Like Strawberry Wine...

I am my Mother’s daughter.  I get antsy sometimes at home, and the only thing to cure it is to bake or cook.  I can’t even count the times I have been with my Mom and randomly, even at 10:00 at night sometimes, she’ll say “I need some cake” and she’ll just go make one, or she’ll get the urge to make something for breakfast the next morning.  This trait appears to be genetic. It hit me last night (and not for the first time).  I was watching one of the Batman movies and I couldn’t follow it – I’ve never seen any of them and I wasn’t in the right mindset to truly pay attention to what was happening so I started scrounging around the kitchen for ingredients.  I wasn’t at my own house so my selection was limited, but then inspiration struck – mayo!

Do what?? 

Seriously, mayonnaise was often used long ago when ingredients or money were scarce and it makes complete sense – it’s basically eggs and oil.  The little bit of vinegar in it just amps up the cake’s flavor.  You can probably find recipes very similar to this one called World War II Cake, or Depression Cake.  This one in particular though, is actually an original family recipe.  It’s from my Aunt Jean – well I guess technically my Great Aunt – she was my Dad’s Aunt who we’d go visit on occasion in Nova Scotia, Canada.  I can remember her making this, as well as Boston brown bread steamed in a coffee can, rhubarb pie, baked beans, etc.  It’s funny how particular items stand out in your head for a certain person.  Anyway, this one has always been a favorite of my family’s and for good reason.  It’s easy, it’s delicious, and oh yeah – I said it, it’s moist.  I try to avoid that word like the plague, but it truly is the best descriptor for this super fudgy cake.

 Try it, you won’t be disappointed.  You don’t even need icing for it, though we had it with a little whipped cream and it was a perfect accompaniment. 

Aunt Jean's Fudge Cake

                    

 Amount      Measure                   Ingredient   
  --------      ------------                ----------------
  1               cup                         Mayonnaise
  2               teaspoons                baking soda
  1               cup                         sugar
  1               cup                         cold water
                       

Combine ingredients above and stir well – it will look gloppy, it’s fine.

 

  2               cups                       flour, sifted
 ¼               teaspoon                 salt
  4               Tablespoons            unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  1               teaspoon                 vanilla

Combine dry ingredients, then gradually add dry ingredients to wet, beat well.

Pour into greased 8" square pan.  Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes.  Check after 40 minutes.  Let cool slightly, but this is amazing when it’s still warm.  Enjoy!

I don’t think anyone would argue that the combination of salty and sweet is one of the best flavor profiles out there.  If something is cloyingly sweet I can only handle a few bites – and if it’s too salty, ugh, give me some water immediately!  When the two come together though, it is a dangerously magical mix.  That’s these cookies – beware.

If you like peanut butter, then you probably love peanut butter cookies, I mean, how could you not?  Add a little chocolate and you’ve stepped it up a notch.  Add crushed pretzels and your mind will be blown – they not only add some salt, but the texture is awesome.  This peanut butter cookie recipe isn’t the hard, almost crumbly variety you have probably had at some point – this is chewy, so the crunch from the pretzels is welcome, as is that gooeyness from the chocolate chips. Mmmm!  Ok, I think I’ve made my point – the word for these: amazeballs.

Thankfully the recipe didn’t make a ton, so I had one to try them (it’s a requirement), then immediately packed up the rest and shipped them out.  I hope the guys liked them as much as I did!  Here’s how it’s done:

INGREDIENTS:

(Recipe adapted from www.browneyedbaker.com) 

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup finely crushed pretzels (I used about a cup)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups light brown sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (I think I used about ½ cup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

2. Whisk together the flour, crushed pretzels, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Beat at medium speed until well blended.  Add the egg and beat just until blended.  Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture gradually, mixing just until combined.  Using a rubber scraper, stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Use a medium cookie scoop – about 2 Tbsps - to scoop dough and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands (I skipped the rolling).  Place on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Optional - Dip the tines of a fork into a cup of water and make a crisscross pattern on the cookies, flattening them slightly.  Repeat dipping the fork in water as necessary if it starts to stick to the dough.

5. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until set and beginning to brown around the edges.  Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.  Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, though I doubt they’ll be around that long.

Paris meets 14^th Street?  Some aspects of the newly opened Le Diplomate, chef Stephen Starr’s first DC venture, could certainly fool you.  The chairs on the 14^th street side that face the passing traffic, the blue and yellow tables on the patio with the “RICARD” across the top for the famous French liquor – which apparently is trying to make a comeback (Business Week - Ricard Comeback)  - I don’t know about you, but I’m ok with letting myself mentally escape to Paris for a few hours if I can’t be there for real.

Le Diplomate has been open for a couple months now and I’ve already managed to go twice, once for dinner and once for brunch.  I wasn’t disappointed at either.  I love the vibe, there’s sexy ambient lighting at night and during the day it’s bright and cheery with two full walls of windows and a garden room that opens to the patio.  Always packed, it’s best to plan ahead and put that OpenTable reservation in a few weeks ahead of time, otherwise expect at least an hour wait.

I had dinner there a few weeks ago.   I’m horrible at deciding on just one thing to eat, but thankfully one of my dining companions was willing to go splitsies (did I just say that? sorry!) on a few things.  First and foremost, don’t ignore the bread basket they bring you – its three different kinds of freshly made and very good bread including baguette, a rustic country bread and a cranberry-walnut variety.  Maybe it’s that mental escape I mentioned, but I swear even the butter is delicious…can anyone else who has been to Paris, or France in general, recall how amazing their butter is?  Salty and flavorful and so worth the calories.  Anyway, on to the rest – we went with the classics, gotta try them out on the first go-round, so onion soup, hanger steak and apple tartin it was!  Oh, and don’t forget the cheese plate for the table to start.  Delicious cheeses accompanied by apple slices, dried tart cherries, fig spread and some marcona almonds – can’t go wrong.  The soup was great, a definite close rival for my favorite onion soup in the city (thus far) at Bistro Bis.  The steak was a little tough, but still had great flavor.  Slightly charred crust, well seasoned and cooked as ordered – just wish it had been a little more tender.  By the way, another friend had the Norwegian Salmon and said it was really good – it certainly looked tasty, but alas, I didn’t try it.

The apple tarte tatin however, was perfect,  Sweet, slightly tart, baked to perfection so the apples were soft all the way through but still intact – mmm, I could have downed that on my own for sure, but probably definitely best that I didn’t!

Onward to brunch, which was this past weekend.  It’s always a struggle…eggs or French toast/eggs or pancakes/eggs or croque madame – hmm, well since eggs are at the forefront of all of those scenarios, that’s what I went with.  I make them at home all the time, but not like this – not with lots of that great butter, or with all of the yolks for that matter.  I had the gruyere omelet and I was not disappointed, it was salty and herby and cheesy and totally hit the spot.  Plus, that left my sweet tooth for actual dessert.  My friends and I split the fresh fruit tart, in this case raspberry with pistachio cream, and the chocolate hazelnut profiteroles.  Alright, if you like almond extract, you’ll like the tart, but I think it tastes like a fake flavoring so I took one bite and let out an immediate “Blech!”  The shortbread crust was rife with almond flavor, no thank you!  Come on, what about lemon?  Anyway, the profiteroles were more than enough to fulfill the sugar craving.  Even chilled, the dough was soft and delicate enough to cut through with just a fork and the cream was smooth with the perfect chocolate/nut balance.  Oh, and make sure to get their Mimosa Lorraine with peach and orange juice, yum.  Finally, if anyone gets the croque madame, I need to know how it is, I think that’s next!

All in all, I love this place so far.  Two great meals, excellent service and a fun atmosphere.  Unlike some places when they were new (ahem, Graffiato), Le Diplomate has your reserved table ready and waiting for you when you arrive, with your full party of course.  Well done.  (http://lediplomatedc.com/)