Holiday greetings! Thanksgiving was a total blast. We rented an 8 foot table, moved the couch and ottoman, and put that big ol’ table right down the middle of our living room. Ten people gathered round it for a feast of turkey, sage and sausage stuffing, cornbread, whipped sweet potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, cranberry sauce and green beans. My dad (pictured with me) and I  did most of the cooking and baking (that’s me rolling out the biscuits), which is more like performing an elaborate piece of choreography in our tiny shoebox of a kitchen. But we had a fabulous, fabulous time. Moe’s mother and sister came, along with my parents, our good friends G&K, and our other good friends B&S, along with their one-year-old daughter.

But what was most special about this year’s Thanksgiving was not what we ate, but what we ate it on.   Our table was adorned with some very special pieces of china and silver, all from my grandmother.  Her china is white and ivory with a band of gold around the perimeter, delicately etched with a lacy floral pattern.  It dates to the 1930s, when my great grandmother bought a 20-piece set at Marshall Fields in Chicago.  (My mother now has the other half of the set.)  The sterling set consists of goblets, serving pieces, and a butter dish.  My grandmother had a stroke nearly ten years ago and, sadly, can’t entertain like she used to.  But it made her happy this year that all of her most cherished pieces were being put to good use.

And Hanukkah is here already! We celebrated and lit the menorah last night with cousins from out of town and I whipped up a dinner to make my Jewish grandma proud: whole roasted chicken, matzah stuffing, and crispy potato latkes with sour cream and apple sauce. For dessert, we devoured a platter of homemade baklava given to me as a holiday gift by a dear friend. We had a wonderful time talking and laughing over wine and delicious, traditional food. This, to me, is what the holidays are all about.

And for Christmas and New Year’s? We are off to Vietnam and Thailand for a two-week tropical trip of beaches, sand and some of the world’s freshest seafood. Not terribly traditional, I’ll give you that, but I think we’ll have a great time. We’ll be on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, for the first leg of our journey, then Railay Beach, Thailand through the first week of January.

Photos of food, beaches and paradise to follow shortly.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

-Miri

If this isn’t the most romantic looking cake, I don’t know what is. All those ruffles and sex appeal.  And that’s just the outside. Slice into it and you’ll find layers upon layers of chocolate genoise, fresh raspberries, and tangy vanilla creme fraiche.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Chocolate Ruffle Cake Assembly and Instructions:

1 eight-inch chocolate cake, baked and divided into three even layers (Genoise has a nice, light texture, but any chocolate cake will do. You can’t really go wrong, so just use your favorite recipe.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or other liqueur of your choice

2 cups creme fraiche (cold)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pints fresh raspberries
1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1-inch pieces.

Materials:

Pastry brush
One 6-inch cardboard round
One sheet of .005 Mylar (available at art supply stores.)
One 18-by-13-inch jelly roll pan, washed and dried. Do not use nonstick.

Make the simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the liqueur, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Prepare the creme fraiche filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the creme fraiche, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the creme fraiche is stiff.

Assemble the cake: Brush the bottom of the bottom layer of cake with simple syrup, using a pastry brush. Set the cake layer onto the cardboard round, syrup-side down. Brush the top of the same layer with more simple syrup, then spread about 1/2 cup of the whipped creme fraiche over the top. Arrange 8-10 raspberries over the layer, then push them down gently into the creme fraiche. Spread another 1/4 cup of whipped creme fraiche over the tops of the berries. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, filling, and raspberries, ending with a layer of creme fraiche over the top cake layer. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

Make the chocolate band: Trim a band of Mylar to the exact circumference and about 1/2 inch higher than the assembled cake. Melt 1/4 of the chocolate in a bowl suspended over an inch of simmering water (or in the microwave in 10-second intervals on high) until the chocolate is smooth and spreadable. It should feel warm to the touch, but not hot, so be sure to remove it from the heat just as soon as the last bit of chocolate is melted. Lay the Mylar strip flat on a piece of wax paper and then, working with an offset spatula in one hand and the bowl of melted chocolate in the other, pour and spread the chocolate over the Mylar band, covering it completely and spreading the chocolate all the way over the edges. The layer of melted chocolate should be about 1/8 of an inch thick. Allow it to stiffen ever so slightly while you remove the cake from the refrigerator. Slip your fingers under the band, grip it at either end, and then affix the band to the cake by pressing the chocolate-coated side against the cake all the way around. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator (leaving the Mylar strip intact) once again and refrigerate for another 30 minutes while you make the ruffles.

