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Posts tagged ‘Thomas_Keller’

Mar 30

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies


My younger brothers came over the other weekend and in an effort to entertain them, we turned on the TV to the Food Network, and watched Barefoot Contessa. Not quite the Saturday they had in mind when they woke up that day I’m sure, but in my defense, I did offer up the Wii first. Anyway, she made these delicious looking chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies that I wanted to make immediately. Next day I made a batch following her recipe that simply didn’t turn out (and I hate throwing out butter, so a real bummer). I’m not one to try a recipe a second time if it failed the first, so I looked through the recipe books and found (oh so pleasantly) that Keller’s Ad Hoc had a shortbread cookie recipe.

As I don’t own any cookie cutters, I used my ravioli cutter to make 2″x2″ squares, then cut that in half to double to cookie numbers (I was going to bring the batch into work for a Monday morning treat). They were easy, delicious and perhaps substituting the chocolate for a homemade jam, could be a perfect new dessert recipe for the summer.

Shortbread Cookies
Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc

14 tbls unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour

In stand mixture fitted with paddle, mix butter and sugar on low speed to combine, then increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla. On lowest speed, mix in flour to combine, then increase the speed to medium to beat until dough begins to cling to paddle and no longer looks dry – don’t wait for it to form a solid ball.

Transfer dough to counter and use the heel of your hand to bring the dough together. Put dough on large piece of suran wrap and pat into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out dough between two sheets of parchments paper to 1/4″ thick. Cut them into 2″ squares, leaving on parchment. Transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Take out of refrigerator and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Jan 8

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Easy Dinner: Scallops with Salad, Dutch Baby Pancake

Scallops, while expensive in the off season, make for a sure-fire quick dinner and are really delicious. Here’s how we did it up:

1. In a lukewarm (kosher) salt bath, let scallops soak for ten minutes (technique courtesy of Thomas Keller in Ad Hoc), then pat dry with paper towels, and salt/pepper
2. Meanwhile, fry a few strips of bacon, set aside to cool
3. In same pan as bacon, cook scallops on med-high heat, 4 minutes each side (let them cook a little longer if they aren’t caramelizing)
4. Meanwhile, toss a salad. We use the Organic Farms Italian Salad with Annie’s Goddess dressing, chopped up the forementioned bacon, added some herb croutons and grated blue cheese for the top.

And a SUPER easy dessert from (you guessed it) Molly Wizenberg: Dutch Baby Pancake. I overcooked by about 30 seconds, so keep your eye on that baby as the timer counts down. However, it was still so good…

Jimmy’s Dutch Baby Pancakes

Jimmy likes to make his babies in two 6-inch cast-iron skillets, but you can also make this recipe in a single 10- or 11-inch one.

For the pancakes:
4 Tbs unsalted butter (or, if you’d prefer to try it as we did with today’s happy butter accident, try using 6-8 tablespoons, and then do not add clarified butter when serving)
4 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup half-and-half

For the topping:
4 oz clarified butter (or, if you’re not into clarifying, simple melted butter will do)
Juice of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the 4 Tbs butter between two 6-inch cast-iron skillets, and melt it over low heat.

In a blender, whir together the eggs, flour, and half-and-half.

Pour the batter into the skillets over the melted butter. Slide the skillets into the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the puffed pancakes from the oven, transfer them to a plate or shallow bowl, and pour on clarified butter, sprinkle on lemon juice, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Serves two.

Dec 13

The Ad Hoc Experience

Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook

I have a few cooks/foodies/gourmands in my life, so holiday shopping this year was part blessing, part curse. Blessing because there are so many fabulous cook books out there to choose from, but curse because what I will purchase for loved ones, I will secretly want to keep. So, I made a compromise: I purchased four cookbooks for three people, and would take the one that didn’t best fit the personality of the foodie it was intended for. To my glee, I ended up with Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc, which is getting great reviews. It wasn’t necessarily the size (large), weight (heavy) or food porn enclosed within it’s book jacket (niiiice), it was the recipes, and style of recipes, that won me over. As a cook, I tend to listen to my stomach, and experience food/recipes that way, versus training my palette or culinary range. So, as I cook from it, prepare yourself to see some related posts.

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