Bake sales and bake fails

Just for the record, I definitely fail at baking sometimes. Let it be known.

In the past, I've written about how old recipes were written for seasoned cooks and bakers, with their brief instructions and you-know-what-I-mean terminology ("Roll like jelly roll" ...you know, like all those jelly rolls you roll). And also about how I get a little bothered by today's over-written instructions. I am easily exhausted sometimes when I read recipes that explicitly illustrate everything, as though I have never turned on an oven or used parchment paper. Too many words to wade through.

This is where my observation of the recipes of old collided disastrously with my opinion. 

This week, I had two Christmas cookie occasions for which I needed to spring to action. I was inspired to peek in my older cookbooks, the ones printed at least 20 years ago, and make good on my resolution to stop checking the internet so often for recipes.

I made a list of a few that sounded good. Each recipe called for sifted flour. I didn't want to screw this up, so I included the extra steps I don't often take of sifting the flour, then measuring, and finally sifting with other dry ingredients.

The first cookie was almond brittle bars, from Farm Journal's Homemade Cookies. They're not actually almond brittle, and they have a chocolate layer, but the taste is similar to candied sugar, so it has a yummy brittle taste. These came out surprisingly well and I recommend them (recipe below).

Almond brittle bars

Next up, a recipe from the same book for Florentines. No photo accompanied it, but I envisioned them to look like what I had seen before - lacey, golden and delicate. The recipe, written briefly, said to drop the dough/batter by scant teaspoons onto a well-greased and -floured sheet and then to flatten them with a spatula. At that point, the consistency of the mix was so soupy, this cookie couldn't possibly get any flatter than when it hit the sheet. I thought perhaps I over-sifted the flour, so I added a couple more tablespoons. Still soupy. I added a couple more. I shrugged and put them in the oven, wondering how a dough that white would ever turn into the golden crust I'd pictured. While the cookies baked, I searched online recipes for Florentines. They all called for butter, whereas my recipe did not. Could it have been a mistake? Here was where I wished there was some description of what to expect, and some elaboration of what the dough (more like batter) should be like. But I will tell you that if you follow the recipe as written, they will remain pale and never resemble anything remotely close to lace. I gave up on the idea of them being Florentines and changed their name to something else vaguely Italian: Janet Napolitanos. They tasted fine - as fine as cream, sugar, candied orange peel, chopped almonds and flour could taste. Bonus: they were brushed on the undersides with chocolate. But they aren't going back into the rotation.

The only photograph captured of these little disasters. Never again.

Third, I tried some coconut icebox cookies from All About Home Baking (published 1933), the recipe consisting of about four short lines. The dough tasted sublime, but it was so crumbly that even ample time in the refrigerator, with the dough rolled in a taut, wax-papered cylinder, could not save them. I tried to slice them the next day and things completely broke down. That's literally the way it crumbles, cookie-wise.

Finally, I returned to the other book for some chocolate meringues. This was another bar cookie with a basic cookie base, a layer of chocolate chips (the recipe also suggested coconut and nuts, which I forgot in a rush), and a layer of brown sugar meringue. I had a good feeling about this one. Yum.

Chocolate meringue bars

In the end, I think the chocolate meringue bars are the only things I'd make a second time, as good as those almond brittle bars were. But I'm still glad I tried out a few new recipes, albeit blindly. And gladder still that I came out with some nice treats among the mishaps and questionable material.

Some of them went to a bake sale. Inspired by brown paper packages tied up with string, I used some old grocery bags, saran wrap and twine to wrap up and sell. I'm a sucker for fun packaging so I hoped others would be, too.

Ready for the bake sale

The following recipes were adapted from Homemade Cookies,  

published by the food editors of Farm Journal.

 (Chocolate &) Almond Brittle Bars

1 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. instant coffee (or espresso) powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. almond extract

1 c. sugar

2 c. sifted flour (sift the flour, spoon lightly into measuring cup, level off with a knife edge)

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (I put mine in the food processor with a T. sugar to prevent caking)

Beat together butter, coffee powder, salt and almond extract. Gradually beat in sugar; beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Press batter into parchment-lined 15.5x10.5" rimmed cookie sheet. Sprinkle almonds on top. 

Bake in 375-degree oven 23-25 minutes, or until golden. Set pan on rack to cool and cut into bars while warm. It made about 40 squares for me.

Chocolate Meringue Bars

 3/4 c. shortening

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed 

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. sifted flour

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. flaked coconut (optional)

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

Beat together shortening, white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla; mix well.

Sift together baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour. Add to creamed mixture. Pat into greased 13x9x2" pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips, and coconut and nuts, if using.

Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add 1 c. brown sugar, beating constantly. Beat until stiff. Spread over cookie dough in pan. 

Bake at 375 for 25-30 min. Set pan on rack to cool completely, then cut into bars.