Make the ruffles: Melt the remaining chocolate in the same fashion (using a bowl suspended over an inch of simmering water or in the microwave) and pour it over the back of the jelly roll pan, spreading with an offset spatula to a thickness of about 1/16 inch thick. Transfer the jelly roll pan to the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and slowly bring the chocolate back to room temperature. (The room should be cool and dry, about 68F is ideal.) At the point where the chocolate is malleable but not too soft, fashion ruffles with an offset spatula. Holding the spatula by the handle with one hand and gripping the tip in the other, push the edge of the spatula against the pan, starting at one edge and moving the spatula in an arcing motion. Transfer finished ruffles to a chilled plate or pan, moving them to the refrigerator in batches so they hold their shape.

Create the ruffle top:Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully peel away the Mylar strip. You should have a glossy, solid band of chocolate encasing the entire cake. Arrange the ruffles in concentric circles over the top of the cake starting at the outside edge, setting them into the creme fraiche at a slight angle so they are sticking up and jutting out in all directions. Finish the cake with one perfect raspberry in the center of the ruffles.

Final step (and this is essential): Eat it with someone you love.

Noodle kugel makes me feel better about nearly everything in life. Last week, when I got sick at the end of a week that was already not going so well, I made noodle kugel and I swear to you it solved everything. It’s rich and comforting and it just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

It also takes me back to my childhood.  I was raised in a Jewish home where we had kugel on nearly every special holidays, most memorably the meal at the end of the fast on Yom Kippur. (Because everything tastes pretty amazing when you haven’t eaten all day, it’s true.)  It’s a rather sweet and custardy concoction, so for many years I secretly believed (I was convinced) that someone had made a mistake by putting it on the buffet with all the savory dinner dishes. I thought surely it must be for dessert, what with its luxurious combination of noodles, eggs, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, and dried fruit. But in the Jewish culture, it is indeed served as a side dish with the main meal.

Here’s a little history on noodle kugel from Wikipedia:

“The first kugels were made from bread and flour and were savory rather than sweet. About 800 years ago, cooks in Germany replaced bread mixtures with noodles or farfel. Eventually eggs were incorporated. The addition of cottage cheese and milk created a custard-like consistency which is common in today’s dessert dishes. In Poland, Jewish homemakers added raisins, cinnamon and sweet farmer’s cheese to noodle kugel recipes. In the late 19th century, Jerusalemites combined caramelized sugar and black pepper in a noodle kugel known as “Jerusalem kugel,” which is a commonly served at Shabbat kiddushes and is a popular side dish served with cholent during Shabbat lunch.”

If you’re looking for a rich and comforting dish that will keep you satisfied and warm one of these cold winter nights, try noodle kugel.  And, yes, it has crushed Corn Flakes on top. It sure does, and I am not ashamed.

Noodle Kugel
Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings

For noodles

1 pound dried wide egg noodles
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup whole milk
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1-pound) container sour cream
1 (1-pound) container small curd cottage cheese (4% fat)
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

For topping

2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

Prepare kugel:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Cook noodles in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well in a colander, then return to warm pot and add butter, tossing until noodles are coated.

Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined, then whisk in sour cream. Stir in cottage cheese and pineapple and add to noodles, stirring to coat well, then spoon into baking dish.

Make topping and bake kugel:

Stir together cornflakes, sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over noodles. Dot with butter and bake until kugel is set and edges are golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Is there any part of the title of this post that sounds in any way unappealing?  Chocolate?  Honey?  Caramel?  Cookies?  If there is anyone on this planet who does not like any one of those four words, please make yourself known immediately.

I find it difficult to believe such a person exists.

Indeed these cookies are little gems of deliciousness.  They’re more like little pieces of candy than cookie — sweet buttery caramel sandwiched between tender rounds of chocolate shortbread.

Oh yes.

You’ll need a few pieces of special equipment for this one, and a little bravery in the sugar-boiling and candy-making departments.  Gather up your candy thermometer (that’s a cooking thermometer that reads temperatures up to 400F, like this one), some parchment paper (available near the tin foil and plastic wrap in your local grocery store) and some small round cookie cutters (1 inch and 1.5-inch rounds, to be exact.)

This is going to be fun!  Make a batch and package them up in little boxes or colorful baggies for the holidays.  Your friends will love you.

(I mean I’m sure they already love you.  But they will love you more.)

Chocolate Honey Caramel Cookies

Make the caramel:

2 tablespoons melted butter, for greasing
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into cubes

Use a pastry brush to coat an 8x8x2-inch baking dish with the melted butter.  Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and grease that with butter as well.  Set baking dish aside.

Combine the sugar, cream, honey, and corn syrup in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Stir gently over medium heat just until the sugar melts.  Stop stirring immediately and increase the heat to high.  Boil on high for 8-12 minutes until a candy thermometer reaches exactly 250F.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter cubes and vanilla extract.  Pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish and set aside to cool.  Once cool, transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes.

Make the cookies:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.  Beat in the dry ingredients just until combined.  Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Use the 1.5-inch cookie cutters to cut disks out of the dough.  Transfer to the prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.  Press the scraps together and reroll until all the dough is used.

Bake cookies just until set, about 9-11 minutes.  Carefully slide the entire parchment sheet (cookies and all) onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Assemble the cookies:

Use the 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut small disks from the chilled caramel, twisting the cutter gently to loosen each disk from the parchment as you work.  (Beware, the caramel is sticky and becomes stickier as it warms, so you’ll need to work quickly.  Greasing your hands and the cookie cutter works wonders.)  Sandwich the caramel rounds between the cooled cookies, placing a caramel on the flat side of one cookie and then placing another cookie on top, flat side down.  Press gently to adhere.

Transfer the finished cookies to an airtight container, then to the refrigerator, as you work.  Note that if the room is warm, the caramel will get too soft and “spill” out from the sides of the cookies.  So find a cool space and work in small batches. Once assembled, the cookies can be placed in paper candy cups (think See’s candies, check your kitchen supply store or here), stacked in threes, and then wrapped in tissue and ribbon.

So this is the chocolate souffle recipe you’ve all been waiting for, the one I used for the mini-pilot I filmed with Johlt Productions last week. It’s a bit more like a flourless chocolate cake than a souffle though. It doesn’t give a whole lot of height like a traditional souffle would, primarily because the ratio of egg whites to the volume of the chocolate base is low. (In souffle-making, the mathematic equation is quite straightforward: the more egg whites, the more rise you get during baking.)

But alas, what comes up must come down, and most towering souffles do indeed collapse by the time you set them in front of your guests. Which is why I like these less fancy little things. They’re denser and more chocolaty and if you take them out at just the right moment, they’re a little gooey in the middle in the best possible way. They don’t rise as tall, but I think you’ll love them anyway.

I’m making these for Thanksgiving tomorrow, along with a pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin. (Which is in an entirely different class from canned pumpkin, if you’ve never tried it.) I was up late roasting the pumpkin, making pie dough, and measuring ingredients for the souffles, all of which I’m packing into the car this morning and carting with me to Santa Maria where I’ll be with my parents for the weekend. It’ll be just the three of us this year because my younger sister is living in Bangkok and my older sister is in Mexico visiting her new beau. I’m trying to keep my chin up but I won’t lie… we’re all feeling a little lonely here in California.

(Kate? Maya? Are you listening?)

Anyway, I phoned my parents last night to go over the grocery list and kitchen logistics one last time and my father was already busy making stock and seeding pomegranates. My mother was out on her third jaunt to the grocery stores.

Imagine if there were going to be more than three of us!

Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon rum
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, separated
pinch of cream of tartar

Finely chop the bittersweet chocolate and place in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Combine chocolate with the next six ingredients (cream through salt) over low heat and stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 35oF.  Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a stand mixer (or with a hand held mixture) until soft peaks form.  Whisk the yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in one third of the whites.  Gently fold until the whites are completely incorporated, then repeat with the remaining whites in two more batches.  Be careful not to overmix; you don’t want to deflate the whites as you work.

Pour the souffles into 8 large (3/4 cup)  ramekins and then transfer them to a baking sheet for easy transfer in and out of the oven.  Place the sheet of prepared souffles on the center rack of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until they are puffed but still soft in the center.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

No, I didn’t just sneeze.  Pflaumenkuchen is German for plum cake (pflaumen = plum, kuchen = cake) and this may be my new favorite dessert.  I discovered it via my friend Marc, who is indeed German.  I asked him one day,

“What is the German food you miss most?”

I fully expected him to say something about beer or bratwurst.

No.

He said “Pflaumenkuchen.”

And I said…

“Wha?”

