by Erin McKenna
3 sage leaves, torn
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss together the bread, butter, sage, oregano, and salt, and season with pepper. Spread out the seasoned bread on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake, stirring halfway through, until the croutons are golden, about 12 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before serving. The croutons will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.
sweets: the bonus round
I proved incapable of writing a recipe collection without including a few desserts. Sweets are just who I am. If you are reading this and are happy to find this chapter, please join me in thanking my lovely editor, Rica, and wonderful publisher, Pam, for letting me sneak these recipes into my savory book.
Though to be honest, most of them aren’t that much of a stretch from the savory premise of this collection. The recipes that follow are largely the result of having loaf upon loaf of leftover bread in the test kitchen. If you’ve come to know anything about me over the course of these books, it’s that I enjoy the color pink and I hate waste in the kitchen: You’ve worked hard to bring these recipes to life, and they should work equally hard to bring you happiness.
So I took some half-finished croissants, added lots of pantry favorites, and gave to you Sticky Pecan Rolls. I dosed some shards of a simple bread with cocoa, banana, and dates and now we all can enjoy Banana-Toffee Pudding. There are also vegan and gluten-free versions of Lorna Doone–like shortbread cookies, cinnamon-sugar twists, and chocolate babka.
sticky pecan rolls BANANA-TOFFEE PUDDING cinnamon-sugar pretzels
CHOCOLATE BABKA shortbread cookies LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
sticky pecan rolls
At the bakery we still do not use nuts of any kind. But at home, I usually have at least a few nut varieties stashed away for eating on the fly, and this is a recipe that reveals the passion for pecans that I’m not able to indulge at the bakery. It’s a bit intense, and you should keep it close at hand in the I’m-blowing-my-diet-screw-it file. Close your eyes and go for it.
makes 8
Melted unscented coconut oil, for brushing the tin
½ cup (112 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 recipe All-Purpose Puff Pastry Dough
½ cup (112 GRAMS) melted Butter
1 cup (85 GRAMS) chopped pecans (optional)
¼ cup (88 GRAMS) agave nectar
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush 8 cups of a 12-cup muffin tin lightly with oil and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out the pastry dough into a large 15 by 7-inch rectangle. Remove the parchment paper and cut the dough in half lengthwise. Brush each side with 2½ tablespoons of the melted butter, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar, and top with ¾ cup of the pecans (if using), dividing them evenly between the two pieces of dough. Roll each side into a log and cut into 3-inch slices. Put each slice into a muffin cup. Brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, followed by the agave nectar, and then top with the remaining ¼ cup pecans.
Bake for 12 minutes, and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 10 minutes. Let the pecan rolls cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before serving.
banana-toffee pudding
This messy thing has been on my mind for years. I think what prevented me from giving it a try was that it seemed too complicated. Who has the time? It is true that there are more ingredients here than in most other BabyCakes recipes. But really, that is the only intimidating part. Plus in the end you have a glorious thing that everyone else is too intimidated to make for themselves! Upside: You’ll be a hero. Downside: You’ll be asked to make this for every person’s party until the end of time.
You can replace the agave nectar with one cup of vegan sugar or coconut sugar, if you prefer, but be sure to add a few splashes of warm water to the batter so it loosens up and forms something like a pancake batter.
serves 12
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1 cup (226 GRAMS) water
½ cup (90 GRAMS) pitted dates, roughly chopped
2 cups (280 GRAMS) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
3 tablespoons (18 GRAMS) unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup (220 GRAMS) agave nectar
½ cup (120 GRAMS) coconut milk
¼ cup (56 GRAMS) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (15 GRAMS) pure vanilla extract
1 medium banana, roughly chopped
TOFFEE
¼ cup (56 GRAMS) Butter
¼ cup (60 GRAMS) coconut milk
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (168 GRAMS) vegan sugar
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Brush twelve 3-inch ramekins with oil, arrange them on a baking sheet, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the dates, reduce the heat, and simmer until all the liquid evaporates, 9 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off any excess liquid.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the agave nectar, coconut milk, oil, lukewarm water, and vanilla and whisk until a thick batter forms. Fold in the dates and bananas. Fill each ramekin about two-thirds full with batter.
