Phoebe's Kitchen

Farmers' Museum Celebrates New York Foods

On exhibit through October 30, 2011, the New York’s Good Eats! Our Fabulous Foods is happening at the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, NY. 

Many of these foods from Buffalo Wings to Pie a la Mode to Jell-o were invented in New York State.

Our latest cookbook, the Taste and Tales of New York, highlights many of these foods.  Below is the tale about one of New York's famous drinks.

What is an Egg Cream?                                                                                                         

This is definitely a Brooklyn drink and it does not contain either eggs or cream.  I can remember from my days as a buyer in New York that after a busy day in the market our resident buyer Joe would suggest we all go for an egg cream.  Initially I thought he meant a chocolate egg cream, but I learned that he meant the following drink.  There are a couple of versions of how the egg cream came to be.  The first was that a Yiddish actor had a drink called chocolate et creme, in Paris, France, and wanted one made here.  A more likely tale is that in the early 1900s candy shop owner Louis Auster, owner of Austers, invented the drink and sold hundreds a day until the store closed.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies - 12 Days of Christmas Cookies

These are my all time favorite cookie.  Besides me, my neighbor Sean and my nephew Karl also rank them high on their list.  They are really double chocolate with a touch of orange juice.

The hardest part is coming up with the mint chocolate chip.  :Last year Nestle had them once again so I stocked up buying about 3 dozen bags.  This year I bought some at Targets, but when I went back they no loniger had any.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 ( 10-ounce) bag mint chocolate chips

1 (12-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter until soft and creamy.  Add granulated and brown sugar, combine thoroughly.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. 
4. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; add orange juice and combine.
5. Fold in bags of mint chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

 

Yields 4 to 5 dozen.

 

 

Almond Joy - Day 2 of 12 Days of Christmas Cookies

 Almond Joy Macaroon Bars 

 These tasty bites taste like the candy bar.  A marvelous combination of chocolate and coconut.  This delicious recipe can be found in the Taste and Tales of Coastal New England.

 

¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

½ teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 (7-ounce) bag sweetened, flaked coconut

1½ cups semisweet chocolate bits

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut butter into ½-inch pieces.  Cut butter into flour until mixture begins to form pea size pieces.  Sprinkle in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and press evenly onto bottom.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
4. In a bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and vanilla until well combined. 
5. Blend in flour and coconut, mixing well.  Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot shortbread.  Let chips melt and spread evenly over shortbread.
6. Drop coconut mixture by teaspoons onto chocolate and spread evenly.
7. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before cutting into bars.

 

Yields:  24 bars

For Lovers of Coconut - Day 1

To my family, friends and fans, I am sorry to be starting my series a little late.  Sometimes life just gets in the way.  I will do my best to do one a day, but i might miss a day here and there.  In the spirit of the holidays, I look for your forgiveness.

I simply love macaroons and they are easy to make.

Coconut Macaroons

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg white, whipped

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F.  Line cookie with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, sea salt and coconut; mix well.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets; slightly flatten each mound with a spoon.
4. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Immediately remove from baking sheets (macaroons will stick if allowed to cool); cool on wire racks. Store loosely covered at room temperature. 

Yields: 2 dozen macaroons

Variations:  Melt chocolate chips and dip bottom of cooled macaroons in chocolate.  Place on wax paper until hardened.  Remove to container. 

Another idea would be to use almond, orange or lemon extract in place of vanilla.