by Cleo Coyle
Warm Holiday-Spice Glaze
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon allspice
1¼ cup powdered sugar
Warm pure maple syrup, butter, water, and allspice in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Keep stirring and heating, simmering for a few minutes, until mixture is smoothly blended. This is a thin glaze that will appear almost transparent on the muffins. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top of your cooled muffins while the glaze is still warm. If glaze hardens up in pan, reheat and stir. Serve glazed muffins immediately or let the glaze cool first. Glaze will harden in 20 to 30 minutes.
NOTE: Sure, it sounds like a combination of spices, but allspice is actually one spice that mimics the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Because the cost of buying spices can be pricey—especially ground cloves—allspice is not only a delicious alternative, it’s a clever way to keep your holiday baking within your budget. The pea-sized allspice berry comes from the evergreen pimiento tree, by the way. Although the tree is grown in the West Indies and South America, Dexter’s island of Jamaica provides most of the world’s supply!
Clare’s “Bar-ista” Special Macaroons
As Clare noted in one of her old In the Kitchen with Clare columns: Your basic coconut macaroon is simply a cookie made with lots of flaked coconut that’s mixed into a paste and baked. One way to do this is with sweetened condensed milk and egg whites. Another way is to combine a 14-ounce package of sweetened flaked coconut (5cups) with cup granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons flour, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Fold in 4 egg whites that have been lightly beaten with a fork and mix well. Create cookies by packing the coconut batter into the rounded tablespoon (from your measuring spoon set) and dropping onto a cookie sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper or well greased to prevent sticking. Using your fingers, mold each cookie into a little pyramid. The triangular shape actually helps the cookie to brown on the outside for a slightly crispy bite while remaining soft and chewy on the inside. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges of cookie are golden brown. Do not over bake or inside won’t give you the proper chewy consistency. (Makes about 30 cookies.)
Clare’s “Bar-ista Special” Macaroon recipe puts the basic macaroon on top of a bar cookie that’s quick and easy to make and sell out of the coffeehouse pastry case.
Makes 16 bars or 36 bite-sized squares
For the cookie crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 egg yolks, room temperature (save whites for topping)
For the macaroon topping:
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut, not shredded cup sweetened condensed milk
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon granulated sugar cup semisweet chocolate chips
Step 1—Make cookie crust: First, preheat the oven to 325°F. Using an electric mixer, blend all of the cookie crust ingredients together. Using your fingers, press the dough into a 9-inch square pan that’s been greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. No more! You want the cookie crust to set but not brown. Leave the oven at 325°F for Step 3.
Step 2—Make macaroon topping: In a small bowl, mix the coconut with the condensed milk. Let stand to soak. In a larger bowl, beat the egg whites until you see soft mounds. Keep beating while adding the sugar. When stiff peaks begin to form, fold in the milk-soaked coconut. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and spread the topping on the cookie crust.
Step 3—Bake macaroons: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into 16 bars or 36 bite-sized squares.
Nonna Cosi’s Linguine with White Clam Sauce
As with many Italian families, Clare Cosi grew up with the holiday tradition of eating “seven fishes” on the night before Christmas. Italian cooks take this tradition very seriously, coming up with many different fish dishes to serve. Clare’s grandmother almost always served this one. The clam sauce is so easy to make that Clare got into the habit of keeping cans of clams, packages of pasta, and Wondra flour in her pantry so she could throw together a quick, delicious meal without much notice—just the way she did for Mike Quinn the night she was arrested. Of course, Clare’s Nonna didn’t have “packages” of linguine. She always made her pasta from scratch. Those were the days!
Makes 4-6 servings
For the white clam sauce:
½ cup scallions (green onions), minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
24-ounces of canned minced clams
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
4 tablespoons Wondra flour (see note)
1½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
For the pasta:
5 quarts water
1½ tablespoons (5 teaspoons) salt
Splash olive oil
1 pound linguine (or pasta of your choice)
Step 1—Prepare ingredients: Put the pasta water over low heat and then mince the scallions and garlic and chop the parsley. Drain your canned clams, reserving the clam juice. (You’ll get about 2 cups.)
Step 2—Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Do not allow the butter to brown or burn! Add minced scallions and garlic. Sauté until the scallions are transparent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour until all of the liquid is absorbed. With the heat still on low, add the milk, stirring constantly to keep from forming lumps (whisk if you need to). Add your minced clams and half of the reserved clam juice (1 cup). Stir in your parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 3—Thicken the sauce: Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring. In about 3-5 minutes, you’ll see the sauce begin to simmer. Continue stirring and simmering on medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. When done, remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand about 10 minutes, letting flavors continue to blend while you cook your pasta.
