TWD - Coffee Ice Cream Tart

Who doesn't love ice cream pie?  I remember when my step-son was little, he always picked a ice cream cake/pie from Baskin and Robbins for his birthday treat.  (Is B&R even still around?)  It's also a favorite of the other men in my life....hubs, my dad, and my nephew.   I'm really surprised no one has picked this recipe up until now, so a big thanks to Jessica of Domestic Deep Thought.  

This was a hit here.  I'll even admit to trying a small piece and I have to say that the crust was my favorite part.  I've read where a lot of the other bakers had problems with the crust becoming impenetrable after it was frozen, but I didn't have that problem for some reason.    And I loved the almond/coffee combination (even though I was a tad heavy handed with the almond extract which ended up overpowering the coffee....totally my fault).  I read where Jessica said it reminded her of dipping an almond biscotti into a hot cup of coffee.  Exactly!!  I topped mine with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans.  Really yummy.

I can see using this crust for a ton of different flavors of homemade ice cream this summer.  Check out Jessica's blog for the recipe.

TWD - Pecan Powder Puffs

When I saw "Pecan Powder Puffs" on our March list, I remember thinking, "I wonder what in the hell those are?"  Never heard of them.  When I opened the book this morning and started reading Dorie's description, she said they were also sometimes called "Pecan Balls" or "Mexican Wedding Cakes".   Still clueless.

And since there was no picture in the book, not only did I have no idea what they were supposed to taste like....I had no idea what they were supposed to look like.  This is where following directions comes in handy!!

Up until I coated them with powdered sugar, I was still flying blind.  But after that sugar coating when on, a little bell went off.  These look like those snowball cookies that are always on Christmas platters.  And that's what they tasted like......only much better than I ever remember them tasting!  These are addictive, little, bite-size suckers...slightly sweet, slightly crunchy and I love how the powdered sugar kind of melts on your tongue.   Plus, they take no time to throw together and you can always change up the nut/spice combinations for a little variety.

Thanks, Tianna for a great pick.  You can get the recipe at her site, Buttercream Barbie.

TWD - Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins

It's Thursday's with Dorie this week.  I don't really have a valid excuse.  I could lie and say I had some really important shit going on this week, but I didn't so I won't!  

I didn't have any currants in the house.  To tell the truth, I don't even know what currants are, so that may be why I didn't have any in the house.  I did happen to have some of King Arthur Flour's tropical fruit blend so I used that.  It just seemed appropriate for a muffin with "sunshine" in its name.  

It says right on the package, "This combination of dried pineapple, papaya, mango and coconut will transport you instantly to your beachside hammock."  Tell me that doesn't scream SUNSHINE!!!  The combination of the dried tropical fruits with the orange and lemon made for a perfect muffin.  

Thanks to Lauryn of Bella Baker for a great pick.  Click here for the recipe.

TWD - Corniest Corn Muffins

Corniest Corn Muffins........MY PICK!!!!  Yup, that's right, after almost two and a half years it's finally my week to host TWD.  I picked the corn muffins because 1) there aren't a lot of recipes left and 2) corn muffins happen to be one of hubs favorite things.

Confession.....I've never made a decent corn muffin.  I've tried many different recipes but they've always been dry little hockey pucks.  Until now.  These were moist and flavorful and I loved the crunch from the whole kernels of corn.  Hubs promptly ate four of them slathered in butter straight from the oven but these were still great the next day served with some soup.

I've already read a few of the other baker's blogs and there were some great ideas for add in's.....my favorite being the addition of cilantro and chipotle powder.  That's been one of the best things about joining this group....learning from all of the other extremely talented home baker's.  Over the past couple of years you all have given me a confidence in the kitchen that I didn't previously have,  Thank you!!  It's been a total joy.

