Champagne Panna Cotta with Sugared Grapes

I'm not really much of a New Year's resolutions sort of person, so let's just get that straight right now. But each year, while enjoying the hair of the dog that bit me, I do like to ponder areas in which I might like to improve. Like, say, managing my time better and becoming more efficient in all categories. So I'm starting with Champagne Panna Cotta with Sugared Grapes, because hey, it's like cocktails and dessert all rolled into one! An awesome way to multitask, I'd say. Guess I'm already ahead of the game. Happy New Year to me!

Don't let the fancy-pants look of this dessert fool you--panna cotta is dead simple and one of my very favorite things to make. If you've never made panna cotta and are rather mystified by the whole thing, you'll be hysterically pleased to learn that it's nothing more than gelled cream. Unless you come to my house, then your panna cotta will probably have booze in it, too. And we'll eat it in on the couch wearing pajama pants to ring in the New Year. That's just the way it is.

The pretty little sugared grapes that adorn the main event here actually manage to be even easier than the panna cotta itself. You can turn just about any fruit into a sparkling little gem just by coating it with a thin layer of egg white and rolling it about in sugar. True story. Putting these little jewels on top of something as crazy and lovely as Champagne panna cotta might seem like gilding the lily, but why not? We're ringing in the New Year here, people! Not to mention that this recipe is basically a truckload of pizazz for very little effort, which, coincidentally, is also something I hope to experience a lot of in 2011.

Happy New Year, darling readers!

Champagne Panna Cotta with Sugared Grapes

Use whatever dry Champagne or sparkling wine that you like, but definitely choose one you enjoy drinking for the best flavor. I keep the sugar low here in the initial steps so that you can sweeten it according to your Champagne choice and your personal taste, so be sure to have a bit of extra sugar set aside so you can sweeten the custard to your liking before chilling. The sugared grapes can be made days in advance and frozen until you're ready to use them. The same technique can be used for tiny bunches of Champagne grapes, if you can find them, or any other fruit.

This is a great make-ahead dessert. In fact, the farther in advance you make it, the less boozy and more balanced in flavor the final result will be, up to 3 days ahead of when you're going to serve it.

With all its booziness, this is obviously an adult dessert, but I don't see why you couldn't swap out the alcohol for sparkling white grape juice or cider. Just be judicious with how much sugar you add to the cream before warming it.

Serves 8

For the panna cotta:

1 1/2 cups chilled Champagne or dry sparkling wine of your choice, divided

4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (just shy of 2 packets)

3 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided (see note)

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the sugared grapes:

40 large green grapes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg white, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Put 1/2 cup of the chilled champagne in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let soften for 5 minutes.

Combine the cream, 2/3 cup of the sugar, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan. Warm the mixture gently over medium heat, but do not let it boil. When the cream is warm, whisk in the softened gelatin. Cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of Champagne in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Taste and add additional sugar if needed (I usually add about 2 more tablespoons at this point, depending on the Champagne I use). Divide equally among 8 individual ramekins, custard cups or coffee cups. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours, or up to 72 hours in advance (cover tightly with plastic wrap past the 4 hour mark).

To make the sugared grapes, wash and pat the grapes dry. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl.

Whisk together the egg white and salt in a separate bowl. Salt will help denature the protein in the egg white, so keep whisking for a minute until the white goes from gooey and slimy to something much more thin and liquidy. Whisk in the lemon juice.

Toss the grapes in the egg white mixture until coated. Place on paper toweling and pat until just moistened with the egg--you want them to have a bit of shine and still be damp, but with no visible drops of egg white clinging to them. Toss the grapes in the sugar and roll them around to coat completely. Use as garnish immediately, or refrigerate on a dry sheet pan until ready to use.

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Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Do not adjust your screens, people. This is indeed a savory recipe you are seeing on this site. Because even those of us who can happily cobble together a meal of cookies, ice cream and marshmallows can get totally over sweets every once and a while. And since I know I can't be the only one going through the shakes of holiday sugar withdrawals, I thought I'd share something a little different with you today. And by "different", I mean good bread plus creamy custard, heady Gruyere, fresh herbs and a bucketload of earthy mushrooms. It's got New Year's Party Food written all over it.

