The Cookbook Junkies

 

There’s Always Room for Chocolate – the title says it all – and most folks would agree. This new cookbook is written by the owners of the The Chocolate Room, married couple Naomi Josepher and Jon Payson’s, who share some of their coveted recipes.

The Chocolate Room has two locations in Brooklyn and is touted as a “sophisticated malt shop”. Famous for their Brownie Sundae, Chocolate Layer Cake and Spiced Hot Chocolate, this shop is every chocolate lover’s dream. Can’t get to Brooklyn? No worries – now we can recreate these decadent recipes in the comfort of our own kitchens.

What impressed me right off the bat is the index at the beginning of the book listing recipes by their time commitment: set out as follows “Quick Gratification” “Intermediate Creations” and “Weekend Projects”. I often get so excited to try a recipe – I fail to allot the time required for the dish and end up rushing the job.

The recipes are organized by Cakes, Baked Goods, Pies, Puddings & Custards, Confections and ending with Drinks & Accompaniments. Instructions on how to assemble and frost a showstopping cake are highlighted as well as other helpful tutorials throughout the book – such as how to use a pastry bag. Chocolate Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake and a Peanut Butter Cheesecake are a few examples from the cake chapter. I love the construction instructions plus diagrams for assembling the Chocolate Mousse Cake – they leave nothing to chance.

Other recipes that caught my attention (well all of them did – but ones I should mention) are Chocolate Canoes with Vanilla Cream Filling, Black-Bottom Butterscotch Custard, and Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons. There are also recipes for sauces, crusts, ice creams and much more.

I made the Chocolate Pecan Pie and it disappeared. I made it in a tart pan so that I could make a few mini tarts to ward off the chocoholic hulk that transforms when he smells me baking (he’s 12, his name is Andrew). I’ve made many pie crusts before but this one was by far the best. It was incredibly easy to work with – I’ve had delicious, flaky crusts from other recipes but none that rolled out so perfectly.

Special thanks to the authors and Rizzoli for allowing me to share the recipe here.

This pie was not cloyingly sweet like some pecan pies are – I love their method which made it more like a decadent brownie-like pecan pie. I’m not a fan of chocolate pecan pie, or I should say, I have never been a fan of chocolate in my pecan pie – and that has now been rectified.

 

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie (Jenny’s note: that magically disappears)

There’s something decadent about adding a little bit of chocolate to a classic like pecan pie. The long-loved flavors are still there, but they’re amplified just a little bit by the richness of the chocolate. We make this pie with a regular pie crust instead of our usual chocolate crust; we think the classic flavor and flaky texture adds a nice traditional touch. If you’re particularly partial to the crisp, candylike surface that forms on top of the pie, you can use this same recipe to make an 11-inch tart, which will give you a wider surface area.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

¼ cup ice water

Filling

2½ ounces dark chocolate (preferably 60% cacao), coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups pecan halves

The key to flaky pie crust is to keep the butter very cold. After you’ve cut the butter into little pieces, it is best to leave it in the refrigerator until just before you use it.

Make the Crust

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter and process for about 10 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing the processor a couple of times after each addition. Stop when most of the dough comes together into a single clump. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead it two or three times so that it all comes together. Shape it into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit the circle of dough into a 10-inch pie pan and tuck the overhanging dough under to fit snugly along the top edge of the pie pan. Pinch the edge of the crust to create a wavy pattern. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Make the Filling

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler, stirring to keep the chocolate from burning, or microwave them together in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until they become liquid. Whisk the butter and chocolate briskly until combined, then set aside to cool a little.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the syrup to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat to keep the mixture from bubbling over. Set the syrup aside to cool a little.
3. Put the eggs in a large bowl and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine; while whisking, drizzle in the sugar syrup, then add the vanilla and salt. Fold in the pecan halves with a wooden spoon.

Assemble and Bake the Pie

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. (It will not fill the pie shell.) Place the pie plate on a sheet pan to catch any filling that bubbles over. Bake the pie for 1 hour, until the crust is golden, the filling doesn’t wobble much when you shake the pan, and the edges of the filling have a bubbling, crisp texture. Allow the pie to cool thoroughly before serving.

