The times, they are a-changin’. Mostly for the better. Case counts mostly down, vaccinations up, venues opening and expanding. A toast to all the restaurant folks, grocers, local farmers, food trucks, coffee roasters, and wine distributors who pivoted (and continue to adapt). Their commitment and creativity saved us from what a year ago looked like a long haul of eating pantry-items only.
So now many of us are back to the more familiar, ordinary challenges. Trying a new recipe with exotic ingredients we can now get. Juggling meals and menus to accommodate soccer practice and taekwondo. Corralling new kitties that somebody thought made a great Mother’s Day gift! Savoring sushi outdoors after a day of taking apart and cleaning storm windows.
Ordinary stuff. But even as the most terrible threat lessens, there’s still some downsides in the day-to-day. That new recipe that turned out just “meh” — a waste of hours of work and spendy stuff. Shivering through soccer practice in a rainy chill. Saying farewell to a dear old pet who reached the end. Breaking one of those windows.
Not terrifically tough times, but tough enough to remind us of Caroline Schiff’s Tough Time Pantry Cookies. This remarkable young pastry chef with a sense of humor (follow her @pastryschiff) offers a six-step program for getting through tough times. No special or spendy ingredients here. Just two cups of “stuff” — chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, cereal, whatever.
Other missing items from the recipe list? “OK, no problem,” Caroline says. No vanilla and brown sugar? A splash of bourbon (or amaretto) saves the day. Out of all-purpose flour? Use up your miscellany. Caroline's Instagram batch combined bread, rye and buckwheat flours.
Maybe best of all “The recipe makes 4 dozen cookies, and this dough keeps in the freezer well and bakes from frozen the same way. Once the balls of dough are chilled, transfer to bags or plastic containers and freeze up to 2 months. Bake off as needed so you always have fresh cookies!”
No matter what it is that is making your times tough.
Tough time pantry cookies
1 stick (½ cup) softened to room temperature unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups stuff (chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, pretzels, etc.) as needed
optional flaky salt
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar well with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and once they’re halfway incorporated, add the stuff. Mix well. Scoop into balls, about 1 oz each, and chill on a sheet pan. Preheat oven to 325. Arrange chilled cookies on parchment lined sheet pans, spacing 3 inches apart, and top each with some flakey salt if you have it. Bake until slightly golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack and enjoy or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cook time: 15 minutes.
Yield: Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Source: Caroline Schiff, thefeedfeed.com
Lynne Ireland lives to eat and welcome comments and questions from others who do (or don’t.) Contact her at citydesk@journalstar.com.
May 12, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Seasoned to Taste: These pantry cookies are designed for tough times - Lincoln Journal Star
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