I first tasted this glorious, insanely flavorful savory bread pudding at one of the school-catered lunches during my epic week of pastry immersion. I think I started obsessively pestering my teacher for the recipe about five seconds into the meal. With a lightly dressed simple green salad, I don't know how you can go wrong. It's like the perfect lunch. Lady food of the highest order. But in my experience, dudes don't even care if someone might consider this lady food. I never halve the recipe for our tiny family. We clear this sucker between two back-to-back meals. It is really something.

Fabulous flavors aside, there really is no better time to have the basics of bread pudding under your belt. With the holidays on their way out, the winter days are going to start getting really long any minute now--even for those of us here in San Francisco who probably will not have to deal with anything more meterologically ferocious than a few straight days of rain and cold mist. Really, no one likes to make unneccessary trips to the store in January, do they?

As long as you've got milk, eggs and some leftover bread, you can have a crazy-versatile bread pudding recipe ready for the eating in no time flat. All it takes is remembering this formula: one pound of bread, six eggs, three cups of milk. Beyond that, you can do just about anything--sweet, savory, spicy, veggie, meaty, or whatever the heck is rolling around in your fridge shelves and crisper drawer. Genius! This wild mushroom number is just one suggestion.

Even better, it couldn't come together faster. For this recipe, once you prep your mushrooms, onions and herbs, you're nearly to the finish line. Just whisk together some eggs, milk and cheese and soak your bread in it while you saute those aforementioned vegetal elements until tender. Into a buttered casserole dish it all goes (or individual ramekins for you fancy party people) for a bake just long enough to enjoy a glass of wine while you pull together a salad. Doable even with a New Year's hangover. And I should know.

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Adapted from Christa Resing Colardo of Marin Cooking

I'm suggesting dried porcinis and fresh creminis because they pack a ton of flavor and are readily available, but use any combination of mushrooms you like here. Fresh herbs are amazing, but I've also used a teaspoon of dried herbes de provence instead and liked the results. Use low-fat milk if you must, but avoid skim, because really, what's the point?

Serves 8

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 generous teaspoon fresh sage leaves (about 4-5 large), minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

6 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (I like Grana Padano)

1 1-pound loaf rustic artisan bread, cut into 1" pieces

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. Butter 12 individual ramekins or a 2 1/2-3 quart baking dish.

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and over with hot water. Set aside to hydrate for at least 10 minutes. Drain and chop them coarsely.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and saute just until they begin to give off some liquid, about 5 minutes more. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Gruyere, and 1/2 cup of parmesan. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add the bread cubes and let soak for about 5-10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Fold in the mushroom mixture.

Turn the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean--anywhere from 45-60 minutes depending on the size and depth of your baking dish. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

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$100 Gift Card Winner!

I hope everyone had an awesome, awesome holiday. Ours was full of craziness, food, cookies, wine and more presents than I can count. Seriously, Little C scored such a haul, I think girlfriend will be producing toys I've never seen from every corner of the house for the next six months.

Anyway, let's get to it. The big winner of the awesome $100 CSN Stores gift card giveaway is sweet Ginny, who said:

"Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss cookies to make my family happy! :)"

Way to represent for the fam, Ginny. Contact me at shauna (at) thepieceofcakeblog (dot) com to claim your prize!

Happy holidays, everyone. I'll see you all around here again right soon.

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$100 Holiday Gift Card Giveaway!

Oh, darling readers. I wish I could give you all a big old holiday hug right about now. In fact, even if we were all snowstorm-stranded in an airport together, I'd say we'd all hit the nearest airport pub, pull up a bar stool or two and end up having a grand old time chatting about cookies and the events of the year. And to help me show my love for you all, CSN Stores has offered me another sweet $100 gift card to give away to one of you. You deserve to go bananas buying new kitchen stuff for yourself. Seriously.

Naturally, I wish I could give one away to every single one of you, and one day I hope to reach that level of Oprah-dom. I dream of being able to say, "Every! Body! Gets! A! Giftcaaaaarrrd!!!" But for now, this will have to do. And it's really quite easy to enter, guys. I mean, it's creeping up on Christmas, here. Let's take a load off.

