Dairy Chocolate Soufflé

Makes 8 servings. 

This dessert is easy, quick, delicious, and the best part is that it can be prepared a few hours before, refrigerated and BAKED STRAIGHT FROM THE REFRIGERATOR. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing the ramekins

• ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for coating the ramekins

• ¾ cup heavy cream

• 4 ounces imported semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 

2. Grease 8 - ½ cup ovenproof ramekins with butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.

3. Place them on a cookie sheet. 

4. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until hot. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

5. Remove from the heat. 

6. Beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff.

7. With a rubber spatula fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Then reverse the process and pour the chocolate over the remaining whites. Fold together making a motion like a figure 8 until well combined. 

8. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins. COVER WITH CLING WRP AND REFIRGERATE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. 

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until puffy.

Mandelbrot

Makes about 5 dozen slices. 

Mandelbrot, which means “almond bread” in German, look like biscotti. It is the combination of nuts and long, slow baking that gives these cookies their wonderful crunch. I always have some on hand. This is a revised recipe which first appeared in my cookbook, Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine.

 INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces skin on hazelnuts

• 8 ounces skin on almonds

• 8 ounces dark raisins

• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• ½ cup sugar

• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 3 large eggs, whisked well

 PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 

2. Line a 9-x 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  

3. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and transfer to a large bowl. Chop the almonds and add them to the hazelnuts. Add the raisins, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Combine well using a wooden spoon.   

4. Stir in the eggs and combine thoroughly.   

5. Press the mixture into the pan and flatten the top with your hands until it feels firm. 

6. Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 300 F.

7. Bake for 1 hour. 

8. Take the mandelbrot out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 200 F. Lift the parchment paper and cool the mandelbrot for a minute.

9. Place on a board and cut with a serrated knife into 3 equal parts. Cut each part into ¼ inch slices or thinner.   

10. Arrange the slices on a large cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes on each side.  The Mandelbrot should be very crisp.   

11. Cool on a wire rack.

 NOTE:

Mandelbrot keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a cool place.

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Makes about 2 dozen biscotti. 

The name biscotti means “twice baked,”once in a log form and then sliced and baked again to make them crisp.

These biscotti keep very well stored in a cool place and are delicious dipped into espresso, tea or dessert wine. I always have them on hand.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 large eggs at room temperature, whisked

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2/3 cup pistachios, toasted or plain (3 ounces)

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Line a large baking sheet (18x3) sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade pulse flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder until combined. Add the eggs and vegetable oil. Pulse until the dough begins to stick together. Add the pistachios and pulse until combined.

4. Empty the dough onto the baking  sheet and divide it into 2 halves. Place a piece of cling wrap on top of each half of dough and press it into a log, about 6 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide. Square the ends. 

5. Bake the logs for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven  and transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated bread knife, cut into  ½ inch slices. Do it gently since the logs tend to crumble.

6. Arrange the slices flat on the same cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 8 dozen small cookies.

Traditionally these cookies are made with butter. I make them with both butter and olive oil and surprisingly prefer the cookies with olive oil. Shredded coconut and chocolate give these cookies an added crunch and taste. Since this makes a large number of cookies, I tried freezing and refrigerating them. Both methods work very well. I store them in a plastic container with wax paper between the layers.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups unbleached all – purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconuts
• 5 ounces imported semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line 2 to 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl combine the flour and baking powder.
4. Pour the oil into a bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the balloon whisk attachment, at medium speed, adding sugar gradually, for about 5 minutes. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl.    Add the egg and vanilla extract.
5. With a rubber spatula gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
6. Gradually fold in the oats, coconut and chocolate.
7. Place flat teaspoons of batter unto the cookie sheets, 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes, the cookies should be golden.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

NOTE:

If you wish to make the cookies with butter use, 2 sticks.

Wafers

Makes about 3 dozen.

These cookies are crisp, light and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 1/3 cup, scant measure sugar
• ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl then add all the ingredients, mixing well with a wooden spoon to combine.
4. Spoon flat teaspoons of dough onto the sheet and flatten to make about 2-inch cookies (I like them small). Be sure to place them about 2 inches apart—they spread when they bake.
5. Bake for 9- 10 minutes – they should be golden brown (if you under bake them they may lose  their crispness).
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Release with a metal spatula and transfer to a wire rack to cool.