Bake for 10 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until the centers are fully cooked, 8 minutes. Let the puddings cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the toffee: In a small saucepan, combine the butter, coconut milk, water, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes to thicken but no more than 15.
Using an oven mitt to hold the ramekins, carefully run a butter knife around the edge of each pudding to loosen it. Turn it out onto a serving plate. Spoon the warm toffee generously over the top. Serve immediately.
cinnamon-sugar pretzels
This is the least sweet dessert I have ever made. It’s not unlike Mexico’s famous and exceptional churro, though it has a more boring name (nothing beats the word churro except for maybe its cousin, chimichanga). These pretzels have a few more steps than you are probably accustomed to me providing, but they are not at all difficult. Bake these off by the dozens if you have an outdoor activity to attend or host.
makes 14
PRETZELS
¾ cup (226 GRAMS) warm water (about 120°F)
6 tablespoons (84 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing the baking sheet
1¾ cups (245 GRAMS) brown rice flour, or more if needed, plus more for rolling the dough
1 cup (140 GRAMS) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (45 GRAMS) baking soda
CINNAMON-SUGAR
1 cup (224 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2 tablespoons (17 GRAMS) ground cinnamon
Make the pretzels: In a small bowl, combine the warm water, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the yeast and let the mixture proof until it bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, the remaining 5 tablespoons sugar, the xanthan gum, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and vanilla and, using a
rubber spatula, stir until a firm ball of dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add more rice flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it just comes together. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it sit on the countertop for 1 hour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, brush lightly with oil, and set aside. Make the cinnamon-sugar: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, whisk together, and set aside.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and portion out into 14 balls the size of Ping-Pong balls. Using your hands, roll each ball into a rope about 10 inches in length. Twist each rope into a pretzel shape, pressing the ends tightly together so they hold their shape. Put them on the prepared baking sheets.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large pot set over high heat, bring 3 inches of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Reduce the heat to low. Put 1 pretzel in the water and boil for 45 seconds. Using tongs, turn the pretzel over and cook for 30 more seconds. Transfer the pretzel to a wire rack to drain. Once the pretzel is completely drained, roll in the cinnamon-sugar, then return it to the baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, placing the boiled and coated pretzels about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 5 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheets 180 degrees. Bake until browned, 5 minutes. Let the pretzels cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before serving.
chocolate babka
I had just finished creating the recipes for this book and was strutting around my local grocery store reveling in the fact that I was done. Then I saw “Chocolate Babka.” I put it in my basket. At home I gave a bit to my husband, and a small corner to my daughter. Their eyes lit up the moment they tasted it. The next day at the bakery I made the following version and added the recipe to this book.
makes one 7 by 4 by 3-inch loaf
½ recipe All-Purpose Puff Pastry Dough
4 tablespoons (56 GRAMS) Butter, softened
½ cup (112 GRAMS) Enjoy Life semisweet vegan chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) vegan sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3 tablespoons (42 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
1 tablespoon (22 GRAMS) agave nectar
Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out the pastry dough into a 14 by 7-inch rectangle about ½ inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and put the long side of the dough closest to you.
Spread the butter onto the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the chocolate and sugar on top. Slide a butter knife underneath the dough to loosen it from the paper, and then roll it into a log, pinching the edges to seal. Bring the ends of the log together to form a ring, and pinch to seal. Wrap the pastry ring in plastic wrap, set on a plate, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, carefully unwrap it, and twist the entire ring twice. Place on a piece of parchment paper, grab both ends of the paper, and transfer the dough into a 7 by 4 by 3-inch loaf pan. Let rise at room temperature, lightly covered with a dish towel, for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the oil and agave, brush the top of the dough with the mixture, and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes, and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake until the top is golden, 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before serving.
shortbread cookies
Even in its simplicity—or perhaps because of it—this cookie is more elegant than others. To me this is the cookie that lady monarchs eat while perched atop large, garish thrones and doling out silent orders with nothing more than a mean twist of the eyebrow. If you absolutely must fuss with it (trust me, bud, you and I are the same), try mixing in chocolate chips or walnuts. Just be sure to chop them up into fairly small pieces.