***This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering!***

Thanks to CSN Stores for sponsoring this sweet giveaway!

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Holiday Baking Extravaganza!

Well, well, well. Wouldja look at that? It's the last week of baking before Christmas, everybody! I really hope you've got some grand plans for this most sacred of times. I personally would love nothing more than to set Little C in front of Frosty the Snowman with an arsenal of snacks, sprint to the kitchen, tie my apron strings and hunker down with a hot oven and absurd amounts of butter and sugar.

If you feel me here, then perhaps one of the following might make into your holiday cookie tins this year or onto your last-minute gifting list. Like the sweet little Candy Cane Pinwheels you see up there. They're like sugar cookies with jazz hands, and the recipe for them is at the end of this post. Enjoy!



Cookie Tin Contenders:

Chocolate Mint Squares. Fudgy brownie, minty buttercream, slick of bittersweet ganache. Is there anything more perfect for the holidays? Don't answer that if you disagree. It's like telling me there's no Santa, all over again.

Heirloom Sugar Cookies. My love for this cookie runs deep. Real deep.

Simple Rolled, Iced Sugar Cookies. It's what holiday baking projects are all about.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies. And because they're so flippin' cute, holiday baking projects are all about these, too. The best I've ever tried, icing recipe included.

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Meringues. Too pretty to eat. So you end up eating a lot, because of the guilt.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle. One of the most searched for recipes in Piece of Cake history. Part candy, part cookie, all set up for you to eat the whole dang pan.

Salted Peanut Cookie Brittle. The little sister to Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle, with an extra salty-sweet, nutty kick. Crispy, crunchy perfection.

Big Mama Cakes for Gifting:

Aunt Phyllis's Crusty Butter Pound Cake. Perfect for doubling or tripling, this cake is the crowd pleaser you can wrap with a big bow and give to just about anyone who's done something nice for you this year.

Chocolate Chip Marble Bundt Cake. Save this one for the actual special people on your list. This cake is nothing short of Stupid Delicious.

Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake. Something a little lighter, but still full of flavor, and a pillow-soft texture. Perfect for gifting.

Christmas Candy!

Cranberry-Pistachio Torrone. Because we all secretly wish we could be Giada for Christmas.

Gifting Toffee. This is the toffee people go crazy for, the one I ship to family across the country. 110% Piece of Cake kitchen approved.

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark. The holiday classic, but crunchier and creamier with a double layer of white chocolate. God Bless Us, Every One.

Candy Cane Pinwheels (photo at top of post)

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Take the extra time to really get the two dough sheets as identical in size and shape as possible (a ruler helps!), and don't slice the cookies until the dough is very firm--it's the key to getting a really nice looking swirl on these cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, finely ground (about 20 striped round ones)
6 drops (or so) red food coloring

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and until well-blended. Scrape down the bowl, and stir in the flour mixture on low speed. Remove half the vanilla dough from the bowl and set aside. To the remaining dough, stir in the peppermint extract, peppermint candies and red food coloring on low speed until the dough the color is well-incorporated and the color is the intensity you're looking for.

Roll the vanilla dough between two large sheets of parchment paper to create a 14x8-inch rectangle. Leave the dough sheet in the parchment and place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the peppermint dough and stack on top of the vanilla dough sheet. Chill both together until the dough is firmer but still pliable, about 30 minutes.

Remove the parchment paper from the vanilla dough sheet and place on a work surface. Repeat with the peppermint dough and place on top. With the long side facing you, roll the dough into an even, tight log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, at least 2 hours.

When you're ready to bake, position oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Slice the log of dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets, a dozen to a sheet. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

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Chocolate Malt Marshmallows

If you haven't noticed, I've got the candymaking bug lately, people, and I've got it bad. And since its coincided with my insatiable need for all things malted, meet my latest love: the Chocolate Malt Marshmallow. These little gems positively scream, "Gift me! GIFT ME!" just in time for you to realize that you really ought to give a little something to the mailman this year.