Here's the recipe:

Corniest Corn Muffins

BAKING  From My Home to Yours

Dorie Greenspan

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

6 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons corn oil

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you'd like) - fresh, frozen or canned (in which case, they should be drained and patted dry)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.  Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups.  Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, if you're using it.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk together until well blended.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, glently but quickly stir to blend.  Don't worry about being thorough  -  the batter will be lumpy, and that's just the way it should be.  Stir in the corn kernels.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Playing Around:  Corniest Corn and Herb Muffins.  You can add a slightly savory touch to these sweet muffins by incorporating 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary into the batter.  Either stir in the herbs when you mix in the corn kernels or, for a fuller flavor, rub the herbs into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is aromatic, then stir the sugar into the bowl with the rest of the dry ingredients.

TWD - Chocolate Pots de Creme

Christine from Black Cat Cooking picked Chocolate Pots de Creme for this week's TWD and they're delicious.  It's that dessert that you're just going to have one bite of and find yourself repeatedly sticking your spoon back into for yet another bite.

Christine had the stellar idea of caramelizing some sugar on top of these babies and turning them into creme brulee.  Genius!  Make sure you check out her site for the recipe. And also make sure you get your butts back here next week because I'm hosting!  FINALLY!!!

A Birthday and a TWD Two-fer!

Today that little peanut turns five!  When I called his parents to ask what he wanted for his birthday, they said he was quite enamored with the Wii Fit at their local Science Center so that's what I took him.  Are kids today coming out of the womb pre-programmed to know how to operate every electronic device you put in front of them.  This kid knew how to do more things on my iPhone at the age of 2 than I did at 45.  Needless to say he had almost every game on the Wii Fit mastered in well under 36 hours!  He was especially good at hula hooping!!!  

At least until his little sister tried to help!!

Happy Birthday, Reece!  I hope you have a great day, but if I had my way I'd keep you at five forever!!!

Since I've been travelling the past couple of weekends, I've gotten behind in my TWD postings!  I made these Chocolate Oatmeal Drops a few weeks ago and they were a big hit with Mr. B.  They were chocolately and cakey and the oatmeal fooled him into thinking they were "healthy"!

He actually watched me make these Toasted Almond (and Cinnamon Chip) Scones this morning, so he knew these were anything BUT healthy (cream, whole milk, egg.....) but boy were they good.  He likes anything with almond extract but the addition of some mini-cinnamon chips really put these over the top.

Click on the links for the recipes.

TWD - Great Grains Muffins

So much of the country is getting pounded by "the storm of the century" today.  Alabama is one of the few states escaping the brunt of the storm.  It's currently raining and windy but a balmy 62 degrees.  We are supposed to get some colder air, but no snow or ice.  Thank you Mother Nature!

If I were to be snowed in these muffins would a perfect way to pass the time (since I would not have made it to the store in time to grab some bread and milk.....hypothetically speaking, of course).  I seriously thought about sitting this week out because I had just posted something similar a few days ago, but them I remembered I was on probation and decided I better get busy.  Good decision.  These are really, really good.  And relatively healthy.  No so low-cal, but the good-for-you calories, mostly.

I substituted 1/2 cup of milled flax for 1/2 cup of the white flour and added chopped, dried cranberries and pistachios.  Yummy.  Check out Christine's site Happy Tummy for the recipe and if you're in a part of the country getting pounded by this storm, stay safe and warm!!

TWD - Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

When hubs and I were first married and living in Ohio we became great friends with the couple that lived next door to us.  They eventually ended up following us to South Carolina to work with BMW so over the years we spent a lot of time together.  Besides having the cutest kids (one of which has graduated from college and one is a sophmore in college....where does the time go?) that I fell madly in love with, Kay was the first "gourmet cook" that I knew.  We were invited to their house often for dinner and I always remember thinking, "How does she know how to do all of this?"  She would cook things like shrimp and pasta in a cream sauce and roasted spaghetti squash which at the time seemed so exotic to me.  One of things she would often drop off at the house were her lemon poppyseed muffins.  If I remember correctly, she made mini-muffins and they were absolutely my favorite.  So every time I've thought about making them, I've always changed my mind because I knew they would never be as good as hers!

