My favorite life philosophical quote at the moment is, "Who's to say what's good and what's bad?" Its part of an old Chinese proverb about a guy and a horse and if I had paid attention to the content of the quote I could reiterate it now, but the story doesn't interest me as much as the lesson. Uprooting life as I knew it for New York City has been very good to me. I'm writing more and am cooking at home/made brooklyn wine bar becoming a better culinarian everyday, i.e. my goal for being here in the first place. However, the curse of moving to New York City is the limited time I have to put into all things baked. I read tweets and posts about all the fine autumnal baking happening and I am left excited by what others are up to, but forlorn for my lack of baking bravado.
Luckily to cure my baking blues, I received the Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate Squares from the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program to sample and review. The chocolate pick-me-up was just want I needed to get my baking rear in gear. At the anniversary party of 8 of Swords Tattoo Shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where my man meat is currently working, I brought Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (just a refashioning of my Tropical Chocolate Chip Cookies) to spread the cheer. I need to get my Martha on for a minute for a life lesson insert, "Never come empty-handed to a party." That's it, I'm done. Back to the tattoo shop. Since baking is an interesting topic to tattooers and tattoo enthusiasts everywhere, I was gushing about my Toasted Pine Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies (yet to be perfected and published). Just then I instantly got the bug to do another chocolate and nut combo cookie. Chocolate and nuts weren't vibing enough until I realized I have never made pumpkin cookies. Over the last few years I've done the pumpkin cupcakes, brownies, and even pancakes, but this fall its all about the cookie.
Like Tom Petty said, "The whaaayy-it-ting is the hardest part." White Pecan Pumpkin Cookies cooling.
The Ghirardelli Luxe Chocolate tasting was on my baking brain when shopping for my cookie. Initially I wanted to use milk chocolate like the luxe line to pair with the pre-determined pumpkin and pecans, but when I spotted the Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips I knew my cookie was to be white (and orange). I researched how to make pumpkin cookies less cake-y and more chewy, and while more tweaks are needed, this Betty of a cookie is slightly spiced, soft, with a hearty crunch from the pecans and sweet creaminess from the white chips. It's almost chewy...almost and is a quintessential fall sweet retreat. In closing before the recipe bit, thanks to some good online friends at Foodbuzz and new friends at 8 of Swords for helping me no longer feel left out of this year's fall baking pack. Yet if I hadn't felt badly about my lackluster fall 2010 baking roster, I never would have created this cookie. Who's to say what's good and what's bad?
White Pecan Pumpkin Cookies Recipe (Prep time: 30 minutes, Cooling time: 60-90 minutes, Cook time: 10-12 minutes per batch, Total time: 2-2 1/2 hours, Servings: apprx. 3 dozen)
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 sugar
- 1/2 lb. unsalted butter
- 1 15 oz can organic pumpkin mix
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
Directions
- In one medium bowl, add salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice and flour. Mix together using whisk. In a large bowl, cream melted butter with brown and granulated sugar until light in color.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until thoroughly mixed making sure to scrape down the sides.
- Beat in pumpkin mix thoroughly making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet in three batches. Beat the first two batches in, scraping down the sides, and for the last batch mix in using a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Add the white chocolate chips and pecans and mix those in using the wooden spoon method as well.
- Refrigerate the cooking dough for 60-90 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly grease cookie pans with spray.
- Using a tablespoon, drop a large amount of dough unto the sheet, about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are browned.
- Remove from sheets and transfer to a cooling spot and let cool at least 10 minutes. *These cookies will stick to each other when stacked. To avoid blemishes, put parchment paper in between each layer in the storage container.
"Has anyone seen McGruff the Crime Dog or Cookie Monster? Some one's got some explaining to do..."
Summer Lovin, My Ode to Produce
Summer is quickly drawing to a close but it obviously doesn't want to go gently into that good night. This summer was loud, hot, and wet. This summer was boisterous. This summer said, "You thought Spring was uproarious? You ain't seen nothing yet! How'd ya like if I scare the willies out of everybody with a national debt crisis, earthquakes, and hurricanes?" We'd prefer sunny days, fire flies, and canoe trips down the Wekiva River since you asked, summer.
But this summer was tumultuous and did I say hot? The weather this season is ablaze with fire from the sun and sopping from humid air closer to soup than a gaseous element. Even though this summer was all of these annoying and wack things, it was also bountiful in all produce foods. A wave of appreciation came over me this summer as I combed my organic and farmer's markets for best US grown produce I could find. Recently I've been on a mission to make produce the main staple of my diet for all the reasons why everyone else has already said you should. This means weekly produce jaunts and intimately getting to know my produce purveyors. Its reassuring to see most markets in my neighborhood label the geographic origin of their produce showing a true conscience about what foods they are providing to the community. For regular shopping I do my best to buy local, and then products from the US. That is my compromise in the desire to be as creative as I wish as a cook as well as being a mindful conservationist and food purist.
Agenda aside, this season's yields were not only succulent they are beyond the pale beautiful. So alluring in fact that I was utterly compelled-nay, propelled to photograph the gems and jewels of fruits and veg which graced my table. {Lest we forget my obsession over local eggs purchased for the Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies.} These photos have no recipe companion or event anecdote. This post, because this summer basically demanded it, is dedicated only to the photographic splendor of my summer love, produce.
Main Post Image: Easter Egg Radishes
Um, do I really need to say more than Easter. Egg. Radishes? No, but I will-just a bit. This beauteous bushel of singular jewels are an excellent example of heirloom vegetables. I adored them so much, I got up close and personal with them from two angles. And they packed quite a bit of unexpected biting spice.
Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad
It was the early summer when I fell for produce. My family is known for two pasta salads for summer picnics and BBQs, the vegetable variety pictured here and the macaroni tuna salad. After whipping this one up for Father's Day in June I was awestruck by how composed this salad seemed to be with no effort put into the presentation. So my love raged on...Cauliflower Cross-Section, Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad
Cross-sections of large fruit or veg is a naturally beautiful composition. This one happened on accident, but the next one won't.
Golden Delicious Organic Apples
To be truthful, I can't recall what these apples became dish-wise but I remember being impressed by their uniformity. Sometimes we love the truly unique produce which is often referred to as 'heirloom', and other times its the reproduction of a perfect model which stuns of sense of aesthetics. Enter, my apples.
Farmer's Market Summer Basket
Saturday is Winter Park, FL farmers market day. This market has been going strong for years offering fresh produce, local goods, and flora and fauna. Its a feast for the eyes and ears as well as the mouth. On a recent trip I was finding it next to impossible to hold in my hands all of my produce choices as I shopped. As I struggled to not juggle my selections, one of the vendors asked me if I wanted a basket. Not just for now at this moment of awkwardness, but forever. Forever? Forever, ever? Touched by this generosity and bawled over by my composed basket of fruits and veg, I photographed the whole lot as soon as I got home. While each item in this basket was divine, two items are of special note. Moscato grapes and yes, purple bell peppers! The Moscatos were a flavor and texture adventure; one I couldn't appreciate as a child when they and I were first acquainted. And purple peppers, well, the very informed gentlemen vendor told they came from Tennessee and they only come up but once a year and every year he goes there and gets them. Bravo my good man, bravo.
And with the purple bell peppers, my photographic ode to summer produce comes to a close much more quietly and sweetly than summer itself.
Thanks summer, you made your point. You rule. Now can we get to fall already?