Impromptu gifts aside, these chocolaty, malt-y, delightfully pillowy cubes are just the thing to fill out your holiday cookie tins and bob happily in your wintertime hot cocoa. Coated in bittersweet chocolate shavings rather than powdery cornstarch or confectioners' sugar, I sort of love the shaggy look of them, the way they leave little flecks all over the plate or the mug. Much more charming than the wreath we bought this year that has done nothing more than shed all over my mantle all dang day. I've been vaccuming my mantle, people. But that is neither here nor there.


At first glance, you might think you're just getting a plain old chocolate-flavored marshmallow here (not that there's anything wrong with that), but the toasty flavor of malt is such a nice surprise. The way I see it, malted milk powder is the most genius thing that you can have in your pantry for when those mad scientist moments hit. It pairs with vanilla as beautifully as chocolate, its perfect with nuts of all sorts, dairy products (naturally) and even a few fruits get along well with it. Malt powder's earthiness and soft, round flavor help to temper the sweetness of whatever it's paired with, making anything malted instantly addictive and craveworthy. It adds richness and fullness without being heavy. Its magical, basically.


You know what else I think is magical? Marshmallows. And obviously we all know chocolate is totally magical. So throw some malt into the mix and who knows what might happen. If you put some of these out with the milk and cookies for Santa...well. Let's just say we might all get those fancy new pairs of Spanx that we're hoping for.


Chocolate Malt Marshmallows

Malted milk powder can be found in most supermarkets either by the hot chocolate mixes, or near the ice cream fixings. That's right, I said fixings.

For the chocolate shavings, grate bar chocolate on the largest holes of a boxed grater.

The deeper and richer your cocoa powder, the more intense the color and flavor will be, so use the best one you can get your hands on (I like Valrhona).

Makes about 20

For the marshmallows:

2 tablespoons (about 2 packets) unflavored powdered gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup, divided
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup malted milk powder
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For finishing the marshmallows:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely grated

Grease an 8x8-inch pan with shortening, using a paper towel to rub it lightly and evenly onto the bottom, sides and edges of the pan. Set aside.

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water in a small bowl. Set aside to soften.

Place the sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan and stir gently. Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan, and place it over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, checking it occasionally--you are looking for it to eventually hit a temperature of 240-245 degrees.

Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Heat the softened gelatin in the microwave to melt it, about 30 seconds or so on high. Start the mixer on low speed, and pour the gelatin into the corn syrup. Keep the mixer running on low speed.

Whisk together the cocoa, malt powder and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth. When the sugar syrup is up to temperature, whisk the cocoa mixture into it, followed by the vanilla. Carefully transfer the syrup to a large, heatproof measuring cup or a similar vessel with a spout for easy pouring. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture. When all the syrup has been added, crank the speed up to medium-high and let it go for about 10 minutes--the candy will become fluffy and the color of a chocolate malt during this time.

Sift together 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. Set aside, and keep the sifter handy.

Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula spritzed with a bit of cooking spray to nudge it into the corners and smooth the top. Sift the cocoa-confectioners' sugar mixture evenly and generously over the top. Let sit for about 6 hours, or overnight.

Use a knife to loosen the marshmallow from the edges of the pan and invert it onto a cocoa-confectioners' sugar mixture-dusted work surface. Cut the marshmallow into squares (a pizza cutter works great here). Dip the sticky edges of the marshmallows in chocolate shavings, and dab more all over the marshmallows. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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How to Make Candied Cherries

Hey guys! So I'm throwing this out there in case anyone ends up in my position during the fury of holiday baking season. And by "my position" I mean feeling the desperate pull to make one of those glorious holiday recipes that call for kitschy little candied cherries, but it's the only dang ingredient you don't have, and you'd rather sew your head to the carpet than get back into the car and head out to the store with all those holiday crazies one more time. I give you How to Make Candied Cherries.

Now, to be fair, this tip will only save you if you already have a jar of maraschino cherries rolling around in your fridge. But since maraschino cherries can outlive all of us, even Cher, perhaps you have some left over from a hankering for ice cream sundaes, Shirley Temples, or a love affair with Manhattans (ooh, call me sometime). But hey, even if you don't have a jar, maybe you'll pick one up, because really, what's better than getting two uses from one crazy, hypercolored food product? Also, not to sound like Andy Rooney or anything, but have you noticed how expensive a thing of ready-made candied cherries is these days?! And half of it will probably just go to waste!