Step 4—Cook the pasta: Turn the heat to high under the pasta water pot that you put on to boil in Step 1. As bubbles begin to appear, add the salt and a splash of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. When the water is at a roiling boil, add your pasta and stir the pot every so often to prevent sticking. Cook until tender—about 9-10 minutes, depending on your pasta. (Check the package instructions if you’re using premade pasta. Check your recipe if you’re using homemade.)
Step 5—Finish and serve: Drain the pasta, then return it to the original pot (now drained of water). Add the sauce and stir until well blended. Serve immediately with suggested garnishes (see note).
NOTE ON FLOUR: You can substitute regular flour in this recipe, but Wondra is a great product to have in your cupboard. This superfine flour helps thicken sauces and gravies with a minimum amount of lumps. Look for its blue cardboard canister in the same grocery store aisle that shelves all-purpose flour. (A handy, foolproof recipe for making a basic white sauce can be found right on the canister’s label, too.)
NOTE ON GARNISHES: A number of garnishes will work well with this dish. Try freshly ground black or white pepper, lemon zest, and/or sea salt. In lieu of salt—and contrary to those who say seafood should not be paired with cheese—I find a strong, aged cheese like Pecorino Romano lends a delicious, piquant note when freshly grated over this dish!
Gardner’s No-Bake Mocha Rum Balls
Because Gardner’s memories of the holidays always included Caribbean rum (thanks to his auntie), he contributed this deliciously decadent recipe. Sophisticated yet easy (and fun) to make, these treats blend the flavors of chocolate and dark rum with another ingredient Jamaica has long been
proud of exporting—coffee.
Makes about 48 cookies
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces,
or cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces,
or cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature and cut into
small pieces
3cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon dark rum or 1½ teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee
¼ teaspoon salt
One or more of the following finishers: chocolate jimmies; toasted
coconut; toasted almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or another favorite nut
(see note on toasting nuts)
Step 1—Melt the chocolate: Melting chocolate is very easy, but also tricky. If you do it wrong, the chocolate can seize up on you and become coarse and grainy. If the chocolate scorches, the flavor will suffer. Avoid these disasters by following Clare’s directions for properly melting chocolate (page 335).
Step 2—Mix the dough: To avoid problems mixing the dough, you’ll want to keep the bowl of melted chocolate warm. If you used a microwave to melt the chocolate, then simply transfer the bowl to sit snugly over a saucepan with hot water in it. (The water should not be touching the bowl.) The pan of water can sit on your stovetop with the burner turned very low. Just don’t let the water boil or you’ll risk scorching the chocolate and ruining the taste of the cookies. To make the dough, work quickly: Stir in the softened butter pieces. After they have completely melted, stir in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Dissolve the instant coffee crystals into the dark rum and espresso, and then stir into the chocolate mixture. Finally, mix in the salt and the rest of your powdered sugar (the remaining 1cups). If you’re having trouble getting the final bit of sugar to melt into the dough, you probably allowed the bowl to cool off too much. Just turn up the heat under the saucepan of water and keep stirring until all of the sugar is incorporated.
Step 3—Roll the balls: When the dough is smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated, begin making your cookies. This pliable dough should be warm yet cool enough to touch. (If it’s too warm, turn down the heat under your saucepan of water and keep mixing with a spatula until it’s cool enough to work with.) Using your hands, roll the mocha mixture into balls. These are very rich cookies so keep them small, no more than 1-inch in diameter. Between every few cookies, use a spatula to remix the dough, bringing up the warmer dough from the bottom of the bowl and folding it into the top layer. Troubleshooting: As you work, if you see liquid forming on the surface of the dough, then your dough is separating: Turn down the heat beneath your pan of water and fold the dough again, remixing with a rubber spatula until it’s smooth and dry and pliable once more. On the other hand, if you’re having trouble getting the garnish (below) to stick to your mocha balls, then your dough is too cool! Turn up the heat and make sure the dough is warm and sticky enough to allow the finishers to adhere to the surface.
Step 4—Garnish with flare: The brown balls themselves won’t look too impressive until you finish them. Immediately after you roll each ball, transfer it to a shallow bowl and coat with one of the following finishers: chocolate jimmies, toasted almonds ground finely in a food processor or spice grinder, toasted coconut. Gardner suggests dividing up your cookies and giving guests a variety of these flavor combinations.
Step 5—Serve or store: Place finished mocha balls on a flat surface and allow them to set. This will take one to two hours. Serve or store in an airtight container. Warning: Do not place mocha balls in fridge or freezer before cookies set on their own or you’ll end up with a cookie texture that’s grainy instead of smooth. For best results, simply allow cookies to remain in a cool, dry area of your kitchen until they’ve hardened enough to handle without changing shape. For a polished presentation, especially on dessert trays or party tables, nestle each mocha ball in its own fluted paper liner. (I use the mini muffin cup liners sold in the baking supplies aisle of my grocery.)