He translated.   We looked it up.  I studied a handful of recipes and came up with this one, which is really not much more than a tender coffee cake with sliced plums arranged on top.  But it’s better than that.  It’s divine!  The cake is moist and the plums make it just a tiny bit gooey on top.  But in a totally good way.

I say it’s fair game for breakfast or dessert.  For dessert, serve it with whipped cream.

Oh, what the heck.  Serve it with whipped cream for breakfast, too.  Why not?

Pflaumenkuchen
(German Plum Cake)

Here it is, the pie I made earlier this week with apples picked at Heidi and Jason’s Wondrous, Magical Wedding in Santa Cruz.  I ended up taking this pie to my office after I photographed it, and you can see what happened to it by scrolling all the way to the bottom of this post.

Make the Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 cup bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4.5 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Chill the butter cubes and dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in the freezer for 20 minutes before you begin.

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse a few times until mixed. Add the cold cream cheese cubes and process until the mixture resembles meal.  Add the frozen butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.  Add the water and vinegar, pulse again until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a large freezer bag and press it together with your hands until it forms a dough.  Leave the dough in the bag and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

Prepare the Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds crisp, flavorful apples (Jonathon, Fuji, or Granny Smith are good ones)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch

Peel and core the apples, then slice them 1/8 inch thick. Toss them in a large bowl with the lemon juice, sugars, nutmeg and salt.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to three hours.  Strain the macerated apples using a collandar suspended over a bowl; you should collect at least 1/2 cup of juices.  Transfer the drained apples back to the large bowl and toss with the corn starch until all traces of the starch have disappeared.  Set the apples aside.

Transfer the juices to a small saucepan and cook on the stovetop over medium heat with the butter.  Bring to a boil and reduce by half.  The juices will be concentrated and syrupy.  Pour the concentrated juices over the apples.  If the syrup hardens on contact with the apples, do not worry.  It will soften again during baking.

Assemble the pie:

Prepared pie dough
Prepared apples
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Remove the chilled pie dough from the refrigerator.  Roll two thirds of it into a 12-inch disc on a lightly floured nonstick surface.  Trim the edges so it’s a (near) perfect circle, reserving any scraps.  Carefully transfer the disc to a 9-inch pie plate, tuck the edges under, and crimp the edge gently with your fingertips.  The edge should exceed the rim of pie plate by about 1/2 inch.  Refrigerate while you make the decorative leaves.

Roll the remaining dough (scraps and remaining 1/3 of the original recipe) into another, smaller disc.  Use a cookie cutter to cut leaves that will decorate the rim of the pie.  (Alternatively, you can cut them out by hand.) Use a paring knife to gently press “veins” into the leaves. Place them on a platter lined with parchment or waxed paper and transfer them to the refrigerator.

Remove the chilled bottom crust from the refrigerator and line with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice.  (Pie weights help to ensure that an empty crust does not shrink or slide down the sides of the pie plate during baking.)  Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the pie weights and parchment.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork three or four times, then continue to bake 3-5 minutes more, until the crust is a light golden brown.  Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.  Brush with 1/2 egg white, lightly beaten.

Arrange the apple slices in the bottom crust in overlapping, concentric circles, working from the outside in until all slices have been used.  Pour any remaining juices over the apples.  Dot the apples with the unsalted butter.  Arrange the chilled “leaves” around the perimeter of the pie, adhering them to the bottom crust with drops of water.  Place the assembled pie in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow the pastry to rest.  (This will maintain flakiness.) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to brush the pastry leaves and any exposed crust with the lightly beaten egg.  Bake the pie for 15 minutes uncovered, then cover it loosely with tinfoil.  Cut 2-3 vents in the tin foil to allow steam to escape.  Bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until the apples are tender but not too soft and the crust is golden brown.  Cool slightly, then brush the apples with the melted preserves.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  (With vanilla ice cream of course!)  Put it on the kitchen table at your office, and this is what it should look like in about 15 minutes flat:

Sigh.

Alas, fall is here and this week I harvested the last of my summer crop: sun gold cherry tomatoes, yellow heirlooms, and purple basil.  It’s been cool and a little dreary here in the Bay Area these past few weeks and even though my tomato plants are still producing fruit, I know the lower temperatures and shorter days mean those little green marbles are unlikely to ripen before the first frost.  Indeed, a gusty wind sent leaves swirling around my car this evening as I waited for the stoplight to change at the bottom of my hill.  I turned my head and peered into my neighbor’s living room, where her kids were pasting Halloween decorations to the windows, already decked out in full costume.  Her six-year-old fairy princess waved to me with her sparkly wand.