It's probably been at least ten years since I've had one of Kay's so maybe I've over romaticized them in my head but I doubt it.  And since I don't have her recipe, I'm going to have to stick with Dorie's which actually didn't turn out to be a bad substitute.  I opted for adding some lemon/pear marmalade in the middle and hubs loved them.

Thanks to Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness for hosting this week.  Check out her site for Dorie's recipe.  In the meantime, maybe Kay will send me her's!

TWD - Fluff Filled Chocolate (Cupcakes) Madeleines

I hate immediately starting a post with a disclaimer, buuutttt......I don't own a madeleine pan.  I own every other damn pan in the world, but no madeleine.  So my plan was to run to Williams-Sonoma over the weekend and pick me up 1 or 4.  I like multiples of everything.  Take Gap jeans for instance.  And shoes.  And purses.  You get the idea.  However, if you paid any attention to the news this weekend, you're aware that the South was hit with the blizzard of 2011.

  

Yup.  That's it.  A whole inch.  Unfortunately it was an inch of solid ice, so I'm going to cut the Southerners a break this time.  Without any salt trucks, this shizzle tends to be a little hazardous.  So the powers that be shut down all the roads and most of the businesses stayed closed.  Which means I didn't get my 12 madeleine pans.

So I did what any other creative person would do.  Stole someone else's idea and used a muffin tin.  That worked out fine, but then I discovered that I also needed a piping bag and a piping tip.  Nope, don't have that either.  I can bake, but I'm no freaking artist.

See?  They may not be exactly what Dorie had in mind, but I followed the "spirit" of the recipe??  Yeah, whatever.  I had to do something, because not participating is not an option.  Remember?  I'm on probation here.  So this is what you get.  Frankly, it doesn't matter what they look like, because they're freaking delicious!  My version is basically a hostess cupcake.  How bad can that be?

If you want to see what these were really supposed to look like, visit Margot's site, Effort to Deliciousness.  Even if I eventually do get the madeleine pans, I can guarantee you mine will never look as good as hers!

TWD and FFwD.....Midnight Crackles and Paris Mushroom Soup

I'm back!  Actually, I've been back home for a week but there's something about that first week of the new year.  It's the New Year's hangover (not in the literal sense....although that may have happened too) week.  Still trying to live in the previous couple of holiday/vacation weeks but knowing it's over and it's going to be a long winter and a long time until the next break.

Anyhoo, that's how I felt last week.  Not quite back into the swing of things yet.  I was still remembering what a really great holiday I had with these two.

    

We spent the week in Sea Island, Georgia.  Their parent's were there, along with their great-grandparents, their aunts and a second cousin (Gary....inside joke), but let's face it, it's all about the two of them!  We all laughed, some of us turned purple (literally), some of us puked, one of us rode a bike without training wheels for the first time, one showed us her new dance moves (I have video) and we all had a great time!  I'm glad we were all fortunate enough to spend the week together at such a beautiful place.

But it's back to business as usual.....whatever that is.  Which means I have to post some recipes.

I better start with this TWD, Midnight Crackles, that were chosen by the group's leaders, Laurie and Julie in honor of TWD's three year anniversary.  I've only been around for about two of those years and thought I was a member in good standing until I got an email from Julie last week saying that it was my turn to host in February, but that I wasn't going to be allowed because I hadn't been posting enough.  Hmmmm.  I knew in November that I had only posted once (the rules state that you have to post at least twice a month to remain a member) so I had absolutely screwed up then, but EVERY other month I had posted at least twice, and most times all four weeks.  What I discovered I wasn't so good at was tagging my posts, so when Julie searched my site it appeared I wasn't participating.  Lesson learned.  New Year's resolution.....TAG MY POSTS!  I sent her an email and she agreed to let me host in March.  WOOT!  Can't wait.