Now where's my cane and crossword puzzle?

Candied Cherries

This is a full recipe that will yield about 8-9 ounces of candied cherries. It's easily scaled up or down, even if you just need a tiny amount for a recipe.

Makes about 8 to 9 ounces

1 16-ounce jar maraschino cherries

3/4 cup sugar

Drain the cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Combine the reserved juice and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the cherries, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour, until the cherries are slightly shriveled and firm to the touch. Remove from the heat, uncover the pan, and let cool completely.

When the cherries have cooled, remove them to paper toweling (leaving the syrup behind, your recipe doesn't call for it) and pat dry. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to six months.

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Coconut Sugar Cookies

To begin with a disclaimer, which is probably the worst way ever to start a conversation, I should say that I am well aware of the polarizing effects of coconut. But whether or not you are on Team Coconut, I need to tell you about this cookie, because it emerged from the oven like a beacon of hope after another coconut sugar cookie recipe I'd tried the day before had failed me so. In fact, I don't think I'd ever been so offended by a cookie in my entire life.

After I'd chucked the first recipe's printout in the compost along with all of its unfortunate results, I was hellbent on making a seriously terrific coconut sugar cookie all on my own. And with the magic of Christmas, cookie tragedy gave way to inspiration and an awesome Coconut Sugar Cookie. I just love stories of First World problems leading to marginally important successes, don't you?


For those of you firmly on Team Coconut, I don't think you'll find another celebration of coconut in cookie form out there quite like this. Not only are we dealing with coconut extract to bump up the flavor, we've got ourselves shredded coconut in two forms, and a dreamy coconut milk icing. It's enough to send you to the islands in the dead of winter, I'm telling you.

The base recipe for this cookie is my beloved Heirloom Sugar Cookies, the sugar cookie of my youth, the one I perch on a pedestal above all others. Partly because of its buttery, airy and generally addictive qualities, and mostly because it's a recipe from my Gramma, from whom all delightful things come. To create a coconut sugar cookie divine enough to erase from my mind and palate the horrible nuggets of unleavened suntan oil that came from my first attempt, I figured starting with a perfect recipe was a good idea.

And dang, I was right, y'all! It's a Christmas miracle!


Coconut Sugar Cookies

Dessicated coconut can be found in any health food or natural foods store. Look for regular, full fat coconut milk for the icing (not "light" or "lite" coconut milk) in the Asian foods aisle.

You can scoop the dough out for baking immediately after mixing, or if you wish to store it longer, turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, patting the dough gently into a disc and wrapping it well before refrigerating or freezing.

Sanding sugar is a coarse, sparkly sugar found in kitchen and baking supply stores. Its endlessly useful for decorating and gives these cookies a pretty sparkle and a nice crunch. If you can't find it, just skip it, or try a smaller amount of granulated sugar instead.

Makes about 3 dozen

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

For the icing and decoration:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons white sanding sugar

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Whisk together the flour, dessicated coconut, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and coconut extracts in a small bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes.

Beat the egg mixture into the butter and sugar mixture on medium speed until well-blended. Scrape down the bowl and reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be very soft.

Using a 1-tablespoon-sized scoop, portion the dough into balls into the prepared baking sheets, 12 to a sheet. Pour about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar onto a plate. Dip the back of a measuring cup or the flat bottom of a glass into the sugar, and press onto each dough ball lightly to flatten each to about 1/4-inch thick, dipping the cup or glass again before pressing each cookie.

Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden and crisp at the edges, about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from front to back and top to bottom about halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool in the sheets for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cookies have cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, coconut milk and salt in a small bowl. Toss together the shredded coconut and sanding sugar on a plate. Spread each cookie evenly with icing and sprinkle generously with the sugared coconut. Let the icing dry for about an hour before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week (the cookies will soften a bit after the first day).

