by BOB CLINE with images by DARRELL OWENS
One doesn’t have to look far to find variety in desserts and sweets. As a Midwesterner, I think we have, in some instances, relegated ourselves to the basics: jello salad, devil’s food cake, chocolate chip cookies, or if we are feeling particularly wild, the occasional ginger snap recipe. Now all of these have merit (except maybe the jello salad) and can be done very well but today I challenge you, dear reader, to think outside of the status quo.
Allow me to introduce you to a fabulous cookbook from the masterminds of the restaurant and bakery, Momofuku Milk Bar. The cookbook is aptly named, Milk, and the content could best be described as wild, crazy, different and complex. We’re talking seriously complex – recipes on top of recipes to make a completed recipe. Refreshingly, the authors don’t take themselves too seriously and, at its core, their cookbook feels like it was created to shake up how we think about baking.
I realize that at this point you are probably thinking, “Great. All this is going to be is a cookbook review,” but stay with me! This is no cookbook review. Consider some of my previous commentary simply as an indication that picking up and cooking from this book is not for the faint of heart. In the spirit of demonstrating some of the complexity that may be found, I made what I feel is probably an easy intermediate recipe: Cornflake-Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you think that is a mouthful wait until you see these cookies after they are done!
If you think that you’re ready to try some other recipes from the cookbook, I highly recommend picking it up as well. There is some very cool looking stuff in it – just make sure you have access to a solid kitchen store or are familiar with ordering supplies online! For my part, I am pretty sure this won’t be the last time I present a recipe from this amazing addition to the baking world.
225 g (16 tbs) butter, at room temperature
250 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
150 g (2⁄3 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
1 egg
2 g (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
240 g (1 1/2 cups) flour
2 g (1/2 tsp) baking powder
1.5 g (1/2 tsp) baking soda
5 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) kosher salt
3/4 recipe (3 cups) cornflake crunch (recipe below)
125 g (2⁄3 cup) mini chocolate chips
65 g (1 1/4 cups) mini marshmallows
1. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. (see page 27 for notes on this process.)
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk over mixing the dough.) scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. Still on low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch and mini chocolate chips just until they’re incorporated, no more than 30 to 45 seconds. paddle in the mini marshmallows just until incorporated.
4. Using a 2 3/4 oz ice cream scoop (or a 1/3 cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not hold their shape.
5. Heat the oven to 375°f.
6. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or silpat-lined sheet pans. bake for 18 minutes. the cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. at the 18-minute mark, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the center. leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren’t and they still seem pale and doughy on the surface.
7. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. at room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.
The Cornflake Crunch
Makes about 360 g (4 cups )
This recipe was originally created to accompany the cereal milk™ panna cotta. it was one of those first-swing, home-run hits. it is incredibly simple to make and equally as versatile in its uses. put some in a plastic bag and take it on the go as the best snack ever, or use it as an ingredient in the recipes that follow.
170 g (1/2 12oz box or 5 cups) cornflakes
40 g (1/2 cup) milk powder
40 g (3 tbs) sugar
4 g (1 tsp) kosher salt
130 g (9 tbs) butter, melted
1. Heat the oven to 275°f.
2. Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with your hands to one-quarter of their original size. add the milk powder, sugar, and salt and toss to mix. add the butter and toss to coat. as you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters.
3. Spread the clusters on a parchment- or silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled slightly and chewed.
4. Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month.
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