makes 45
2 cups (280 GRAMS) brown rice flour
1 cup (224 GRAMS) vegan sugar
⅔ cup (80 GRAMS) arrowroot
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup (168 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
2 tablespoons (30 GRAMS) pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, arrowroot, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil and vanilla and, using a rubber spatula, stir until a dough forms. If the dough is too crumbly, add a few tablespoons of water. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and put it between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Remove the parchment paper and, using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the cookies into your desired shape and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before serving.
high-tea cookies
You know that girl who is always sipping a Diet Coke? She could be riding a ski lift or buying fruit for a picnic, leaving the gym at eight a.m. or flagging down a cab at sunrise after leaving the club, and the chick is holding a Diet Coke. That’s me, except my Diet Coke is tea (I don’t like Diet Coke). I added some teas to the shortbread cookie dough because I like the flavors so much.
Earl Grey: Fold 2 tablespoons (8 grams) dry Earl Grey leaves and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom into the finished dough. After the cookies are baked and cooled, dust lightly with vegan powdered sugar.
Chocolate Chai: Fold 1 tablespoon (6 grams) ground chai and 1 cup (160 grams) vegan chocolate chips into the finished dough.
Chamomile Lavender: Add 2 tablespoons (5 grams) chamomile tea and 1 teaspoon edible lavender to the dough. After the cut cookies are arranged on the baking sheet, sprinkle with vegan sugar for added texture.
lemon sugar cookies
I can sit in a chair staring at a wall eating these cookies and sipping cup after cup of tea for hours on end. They are delicate but satisfying, fruity but not overly sweet. I think of them as comfort food for those of us who are more interested in sweets than we are in lasagna or a bowl of chili. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those things. But I’ll take the cookies.
makes 36
1½ cups (210 GRAMS) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
½ cup (70 GRAMS) brown rice flour, plus more if needed
1 cup (100 GRAMS) vegan powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (30 GRAMS) grated lemon zest
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ cup (168 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
⅓ cup (80 GRAMS) unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons (30 GRAMS) pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
½ cup (112 GRAMS) vegan granulated sugar, for rolling
In a food processor, pulse the flours, powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt, and xanthan gum. Add the oil and pulse until the dough becomes sandy. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and lemon extract and pulse until the dough comes completely together. If the dough is too wet, add more rice flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, roll it into a 1½-inch-wide log, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Spread the granulated sugar across a piece of parchment paper. Remove the log from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and roll it through the sugar until it is fully coated. Slice the log into ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 7 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until the cookies are golden, 5 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
acknowledgments
This page should be the easiest, most enjoyable one to write. In truth, I find it the most difficult by far. It is impossible to fully capture and explain how important these people are to m
e.
MY DEEPEST LOVE, AFFECTION, AND THANKS TO …
My darling daughter, Halsey Valentine. I cannot in this space express all you are to me. Everything is too small a word.
My sweetly patient and otherwise completely magnificent and gorgeous agent, Kim Witherspoon, with the lovely Allison Hunter, at Inkwell. I am so grateful for you both. You make it all seem so much easier than I know it is.
Pam Krauss, Rica Allannic, and Jane Treuhaft at Clarkson Potter. I am so thankful to you for giving me room to do my thing, but not so much that I veered off course into a lonely and embarrassing ditch. All authors should be so lucky. Thank you to the whole Clarkson Potter team: Ashley Tucker, Patricia Shaw, Heather Williamson, Carly Gorga, Sean Boyles, Doris Cooper, and Aaron Wehner.
My business partner, friend, and collaborator, Sabrina Wells. You are the reason we’re able to build this thing of ours. Thank you for giving me the gift of trust and affording me the time away to do all those business things you hate doing anyway! Also, thank you for being so psychotic about people keeping their areas clean.
My beautiful sister, Elizabeth Christie. Thank you for handling with ease and grace the three billion bits of bakery business I’ve slammed into your job description. You are irreplaceable.
Eddie, Kristi, and the rest of the bakers at BabyCakes who patiently tested my recipes to work out the kinks. Although some early recipes bordered on comical, you kept a straight face and gave me honest feedback. I can’t hug you enough!
My beloved Bakery Crew, including but not limited to our hard-working Disney World ambassador Emily Woesthoff and our general managers Gretchen Capitan of Los Angeles and Amy Lachenauer of New York. You are the heartbeat of the bakery and I can’t live without you. Thank you for being perfect.
