Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
plus - a dubai chocolate truffle recipe!
new on bbs
Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crispy edges, chewy middles packed with chocolate and lots of brown sugar and… no egg!
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Sourdough Brownies
Deeply chocolaty, soft and chewy brownies made with some sourdough discard. While it’s one way to use up that discard in the fridge, it also provides a really unique and lovely soft texture to the brownies.
more sourdough
Sourdough Biscuits
Buttery buttermilk biscuits made even more flavorful with sourdough discard.
From the (late) February Archives
2024: Poppy Seed Cake, Updated (originally posted in 2019)
2023: Lime Pound Cake (drizzled & soaked with a lime simple syrup)
2022: Lemon Meringue Bars (the best, really)
2021: Small Batch Oatmeal Cookies (the oatmeal version of my one yolk cccs)
2020: Whipped Cookie Dough Tart (oreo crust, edible cookie dough filling, ganache on top!)
a baker’s review
“Yum!! Turned out just like the picture. I appreciate that there’s no added sugar, too, because the cranberries add a nice sweetness. Next time I’ll do an egg wash to get a shiny golden crust.” - Laura on Cranberry Nut Sourdough
weekly reads
“When it comes to eggs, climate change is affecting supply more indirectly — by changing the migratory patterns and nesting habits of birds that carry avian influenza. As global average temperatures rise and extreme weather events scramble animal migration patterns and force some species north toward increasingly temperate climes, animals are crossing paths in entirely new configurations, making it easier for them to swap diseases…. Other factors also contribute to the spread of bird flu. Pitesky argued that land management — for example, how closely farms are built to wetlands and other waterfowl habitats — can contribute to higher rates of H5N1 among domestic bird populations. So in order to curb the spread of avian influenza, which he said is endemic and never going to fully go away, policymakers could pay closer attention to where farms are located.” What Climate Change Means for Bird Flu - and the Soaring Prices of Eggs, Grist.
“[Napoleon’s] blockade led to the discovery of an entirely new kind of sugar, one that could be grown right in Europe's backyard. And the consequences would be massive. The story of what happened next is delightfully unexpected: at this point, England controlled about 80% of Europe's sugar supply—a comfortable monopoly. While the blockade hurt England's economy, imagine the continent's predicament: suddenly, no sugar for tea or cakes. But Napoleon wouldn't budge on British imports. Instead, he launched a feverish race to find sugar, especially in France.” How The World Got High On Sugar, Truth be Told.
“One in eight Americans lives in a food desert—a place where grocery stores are scarce, fresh produce is expensive, and the only nearby food options are fast-food joints and gas stations. This didn’t happen by accident. Corporate grocery consolidation and urban planning failures deliberately created these food deserts. Big supermarket chains closed locations in low-income areas, chasing higher profits in wealthier, car-dependent suburbs. Meanwhile, Dollar Generals, 7-Elevens, and McDonald’s flooded these neighborhoods, offering calorie-dense, nutrient-poor food. Now, the MAHA Commission wants to ban SNAP recipients from using food stamps to buy junk food and sugary drinks. Theoretically, this makes sense: if taxpayers are footing the bill, shouldn’t the food be healthy? But here’s the problem: If you ban processed food without fixing food deserts, you’re not helping. You’re just making it even harder for struggling families to eat at all.” Starving for Change: Why MAHA’s Food Reforms Could Backfire, The Coffman Chronicle.
something special this week: a lil recipe
It started at a chocolate shop in Dubai (here exactly) and now the world is obsessed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘foreign’ dessert enter as many local stores and restaurants in such a short period of time. And the thing is, I actually love it. Its the pistachio and chocolate combination for me, it’s the super crispy, buttery filling! It’s pretty expensive though so I’ve been making it at home. I like it a little less sweet and with more crisp, just like this:
‘Dubai Chocolate’ Truffles
I used this silicone sphere mold. The thing I want to emphasize to you about this ‘recipe’ is because I’m using a particular mold with a vague idea for how much it holds or what kind of mold you will be using, I want you to treat these quantities below as a template rather than a rule. Judge by whatever mold you have (you can also make it in a muffin tin with muffin liners, like a pb cup!). Basically you want enough chocolate to cover the bottom and top layers of the mold, a thick filling that has a ratio of kataifi to pistachio cream that is suited to you: some people like it really gooey so they add more pistachio cream. Some (like me!) like it more crispy so I have a little less cream in mine. Also, for every 100g kataifi, I’ll add a tablespoon of tahini to the mix but you can do more if you prefer.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted
120g kataifi (shredded phyllo - find it in middle eastern grocery stores)
300g chocolate total: can be milk, dark, or semi sweet. Read the recipe instructions beforehand to know how it’s divided and used
1 tablespoon tahini (ditto on middle eastern grocery stores)
pistachio cream (I used Pisti Cream of Pistachio, found at costco - it isn’t my favorite pistachio cream but it’s pretty good)
Instructions
Set a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat
Chop up 120g kataifi into bits and set it over the butter and stir.
Toast the kataifi until browned all over, stirring often. This can take up to 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Melt (and temper*) 150g milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate (depending on preference), use it to cover the cavity domes with chocolate
*I temper by setting two thirds of the chocolate to be used in a heatproof bowl, warming it for a minute in the microwave (the more milk chocolate has in it the quicker it will melt) then stirring in the remaining third. This takes longer but ensures that the chocolate will be evenly tempered. Some more methods for tempering can be found here.
Set the mold in the freezer so the chocolate can set - about 10 minutes should do it.
When the toasted kataifi is cool, remove 2-3 tablespoons of it to reserve to the topping. Then in a bowl add the remaining toasted kataifi, a tablespoon of tahini, a pinch of salt and 100g pistachio paste (you can add this slowly, and stir seeing how much goo vs crisp you want and add less if preferred)
Spoon the mixture into the chocolate spheres and press to smooth into an even layer. Set in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes
Melt and temper 100g milk, dark or semi-sweet chocolate (whatever you used for the tops of the spheres) to cover the filling. Use an offset spatula to smooth it over into an even layer. Set the mold back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Once solid, remove the spheres from the mold and set on a parchment lined plate or pan.
For the topping, melt and temper 50g chocolate (any kind - I used dark for this) then set it in a small piping bag. Drag it over the truffles in a zig zag method. While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle the reserved kataifi on top.
If tempered correctly, the chocolate will set within ten minutes. These can be kept at room temperature.
Hi Sam! I finally found some pistachio cream to try this out, but now I'm just wondering about the kataifi 🥲. Did you use frozen or just shelf stable kataifi? Is there a particular brand of kataifi you like?