What should one do with tomatoes in the fall? Why, make a warm and creamy soup of course.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Chili Cream
[Makes two entree- or four appetizer-sized servings.  Adapted from Epicurious.com]

One of the nicest cooking-related compliments I’ve ever received came from a colleague of mine, Jill, just last week after I brought a bag of these cookies to her at the office.  She said they were “better than the ginger cookies at the Cheese Board.”  Better than the ginger cookies at the Cheese Board?! Have you ever had the ginger cookies from the Cheese Board?  Let me tell you… their ginger cookies are pretty darn good.   I’ve been buying them since I was a in college and trying to replicate them ever since.  (Never heard of the Cheese Board? If you’re outside the Bay Area, you probably wouldn’t know it, and you’re missing out. The Cheese Board sells fantastic cheese and bread and to-die-for takeout pizza. Oh! And ah-MAZE-ing pastries and cookies.)

So, Jill’s compliment was music to my ears.

Of course, some like their ginger cookies crispy and snappy.  These cookies are not crispy.  Nope, no snap here.  These cookies are soft in the middle, chewy around the edges, and laced with mouth-watering bursts of fresh candied ginger.  A generous coating of turbinado sugar gives them a bit of subtle sweet crunchiness in every bite.

If you love a moist, dense, chewy ginger cookie… this is definitely your recipe.

Oh — and the dough is really, really good.  I would never (ever!) advise you to eat anything containing raw eggs, but if I didn’t advise it and you still took a little nibble, perhaps to hasten the cleaning of the bowl, I bet you would be glad that you didn’t follow my advice. 

Yield – about 2 dozen cookies.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, for coating

Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger and toss to coat. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands and working quickly, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. They also freeze well, in a sealed freezer bag, for up to four week. Remove from the freezer and defrost at room temperature.)

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton (oo-la-la!), which is situated on the eastern shore of St. Thomas.  Now, I hesitate to complain about a Ritz Carlton, lest I sound like a completely ungrateful travel snob, but this resort was way too big and crowded for my taste.  If I went again, I’d stay at a smaller, more modest property with more beach and fewer people.  Nonetheless, we managed to have a great time, mostly by getting off the island, away from the crowds, and into the water.  The scuba diving on St. Thomas and the surrounding islands is fantastic… fish in every color, sea turtles, and fantastic coral.  We chartered a boat for a day and visited the islands of Jost Van Dyke, St. John, and Tortola, stopping to snorkel and scuba wherever we could.  My favorite stop on land was a joint called Ivan’s Stress Free Bar on Jost.  On Christmas Day, we scuba dived at a spot appropriately named Christmas Cove off the northern shore of Great St. James.  I didn’t have an underwater camera, but here’s a pretty good video from Lonely Planet.  It was a breathtaking dive.  (No pun intended.)

The food on the islands is great.  Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of seafood.   The specialty is “local lobster,” which is served in everything from omelettes to pasta to quesadillas.  It’s flavorful and tender, though not quite as rich and buttery as the cold water lobster we eat here on the mainland.  Comparatively speaking, it makes for a lighter meal, which is not such a bad idea when you’re spending a lot of time in your bathing suit.  Our most unforgettable dinner was at a fabulous little restaurant called Herve in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas.  One of the specials that night was a wilted spinach salad with a shallot vinaigrette, which we paired with conch fritters to start.  For our entrees, I ordered the local lobster (but of course) and my companions ordered seafood linguine, broiled shrimp, and Norweigan salmon.  The food was fabulous and the ambiance was lovely… the owner, Herve Chassin, personally greets his guests at the door and leads them to an open-air dining room with panoramic views of the harbor.

I’m back in foggy San Francisco now, with an interesting task ahead:  I found a conch shell during that dive at Christmas Cove and carried it all the way home in my suitcase.  Now I’m trying to figure out how to get the dead animal out of the shell so I can polish it and keep it as a souvenir.  The thing stinks to high heaven and I’m too squeamish to touch it.  I’ve done some preliminary research online and have learned that the best thing to do is to leave it near an anthill and let the ants clean out the flesh before soaking the shell in a diluted bleach solution to loosen the debris.  The other option is to boil the creature so it “cooks” and then pull it out of the shell with my fingers.  I think not!  So I’m off to find an anthill, I guess.

I think I’d rather be scuba diving off the shores of St. Thomas.