NOTE: To toast nuts or coconut, preheat oven to 350ºF, spread nuts or flaked or shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) in a single layer on cookie sheet and heat for 10 minutes. Stir a few times during this process to ensure even toasting.
Dexter’s Flourless Chocolate Jamaican Rum Cake with Warm Coffee-Rum Sauce
See photos of this recipe at www.CoffeehouseMystery.com
A slice of fudgy heaven with hints of rum and coffee. Just as good, if not better, when served the day after baking. Of course, Dexter wants you to purchase dark Jamaican rum for this recipe, but any good dark rum will work; and (don’t tell him I told you, but . . .) here’s a good rule of thumb to remember for rum-flavored baking: If you’d rather not use alcoholic rum, you can always substitute rum extract by following this ratio:
1 tablespoon dark rum = 1½ teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon light rum = ½ teaspoon rum extract
Makes 1 sinfully fudgy single-layer cake (serves 8)
Butter
Granulated sugar
5 extra large eggs, room temperature!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons espresso or coffee brewed at double strength
2 tablespoons dark rum or 3 teaspoons of rum extract
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
Coffee-Rum Sauce, optional
Step 1—Prepare your 9-inch single layer cake pan: First, preheat the oven to 350°F. This cake is truly amazing, but you’ll be heartbroken if it sticks to your pan. The absolute foolproof method to prevent sticking is: (1) Generously butter the sides of the pan and dust with a bit of granulated sugar (dumping out excess). The sugar will give your cake its caramelized crust. (2) Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of your pan. (If you’ve never used parchment paper, look for it where wax paper and plastic wrap are sold.)
Step 2—Make your cake batter: Whip up room temperature eggs using an electric mixer. Continue beating 2 to 3 minutes until the eggs double in volume. Now mix in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Dissolve your instant coffee crystals into your espresso (or double-strength coffee) and dark rum, and add these ingredients to your eggs. To make sure the cornstarch blends in smoothly and does not clump, stir it into your powdered sugar first and then add these ingredients to the egg mixture. Continue whipping with your mixer for another minute or two, making sure the mixture is light and frothy. Set aside as you melt the chocolate.
Step 3—Add melted chocolate: Melt your chocolate. Very easy to do but just as easy to ruin—take care to follow Clare’s directions and warnings on page 335 (How to Melt Chocolate). Now slowly pour the melted chocolate into your egg mixture while continuing to beat with mixer. (You don’t want the warm chocolate to cook your eggs!) Set aside for a minute while you whip your cream.
Step 4—Whip your cream: In a separate chilled bowl, beat your cold heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff. Using a spoon or spatula, fold your freshly whipped cream into your chocolate batter.
Step 5—Bake: Pour finished batter into your prepared 9-inch layer cake pan. In the process of rising, the cake may slosh a bit of batter over the sides of the pan. To prevent spillage in your oven, simply place a sheet pan on the rack beneath your cake pan. Bake for one hour. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. No kidding. Let that cake cool on a rack at least 40 minutes before removing or you’ll risk it breaking!
Step 6—Cool and plate: As the cake cools, you’ll see it fall and that’s okay. The finished cake should be dense and fudgy and only about 1 inch high. Don’t worry about any cracks on the cake’s top, ei
ther, because nobody will see them! After cooling at least 40 minutes, run a butter knife around edges of your cake pan.) Place your serving plate over the top of the cake and gently invert (like pineapple upside-down cake). Now gently peel away the parchment paper to reveal a perfect, level cake top. (See, I told you!) Leave cake inverted this way on the serving plate. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a wonderfully rustic presentation.
Step 7—Serve or store: To serve, cut the cake into slices. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream make delicious accompaniments for this baby. For a delicious and decadent finish, make the Coffee-Rum Sauce (recipe follows). Pool the sauce on the dessert plate and place your slice of Chocolate Rum cake right on top of the sauce, or scoop ice cream beside or on top of the cake and drizzle the warm sauce over both. This cake is even better the second and third day! To store, make sure it’s completely cool, then wrap in plastic, and store in a cool, dry area of your kitchen.
COFFEE-RUM SAUCE
Makes 1 cup sauce
¼ cup freshly brewed coffee
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dark rum or 3 teaspoons rum extract
1½ cups powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, warm brewed coffee over low heat (do not boil). Add butter, stirring until completely melted. Finally, stir in rum and powdered sugar. At no time should this mixture be allowed to boil. When sugar is completely dissolved, the sauce is ready to serve. Pool the sauce warm on each dessert plate and place a slice of rum cake right on top of sauce. This sauce is also delicious over ice cream! If you don’t have the time to make Dexter’s Flourless Chocolate Rum Cake, simply buy a pound cake from the bakery, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each slice, and generously pour the warm Coffee-Rum Sauce over it all.
