Hurricane Cookies (aka best intentions)

Sometimes it seems like the whole world is against you. I braved 4 different groceries stores in NYC this morning, in spite of the fact that this city is in the throes of bracing for Hurricane Irene. And what that apparently means for most New Yorkers is going to the store and buying lots and lots of bottled water and also canned sardines. Weird, right?


My shopping list was completely different, because my goal was not purely to "survive," but rather to thwart the hurricane entirely by baking Hurricane Cookies, which are notorious for keeping Hurricanes at bay. But alas, even though the grocery lines didn't deter me, our annoying (soon to be removed) little refrigerator ruined everything.


In preparing for probable power outages, I decided to chisel off the LARGE chunks of ice that have accumulated in this fridge since 1970 or so, and in the process the whole thing broke and began spewing freon. Yes.

Please see the note above about the whole world being against you. Apparently freon won't kill you, unless it comes near an open flame. So, long story not so short, no Hurricane Cookies for us. Which likely means, we should work on finding a safe spot away from the windows, because cookies or not, Irene seems imminent. If your situation is not quite so precarious and you're up for making them, I included the recipe for Hurricane Cookies below. Good luck and be safe!

Hurricane Cookies from Good Morning Lowcountry column

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
18 caramels, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Beat in flour. Stir in chocolate, caramels and pecans. Drop onto parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 10-15 minutes, until edges are browned. Cool for a few minutes prior to removing from cookie sheets.

Pullman Kitchen: a euphemism

So we moved 2 weeks ago. And along with packing boxes, donating things we haven't worn or used in over a year, and the general craziness that comes with moving, there were a lot of goodbyes. To Magnolia Bakery, to my favorite spot in Central Park, to short walks to Lincoln Center. And maybe most importantly, to my perfect Delonghi stove. It was just last August that the kitchen renovation in our west side apartment was essentially completed.

And now it's a little like being back at square one. Maybe even square negative one, since the west side apartment actually had, you know, a real kitchen. And not just a "Pullman Kitchen" (aka hole in the wall with some appliances thrown in).

But I'm not really complaining, because even though this is the stove I have to work with right now ...

... we have an awesome Fisher-Paykel ordered and waiting to be delivered as soon as we demo the current area.
We also have a pretty great contractor who designed a unit to go around the fridge in the corner opposite the kitchen area. Stay tuned as demolition starts, cabinetry goes in, and the fridge gets super cool panels to match!


ps: I haven't gotten up the nerve to try to bake anything in that silly little white oven, but I hear it is possible. I will be sure to let you know if I'm feeling adventurous.