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Cranberry-Pistachio Torrone

All right, my December-loving comrades. Let's cut the crazy and get to some serious Christmas candy making. I'm talking about jade-green pistachios and ruby-red cranberries bound together by the dreamiest vanilla nougat this side of a Charleston Chew. It's called torrone (tore-OH-nay), it's an Italian holiday classic, and making it will bring you one step closer to Giada. I don't think there's anything wrong with any of that, do you?


In my quest to make this Italian tradition come alive in the Piece of Cake kitchen, some serious research was required. And because we're friends and it's the holidays, I couldn't be happier to drop the knowledge I've gained during this entire torrone-making experience. And believe me, it was quite the experience.


What I found was that the edible wafer paper that's called for in so many torrone recipes is absolutely, totally NOT optional, lest you enjoy spending precious time caressing sugar syrup and egg whites into candy only to find yourself unable it to get it out of the dang pan. Not to mention scraping strings of nougat from your hair and countertops hours later. Seek out this magical wafer paper, friends. It's seriously cheap and readily available online, but I found it at a baking supply shop near my house, no problem. And the surly lady at the counter even called me out and predicted I was making torrone! A baking psychic, that lady is.

Besides the wafer paper, you cannot get by without a candy thermometer for this one, guys. The syrup needs to be heated above 300 degrees, and the cold water tests you can do for lower temperatures required by other candy recipes won't really work here. Save yourself.

I also will say that this isn't the sort of recipe that you can do with an electric hand mixer. You really do need a heavy-duty stand mixer for this job, what with its 15 minutes or so of intense whipping at high speed and the final consistency of the nougat which resembles something like sticky caulk (albeit terribly delicious caulk). I really don't want you spending the holidays nursing muscle strains because I talked you into making torrone without mentioning this key element. So beg, borrow or steal a KitchenAid of you dont have one, because I'm telling you, this torrone is so, so worth it.


Beyond those few crucial tips, once you've got your equipment set and your torrone-making wits about you, the process here is really pretty easy and fun. Just heat up your syrup to the right temperature, whip up some egg whites, and then whip the two together in a great fury. When the candy is set and sliced into bars, the stained-glass effect is just so dang pretty, you'll think you've gone to candy church. Or something like that. But really, I can't think of a more festive little gift for all the randoms in your life that deserve a little something special. Or heck, just do it up like me and make it for yourself to devour it while watching Giada. It's the holidays, after all.


Cranberry-Pistachio Torrone
Adapted loosely from Martha Stewart

Edible wafer paper is widely available online, and in baking and kitchen supply stores, especially during the holidays.

The firmness of the finished candy is dependent on how hot you cook the syrup. Be sure you get it to the right temperature or the candy will be still be edible, but really soft, almost runny, and hard to eat.

You can find dessicated coconut at any health or natural foods store (like Whole Foods). I absolutely adore the surprise of the coconut here, but if you're not a coconut person, try a cup of sliced almonds instead.

Makes 8 2x4-inch bars

2 pieces edible wafer paper, cut to 8x8 inches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Generous pinch of salt
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups shelled salted pistachios
1 1/3 cups dessicated (unsweetened, finely shredded) coconut

With a tiny bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray on a paper towel, very lightly oil only the sides of an 8-inch square baking pan. Fit 1 piece of wafer paper in the bottom of the pan.

Combine sugar, honey, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to simmer and sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 315 degrees.

Meanwhile, put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Raise speed to high. When the syrup is up to temperature, pour it into the whipping egg whites in a slow, steady stream. Beat until mixture has thickened significantly and the bowl is cool to the touch, 10-15 minutres. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl well with a hard plastic spatula. Remove the whip attachment and scrape it down as well. Switch to the paddle attachment and on low speed, stir in the cranberries, pistachios and coconut.

Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Lightly oil your hand with cooking spray or vegetable oil and press the candy into an even layer, making sure to get it all the way into the corners of the pan. Place the second sheet of wafer paper (smooth side up) on the surface of the candy, and press firmly, making the the entire surface of the candy is covered. Let cool and set on a wire rack for several hours or overnight.

With a thin, sharp knife, cut around edges of torrone to loosen. Invert the pan onto a work surface, giving it a few good smacks to get the candy slab to fall out of the pan. Using a long, sharp knife, first trim off any ragged edges, then cut into 8 2x4-inch bars (dip the knife in hot water and wipe it off before each cut to make cutting cleaner and easier). Torrone can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream

So let me tell you how this is all going to go down. First we're going to make one heck of a cinnamon ice cream. Awesome, right? I know it's cold out. I know I'm completely out of line. Just hear me out.

Okay. Then we're going to caramelize some breakfast cereal.

What?

Wait, wait, hang--I know, just wait.

Then we're gonna mix the caramelized cereal into the ice cream.

Oh, c'mon! It's Christmastime!

Stick with me, here, people.

Before I go any further, I need to take you back a bit. Like, way back to when I was probably four or so, maybe. I know it was definitely before my little sister came along and dethroned me, so for certain younger than five. Anyway, back in the little suburban town in Illinois where I grew up, there was a Swensen's ice cream parlor that I was obsessed with. It didn't stick around for too long into my childhood; I think many of the Midwestern locations closed up shop at some point. But I do very clearly remember a certain cinnamon ice cream they had that just about made my whole life, even though I probably really only had it a couple of times. Funny how a small child can savor such fleeting moments so vividly. Like when you promise them a cookie, like, seven hours ago.

Anyway, fast forward many years later and I'm cruising the highly dangerous, hilly streets of my new hometown of San Francisco. Stopping abruptly to avoid being killed by a racing streetcar full of Alcatraz sweatshirt-wearing tourists, I look up to see a flippin' Swensen's ice cream parlor! What?! Childhood memories came flooding back, filling my eyes with tears. Cinnamon Ice Cream Tears. So I had to pull over and check it out. And wouldn't you know it, those jerks don't even have cinnamon ice cream anymore? Geez.

So for quite some time I've been dreaming up my own cinnamon ice cream, one with all the spice and creaminess that I remember from the days of yore. But because I've become cranky and particular about my ice cream in my old age, I needed more than just plain cinnamon ice cream. I needed to add some dimension and texture. I needed to mix in some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Obvi.

I opted to up the crazy further by caramelizing the cereal to a satisfying sweet-salty crunch with salted butter and brown sugar, which also keeps it from getting all soft when mixed into the ice cream.

(Sidenote: this part of the recipe can be consumed by the handful in an addicitive frenzy, so just watch your back--it creeps up on you like that.)

Can you just imagine a scoop of this stuff on your holiday pies instead of plain old vanilla? Hoooo, boy. All mixed together--the spicy, creamy ice cream dotted with bits of what amounts to sweet-salty, candied bits of crunch--this ice cream gives the ghost of Swensen's cinnamon ice cream a run for its money. It will make you do questionable things. Like finding a shameless way to justify eating ice cream for breakfast.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream

If you can get your hands on it, I highly, highly suggest getting some Vietnamese cinnamon for this recipe (sometimes sold as Saigon cinnamon in supermarkets these days). It is so much more potent, so much more alive in flavor than your standard ground cinnamon. It also has a more intense color. The amounts listed below are the result of testing this recipe with it, so you may need to add more of regular ground cinnamon to get a noticably cinnamon-y flavor. Remember that the unfrozen custard needs to be sweeter and more intense in flavor than you might want in the end, because these things become muted when frozen.

I used salted butter for the caramelized cereal, but if you have unsalted butter on hand, add a good pinch of salt to get that great sweet-salty balance.

Makes just shy of 1 quart

For the ice cream base:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon (see note)

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the caramelized cereal:

1 1/2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal

3 tablespoons salted butter (or unsalted--see note)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon (when you run your finger across the back of the spoon through the custard, a track should remain and not run back into itself). Do not let the custard come to a bubble or boil while cooking. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl set over an ice-water bath. Stir often to cool the custard down quickly. Cover the bowl of custard with aluminum foil and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, overnight, or at least a few hours.

While the custard is chilling, prepare the caramelized cereal. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Place the cereal in a large zip top bag and coarsely crush it with the back of a measuring cup or wooden spoon. You don't want to grind it very fine--just breaking each piece of cereal into a few smaller pieces is good.

Place the butter and brown sugar in microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter is melted and hot, about 45-60 seconds on high. Whisk to blend well. Pour over the crushed cereal and toss to coat. Pat the mixture in a tight, but even, layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the sugar has visibly melted together the cereal and caramelized it. Let cool completely before breaking into about 1/2 inch pieces.

When the custard is cold, freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the caramelized cereal bits. Scrape the soft ice cream into a sealed container and freeze until firm.

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Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Meringues

Ooooh, you guys! I really hope I'm getting to you in time. Like before you get all set in your holiday baking plans. Because let me tell you what. These peppermint meringues? With their minty crunch, melting sweetness and slick of bittersweet chocolate? They need to be all up in your holiday cookie tins. I mean, just look at them in their jaunty striped suits. They will delight any recipient and call to you from the countertop. So says the person who's had meringue crumbs all down her shirt for three days straight.


I can't think of too many phrases more lovely than "Christmas confections", can you? Well, I suppose there's also "French meringue", which I also have a thing for. And "spatula", but that's neither here nor there. But about the French meringue. It's my favorite kind to make and eat. Oh, of course I love a pillowy, soft meringue atop a pie or the in-between kind that's baked crisp on the outside with a marshmallow-y interior, like with a heavenly pavlova. But I'm totally enamored with the kind of hard-throughout meringue cookie that has you cronch-cronch-ing while it simulatneously melts in your mouth. And I'll tell you what else--it's dang hard to find a good, reliable recipe for that sort of thing.


This recipe is a far cry from a hard-core, classic French meringue (granulated and confectioners' sugar? Flour? Mon dieu!), but the technique is every bit as simple. The little trick that makes these baked meringues so featherweight and addictively melt-in-your-mouth is the folding in of the confectioners' sugar and a touch of flour, after the bulk of the superfine granulated sugar has been whipped into the egg whites. And can I just say that when I grind granulated sugar in my coffee grinder to make superfine sugar and then pour it into a plastic bag to store it, I always get the biggest laugh out of how questionable the whole thing looks?

If you wondered if I was a square before, well, I guess I cleared that one up for you.


But in addition to being a total square, I am also quite crafty, and after deciding to make these meringues peppermint, opted to dress them up even more by painting long stripes of red food coloring up the sides of a piping bag before filling it. As you pipe out the meringue, you'll get a sweet little pattern on each cookie. Super stylish and cute! Unlike me with all these crazy meringue crumbs on my shirt.


Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Meringues

To make superfine sugar, take regular granulated sugar for a spin in a clean coffee grinder or food processor fitted with the steel blade.

When you add the peppermint extract, the minty fragrance and flavor may seem a bit overpowering, but it will be tempered by adding the remaining sugar mixture, and some of its minty power will bake off during the long baking time, too.

Gel food coloring is available at any good baking supply store and many craft stores. It's much thicker and much more intense in color than the liquid food coloring sold in supermarkets. You can forgo the jazzy striping altogether and just beat in a touch of festive food coloring with the extracts if you prefer.

Makes about 4-5 dozen, depending on size

4 large egg whites (about 4 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Red gel food coloring
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)

Position the oven rack to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar, the confectioners' sugar, and the flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the whip attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Whip first on medium speed, gradually increasing the speed to high, until the egg whites reach soft peaks. Gradually rain in the remaining superfine sugar. Continue to whip until the meringue is glossy and holds a very stiff peak. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a large spatula, gently and carefully fold in the remaining sugar mixture by hand in three additions, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.

On the inside of a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, use a long, thin paint brush to paint four or five long stripes of food coloring up the sides of the bag. Carefully transfer the meringue to the piping bag, aiming for the center of the bag as much as possible to avoid smudging the stripes. Pipe out the meringue into cookies about 1 1/2 inches in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets.

Place both sheets into the oven at once, and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 200 degrees. Bake until the cookies are completely firm and dry, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips on a double boiler or in the microwave on high power in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring after each interval. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the melted chocolate and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. when the chocolate has cooled and set (the refrigerator can speed up this process considerably), remove the cookies from the sheets and store in airtight containers at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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