a Charleston cookie legend...spirited

Charleston, SC - food and restaurants and bakeries at every turn.

I remember benne wafers from a Savannah, GA trip to Byrd Cookie Company 20 years ago. But, I didn't make the connection in Charleston i.e. Olde Colony Bakery until I was leaving the city. And, the benne wafers at the airport were not packaged as a product of Olde Colony Bakery. Thus began the internet search for a benne wafer recipe. I found several, and decided to try one of the versions I found here.

I really should follow the recipe exactly on the first baking attempt, but I seldom do. I'll list my variations below. In short, my cookies don't look exactly like the cookies in the above blog post, nor do they look like the wafers in Charleston, but they are delicious nonetheless.

The benne wafers being sold at the Charleston airport list ingredients as follows:

sugar

unbromated wheat flour

egg whites

white sessame seeds

palm oil

salt baking powder

baking soda

(If I can acquire a package of Olde Colony Bakery benne wafers, I'll update this post.)

Listed below is the recipe I followed; my adjustments are in capital letters:

Benne Wafers (adapted from a recipe by Jean Anderson)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar FIRMLY PACKED
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 TEASPOONS
1 large egg 1 EXTRA LARGE EGG
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 5 OZ KA WHITE WHEAT FLOUR
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds THE BROWN ONES

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add the egg and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour and salt, mixing to

combine. Fold in the sesame seeds.

Drop the dough from rounded 1/2 teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread when baking.

Bake on the middle oven shelf for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Thank you for sharing, Tim! Visit Tim's blog, Lottie + Doof for more really good cooking and fabulous photography.

Visit Tim's weblog:Lottie + Doof (giving credit where credit is due)

My cookies did not spread, as listed in the recipe above, but they are DELICIOUS.

Once I realized my recipe/ingredient mistake, I began using my #100 scoop (which is about 1 1/2 teaspoons) to portion the cookies.

And, I added 2 teaspoons of Praline Liqueur to the last half of the benne wafer batter. This added a richness to the cookies. I could not really taste the liqueur in the cookies, but I could smell the praline. I will add this ingredient to my permament benne wafer recipe.

Though not the traditional southern, small, thin, crisp benne, I'm very pleased with my benne wafer/cookie version.

Gesine's (Ghe-see-neh's) new book

I've just finished reading Gesine Bullock-Prado's book, "Confections of a Closet Master Baker." I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys baking and/or a touching, life changing story. I, too, can relate to the loss of a parent and the life changing events that follow.

I baked her 'Golden Eggs' (page 12) and they are delicious. Two weeks later, after being frozen, they are still moist and springy to the touch. Here's the link to her video where she bakes the little cakes. I must say, my cakes did not turn out of the decorative bundt pan. That didn't affect the flavor, and I baked the remainder of the batter in regular muffin pans, which turned out beautifully.

Buy the book!

It's a great book. Along with the touching stories, and the grueling details of a baker's daily life, there are several recipes sprinkled in the mix. I can't wait to try the others.

Buy the book!

CIA snapshot - day 1 & 2

CIA Pastry Bootcamp is everything I had imagined and more. The same Chef is teaching this class that taught baking bootcamp last year! What a treat. And, I've seen one of the TAs from last year and another Chef from one of our classes last year. How wonderful of them to take time to stop by and say hello!

I'll post bootcamp details next week, when life returns to normal. In the meantime, I'll give you a short summary of day 1 & 2. (15+ hour long days, and we love it!)

Day 1 - I can't even remember without looking at my instruction book. We've baked and mixed and eaten so much!

Oh yes...pastry cream, pate a choux, and creme caramel. Long gone are my fears of a making a custard and caramelizing sugar. That's not to say that everything we made was prefect, because it was not. But, we learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.

Day 2 - Filled and glazed pate a choux; unmolded our beautiful creme caramel; mixed, piped, and baked spritz cookies; and, we made a vanilla sponge cake. The mixer turned the sponge cake ingredients into mounds and mounds of stabilized bubbles. Our cakes baked to a golden brown. Tomorrow we will soak them with a flavored simple syrup, and frost with buttercream. The chocolate demo offered instructions regarding various tempering techniques. And Chef brought beautiful, tiny chocolates for us to taste while she piped chocolate butterflies with wings in flight.

The tasting is one of the many benefits of a trip to CIA. Everyone wants you to taste everything. I gazed through the window of our TA's classroom late in the afternoon. They were making petite fours, invited me into the room, and offered a taste. I just didn't have room for another bite- what a shame!

Hyde Park, NY - CIA - how exciting

(bridge east across Hudson River, then north to Hyde Park and CIA)

Sunday September 13

I'm really here again! When I left last September, I knew I would return at some point in the future, and here I am. Alarm clocks (yes, more than one) are set for 4:30 AM EST. Orientation begins on campus at 6 AM tomorrow morning.

I drove around the campus earlier today, fondly remembering last year's week of Baking BootCamp (my links here), and wondering what wonderful experiences are yet to unfold at this Pastry BootCamp.

Does one week make one a pro? NO. But I do know where to park, where to attend class, and where to get the hot water for my morning tea.

It will be an exhausting week, as our days begin at 7AM and end around 9:30PM. I intend to post during the week (intend being an imaginary bold font).

As an aside, the Barnes & Noble bookstore here (in Poughkeepsie) is two stories high. I've never seen one that large. I now have the new book, "Confections of a Closet Master Baker - A Memoir." Rather than reading, I need to be sleeping.....

finally!!!!! - a cream scone that is awesome

I still believe Ina's orange cranberry scone is the absolute best scone (made with butter) that I have ever tasted. I've tried cream scones in the past - all very unsuccessful.

FINALLY!

"The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" page 5 - 'Cherry Cream Scones' (this is going to be a great book after such success early in the book) I must admit, I mixed these and the shaping and cutting of the dough was a huge sticky mess. I added what I thought was too much flour. I cut them into something resembling a square, baked 2 (which turned out looking more like a puffy pancake), and froze the remainder. I'm done with this! (I thought.)

As an aside, the two I baked were DELICIOUS. The combination of tart fresh cranberries and the orange zest I added, along with the creamy scone was perfect. So, great flavor, but terrible presentation, and I like 'pretty.'

As I said, I froze the remaining 10 scones. That's where the miracle happened. Tonight, I pulled two out of the freezer, popped them into the oven as frozen cubes of dough, baked, and who!!! hooo! Beautifully shaped scones. They held their shape perfectly. And they tasted every bit as delicious as the fresh baked dough.

FREEZE this scone dough before baking. You'll be glad you did.

As an aside, the next time I bake these, I'm going to prepare the scone dough, and then scoop the dough into some very small pottery dishes and bake. I think they will be pretty in the pottery, and I will not have to worry about shaping and cutting.

Again, these are delicious. Do Not hesitate to try this recipe.

Joe Pastry on 'fruitcake'

Here's the link to his post today. He says it time to make your Christmas fruitcakes!

"Now is the time to make and bake your loaves. This way, they'll have plenty of time to mellow.."

And, here's his reply to my email:

From: joe@joepastry.com

Subject: Re: ahhhh

Date: September 8, 2009 9:09:02 PM CDT

To: studio1014@mac.com

Don't let ANYONE laugh at your fruitcake, Gale. Crack it open and eat it proudly!

(Then send me a slice because I'm going through serious withdrawal.)

- Joe

On Sep 8, 2009, at 9:00 PM, Gale Reeves wrote:

fruitcake...

I have one (Alton Brown's recipe) in the freezer from last Christmas. Maybe I should cut the cake and taste. My friends just laugh when I talk about fruitcake.

*************************************

(repost from November 16, 2008)

If you could smell the smooth, sweet aroma drifting through my entire house at this

moment, you would never make a ‘fruitcake’ joke again!!!!!!

Yes, I’m baking a Christmas Fruitcake...my first ever.

