Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies Part I

So while I was in Chicago I tried Mindy Segal's bacon chocolate chip cookies. I was impressed. However I didn't like the style of chocolate chip cookie- hers were thin and crispy, and I like my chocolate chip cookie thicker and chewier. I wanted to send something to my brother for his birthday anyway, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment.

I used Carole Walter's recipe in Great Cookies for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as a starting point. I made candied bacon in the oven by just crumbling brown sugar over strips of bacon. I followed the recipe exactly, only instead of adding walnuts at the end, I added the cut up bacon.

All in all, they tasted delicious. The bacon was not overpowering, and really complimented the brown sugar-chocolate flavor. However there are some things I need to improve upon- I need to at least halve the salt in the recipe because the bacon adds a lot of saltiness, and I am going to lose the oats. I thought they would be good with it, but it didn't really add anything. You're already eating a fucking bacon chocolate chip cookie, I don't think you need to worry about making it healthier.

There will be a next time, oh yes, there will be a next time.... I am not through with you, beautiful thing.

There is something fishy going on here

I bought this Scud, which was the cheapest whole fish at the farmer's market. The fish dude told me it was the "poor man's sea bass". SOLD! The little guy set me back $2.50. I pan fried it with some garlic and olive oil, and finished it in the oven. It was delicious! It's a pain in the ass to eat because there are so many small bones, but worth the effort. Even Adam, who has worked as a professional fisherman, was impressed by my fishy prowess.

Cornmeal-Buckwheat Scones with Walnuts

I made these forever ago but forgot to add them. The recipe can be found in Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, my new favorite cookbook! Whenever I make breakfast breads and pastries, I always have some weird guilt thing that happens and I try to put as many healthy things in them (fruit, whole grains, nuts) because I generally eat healthy breakfasts. So these fit the bill, and they were delicious with jam, butter and Earl Grey tea in the morning. I shock myself at how fucking awesome I am sometimes.

Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Cream and Palm-Sugar Syrup

I have finally found a tapioca pudding recipe that both Adam and I like! Adam's favorite desserts are anything with tapioca, rice krispy treats, popsicles, and dessert pizzas. He doesn't like desserts that he deems "healthy"- anything with too much fruit, or whole grains or nuts. He claims I am trying to trick him by adding any of those things. This provides a challenge for me when I want to make something that is interesting and both of us would like.

One of his favorite things to eat is the tapioca pudding from a local restaurant Thai Market. It is light, just sweet enough, and has coconut milk and little bits of coconut in it. Using this as a starting point, I found a recipe on Epicurious that I thought he would like. This is after a couple of tapioca fails, where the pudding was too gooey, too creamy, or too fruity for his developed palate.

So here goes:

Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Cream and Palm-Sugar Syrup

I didn't have pandan leaf, so I added a little molasses and vanilla for extra flavor. The pictures aren't that great, but the recipe is for 6 servings, and Adam and I ate it all together in one sitting. It was creamy, light, and delicious!

Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

Mindy gave me the book Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich as a parting gift, and I have found it truly inspirational. There are some delicious looking recipes, that encourage improvisation and are based on purity and true taste- using fruits and whole grains as inspiration to develop flavor rather than for health reasons. And her desserts are not particularly healthy, just to clarify. This book is totally in my line of thinking and so I immediately started baking from it, starting with what I had in my kitchen.

Adam hordes raisins like a fiend, and encourages me to buy multiple kinds while I am at the store. So for this Fruit and Nut Bread, most of the dried fruit I used were raisins- I also threw in dried cranberries, apricots, and figs. For the nuts, the recipe says walnuts but you can use any- I used walnuts, hazelnuts, and some leftover almond slivers I had in my freezer.

Here is the recipe typed in from the book, along with some pictures.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

3/4 C. AP flour

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 C. natural sugar

3 C. dried fruits

3 C. nuts

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300, spray a loaf pan.

In a large bowl thoroughly combine all dry ingredients, including sugar, nuts and fruit.

In a small bowl beat eggs with vanilla until light.

Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Pour and spread evenly in prepared pan, and bake until the top is a deep golden brown, about 75 minutes.

This is a truly delicious cake that is relatively healthy (for cake). I have been toasting it in the morning and eating it with my yogurt. Its a great source of energy. It also keeps forever, wrapped in plastic on the counter. A TOTAL WIN!