Play Me a Recipe – Details, episodes & analysis

Cook along with Jesse Szewczyk to make these crunchy, perfectly spiced, and understated shortbread cookies that are as delicious dunked into hot coffee as they are eaten all on their own.

Recipe
Makes 24 bars
 

Shortbread Base

• 1 2/3 cups (214g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Speculoos Caramel

• 3/4 cup (175 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) light corn syrup
• 1 14-ounce can (414 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup (90 grams) speculoos cookie butter (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons (59 ml) whole milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons (36 grams) speculoos cookie butter, divided
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Make the shortbread base: Heat the oven 325°F. Grease an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick pan spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all four sides. In a large bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir together until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough into the lined baking pan and press into an even layer. Prick the top several times with a fork and bake until the shortbread is slightly puffed and golden brown in the center, 33 to 38 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the bottom of a measuring cup or a metal spatula to press down on the shortbread to compact it slightly. (This will prevent the bars from crumbling when sliced.) Let the shortbread cool for 30 minutes.
2. While the shortbread is cooling, make the caramel: In a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, speculoos cookie butter, vanilla, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning, until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and registers 240°F on the candy thermometer, about 8 to 11 mins. Pour over the shortbread base, spread into an even layer, and transfer into the fridge. Let cool for 1 hour.
3. As the caramel is cooling, make the topping: Place both the white and semisweet chocolate chips in two separate medium, microwave-safe bowls. Add 2 tablespoons whole milk and 1 tablespoon cookie butter to each bowl. Microwave each bowl on high power in 10 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds total. Transfer the white chocolate ganache into a piping bag or zip-top baggie.
4. Working quickly, pour the dark chocolate ganache over top of the caramel and spread into an even layer. Pipe thin, straight lines of the white chocolate ganache all going the same way. (You might not need all of the ganache.) Use a toothpick to drag it through the lines, alternating the direction you go each time to create a rough chevron pattern. Transfer the bars into the fridge and let set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle the top of the bars with flaky sea salt and cut into a 3 by 8 grid to make 24 bars. (For cleaner edges, feel free to trim off the border of the pan before slicing.) Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at [email protected]!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. 

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at [email protected]!

Ingredients

• 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 ounce gin
• 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
• 3/4 ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur
• Maraschino cherry, for garnish (optional)
• Lime peel, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

1. Chill glassware (such as a coupe or a Nick & Nora glass).
2. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the lime juice. Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until tin frosts over.
3. Fine strain into the chilled glassware. Garnish as desired.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Sorry, I Love Celery

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 10 Castelvetrano olives
• 6 Piparra peppers
• 1 bunch celery
• 2 ounces Parmigiano
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems

1. In a mortar and pestle or mini chopper, combine the anchovies and garlic with a big pinch of salt and many grinds of black pepper. Pulverize until a paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the anchovies and garlic together on a cutting board, then season with salt and black pepper and use the flat edge of the knife blade to smash the ingredients into a paste.)
2. Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper until combined. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.
3. Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash the olives and loosen the pits, then tear the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces (discard pits). Cut peppers in half lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place the olives and peppers in a salad bowl.
4. Trim the celery at both ends, then separate the bunch into individual stalks; wash and dry. Snap off the light green leaves from innermost stalks and set those aside. Cut the celery into very thin slices on a dramatic angle, then transfer to the bowl with the olives and peppers.
5. Use a vegetable peeler to shave half the Parmigiano over. Add most of the dressing and toss with your hands to coat.
6. Add the parsley and reserved celery leaves and toss gently to combine. Shave the other half of the Parm over, drizzle with dressing, and top with a few more grinds of black pepper.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Sorry, I Love Celery

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 10 Castelvetrano olives
• 6 Piparra peppers
• 1 bunch celery
• 2 ounces Parmigiano
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems

1. In a mortar and pestle or mini chopper, combine the anchovies and garlic with a big pinch of salt and many grinds of black pepper. Pulverize until a paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the anchovies and garlic together on a cutting board, then season with salt and black pepper and use the flat edge of the knife blade to smash the ingredients into a paste.)
2. Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper until combined. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.
3. Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash the olives and loosen the pits, then tear the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces (discard pits). Cut peppers in half lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place the olives and peppers in a salad bowl.
4. Trim the celery at both ends, then separate the bunch into individual stalks; wash and dry. Snap off the light green leaves from innermost stalks and set those aside. Cut the celery into very thin slices on a dramatic angle, then transfer to the bowl with the olives and peppers.
5. Use a vegetable peeler to shave half the Parmigiano over. Add most of the dressing and toss with your hands to coat.
6. Add the parsley and reserved celery leaves and toss gently to combine. Shave the other half of the Parm over, drizzle with dressing, and top with a few more grinds of black pepper.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:23) before starting the episode.