Make Ahead

The raw pie crust can be frozen for up to 1 month. The filling, without the nuts in it, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The baked pie can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.

 

 

Disclosure: Special thanks to Rizzoli for sending me a copy of this book for review and for allowing me to share this scrumptious recipe. The Amazon link is an affiliate link and helps to support this site. Amazon, Book Depository and Dover Publication links are all to the right side bar.

Lucky you, I have a lovely book to write about today, Cooking with the Muse by Myra Kornfeld and Stephen Massimilla. This title released earlier this year is a beautiful book warmed with poetry, packed with historical facts about food writing and ingredients, and the recipes are a varied collection of comfort food, elegant offerings and everyday fare.

Myra Kornfeld is a chef, educator, and author while Stephen Massimilla is a poet, scholar, professor, and painter – and together they joined their incredible talents and created this masterpiece of food and the written word. Poetry and essays are scattered through this volume, falling onto the pages to surround the recipes and pull everything together.

There are dishes that contain an international flair such as Medallions of Dukkah-Crusted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach, Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks or Short Ribs, and Creamy Carrot-Coconut Soup with Hot and Sweet Coconut Cashews. Desserts that will have you preheating the oven in no time include Fudgy Nibby Brownies, Chocolate Tart with Salt, Pumpkin Pie Souffle and Caramelized Pecans and Capri Peach Tart. Yam Waffles with Maple-Pecan Butter, Shepherd’s Pie with Colcannon Topping and Moroccan-Spiced Bastilla with Chickpeas Turnips, Cabbage and Vermicelli – every page holds something  delectable to excite your palate or engage  your mind.

Cooking with the Muse will be a valued addition to your collection for it’s fantastic content as a literary work and it’s delicious collection of recipes that are approachable by any level cook. Thanks to the author for allowing me to share one of their recipes. The recipe for Polenta Baked Eggs can be downloaded at this link: recipe here.

GIVEAWAY: The authors are generously offering one of my readers an autographed copy of this gorgeous title. (I’ll be reaching out for a bookplate to add to my copy).

Random Number Generator picked #48 Tina!

The giveaway is open to US addresses only.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me which recipes sounds like something you would like to make. (You may return here daily and leave another comment to enter – telling me hello.)

2. For a second entry share this post on social media. We need to spread the word about this book. Sharing icons are below the post to make it easier for you. Sharing on multiple platforms will provide you with a second entry.

3. For a third entry, visit Cooking with the Muse’s Facebook page. Likes are very much appreciated.

4. For a fourth entry, visit The Cookbook Junkies Facebook page. Likes are very much appreciated.

A random winner will be chosen on October 17th. Good luck and spread the cookbook love!

 

Time for a giveaway to celebrate 35,200 members! I have for you a little old school and a little new school selection: a set of four of Martha Stewart’s cookbooks and new copies of Aarti Paarti and Carla’s Comfort Food. (Sorry that the Martha’s Living Cookbook is a little crinkled on the book jacket – I tripped over it the other night after I got them lined up ready to take a picture. Let this be a lesson to you, don’t drink and cookbook (or don’t turn the light off at your desk and try to get to the stairs in the dark).

In addition to this set of books, I am going to gift one of you a one year subscription to Eat Your Books (EYB).

I’ve been writing reviews for EYB for about six months. Recently, I took the position of Cookbook Promotions Manager – writing reviews, contests, author events and more. I’ve slowly been adding my collection onto my bookshelf – I believe I’m over 600 now and still have thousands to go. One reason I’m anxious to complete my bookshelf is because I have purchased the same book not only twice, but sometimes three times. The cost alone of not buying duplicate books will be recouped in no time.

Of course, you can open an account with EYB for free to enter contests – but for $30.00 a year – a little over the price of a book – you receive incredible value including access to forums and other members’ reviews of recipes. I’m copying this explanation of what EYB does from their website for you here: