Sunday, October 28, 2007

Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake

I've made this carrot cake at least ten times, possibly more. It's a recipe my mom has used since I was little. I never tire of it and i'm always proud to serve it. I usually use a bundt pan, but occasionally i'll make a layer cake or a roulade.

It's the one recipe I can never bring myself to share.

Usually, I get very angry when people refuse to trade recipes. Sometimes the refusal seems selfish, malicious, and rude. Other times, it's more understandable. Some bakers and food professionals guard their recipes to protect their livelihood. Other people just want a recipe that distinguishes them and is special to their friends and family.

Marge, a family friend, make the best fruitcake i've ever tasted and sends us two every Christmas. She won't give the recipe to anyone. It's maddening, but it makes her cakes very special. I have jokingly offered her my firstborn for the recipe.

I'm not sure why i'm so reluctant to part with this recipe. I love that it's been passed through family. I feel like posting it on the internet will somehow make it less special, less personal. I tell myself if I ever open a bakery or catering business, this will be on the menu.

I will give you any other recipe in my repertoire. I'm just not ready to let go of the carrot cake.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Scones from Enrico Biscotti Co.

Scones from Enricos

During undergrad I took a 7:56am bus to the Strip District almost every Saturday. Now I avoid Saturday because it gets so crowded! Still, I love the Strip and I go there for different things depending on my mood and the time of year.

Right now i'm in a scone phase. While I like traditional, soft cream scones with jam or clotted cream, I'm rather partial to drop scones. These ones have particularly crusty exteriors (and i'm a sucker for anything crusty.)

I think my current favorite flavor is raspberry with lemon icing. Today I decided on lemon and chocolate chip/pecan. They were perfect with coffee. In general I love the combination of chocolate/lemon and coffee/lemon.

Scones from Enricos

The Enrico Biscotti Company is one of my favorite places. You can always find good, comforting food there, and Larry Lagatutta has great stories about old italian ladies, handed-down recipes, and knife injuries. Their cafe is now open six days a week, so you can get your wood-fired-pizza fix.

Now if only the yearly supply of Bahlsen christmas cookies would arrive. Then it would really feel like fall.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Fruit and Nut Bars

Fruit and Nut Bars
Fruit and Nut Bars from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies.

I have two roommates. One of them loved these bars and the other said, "I think they look a little too healthy for me."

I think the apple anadama coffee cake also falls into the slightly too healthy category. Personally, I love baked goods with a high percentage of "stuff" in them, whether that's nuts, grains, fruits, etc. Unfortunately, these things don't move very quickly when you try to ditch them at work or class.

Maybe it's the slightly brown, healthy color or the large chunks of fruit that throws people off. I keep thinking "if they tried it, they'd like it! It tastes good!"

The office can be a strange place. Women will devour chocolate cupcakes with three inch thick frosting if someone says it's made with splenda, but they'll ignore a perfectly nice fruit bar. Hmph.

This recipe is available here.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Apple Anadama Coffee Cake

Apple Anadama Coffee Cake

This the sort of cake I imagine Heidi Swanson or Molly would like.

It's very hearty and seasonally appropriate. Cornmeal, whole wheat flour, semolina flour, and grated apples give the cake a dense texture that's somewhat like a bran muffin. The crunchy cornmeal streusel on top is a nice addition too.

Sometimes it's nice to enjoy something that's not overly sweet.

Apple Anadama Coffee Cake
adapted from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup fine whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 granny smith apples, peeled and grated
2/3 cup buttermilk

for the topping:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
3 tbsp cornmeal
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a 9in square baking pan.

Combine flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon and set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 5-8 minutes. The creamed butter will become smooth and pale in color.

In a medium bowl, combine molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix with a whisk. With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly pour the molasses mixture into the creamed butter and mix with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. At first the butter will look like it's separating, but don't worry. Add the grated apples and continue mixing on low speed for 30 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the bowl, mixing with a wooden spoon just until the batter comes together. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Set aside.

for the topping:
Place all topping ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for 1-2 minutes. The topping will become coarse and crumbly.

Spread topping evenly over the cake and bake for 40-45 mins. Test center with a skewer. It will come out clean when the cake is finished. Let cook for 20 minutes on a wire rack, then run a sharp knife around the sides of the cake to release it from the baking pan. Invert pan to remove the coffee cake, then place it, topping side up, on a serving plate. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temp for 3 days.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Blondies (not boring!)

Blondies

Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies continues to surprise me.

I usually hate blondies. My usual reaction is too much flour, too little flavor. These were great for a few reasons: they're simple (melt the butter and mix in everything else,) they're chewy, and they're full of flavor.

Alice Medrich suggests adding a tablespoon of dark rum. Don't omit this step! You can, but I thought the rum added a fantastic and surprising depth of flavor.

Try to use good chocolate chips if you can; I used 62% Nestle Chocolatier chips. They're not the best, but they're much better than the normal tollhouse. Chopped bittersweet chocolate would work nicely too.

Please, please don't overbake these!

Blondies
adapted from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar, lump free
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum or bourbon
2/3 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 inch square pan, lined with parchment paper or foil

Preheat the oven to 350. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a wisk or fork. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg, vanilla, and rum, if using. Stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts. Spread the batter in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack. Lift the ends of the parchment or foil and transfer to a cutting board. Use a long, sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. May be stored, airtight, for 3-4 days.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Sweet and Spicy Nuts.

I had a library student potluck last night. The blackout cake went over well; the outer frosting got way too hard in the fridge, but the inside was very moist. I'd happily eat a bowl of the pudding filling by itself.

I also made this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Nuts from The Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook. I have no photo because everyone ate them! The cayenne pepper gives these spiced nuts a pleasant kick. They'd make a good holiday gift or holiday party contribution. Feel free to substitute other nuts; I used 2c walnuts, 1c almonds/pecans, and 1c hazelnuts.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup whole peanuts
1 cup whole pecans
1 cup walnut halves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then brush the top of the paper with canola oil.

Combine almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts in a medium bowl.

Combine cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, ginger, pepper, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Mix well, then pour the spice mixture over the nuts and toss together thoroughly.

Combine honey and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and place over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is just warm. Pour the mixture over the nuts and toss together until the nuts are evenly coated.

Pour the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them in a single layer. Bake on a center rack of oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the nuts take on a rich mahogany color. Let the nuts cool completely. At this point they will have formed a single, crispy layer in the baking sheet. Break the nuts apart with your hands and store in an airtight container. Store in a cool place, as heat will melt the syrup on the nuts and make them sticky.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

This is the Brooklyn Blackout Cake from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book.

Something is wrong. My baking has been off for a week and a half or so- about the entire time i've been ill. I decided to make this cake for a potluck, but nothing went quite right.

The cake layers were either undercooked, or over-ly moist. This could have been due to too much liquid, or the fact that valrhona cocoa powder has a higher fat content than other cocoa powders. Probably too much liquid, too little flour. My chocolate pudding filling wasn't as set as I would have liked. I think I should have used a higher percentage cocoa.

When I tried to frost the cake, the broken middle layer started sliding out with the pudding. I managed to precariously cover the mess in frosting and hide all damage with the cake crumbs.

I'm going to serve it anyway without comment and hope it tastes fine.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Flag-Raising Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

I'm practicing for the upcoming Slow Food Pittsburgh apple pie contest. It's difficult; apple pie has so many variables and i've never actually had one I really, truly liked. For me, key factors are:

1. crispy crust that has flavor (ie- plain shortening won't cut it.)
2. properly cooked apples
3. doesn't turn into a mess when you cut into it
4. doesn't have an inch of liquid in the bottom.


I've always loved my mother's apple pie. She uses gala apples and butter flavored shortening. The problem is a lot of people hate butter flavored shortening.

I don't think a fancy tart crust ala Maury Rubin or Pierre Herme suits apple pie. I like a rustic quality- something closer to a crostata.

I've had crusts made with oil or melted butter that tasted pretty good. Some suggest pre-cooking the crust and the filling. I'm starting to think this might be a good technique. There's also some interesting recipes for dutch apple pie that involve making a caramel/cooked apple mix that gets tossed with the sliced apples.

This first attempt is Flo Braker's "Flag Raising Apple Pie" from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking. The streusel recipe was so simple: butter, sugar, and flour. I thought it'd be boring, but it's fantastic.

The crust recipe was crunchy, but relatively flavorless. It contrasted well with the streusel though. Unforunately, the bottom crust was a disaster. I put too many apples in the pie and they released too much liquid. The bottom crust was beyond soggy, and the apples were undercooked.

I think cornstarch would be a better thickener this time. Flour just doesn't work as well.

Hopefully i'll find a good recipe in time. I'm going to experiment with some other crusts and apples and i'll keep you posted.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Recipe for Failure.

Failure.

Failure (serves one.)
1 cake recipe
2 garbage bags
1 sponge
1 glass of water
15 spatulas

1. Decide that, despite being really sick, you'd like to bake a cake.

2. Select a cake recipe and corresponding frosting. In this instance we've used Tish Boyle's Banana Cake with Espresso-Caramel Frosting.

3. Prepare the cake according to the directions. You should end up with the most perfect nine inch cakes you've ever produced.

4. Begin the frosting and decide halfway through that you're going to try a new technique for incorporating the sugar.

5. Undercook your sugar syrup, curdle your eggs, then increase the mixer speed to high whilst thinking this will rectify all problems.

6. Attempt to spread the curdled frosting on the cake. Attempt to pipe a lovely border.

7. Refrigerate the cake for ten minutes.

8. Remove cake from fridge and watch the top layer slide off the bottom.

9. Use the sponge to clean large gobs of weeping buttercream from your drawers, countertops, and mixer. Drop the cake into one garbage bag, and once you see the corners of the cake board poking through place it in a second bag. Throw cake into the garbage chute. Pray the bag doesn't burst within the chute.

10. Get a glass of water and go back to bed. Do more grad school homework like you should have done in the first place.


Water

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Date Cake with Toffee Sauce

Sticky Toffee Cake

Sticky Toffee Cake

Yesterday I tried to make the Date Cake from Desserts from Chanterelle. I bought a bag of california dates, figuring they'd be fine; however, the recipe calls for 9oz of unpitted medjool dates and I wasn't comfortable estimating a substitution. I made the toffee sauce and decided to buy medjool dates the next day.

Dates

The medjool dates are on the right. They're moist and meaty while the california dates are slightly dry and much less flavorful. Sometimes it's worth it to spend slightly more for good ingredients.

I didn't have a 9in square pan, so I set aside one cup of the batter and baked the rest in an 8in square. I used the extra to make some mini cakes for sampling and photos, as the whole cake is going to Bloomfield for a dinner.

This Date Cake is Kate Zuckerman's version of a sticky toffee pudding. It's a great cake for fall; it's spiced with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, espresso powder and rum. The warm toffee sauce is a rich, boozy concoction of butter, cream, rum, and brown sugar.

I highly recommend this. Please don't ask me to post the recipe; I have mentioned several from this book already and I do not think it's fair to put them all online.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Nibby Nut and Raisin Cookies

NIbby Nut and Raisin Cookies

These are the Nibby Nut and Raisin Cookies from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet.

I used a little too much flour. The cookies didn't spread well, so I flattened the tablespoons of dough with a glass. I felt pretty shocked and dissapointed when the first batch didn't look anything like the picture in the book.

This recipe is nice because it's loaded with currants (in place of raisins,) cocoa nibs, and chopped walnuts. It also omits the creaming step and uses melted butter.

I'd be interested to talk to anyone who's had great success with this recipe. Given my results I think dark brown sugar would work much better than light brown, and I would have liked to throw in a few pinches of cinnamon. Baking the dough without parchment or silicone made the cookies much crispier on the bottom too.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Chocolate-nut Wedges

Chocolate Nut Wedges

Chocolate Nut Wedges

I met a fellow Pittsburgh blogger for coffee at Enrico's Tazza D'oro yesterday. Antonio, a very friendly barista, made me the best double macchiato i've ever had in Pittsburgh (possibly ever.) His foam technique is really solid.

I really appreciate a good cup of coffee. I never know what to say when a barista asks me how much milk I want on my macchiato. I especially hate it when the beverage i'm handed is just a shot of espresso with some milk dumped in.

Anyway, one topic of conversation was boxed cake mix. I don't think box mix is -that- convenient, especially considering that many people doctor their box mix with other ingredients. I'm not saying you're not allowed to enjoy box cake; If you are simply intimidated by baking, there are many simple, delicious, and forgiving recipes you can try.

These chocolate-nut wedges from The Weekend Baker can be made in half an hour, possibly less. The prep time is especially fast if you use a food scale. All the dry ingredients get thrown together. The wet ingredients are piled on top and mixed in. The resulting treat is something in between cake and a brownie.

Because this recipe is so simple, your finished product will only be as your ingredients. I used some leftover valrhona cocoa powder and chinese cassia cinnamon from Penzey's Spices. I used mini chocolate chips so they'd be better distributed and I chose pecans because I love them combined with cinnamon.

The cake may seem underbaked when you pull it out of the oven, but it will harden up as it cools. Believe me- if you wait until the whole cake is solid and tests completely done, it will be way overcooked. These wedges taste much better when they've fully cooled. Right out of the oven the texture is a little off, and the flavor of cinnamon isn't as pronounced.

This might not be the best treat you ever eat, but for something that takes a half hour it's delicious. Some days I need a recipe that doesn't take three hours and make a mess of the kitchen.


Chocolate-nut Wedges
adapted from The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge
3/4 cup (99g) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (170g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (57g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (43g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/3 cup (73ml) canola or corn oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (57g) chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans) no need to toast

1. Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350/180C degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9in(22.75cm) pie plate.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Mix together the oil and eggs with a fork until just blended. Pour the liquid over the flour mix and mix with a rubber spatula until well blended. Scrape into the prepared pie plate and spread evenly (the batter will be quite thick.) Scatter the chopped nuts over the top.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few gooey pieces clinging to it, about 20 minutes. Transfer the baking dish to a rack and let cool. Cut the pie into 8 wedges.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Chewy Almond and Cherry Bars.

Cherry Almond Bars

Some days, I feel like lazy baking: baking that requires no butter creaming, egg white whipping, gelatin blooming, double boiling or dough proofing.

I've also been a little uninspired lately when it comes to cooking, writing, and music making. I thought it might help to go back to basics. I've been working on etudes and keeping my blog entries rather short. Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies is an old classic and I decided to try a simple recipe i'd normally be tempted to skip over.

These Almond and Cherry Bars taste like something someone's mother would give you. They're very plain but satisfying with a chewy texture similar to blondies or peanut butter bars. The almond extract lends a delicate, aromatic touch.

I'm not sure how my writing is going to progress. My sixteen year old brother wrote a short autobiography that was incredibly fresh and hillarious. It made me wonder if my literary voice has been killed by years of trying to do well in english class.

Anyway, i'm going to keep trying simplicity for a while and see where things go.

Chewy Almond and Cherry Bars
3/4 cup whole almonds, with or without skins
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, or dried cranberries, or apricots
8 inch square pan lined with parchment or foil

Preheat the oven to 350. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Process the almonds with the flour in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until the almonds are finely ground. Add the salt and baking powder and pulse to mix. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the egg and almond extract. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the dried fruit. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and have pulled away from the sides of the pan and the top is golden brown. Cool in the pan on a rack. Run a knife along the unlined sides of the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 16 squares. May be stored airtight for at least 1 week.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies

These pictures are rather similar, but I couldn't choose between them.

This is a decadent recipe from Dorie Greenspan. The key is to let the brownies reach room temperature before you eat them- otherwise the ganache will be hard to bite through and the peanut butter frosting will pull away from the brownie.

They are ridiculously decadent.

Peanut Butter Brownies
reposted from epicurious.com

Brownies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Frosting and ganache
1 cup chunky peanut butter (do not use natural or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For brownies:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving long overhang; butter foil.

Place 3/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepan. Add both chocolates; stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt, then eggs, 1 at a time. Fold in flour, then nuts. Spread in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; cool.

For frosting and ganache:
Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar, salt, and nutmeg, then milk and vanilla. Spread frosting over brownies.

Stir chocolate and 1/4 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Drop ganache all over frosting; spread to cover. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Using foil as aid, transfer brownie cake to work surface; cut into squares. Bring to room temperature; serve.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Banana Bread/Cake ala David Lebovitz.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

I made this recipe from David Lebovitz's blog. It's a little different than other banana bread recipes i've made: less butter, and some fromage blanc. It's a good snack cake.

I'm a little amused by the photo; it wasn't staged. I bought roses earlier in the day (only 5 bucks from the lady outside PNC) and the music was from cello practice. I don't have a music stand at the moment, so I invariably prop the music on tables, chairs, desks, random piles of junk.

I'm making almond/cherry bars and peanut butter brownies tonight so stay tuned. It's going to be a crazy week and I think i've been baking overtime to avoid thinking about it.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Gingersnaps.

Gingersnaps

I finally ordered a copy of The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle. These gingersnaps won me over; I could eat the whole pile in one go.

These aren't snappy, toothbreaking gingersnaps: They're crisp right around the edges, but soft in the middle. I baked one batch for 10 minutes and the other for 15. The second batch had much crispier edges, but still stayed chewy.

The flavors are really well balanced. I like my gingersnaps with more cloves than usual, so the 1.5 tsps in this recipe was perfect.

Gingersnaps
adapted from The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle

18 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp powdered ginger
1.5 tsp ground cloves
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup raw sugar, or granulated sugar.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the light brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter in color, 6 to 8 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a dry bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture, all at once, to the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold together for a few turns. With the mixter on slow speed, mix the dough until thoroughly combined, 1 minute.

Add the molasses and mix until incorporated. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone. Place the raw sugar in a small bowl. Pinch off 1.5 inch pieces of batter and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheet 2 inches apart and press your thumb in the center of each cookie to flatten it a bit. Bake until the cookies spread, crack a bit, and take on a dark golden brown color, 10-15 minutes.

Buckwheat Blueberry Cake.

Blueberry Buckwheat Cake

I tried this recipe from Orangette today; I felt like I needed a hearty, comforting breakfast cake.

I think it's delicious, and you'll like it if you enjoy the strong taste of buckwheat. I think the walnuts added in the original recipe would have been a nice touch too.