I’m using a recipe from Alton Brown, and adjusting a little here and there. Rather than the rum the recipe suggests, I have used Cruzan Vanilla Rum. I left out the candied ginger. There’s nothing in this fruitcake that I wouldn’t put in a scone or muffin...well maybe not the rum...

The pictures below will tell the story.

I had to taste while it was still warm. It was delicious. I will bake this again!

The three cakes are now wrapped in cheesecloth, and resting inside a tin. I’ll soak them over the next few weeks with more of the vanilla rum. The flavor should improve with each passing day.

(repost from December 4, 2008)

Would you rather taste a cake named Vanilla Rum Raisin Cake than one named Fruitcake? What is in a name?

I’ll call it whatever you want...it tastes good!

It passed a few food critics at work. Next week, I’ll serve slices to my brothers, who, up to this point have offered very ‘creative comments’ about my fruitcake.

Grey Goose and vanilla beans

(repost from April 4, 2009)

"even the plastic bags smell de-vine"

I couldn’t throw away the plastic storage bags in which the vanilla beans were shipped. They smelled sooooo goood. I kept them in the utility room for a week, enjoying the lingering aroma.

I split about 15 Vanilla Beans (Planifolia) [purchased from www.saffron.com] & about 5 tahitian vanilla beans. Then I added a bottle of double strength Nielsen-Massey vanilla, and filled the quart fruit jar with Grey Goose Vodka. NOW, THAT’S A RECIPE!

The jar of vanilla is brewing in the back of my cabinet. Every day or so, I take it out, shake it a little, wonder what is happening on the inside, and return it to it’s aging place in the cabinet. This project began March 7. I’ll open it on May 7th to see what I have created.

*********************** *********************** *********************

fast-forward six months:

I need to buy more Grey Goose! The vanilla beans need alcohol to continue to produce this liquor (the liquid from which a substance has been extracted - from Apple dictionary widget)

I have about $60 invested in this quart of vanilla liquor/extract.

Nielsen-Massey is about $19 per 8 fl. oz. at Williams Sonoma. Though there is a little savings in money, it's not as much about the money as about the experience of watching this process unfold.

Quiche

bacon - potato - asparagus - cheese

...sounds a bit healthier than my usual posts...

This quiche is very good. It's light and fluffy, and the flavors work well together. And, I think this will be a much healthier lunch option than some of my others during the work week.

The recipe is adapted from "Brunch," a Betty Crocker publication from March 2008 (page 21)

refrigerated pie crust (I blind baked mine before filling)

1 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 c. asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 c. diced smoked bacon

6 oz diced Havarti cheese

I didn't pre cook any of the above; I chopped, mixed together, and placed in pie shell.

Mix very will with hand mixer (you need the bubbles!)

4 extra large eggs

1 c. whole milk

(I added a little dried thyme and dried basil)

1/8 t. salt

Pour this over the ingredients in the pie shell.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 55 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean when the quiche is done.

Enjoy!

From www.ask.com:

"Quiche freezes well for up to two months after baking or for one month before baking. Use any favorite filling like bacon and green chilies, onion and cheese or ham and artichoke hearts. To freeze quiche before baking: Tray-freeze until firm; then wrap with freezer paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil, or slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to one month. Do not thaw before baking. Unwrap and bake as usual, allowing 10 to 20 minutes additional time. To freeze quiche after baking: Tray-freeze; then wrap with freezer paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil, or slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to two months. Do not thaw before reheating. Unwrap and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through.  from: Missouri Families: Food Safety"

your point of concentration

Do you want to concentrate on the hazelnuts?Or, do you want to concentrate on the Nutella?Either way, these two ingredients and a few other healthy additions yield a delicious granola bar.
I've been testing granola bar recipes. The first recipe I tried was a huge hit with the work crew, but the bars crumbled too easily. You can find the original Barefoot Contessa recipe here. And, you can find another version here at Smitten Kitchen. I made a few substitutions based on the ingredients in my pantry.

