For the macaroon topping:
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut, not shredded
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Step 1—Make cookie crust: First, preheat the oven to 325°F. Using an electric mixer, blend all of the cookie crust ingredients together. Using your fingers, press the dough into a 9-inch square pan that’s been greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. No more! You want the cookie crust to set but not brown. Leave the oven at 325°F for Step 3.
Step 2—Make macaroon topping: In a small bowl, mix the coconut with the condensed milk. Let stand to soak. In a larger bowl, beat the egg whites until you see soft mounds. Keep beating while adding the sugar. When stiff peaks begin to form, fold in the milk-soaked coconut. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and spread the topping on the cookie crust.
Step 3—Bake macaroons: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into 16 bars or 36 bite- sized squares.
Nonna Cosi’s Linguine with White Clam Sauce As with many Italian families, Clare Cosi grew up with the holiday tradition of eating “seven fishes” on the night before Christmas. Italian cooks take this tradition very seriously, coming up with many different fish dishes to serve. Clare’s grandmother almost always served this one. The clam sauce is so easy to make that Clare got into the habit of keeping cans of clams, packages of pasta, and Wondra flour in her pantry so she could throw together a quick, delicious meal without much notice—just the way she did for Mike Quinn the night she was arrested. Of course, Clare’s Nonna didn’t have “packages” of linguine. She always made her pasta from scratch. Those were the days!
Makes 4-6 servings
For the white clam sauce:
½ cup scallions (green onions), minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
24-ounces of canned minced clams
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
4 tablespoons Wondra flour (see note)
1½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
For the pasta:
5 quarts water
1½ tablespoons (5 teaspoons) salt
Splash olive oil
1 pound linguine (or pasta of your choice)
Step 1—Prepare ingredients: Put the pasta water over low heat and then mince the scallions and garlic and chop the parsley. Drain your canned clams, reserving the clam juice. (You’ll get about 2 cups.)
Step 2—Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Do not allow the butter to brown or burn! Add minced scallions and garlic. Sauté until the scallions are transparent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour until all of the liquid is absorbed. With the heat still on low, add the milk, stirring constantly to keep from forming lumps (whisk if you need to). Add your minced clams and half of the reserved clam juice (1 cup). Stir in your parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 3—Thicken the sauce: Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring. In about 3 -5 minutes, you’ll see the sauce begin to simmer. Continue stirring and simmering on medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. When done, remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand about 10 minutes, letting flavors continue to blend while you cook your pasta.
Step 4—Cook the pasta: Turn the heat to high under the pasta water pot that you put on to boil in Step 1. As bubbles begin to appear, add the salt and a splash of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. When the water is at a roiling boil, add your pasta and stir the pot every so often to prevent sticking. Cook until tender—about 9-10 minutes, depending on your pasta. (Check the package instructions if you’re using premade pasta. Check your recipe if you’re using homemade.)
Step 5—Finish and serve: Drain the pasta, then return it to the original pot (now drained of water). Add the sauce and stir until well blended. Serve immediately with suggested garnishes (see note).
NOTE ON FLOUR: You can substitute regular flour in this recipe, but Wondra is a great product to have in your cupboard. This superfine flour helps thicken sauces and gravies with a minimum amount of lumps. Look for its blue cardboard canister in the same grocery store aisle that shelves all-purpose flour. (A handy, foolproof recipe for making a basic white sauce can be found right on the canister’s label, too.)
NOTE ON GARNISHES: A number of garnishes will work well with this dish. Try freshly ground black or white pepper, lemon zest, and/or sea salt. In lieu of salt—and contrary to those who say seafood should not be paired with cheese—I find a strong, aged cheese like Pecorino Romano lends a delicious, piquant note when freshly grated over this dish!
Gardner’s No-Bake Mocha Rum Balls Because Gardner’s memories of the holidays always included Caribbean rum (thanks to his auntie), he contributed this deliciously decadent recipe. Sophisticated yet easy (and fun) to make, these treats blend the flavors of chocolate and dark rum with another ingredient Jamaica has long been proud of exporting— coffee.
Makes about 48 cookies
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces, or 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature and cut into small pieces
3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon dark rum or 1½ teaspoons rum extract
1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee
¼ teaspoon salt
One or more of the following finishers: chocolate jimmies; toasted coconut; toasted almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or another favorite nut (see note on toasting nuts)
Step 1—Melt the chocolate: Melting chocolate is very easy, but also tricky. If you do it wrong, the chocolate can seize up on you and become coarse and grainy. If the chocolate scorches, the flavor will suffer. Avoid these disasters by following Clare’s directions for properly melting chocolate (page 335).
