Cooking for Two (35 page)

V
ery old-fashioned, icebox cookies are made from a dough that’s first chilled as a log in the refrigerator, then sliced off for baking. These orange-spiked butter cookies are crisp, making them excellent for dunking into coffee or a glass of dessert wine, such as one by Inniskillin. While they’re very easy to make, we’ve labeled the recipe a “moderate” effort because the dough must be chilled for at least one hour before it can be baked. Thus, the recipe doesn’t provide instant gratification—unless you’ve made the dough in advance and are just slicing off cookies to bake as you need them.

1.
Cream the sugar and butter in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes, or with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the pasteurized egg substitute or the quail egg, the vanilla, and the orange zest until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt, just until incorporated. Do not use an electric mixer or the cookies will be overmixed and tough.

2.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Turn the dough onto the work surface, dust your hands with flour, then roll the dough between your palms and the work surface into a small log, about 2¾ inches long and 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to firm up, for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.

3.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a nonstick cookie sheet, or a regular one lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet. Unwrap the dough and cut it into ¼ -inch-thick slices. (Cut off the ends for perfect cookies.) Place the cookies on the cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Of course, icebox cookies are the ultimate small-batch treat—you can make the dough log in advance, store it in your refrigerator, and make as many cookies as you want at any time, from one to eight.

C
HOCOLATE
C
HILE
I
CEBOX
C
OOKIES
makes
8 cookies

T
hese cookies are made with chocolate and cayenne pepper, an inspired combination for sweets, traditional in many Texas bakeries. The dense, chocolate cookies are not hot, just slightly spicy. If you’re not so adventurous, omit the cayenne for traditional chocolate icebox cookies. As with the Vanilla Orange Icebox Cookies, you can make the dough log ahead.

1.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and cayenne together; set aside.

2.
Cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer at low speed, until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes with a mixer. Beat in the pasteurized egg substitute or the quail egg and the vanilla until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the reserved flour mixture just until combined.

3.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour; turn the dough out onto it. Dust your hands with flour and roll the very soft dough between your palms and the work surface into a log about 1½ inches in diameter and
2½
inches long. Wrap this log tightly in plastic wrap; then refrigerate until firm, for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.

4.
To bake the cookies, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Use a nonstick cookie sheet, or a regular one lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet. Cut the chilled log into ¼-inch-thick slices. (For perfect cookies, discard the rough, rounded ends.) Space the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or just until set. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Pudding for two? It might not seem practical, or even possible—but truth is, you can make a custard in a small batch just as easily as in a large one. You’ll need some small bowls or ramekins, and some accurate measuring tools for minuscule amounts of ingredients; but in no time, you can have an old-fashioned vanilla pudding or a luscious crème brûlée.

V
ANILLA
P
UDDING
makes
2 small bowls of pudding

W
e’re partial to the basics—so what could be better than vanilla pudding? To assure the creamiest pudding, strain it before you put it in the bowls, to make sure you remove any bits of cooked egg or unincorporated flour.

1.
Whisk the egg yolks or whole quail eggs in a small bowl until smooth and uniform; set aside.

2.
Whisk the milk, flour, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until the flour is incorporated, the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture thickens and comes to a simmer. Continue to cook at a simmer, whisking constantly, for 30 seconds.

3.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk ½ cup of the milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Whisk this egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the remainder of the pudding. Reduce the heat to very low. Set the pan over the heat, whisk in the vanilla, and cook for just 20 seconds to set the egg yolks, whisking constantly to keep the mixture from scorching. Make sure you reach into the corners of the pan with the whisk.

4.
Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into two 1-cup ramekins or bowls, or a medium serving bowl. Place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to cool and set (see Note). You can make this pudding
up to 3 days ahead of time; cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Whisk any of the following into the custard with the vanilla:

C
INNAMON
A
LMOND
C
HOCOLATE
P
UDDING
makes
2 small bowls of pudding

T
his pudding was inspired by Mexican chocolate—that is, chocolate blended with cinnamon, vanilla, and ground almonds or cocoa nibs. Unfortunately, the chocolate in Mexican chocolate isn’t always of the highest grade. If you start with good-quality chocolate, you’ll have those traditional flavors in this pudding, but with a more luxurious texture and taste.