Coconut, Hazelnut, and Chocolate: How Caroline Schiff makes breakfast
Three unbelievable treats to make this holiday season
Given what I’ve seen on Instagram and in the food press, you will not find a shortage of other-worldly absolutely fabulous pie recipes to bake for you and yours this holiday season. So this year, I’m sharing three recipes from one of my favorite pastry chefs, Gage & Tolner’s Caroline Schiff (named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs this year), and none of them is for pie.
Instead, have a go at one of Schiff’s recipes, treats that would work well for Thanksgiving, a Pot Luck, a dinner party, a New Year’s Eve bash, or a surprise breakfast for your kids over winter break: Granola made with chocolate, coconut, and hazelnuts; buttery shortbread Sables with espresso and chocolate; and Chocolate Chunk Cookies reborn with sea salt and malt. Yes, yes and yes. She created these recipes in collaboration with Guittard chocolate, but you can use whatever type you prefer or have on hand. Just save some for me!
One more thing: As I am sure you are, I’m tucking into planning, shopping, cooking and spending time with kids until after the Thanksgiving holiday so I’ll see you after the feasting on November 28th. Hope yours is the best.
Grateful to have you in my world!
xx
Andrea
Caroline Schiff’s Recipes for the Holidays!
Chocolate Coconut Hazelnut Granola
Makes about 2 heaping quarts of granola
I’ll take any excuse to incorporate chocolate into breakfast. This nutty, sweet and salty granola highlights the roasty, toasty tones of Guittard 72% baking chips (made with coconut sugar!) and the bright, clear cocoa notes of Guittard organic cocoa powder. The result is a versatile, balanced crowd pleaser that’s a far cry from a breakfast cereal sugar bomb. It’s also a perfect snack on the go, trail mix MVP, and movie night nosh; not to mention amazing with yogurt or ice cream. This all too delicious granola keeps in the pantry for several weeks…but it won’t last that long.
3 cups/ 270 grams rolled oats
1½ / 215 grams blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
½ cup/ 43 grams shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 ½ cup/ 340 grams Guittard Sante 72% baking chips
2 tbsp/ 10 grams guittard organic cocoa powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup/ 230 grams dark maple syrup
½ cup/ 100 grams olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Flakey sea salt to finish
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, hazelnuts, coconut, Guittard baking chips, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to combine.
Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract and mix well with a spatula.
Divide the granola evenly between the two pans, spreading it out into an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes, giving the granola a stir with a spatula about halfway through baking.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the granola with a few pinches of flakey sea salt. Allow the granola to cool on the pans, and then break up into clusters, transferring to airtight containers. Store at room temperature for up to three weeks.
Malty Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 12 large cookies
This one might be the chocolate chip cookie of my dreams; extra large with brown butter, malted milk powder, lots of real vanilla, and loaded up with silky Guittard 38% milk chocolate wafers. They have a tender, chewy, comforting, milky quality and they’re super nostalgic. If cozy were a cookie, these would be it.
1 stick/ 114 grams unsalted butter
1 cup/ 120 grams AP flour
¾ cup/ 90 grams bread flour
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp/ 35 grams malted milk powder
1 cup/ 146 grams dark brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup/ 100 grams granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp real vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup/ 255 grams Guittard Milk chocolate baking wafers, plus a little extra to top the cookies
Maldon salt to garnish
In a small pot over medium-high heat, brown the butter, whisking constantly. It’s ready when the large bubbles subside, brown flecks become visible, and the butter takes on a rich, honey hue; about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the butter cool in the pan while you gather the other ingredients.
In a mixing bowl combine both flours, baking soda, kosher salt, and malted milk powder. Whisk to combine and break up any lumps of baking soda. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl combine the cooled brown butter (it should be thickened but not solid), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until uniform.
Add the dry to the wet and gently combine using a wooden spoon, adding the milk chocolate wafers when the dry is about 50% incorporated. Continue mixing until the mixture is uniform.
Cover and chill the dough for at least 5 hours but ideally overnight.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees with racks in the middle. Portion the cookie dough into 2 oz balls and transfer to parchment lined sheet pans, spacing them at least 3” apart as they spread significantly. Press two or three Guittard milk chocolate wafers on top of each cookies, but do not flatten out the dough. Top each cookie with flakey sea salt and transfer to the oven. Bake until golden brown around the edges and soft in the middle; about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets, or transfer to wire racks to continue cooling if you need the baking sheets to finish the remaining cookies. Enjoy.
Espresso Chocolate Sables
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
These buttery French sablé-style cookies are pure elegance. You’ll want to use 100% Guittard rouge cocoa powder, with its deep, robustness, and tannic yet fruity Guittard 74% baking wafers in these luxe bites. It’s a dynamic duo that pairs beautifully with espresso and the little pop of orange zest. They’re a perfect bite for that afternoon pick-me-up or to end a rich meal.
2 sticks/ 228 grams unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup/ 114 grams powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large orange
2 cups/ 240 grams all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp espresso powder, divided
2 tbsp Guittard rouge cocoa powder
1 ½ cup/ 255 grams Guittard 74% dark chocolate baking discs, roughly chopped
½ cup granulated sugar
In a mixing bowl combine the softened butter and powdered sugar and cream together using a wooden spoon, until smooth and uniform. Add the yolks, vanilla, and orange zest and mix until smooth and uniform.
Combine the flour, salt, 1 tbsp of the espresso powder, and the Guittard cocoa powder in a separate bowl and whisk together. Add the dry to the butter mixture and gently mix to incorporate, adding the chocolate discs once the dries are about 50% incorporated.
Once the dough is uniform, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a long rectangular log, or a cylinder if you prefer. If it’s sticky, you can dust your hands with a little flour. The log should be about 12” long and roughly 2 ½” wide. Once shaped, wrap in the parchment and transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can also wrap well in plastic once fimly chilled, and keep in the fridge for up to one week.
To bake, heat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it soften slightly at room temperature so it’s easy to slice.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining espresso powder with the granulated sugar. Unwrap the dough and with a sharp knife, slice it into cookies about 1/2” thick. Coat each cookie into the espresso sugar and transfer to the sheet pan, spacing the cookies about 2” apart. Bake until just set, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining dough. These cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.