Thursday, October 11, 2012

Moist? Ewww!

The word "moist" is one of the few words that most people have an averse reaction to. It elicits feelings of ickiness, and I find no need to mention it here, but we all know what image "moist" brings about. Don't quote me on this, but I think it actually makes the list of most hated words. (Who is compiling these lists, anyway?) Personally, I also feel bothered by "moistness", but oddly enough, its the lack of moistness that bothers me. Gross, right?

Not really, because if you know me at all personally, you'd know that this probably will end up having to do with food. I believe the only usage of the word "moist" that doesn't gross people out is when its referring to the "moistness" of a dessert, say, of cake. In that case, a moistness is an absolute must.

Turns out that for much of cuisine other than dessert and pastry, dryness, or the lack of moisture (to not gross you out too much with overuse of the word), is a big issue. How often have you had a mac and cheese that is actually, well, exactly that--macaroni and cheese--practically separate entities. Ideally, one would want something like that made at Beechers Cheese Shop in Seattle. (Refer to image) If I need to explain to you why that mac and cheese is preferable to a drier sort, then you're probably reading the wrong blog, and you probably aren't my friend.

I feel like much of my baking and culinary adventures are stemmed from the desire to find recipes that don't have this problem of dryness. So, if you catch me obsessing about the moistness of a cake, just remember, I'm one of the rare people who actually like the word "moist".

Images: Jamie, mybakingaddiction.com
macandcheesechick.com

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Carrot Cake Cookies


I love carrot cake, mostly because of the cream cheese frosting, but lately, I've been less excited about cupcakes so I decided to try these Carrot Cake Cookies. They're meant to be carrot cake cookie sandwiches with the CC frosting in the middle but when I made, them, the sandwich seemed a little heavy for the midmorning snack that I served them as at the UW Astronomy department. So I served them as cookies with frosting, as shown in the picture.

The recipe is as follows:

1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 oz), chopped
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Butter a cookie sheet and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a small mixing bowl. Mix the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until fluffy. Add the carrots, walnuts, and raisins and mix slowly, using a spatula. Add the half the flour mixture, and fold into batter. Add the rest of the flour mixture and fold until just combined. Place small rounds of the batter onto the baking sheet and bake for 12-18 minutes (depending on your oven). More than minutes though it's better to gauge the cookies by them being spongy to the touch. They should bounce back to their original shape when lightly touched. Cool on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve with cream cheese frosting.