As for these Midnight Crackles......they were ok.  I probably won't be making them again.  They have a fabulous, rich chocolate flavor, but that dough was a bitch.  It has to be refrigerated before baking it, but mine was as hard as a rock when I pulled it from the fridge, so it had to sit on the counter for about 45 minutes before it was manageable.  Then, the baking time on these is critical.  A minute too long and they're hard as rocks.  So......too unforgiving for a knucklehead like me.

This soup on the otherhand, was crazy good.  Sucky picture does not equal sucky soup! It's the Paris Mushroom Soup and you can find the recipe on page 72 of "around my french table".  Just buy the book, already.

I'll admit I made my own chicken stock for this.  I'm not an Ida fanatic about homemade stock vs. store bought, but in soups, I do think it makes a difference.  And it's a really easy thing to do, people.  If you're like me, every week or so you buy a rotisserie chicken from the market, right?  (And if you don't and you have a busy life, you should.  It's worth about three meals in the course of a week)  I just throw the leftover bones into a ziplock baggie, throw it in the freezer and when I have three of them I make some stock.  It takes five minutes to throw the remainder of the ingredients (a couple of carrots, celery, onions and whatever herbs you've got) into a pot, cover it with water and let it simmer on the stove for three or four hours.  Easy peasy.

Back to the soup.  Very easy with basic ingredients.  I didn't go the salad route called for in the book, instead just garnishing mine with a few chopped mushrooms and some chopped parsley.  I did, however, mix a dollop of creme fraiche into the pureed soup before serving.  Delish.  I even fed this to a self-proclaimed mushroom hater and she sucked down the whole bowl!

Happy New Year's everyone and here's to a fabulous twenty eleven!

TWD - Cardamom Crumb Cake

I've been a little lax lately on my TWD posts what with all of the party preparations and such, but since I had a little down time this week (before heading out of town) I thought I'd knock out this week's selection.  It's an easy little coffee cake that actually tastes like coffee!  Love that.  This will be a perfect thing to whip up to serve for breakfast to all of those overnight Christmas guests.

I might actually make this while the whole fam is together in Sea Island, GA next week.  How fun would it be to give a slice of cake with loads of caffeine in it to my four year old great-nephew and then disappear for an hour or so to work out and leave him with his daddy!!  (Just checking to see if you're actually reading this stuff, Zach!)

Merry Christmas to all!!!

(PS...check out Jill's Blog for the recipe.)

TWD - Tuiles.......day 2 of cookie week

This is one of the instances when TWD made me jump out of my box.  I have always admired this sophisticated little cookies, but never would have tried them on my own.  So thanks to Clivia at Bubbies' Little Baker for forcing me into it!

I will say that the three cookies on that plate are the only three out of the eight I baked that turned out into something photographable.  They were all edible......just not all pretty!  There is quite the trick in getting them from the cookie sheet onto a moldable apparatus.  Your timing has to be impeccable in order to keep the cookie all in one piece.  So these take some practice.

As for the taste......they have a wonderfully rich maple flavor.  I think these would be best with some ice cream.  Broken up and sprinkled on top maybe.  Anyway, I'm glad I tried them, but I'm going to need some more practice!

Please check Clivia's site for the recipe.  And step out of your box and try these.

TWD - Peanuttiest Blondies

I just got back home late yesterday from a long weekend in the Big Apple with hubs and some friends.  I love NYC in the Fall.  The air is crisp so all that walking you do doesn't seem quite so exhausting and the people are quite so irritable!  Plus, Central Park is absolutely stunning.  

So, I was glad when I read the recipe for this week's TWD.  It was simple which was just what I needed.  I had tons of laundry and catching up to do around the house and didn't have time (or inclination) for anything too complicated!

These are essentially chocolate chip cookies in bar form.  Hubs favorite thing on earth is chocolate chip cookies so he'll have no problem polishing off the entire pan.  And speaking of pan......I didn't have the 9x9 square pan called for so I used a 13x9.  It made for a thinner bar, but the baking time was a little shorter.  Mine were done in just under 30 minutes.