Tuna-Avocado Toast

Serves One

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 small, ripe avocado
• 1 (5oz) can oil-packed tuna
• 1tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Toast 2 slices of bread however you want (toaster, broiler, pan).
2. Halve, pit, and peel 1 small ripe avocado and add to a bowl with 1 drained (5-ounce/140g) can oil-packed tuna, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a big pinch each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Mash with a fork until it’s as smooth or chunky as you want, adjust the seasonings to taste, then divide between the toast.
4. Finish with another squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. (Psst: If you want a more avocado-y situation, you can use a large avocado, then stretch to 3 to 4 slices.)

SoulPhoodies Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk speak with Atinuke Diver about This Belongs to Us, her documentary chronicling the stories of Black women brewers in the American south, and their journeys of reclamation and revival as they navigate the predominantly white- and male-dominated landscape of beer in America.

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow Black & Highly Flavored so you don't miss out on future episodes.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Peter starts listing them at 10:15) before starting the episode.

Instant Ramyun "Carbonara" 

Serves 1

• 1 packet instant ramen, such as Shin Ramyun
• 1 slice American cheese
• 1 large egg, divided

1. Put half of the ramen seasoning packet in a bowl; top with the cheese and then the egg yolk. Reserve the dried veggies and bottom-of-the-package crunchy noodle bits.
2. Simmer the "cake" of dried noodles, in a small saucepan of boiling water, until it just starts to unravel, about 1 minutes. Drop in the egg white and swirl with chopsticks, encouraging the noodles to further unravel.
3. Once the noodles are al dente (not soft!), drain and add them to the bowl. With chopsticks, mix the noodles with the yolk, cheese, and seasoning powder. The water on the noodles should help turn this all into a creamy, clingy sauce.
4. And, the pièce de résistance: garnish with the crunchy noodles and veggies for texture.

SoulPhoodies Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk are joined today by author Adrian Miller (@SoulFoodScholar) to discuss his recent book, Black Smoke, the definitive history of African-Americans' influence on barbecue culture. (And here are those BBQ-ready spices Derek mentioned!)

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow Black & Highly Flavored so you don't miss out on future episodes.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Rebecca starts listing them at :55) before starting the episode.

Big Bean Sorta-Scampi With Linguine

Serves 4

• 8 ounces big dried beans, such as corona, gigante, or large lima, soaked overnight; or 2 (15-ounce) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed + 1 cup vegetable stock
• 8 cloves garlic, divided
• 1 lemon
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ½ cup panko
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (leaves and all stems), finely chopped
• 1 pound long pasta, such as linguine or fettuccine

1. If using canned beans (see Author Notes on Food52), skip to Step 3 (you’ll also skip 3 of the garlic cloves). Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Smash and peel 3 garlic cloves and use a peeler to remove 3 long pieces of zest from the lemon. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and add the garlic and zest. Cook just until the garlic is starting to take on color on both sides, about 4 minutes. Drain the beans, then transfer to the pot and cover with 3 inches of water. Stir in 1½ tablespoons of salt and lots of black pepper.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Cook, checking every 40 minutes or so to replace water that evaporates, until the beans are creamy all the way through, about 2 to 3 hours depending on the bean size and age.
3. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, then stir in the vinegar. Smash any large chunks of garlic into the broth and pluck out the lemon peels if you’d like (they’re slightly bitter but totally edible). Drain the broth into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and transfer the beans to a bowl. Alternatively, if making in advance, store the beans in their broth in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.
4. Wipe out the Dutch oven and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the over medium heat. Add the panko to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the panko turns golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a microplane to grate the remaining zest of the lemon into the pot. Stir to combine and transfer to a plate.
5. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter in the first Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, then use a microplane to grate 5 cloves of garlic into the pot. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and fish sauce if using.
6. Add 1 cup of the bean broth to the onion mixture and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the sauce reduces by about one-third, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
7. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for about 3 minutes less than what the box says for al dente. (It will cook more in the sauce!)
8. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat and use tongs to transfer the pasta to the sauce. Add all but a handful of the parsley. Halve the zested lemon and juice half of it into the pot. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges for serving. Toss aggressively with the tongs, cooking for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until combined and the sauce clings to the noodles. Gently toss in the beans. Cut the heat. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, and pepper flakes as needed.
9. Transfer the pasta to a large shallow serving bowl (or individual bowls). Top with reserved parsley and the toasted breadcrumbs.

If you like this episode, head on over to  Black and Highly Flavored's show page and hit "follow," so you don't miss any of the amazing upcoming episodes.

In partnership with the Food52 Podcast Network, SoulPhoodie founders Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk created the Black & Highly Flavored podcast to tell the stories and showcase the talent of Black creators and entrepreneurs excelling and innovating in the food and beverage space. 

This episode: Tamara and Derek speak with Saturated Ice Cream's Lokelani Alabanza—pastry chef and ice cream wizard devising need-to-have-now flavors all inspired by historic African-American cookbooks. She calls it, "like collecting antiques, but with food" — how cool is that?