For now, I will fail a little bit at my closet cleaning and set those worn but loved shirts aside in the hope that someday I'll find the time to use the images on the front for something else, like a witty quilt. We'll see. I just hate to see the Runnin' Rhino go into the garbage like he's not helping me comment on society.
Blame the name on Martha Stewart - I don't want any food I eat to be called cigarettes - but these are really delicious! You may recall that back in December I made cookie sticks much like these, with a thin batter and red food-coloring stripes. Although there are subtle differences in the dough, the main difference with this new recipe is that the finished product is dipped in bittersweet chocolate. This chocolate coating adds elegance and flavor to the experience.
I'm sure it's obvious that I like these cookies. However, I did not enjoy preparing them. As I mentioned when I made the other cookie sticks, these must be rolled up immediately after they are taken out of the oven. This means that, no matter what interesting and new method I come up with to roll them, I always end up with badly burned fingertips and a sense of disappointment that I can't roll them to look as beautiful as the Pirouettes you can buy at the grocery store. The necessity of rolling them while still hot also made it so I could only bake three at a time, making it a 2-3 hour endeavor to bake all of them. Clearly, this kind of recipe is intended for people who have lots of free time. Someday when I find that kind of free time (and when all the nerves in my fingertips go dead) I'll have to give these another go.
Hint: Gloves are your friend.
ReplyDeleteThere's like a special, (I think latex) kind that's thicker that's used for people who do sugar preparations (sculptures, decorations, etc..). I will have to try and see if I can find out the name of it for you and also at least ONE place where you might be able to get them.
Second: I'm guessing that you're rolling them up with a wooden dowel. (Or at least you should be).
Third: Get into a rhythm. It's like doing croissants at a boulangerie. Apparently, at least one shop in Paris rolls one every 4.5 seconds. While I don't know if even *I* would be able to pull that off (for this cookie or the croissant), but getting yourself into a rhythm should help minimize burning.
Wait...what number am I on? Fourth: If your hands are cold, warm them with tepid water, then hot (50 C+). If you're doing it bare handed, it'll help to acclimate your hands and fingertips to the higher temperatures. More extreme measure such as those practiced by Shaolin Kung Fu monks may be a little bit extreme, but can't argue with it if it'll also help.
Fifth: If you're trying to NOT roll it because it's hot, it means that it will start to cool and take its shape, which makes it harder; and therefore, means you'll have to spend more time and effort on it, which means your fingers will be burned anyways. Moral of the story: just get it over with.
(Working with sugar helps to prepare you for working with cookies like that.)