Thanks to Nicole of Bakeologie for this week's pick.  Check out her site for the recipe.  And check back here later this week for some pics from our New York weekend.

TWD - Double Apple Bundt Cake

This cake is is the devil.  And it's the sole reason that I'm seriously pissed off.  I have been trying to pack for my trip all morning and everything I tried on to take with me is tight.  As in "muffin-top" tight.  And as in "hopefully it will be cold so I can wear big sweaters to cover up the muffin-top" tight.  Shit.

It all started on Sunday when I made this cake.  Dorie said the cake is best after it sits for a day so that all of the flavors can meld together.  Wha????  If I would have done that I'd be going to France naked.  It began when I tried to unmold (is that a word?) it from my silicone bundt pan.....it's so flippin moist that some of it stuck to the silicone. (Isn't that the point of silicone??)  So I started eating the stuck parts.  Which led to practically eating the rest of the cake.  I couldn't stop.

As I said....it's moist.  I think the combination of the apple butter and grated apples just puts this over the top.  And then add in the perfect fall spices.....nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and it essentially becomes crack.

If you've got a trip coming up soon, DON'T MAKE THIS CAKE.  Otherwise get yourself over to Lynn's site, Honey Muffin, for the recipe.  But plan on heading to the mall in a few days to buy a bigger size jean.  Just sayin.

I'll be on the treadmill until my flight leaves on Thursday.

TWD - Coffee Break Muffins

I love coffee.....can't start my day without it.  I had to give up my 3:00pm Starbucks addiction a couple of years ago because I could no longer get to sleep at 9:00pm!!  Coffee ice cream is my absolute favorite.  So why didn't I like these muffins??  I wanted to and I was really excited about making them, but I just thought they had a bitter taste.

I'm going to give them a second chance after I read all of the other baker's posts and see what creative things they did that would make them taste better.  

Thanks to Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous for hosting this week.  Check out her website for the recipe and check the blogroll to see what the other bakers did this week.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Cranberry Upside Downer

I guess it's officially Fall.  The new season of Oprah started this week.  I'm not really sure where I stand on Oprah after 25 years.  I don't think I watched the first five years because I was a working girl, but I was pretty much a regular Oprah fiend for several years after that.  Not so much the last couple of years.....first I got tired of her preaching to me about everything I should be doing in my life that I wasn't, THEN she had to go political on me.  That's when I officially deleted Oprah from my DVR.

But since this is her last season, against my better judgement, I recorded her first show on Monday.  That's when I really got pissed off.  First, let's go back about 6-7 years ago (when I was still a quasi-fan).  Hubs was doing some work with someone who's brother (brother-in-law maybe?) was head of security for Harpo Studios.  Hubs was being sweet and asked if he could get a couple of tickets.  Well it worked out and my mother and I went to Chicago for a few days of shopping and Oprah.  We were pretty excited.  Even though we didn't really know what the topic of the show was going to be.  I guess they don't make that public until a day or two in advance.  Of course we were hoping it was going to be something fabulous......George Clooney or Bono??  As long as it wasn't a show about child molesters we were cool.

We got there and I'll be damned if it wasn't WORSE or at least equally as bad.  My mother and I got to sit through three hours of taping that Holocaust show with Elie Wiesel.  Complete buzz kill.  Which is why I was so pissed watching Monday as that whole audience gets told they all get to go to Australia on Oprah's many dimes.  REALLY?  Us = worst human tragedy in history.  Them = Australia.  Ugh.  So I'm seriously considering removing Oprah from my DVR again.

Thanks to Sabrina of Superfluous for choosing this week's TWD....Cranberry Upside Downer.  This just tastes like Fall and will be perfect for all your parties clear through the holidays.  I said that to hubs and he said this is good for your parties anytime of the year!  A lot of the baker's substituted peaches for the cranberries, but the peaches are done down here and I had some frozen cranberries, so I went that direction.

Give this a try.  It's simple and very tasty.  Check Sabrina's site for the recipe.

TWD - Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

I know that Labor Day weekend "officially" marks the end of summer but in the South it doesn't necessarily mean the end of hot weather.  Unfortunately that won't come until sometime in November!  But as I mentioned in a previous post, I love the last long weekend of summer nontheless.  It means tennis, football, cookouts and this year it meant a visit from the cutest almost-one-year-old in my family.

  

I mean, really.  Tell me that's not one of the cutest things ever.  But she requires a LOT of shit to get through the day.   And since she and her mama were flying down it was going to be a little tough for her to transport all that sh**.....car seats, high chairs, cribs, etc., etc., etc.  So I had to call upon the kindness of a really great friend who also has a one-year old to borrow said sh**!

Which brings me to this week's TWD chosen by Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine.  She chose Dorie's Peanut Butter Criscrosses.  I opted for the chocolate version because you can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.  They're really delicious and I think they'll be a great way to thank my friend for being so nice!

    

They're just like I remember peanut butter cookies from my childhood....crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.  Make sure you check Jasmine's site for the recipe (she's French Canadian so you'll have to scroll down a bit for the English version!)  Thanks Jasmine for a great pick and thanks Jilly (and Bram) for letting me borrow your sh**!!!!

TWD - Crunchy & Custardy Peach Tart

According to The Foodimentary Guy, August is National Peach Month and today, August 24, is National Peach Pie Day.  That makes this week's selection of Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart, damn near perfect.  Thanks, Rachel!  Make sure you visit her site, Sweet Tarte, for the recipe.

Confession time.....I made a rookie mistake this week.  I got a little cocky and didn't read the directions all the way through before I popped this into the oven.  Seems you weren't supposed the add the streusel topping until about 30 minutes into the baking process.  Oopsie.  It was still really delicious, but I'm sure I lost some of the crunch factor by not FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS!

I topped mine with a little Amaretto spiked whipped cream.  Might have gone a little overboard with the Amaretto because it was a little on the boozy side, but when has too much booze ever been a bad thing?  Right, Lindsay Lohan?

I know I say this every week, but you need to make this.  It's good.

TWD - Oatmeal Breakfast Bread....errrr Muffins.

This week's recipe, Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, was the perfect canvas for some creative interpretation.  Or I thought so anyway!  The original recipe called for applesauce, buttermilk and dried fruit....none of which tickled my fancy.

Instead, I went with bananas, sour cream and chocolate chips!  Oh....and I left out the walnuts.  AND....I didn't make bread.  I made muffins.  See.  Creative interpretation.  Alive and well here in Alabama.

I think no matter what you did with these they would be fabulous.  The spices....nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice....would go well with a whole lot of add-ins.  YUM.

Thanks to Natalie of Oven Love for this week's pick.  These were a major hit in my house.  Check Natalie's site for the recipe.  And make sure you check the TWD blogroll to see the "creative interpretations" of the rest of the group!

TWD - Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

I'm, once again, not playing by the rules this week.  I'm supposed to be making Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream but instead I'm skipping ahead and giving you Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.  I'm really getting tired of this rebel role I've been playing.  (hehe)

Mr. B and I were leaving town on Monday morning and since I'm the world's best procrastinator I didn't decide to knock out TWD until Sunday afternoon.  Needless to say, I didn't have all the required ingredients on hand to make the ice cream.  But I did have everything needed for these cookies.  Decision made.

These are sooooo good.  What I like best is that you can really taste the espresso.  And on a little side note.....THERE IS NO "X" IN ESPRESSO!    It's not pronounced eXpresso, people.  Major pet peeve of mine.  Anyhooooo.....these are perfect little cookies.  I'm already planning on making these again and again and again.

And just in case anyone was thinking about disciplining me for breaking the rules again, I only have these two to blame.  I'm counting on their extreme cuteness to get me out of trouble!!

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Baking: From My Home to Yours

Makes 32 cookies

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.