Cornmeal Cookies with a Dark Chocolate Center

Hi dear readers! My urges to bake have been diminished this year. I have a feeling that my normal one post a week might change to two posts a month for the year. I hope you'll forgive me.

 

My urges to enjoy NYC haven't been diminished though. I thoroughly enjoyed finding eggs "hidden" around the city as part of the Faberge Big Egg Hunt. Over the course of a couple of weeks, people could find these fun works of art around the city. Then, for the last week, they were all at Rockefeller Center. Here are some of the ones that tickled my fancy:



 

 

 

Then, this past weekend I left my beloved NYC and headed to Boston for a singing gig. On my day off, I went on a Freedom Trail tour and tried to learn a little bit more about the American Revolution.

On Sat I sang the mezzo solo in Duruflé's Requiem in Worcester, MA.

It was a lovely experience but I was happy to be back in NYC. So happy that I felt like baking! So I made up this recipe.

 

These cookies are rather flat, but the texture is perfect. It's a crepe-like cookie and the sweetness of the sugar blends together well with the cornmeal. The dark chocolate is just something I added for a dollop of yuminess.

Cornmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Center (my recipe creation)

1 stick of butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons cornmeal

small dark chocolate bar, broken into pieces

 

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg. Blend in the flour and cornmeal. Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Place a piece of dark chocolate in the middle of each ball of dough. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool before enjoying.

Bake well and prosper!

"Almazing" Almond Bars and Dîner en Blanc NYC 2013

Have you heard of Dîner en Blanc? Well, if you haven't, prepared to be amazed. Dîner en Blanc is an all white picnic party started 25 years ago in Paris which now has parties all over the world. The event is very popular and has a long waiting list just to get an invite. For NYC, lucky people who get on the invitation list deck themselves out in white, bring white chairs, white tables, a basket of food, and then meet at different locations around the city at a certain time.  

No one knows where the event's location will be until a couple of minutes before the event. So it's like a surprise flash mob, even for the mob! 

 

And guess what. I was lucky enough to get and invite and PERFORM at the event!

I received the invite to perform because the creator of this event was at the wedding I sang at in France two and a half weeks ago. He loved my Ave Maria so much that he let his son, the current head of the dîners, know that I lived in NYC. And, well, the rest is magical history.

(Click here for a short, iPhone video of part of Ave Maria so you can get an idea of the fantastical setting I was fortunate enough to sing amidst.)

I also sang an aria from Carmen and threw some white roses at the end of the aria. :)

Now, let's talk about my table. My guest was the bride from the wedding in France. Without her, I wouldn't have been at this dîner. We had to lug our table and chairs just like everyone else and then we set out our salads and sushi (and wine...of course!)

I told my friend that I would supply dessert. I wanted something somewhat white and had the good idea to modify this recipe into an almond bar. I switched the milk with almond milk and switched the peanuts with sliced almonds. I loved these so much that I, being the goober I am, called them "almazing!"

They were the perfect dessert to pair with this amazing evening! All I needed to do after singing was sit back, relax, enjoy the pary, and eat dessert.

"Almazing" Almond Bars (adapted from my Mom's Best Recipes Book)

Ingredients for Sponge Cake:

2 eggs

1 C sugar

1/2 C almond milk

1 T butter

1 t vanilla

1 C flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

Ingredients for Frosting:

half and half (or almond milk)

powdered sugar (at least 2 cups)

1/2 cup of almond milk

Cake:

In a small saucepan, scald almond milk, turn off heat and add butter. In a mixer, beat eggs until light, add sugar and beat well. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in vanilla and milk mixture. Bake in greased pan (about 7 1/2 by 10 inches) for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool well. Cut in narrow bars.

Frosting:

Frost sides and bottom with frosting made by mixing a little bit of powdered sugar and a little bit of thin cream at a time. (Use half & half or almond milk. Half and half won't be as sticky as the almond milk. Both work well). Roll in slivered almonds and enjoy. 

Bake well and prosper!
(And here are a couple of more photos from the event.)