The One Girl Cookies cookbook by Dawn Casale and David Crofton is a collection of recipes of the wonderful sweet treats from their One Girl Cookies Bakery located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the photo of the whoopie pies on the front cover. They call out to be devoured! Much to my delight, while browsing through the book I realized that the whoopie pies were just a teaser to the delicious recipes for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies and tarts.
The Chapters
The are seven chapters (Comfort Cookies, Party Girl Cookies, Cakes, Whoopie Pies and Cupcakes, Pies and Tarts, Breakfast, Family Recipes) that feature 70 recipes and 50 beautiful color photos. There is also a chapter on packaging and gift-giving.
The Recipes
A few of the recipes featured are: Meyer Lemon Layer Cake, Chocolate Coconut Macaroons, Almond Spirals, Banana Whoopie Pies, The Best Vanilla Cupcakes, New York State Maple Pecan Pie, Mascarpone & Fresh Fig Tart, Buttermilk Biscuits, Pizzelle and Holes. Sicilian Doughnuts. Ç
Each recipe is personalized by an endearing anecdote. The instructions are well written and are easy to follow.
Sweet Success
The authors’ passion for baking is a story of sweet success. The One Girl Cookies cookbook is a baker’s delight and definitely be included in every cookbook collection.
In the kitchen baking….
Lemon, Olive Oil, and Almond Biscotti
I thought that perhaps the flavor of the olive oil would overpower the taste of the other ingredients. Instead these biscotti had a nice crunch and the taste was well balanced.
Banana Whoopie Pies
I never made whoopie pies before so I wasn’t sure to expect. This recipe was quite easy to follow. Although the whoopie pies seemed to be larger than the ones in the photo, the recipe did turn out 24 whoopie pies as stated in the recipe.
The Dulce de Leche Filling tasted quite sweet on its own but it complemented the banana flavor of the whoopie pies. They’re so good you just can’t eat one!
Ingredients:
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1 pound ripe bananas
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1⁄2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
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4 cups all-purpose flour
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11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
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1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
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11⁄2 teaspoons table salt
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1 cup canola oil
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3 large eggs
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1 cup granulated sugar
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1 cup packed light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Dulce de Leche Filling (recipe follows)
Method:
1. Combine the bananas and lemon juice in a food processor, and process until pureed.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the banana puree and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture for a total mixing time of 30 seconds. Carefully scrape down the bowl. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (the hole should be about as large as the tip of your ring finger), pipe 2-inch-diameter circles onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1½ inches between them. Be careful to keep your pastry bag completely vertical to achieve nice circles. (If you have to wait between batches of whoopie pies, keep the batter refrigerated).
6. Immediately put the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes without rotating the baking sheet. The whoopie pies are done when they are slightly golden in color and spring back when touched. Let the whoopie pies cool completely.
7. To fill the whoopies, turn half of them over so that they are bottom side up. Using a pastry bag, pipe a small dollop of the dulce de leche filling onto each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies.
Dulce de Leche Filling
Recipe
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
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4 ounces package cream cheese, at room temperature
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5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1⁄4 teaspoon salt
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1⁄3 cup dulce de leche (available in the specialty section of the supermarket)
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3 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
Method:
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla, salt, and dulce de leche, and mix for 30 seconds on low speed.
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With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, and then beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, add more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
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Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the filling, for up to 5 days.
Excerpted from One Girl Cookies by Dawn Casale and David Crofton. Copyright © 2012 by Dawn Casale and David Crofton. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Iain Bagwell. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited.All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
One Girl Cookies Cookbook Video
A Visit To the One Girl Cookies Bakery
Don’t miss My Cookbook Addiction’s guest post by food writer Lauren Wilson about her visit to the One Girl Cookies Bakery to sample some sweet delights.
Oh that looks like a great book and loved the guest post review too. I have not tasted many whoopie pies but this recipe is enticing to make some.