momofuku’s compost cookies

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but my posts seem to have shifted away from cooking and baking and are now pretty much just restaurant reviews.

In other words, am I eating out too much or what?

Not that this one post (that is based on a meal made quite a few weeks ago actually…) makes up for it, but let’s consider this the start of a little more home cooking.

And what better place to start than with dessert?  Famous dessert, at that.

~Momofuku Compost Cookie~

Apparently this recipe was released through Regis and Kelly’s website, but I found it here.

What you’ll need

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsps Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups your favorite baking ingredients (ie. chocolate chips, raisins, oatmeal, butterscotch, etc.)
• 1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, caramel, gummy bears…hey why not!)

What you’ll do

• Cream butter and sugar
• Add vanilla and eggs and beat for 10 minutes (!)

• Lower speed of your mixer and add flour, baking powder/soda and salt
• Mix in your baking ingredients and then roll out your balls of dough

• The recipe says to refreeze the dough for 20-30 min before putting it straight into the oven which has been preheated at 400 degrees
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes

Why these cookies are better…

There are a few things here that I don’t see too often.  I mean, besides having every delicious snack imaginable in a cookie, my first question is -

1. Why on earth does the creaming of butter and sugar take 10 minutes? It only takes me 30 seconds to eat one of these cookies…how could it possibly take 20 times longer to complete just one step in making them?

• Well, I did a bit of detective work and apparently, in the oven, baking soda/powder releases carbon dioxide into the air bubbles that exist within your batter, causing them to grow and forcing your baked goods to rise.
• That can only mean that a good dough/batter has a lot of air bubbles, allowing the maximum amount of gas in and the maximum amount of rising – for a light and fluffy result.
• Turns out creaming is the way to incorporate tons of air into your dough/batter.  The fat (butter) is cut up by the granules of sugar, creating hundred of microscopic pockets of air.  A solid creaming takes approximately 8-10 minutes.  Phew.

OK, David Chang. So you’re right this time…

2. But what about refreezing the cookie dough then putting it straight into a super hot oven.  Why is temperature so important?

• There doesn’t seem to be as clear of an answer so my guess is simply – this recipe has a lot of butter in it.  To avoid the cookie from melting/spreading too thin in the oven and all that heat, baking them when they are frozen will help them retain some shape.

So…now that you know how to make them, what would you put in your compost cookie?

“first camera, then fork”

A few months ago I was forwarded this article.

It is always comforting to read stories about countless people around the country who are doing the same, silly things I do when I sit down to eat.

First camera, then fork!

The article claims that this new-ish phenomenon of photographing food doesn’t just allow us foodies to brag (with photographic evidence!) about that amazing meal we ate.

Keeping a pictorial diary of the foods we eat can serve many other, more creative, purposes.  For example, calculating costs is one interesting idea while using pictures to keep track of calories is another, yet significantly less fun.

Unabashedly interrupting a 3-course meal at a fine dining establishment with bright white flashes serves not only as an embarrassment, but more importantly as a way to preserve and cherish the memory of good times with good people and good food – my favorite reason, of course.

This post wouldn’t be much fun without some pictures of food, now, would it? So, to follow the idea of Tucker Shaw, author of the book ”Everything I Ate: A Year in the Life of My Mouth” – here is…

Everything I Ate: A Day in the Life of My Mouth

Macadamia and apricot Kind bars for breakfast – my new obsession! If you get the chance, please try one.  They are delicious (it’s the macadamia nuts) and healthy!

Midtown Lunch special from Má Pêche (The Momofuku of midtown). House made chicken sausage bánh mì and two famous Milk Bar cookies – the compost cookie and blueberries and cream.  Plus, my own little peach, how fitting! (Má Pêche means “mother peach” in Vietnamese and French, respectively)  Just an FYI – the compost cookie is another must try.  It contains goodies like pretzels, butterscotch, chips (!!), chocolate…mmm…

And for dinner, butternut squash ravioli with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese.  Thanks to Amish Market for this simple but delicious dish!

What about you? What did you eat today?