The bars pictured above were my second attempt. They cut beautifully, and did not crumble as I nibbled on the healthy goodness.

Fresh Market and Whole Foods have isles of ingredients just waiting to be made into granola bars. I can't wait to try many more combinations.

Listed below is my latest version of the Barefoot Contessa/Smitten Kitchen granola bar recipe. I have decided that honey works better than maple syrup. And, a Nutella type ingredient (i.e. peanut butter/ nut butters) aids in the texture creation , holding the bars together, and cutting the bars.

This recipe makes about 16 granola bars. I baked the mixture in 2 - 8.5 x 5 loaf pans. Be sure to press the mixture into the pans really well (even roll over the ingredients with a small rolling pin). And don't cut the bars until completely cooled. (I pressed another loaf pan over the baked bars and allowed them to cool overnight before cutting.)

GRANOLA BARS

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced almonds (any combination of nuts; I used 2 c. hazelnuts, skins included)

1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used 1/2 sweetened & 1/2 unsweetened)

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (I used bran cereal)

¼ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup Nutella

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cup dried fruit, or a mix of dried fruit (I used dates with the hazelnuts)

I added a few chocolate chips (about 1/4c.) to one pan of the granola bars before baking.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Toss the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. (Watch the sweetened coconut; it browns quickly.) Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the brown sugar/honey/Nutella (I heated these slightly to melt.) Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Add all other ingredients.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pans and press it in the pans until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible. (Parchment paper placed inside the pan [before you add the granola mixture] and extended over the sides will aid in removing the full bar from the pan prior to cutting. - Butter the parchment paper.)

Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden brown.

Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this. ( I let mine cool overnight before cutting)

You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, as you would cookies, or store them in the freezer. They should remain crisp frozen, as all granola tends to soften at room temperature after a day or more.

concentrated tomato flavor

I'm a southern girl and I don't like tomatoes. There...I've said it...

And then I tried Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Tomatoes page 183 (recipe here). I made a few adjustments based on other blog postings I have read, and I now have a tray of delicious garlic/vinegar/caramelized goodness. As I tasted these hot from the oven, the concentrated flavors begged to be used on pizza or in anything pasta, or just smeared on bread (or my finger).

I roasted the tomatoes at 300 degrees for about 3 1/2 hours.

peaches - the second ingredient

Flippen's peach orchard has been in Shawtown all my life. And Shawtown (google that - click here) is just a few miles from Hornbeak. As a child, I remember going there with my grandmother to pick peaches.

On a recent visit home, I stopped at the roadside stand and purchased a 'fried peach pie.' They are delicious. But, do I really want to know what's in the little hand held pie? And, I'm wondering why 'peaches' are listed as the second ingredient in my pie.

All ingredients considered, I'll continue to consume these little treasures given the opportunity.

not exactly the day..but you get the idea

Karen, Amanda, and I sat around the 'scrapbook' table today (09.05.09), working on various projects and remembering.

Starbucks

Blueberry muffins from "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" (my newest book)

Asparagus Cheese quiche inspired by last week's Viking class

Chocolate Espresso cheesecake....just because

We had a great day...

repost from 09.07.07

Martha said we should meet....and at the Christmas party, I was nearing the door to leave...and we met.

And through the years, Marcille would say, “we almost missed Gale.”

Thank you, Lord, that we did not miss each other.

We have spent hours and hours working on ‘projects’ since early 2000.

Scrapbooks, food, fun, laughter, tears, hopes and dreams.

In the early years, it was Marcille, Amanda, and Gale. Karen joined us later.

We were reading Hemingway’s, “The Sun Also Rises” when she left. And now she watches over us from upon high...we will miss you...

As her ashes were tossed into the breeze at the farm she loved, granddaughter, Danielle read these words she penned:

God saw you were getting tired,

And the cure was not to be,

So he put his arms around you,

And whispered, "Come to me."

With tearful eyes we watched you,

and saw you pass away.

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best.

Title

Heaven Was Needing a Hero

Artist

Jo Dee Messina

“I came by today to see you

I just had to let you know

If I knew the last time that I held you was the last time

I'd have held you, and never let go

Oh, it's kept me awake nights, wondering

I lie in the dark, just asking why

I've always been told

You won't be called home

Until it's your time

I guess heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

I remember the last time I saw you

Oh, you held your head up proud

I laughed inside

When I saw how you were standing out in the crowd

Your such a part of who I am

Now that part will just be void

No matter how much I need you now

Heaven needed you more

Cause heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

Is Heaven was needing a hero

and that's you”

I Can Only Imagine

Mercyme

“I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When your face

Is before me

I can only imagine

[Chorus:]

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever

Forever worship You

I can only imagine

[Chorus]

I can only imagine[x2]

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship you”

5 Comments

Friday, September 14, 2007 - 10:35 AM

Lisa

Anyone that ever met this beautiful woman for more than 5 seconds fell totally in love with her and she with you. I used to tell her all the time that when I grew up I wanted to be just like her. Her spirit will live with me forever like so many others. Gale I'm so happy for you that you got to be with her through this, she was a blessing.

Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 08:38 PM

Cheryl Lawrence-Moore

I worked with Marcille for 10 years at BellSouth. She was always such a lady, such a classy lady. I loved her and I know her sprit will live amongst all of those who knew this wonderful creature. I hope she finds Scarlet in heaven and she can be her Mom up there until I get there. They would be great friends I am sure

I was so blessed to have known Marcille and enjoyed many great adventures over the 12 years we worked together. She shared her love and family freely. I got to spend some quality time with her while she was in the hospital and then rehab. We talked about the great friends and family we have and love. The Saturday before she left us, Danny and I told her how much she meant to us. IMy last words to her were, " I can count my very good friends on one hand, she was counted in my heart."

A friend told me not to worry, Marcille was in Heaven making plans for what we will all be doing when we get there. love Peg & Danny (South Carolina)

Monday, October 1, 2007 - 03:43 PM

Pam Hill

She was my friend, my relative, my church buddy and my co worker, she was so woven into to my everyday life that sometimes it takes my breath away to think she is gone. I miss her so much, but I know she is so much better now. I will never forget all the laughs, the tears, the crafts, the conversations they all hold such a special place in my heart. There are so many times a day when I think Marcille just saw that and cut her eyes, tilted her head and smiled. I went to a show recently and they sang a song from the play Wicked “For Good” and it said just about everything for me.

IT WELL MAY BE

THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN

IN THIS LIFETIME

SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART

SO MUCH OF ME

IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU

YOU'LL BE WITH ME

LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART

AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END

I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MINE

BY BEING MY FRIEND...

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING

BY A WIND OFF THE SEA

LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD

IN A DISTANT WOOD

WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?

BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 12:50 AM

CASSAUNDRA SIMMONS

God put special people in your life for a reason Marcille was that person for me. Marcille was special because of her wisdom, compassion and generosity. the first day that I met her she gave me a gift because she liked my smile ironically it was her birthday. Words cannot express the feelings that I developed for Marcille during the short time we were together. I can simply say that it has been a pleasure to have been her friend. Marcille loved her family and life itself this is why she so bravely met the challenges of coping with her situation on a daily basis. I celebrate your spirit of steadfastness and zest for life. You would have to search far and wide to find a better example of courage and compassion in anyone. Marcille was a woman that led by example i am truly blessed to have known her. I will greatly miss learning from my friend's wisdom

bran muffins

September is 'get healthier month' in my life. Though these muffins are somewhat sweet, they contain bran cereal and raisins. They are simple to mix, and they bake into nice large, dense, moist muffins. The baked muffins freeze well, and make a great 'grab and go' breakfast.

These are officially named Six Week Whole Bran Muffins, and the recipe can be found here. I think they are better baked in the first few days after mixing; however, the recipe states that the batter will keep for six weeks in the refrigerator.