. I did not realize what that could be until I made these. They are delightful-so delightful and addictive, I made them twice in four days. I admit to that proudly. 

Inspired by the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook's "White Chocolate Macademia Nut Blondies" 

Ingredients: 

1 C flour

1/2 TSP baking soda 

1/2 TSP salt

1/2 C (1 stick) butter + 1 TBSP

1 egg

3/4 C brown sugar 

3/4 C macadamia nuts 

3/4 C white chocolate chips (mini are great)

1 TSP sugar (or brown sugar)

1 1/2 TSP chili powder*

Zest of one lime 

*You can use 1 TSP to 2 TSP depending on your palate preferences and the freshness of your chili powder. If it is brand new, then go lighter, if it is older, you can use the larger amount. 

Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare and 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and oiling it. 

2. Place the macadamia nuts, chili powder, 1 TSP white sugar, and 1 TBSP butter in a pan, until the butter is melted, the nuts are toasted and the sugar and chili powder caramelize and coat the nuts. The mixture will be fragrant of sweet chili.

3. Remove from the pan and place in a separate bowl to cool. 

4. Wipe out the pan and return it to medium heat on the stove. Add the stick of butter and melt then cook over medium heat until foam forms, goes away and the butter browns to a nutty color and aroma. Pull immediately, move it into another bowl and whisk to cool it quickly and prevent from further cooking. 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add the brown sugar to the butter and mix until combined.
7. Gently mix together one egg to break the yolk and then stir it into the butter and sugar. Be careful not to over mix here as these bars are prone to a lot of air and you want to avoid creating a meringue effect with an over beaten egg. 
8. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the nuts, white chocolate, and lime zest. The batter will be dark from the brown butter and a thick, sticky mass.
9. Dump the dough into the pan and spread it out with your fingers to an even top. 
10. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes before taking the bars out of the pan. Allow cooling for 10 more minutes, then cut into squares using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.

Love,

   Boulder Butter 

The Traditional French Madeleine

      My adventure has come to an end. I returned to the United States a few days ago to be met with a new apartment to move into and the first shifts in production at the new job. So really, the adventure has not come to an end, but rather shifted massive gears to a new life in Denver. I have to say, traveling is wonderful, but coming home is truly a treat. I'm living in a comfortable little apartment with a wonderful roommate, and I could not be happier to call this new place mine. One of the most exciting things about the new place is the kitchen. It is over twice the size of my old ridiculously cramped space for cooking! I can spin and dance and do yoga and take naps on the floor and comfortably fit friends in it while I am there too! How glorious it is. (Ok, so I admit I may not need or even want to do all of those things in said kitchen but the possibilities just make me giddy).

        With such a wonderful work space just feet from my bedroom and kitchen supplies being the first thing I unpacked, I quickly set into baking upon my return. Having just spent three and a half weeks going around France, I obviously wanted to make a French classic right away. (Let's be honest, you were all expecting this.) So for my first baking experience in my new place, I decided on the madeleine. It is buttery cake like cookie, baked traditionally in a fanned shell shape mold. It is staple sweet everywhere over that delicious and beautiful country.

        During my travels, I knew I wanted my main souvenir to be a French cookbook in English. I found a copy of "Bocuse in Your Kitchen" at a bookshop in Lyon. Paul Bocuse is the French cook of cooks, the culinary genius, the teacher of Julia Child, and food authority. I thought to myself, if Paul Bocuse can enter my kitchen through this cookbook, then gosh darn-it, I had to have it! I eagerly bought it after flipping through some of the decadent and mouth watering dishes, and carried it home, wrapped up in my arms like my new cookbook baby that it is! These madeleines came from the dessert section and are as trusted of a recipe as you can get as far as I am concerned. Out of respect for the greatness of who this Chef is, I did not change a thing and I do not regret it.

Traditional madeleines use this but you can easily sub orange or lemon zest 

         The cookies are moist and spongy. First out of the oven, they have a crisp and lightly browned crust that becomes softer to blend in with the rest of the texture of the cookie with cooling time. I enjoyed them both ways so make sure to indulge at all stages :) It is essentially a little cake in a cookie shape, and flavored with a hint of orange. They are rich and buttery, but so light. Popping a few is quite easy, and I'll be surprised if you can resist! The French usually eat sweeter things for breakfast and honestly, I can't imagine a better time to enjoy this mini treats than with your cup of coffee in the morning. Plus, they are about as simple as it could get to make. So invite some friends over, whip these up in the time it take them to get to your house, and enjoy a relaxing breakfast of bitter coffee and sweet treats...at least that is what I will be doing when we get our kitchen table in. 

Oven Temp: 400 F

Materials: If you have a madeleine tray, awesome. If not, I did half my batch in little muffin tins and they still turned out great! So grease up either and use those.

Ingredients: 

150 g (a generous 2/3 C.) Sugar

3 Eggs

1 TBSP Orange Flower Water OR 1 TBSP Orange or Lemon Zest

150 g (1 1/2 sticks) Butter

150 g (a generous C.) All Purpose Flour

Instructions:  

1. Preheat your oven. Melt butter and allow it time to cool.

You should beat all of this by hand. I just broke my normal whisk in the move so I used the electric beater whisk. It looks like it was done with a hand mixer, but it was not!

2. Meanwhile, beat sugar, eggs and orange water or zest together with a whisk until homogenized.

3. When butter is cool, whisk it into the mixture.

4. Whisking constantly, add flour in small increments, until it is well combined. It will form a thickened batter. (I did mine in about 5 or 6 small additions.) 

5. Fill madeleine molds until mostly full or muffin tin cups about one-fourth of the way. 
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a rich golden brown color develops. 

6. Remove by turning cookies out onto a rack, and let them cool slightly before digging in.

See how ridiculously easy that was? And how delicious they look? Wait till you smell them...and taste them. Such simple ingredients, I bet you have them on hand. So go, get off this computer, and make them. Now. Seriously, its madeleine time. Go.