12.31.18
You better enjoy looking at that 18 at the end of the date while you can, cause after today it’s over! How does 2018 feel like it has literally been half my lifetime and yet I remember last New Year’s Eve so clearly? It seems like everyone I’ve talked to has had a year. Myself included. For me, it has been the year to level up. In every part of my life this year I’ve fought to unlock the next level of difficulty, of challenges, and start preparing for what comes next. In my acting life, I’ve joined the acting unions so I’m able to audition for larger theatres, more prominent companies, and most of all, get PAID. I’ve joined the big kids so there’s a good chance that work will be more spread out, but a higher quality of life.
In baking, I had the incredible opportunity in June to audition for the Great American Baking Show. Obviously I didn’t make the show, but I DID make it to the point where I had to bake for producers and they tried and critiqued them. It was the most terrified and excited I’ve been in a while. During my interview, post tasting, I was asked about so many bakes I’d never heard of or tried. It inspired me to level up. My recipes my not be as frequent here in 2019, but I’ll be baking more challenging recipes (which will equal more failures), and trying new things more often instead of playing it safe.
And in general this year, it was the first time I had a survival job that wasn’t in a restaurant. I’ve been temping in offices around NYC and have met so many great people and explored parts of the city I’ve never been to before. But most importantly, it’s allowed me to work the same schedule as my husband. We’ve had more time together than any previous year in our relationship. In restaurants, money is in the evening shifts, and so Phil and I were constantly ships passing in the night. Now we have dinner together, work out together, have the weekends OFF together (Whaaaa??). It’s been a dream, and that it one thing I’d really like to NOT change in 2019.
So before this year ends, I wanted to tackle one more thing I’ve been staring at on my to-do list, tuiles! (Pronounced twee-ills) They’re not as hard as they are tedious. I’m still figuring the ins and outs of making them, but they came out pretty swell for my first time. And when they can be molded into cute little horns, they’re the perfect little celebratory New Year’s Eve treat! I added colorful sprinkles and chocolate to these crisp and light cookies. This is not a whip-up-in-a-flash type of bake. It’s a good too-cold-to-go-out project. Or an I’ve-got-to-stay-home-cause-laundry-is-in-the-machines project. But when you do make them, and they come out right, it’s so satisfying. Like anytime you level up in a video game. Fighting the bosses on the higher levels takes more time, and more lives to get it right, but when you finally beat him, it feels so good. I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do hope you find at least one way to level up next year, cause I’m pretty sure you’ve been fighting hard enough, and you deserve to beat that boss.
Tips for making tuiles:
-Every oven is different, start with baking them for 5 minutes, they go from baked to burnt faster than you can say “2019 is going to be the year of ME!”
-You will probably burn your hands?? Sorry, but since you need to work with them while they’re soft, that also means they’re still hot. Be careful, but prepare yourself.
-I’d recommend making at most 4 at a time, any more and you won’t get to molding them all before they’ve set
-On that note, if you’re really ambitious and bake a bunch and they set before you have time to mold them, place them back in the oven for 15-20 seconds and they’ll be pliable again
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DOMESTIC B(I)ATCH!!
(See you in 2019)
NYE Tuiles
Ingredients
For the Tuiles
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the Decor
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (or 1 cup if not using white chocolate)
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- sprinkles of any kind
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Whisk together egg whites and sugar until combined
- Whisk in melted butter
- Add in flour and vanilla bean paste and whisk until smooth
- Cover and chill for at least four hours, but this batter can last a few days in the fridge
- When ready to use, allow batter to come to room temperature
- Preheat oven to 400 and line two baking sheets with silicon mats, or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray
- Spoon a small amount of batter onto mats and with an offset spatula, or spoon, spread into a circle about 3-4 inches wide, it should be a very thin layer of batter
- Bake 5-6 minutes, edges will just start to brown
- Allow cookies to set about 1-2 minutes
- Gently slide an offset spatula underneath cookie to remove from mat, it will be hot and pliable, mold it around a foil cone, a cream horn mold, or roll into a cigar. You can also spread into a rectangle and carefully slice into thin stripes after baking and setting for a minute. Wrap around the handle of a wooden spoon to create a spiral.
- Allow cookies to set for 3-4 minutes before removing molds
- Once cooled, melt chocolates in their own heatproof bowl in 30 second bursts in the microwave until melted
- Dip edges of cone in chocolate and roll in sprinkles, allow chocolate to set. If kitchen is warm, chill cookies in fridge for 30 minutes
- Enjoy as is or fill with wbipped cream, pastry cream or ice cream!
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking
