HOLFOB I DAY BAKINGOPENER Sugar Rush HOW LOS ANGELES CHEF DAVID LEFEVRE’S LOVE OF HIS MOM’S CHRISTMAS TREATS INSPIRED A CHARITABLE HOLIDAY COOKIE SWAP THAT HAS FANS MARKING THEIR CALENDARS. BY JANE SIGAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN KERNICK EINKORN SHORTBREADS, P. TK CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOW COOKIES, P. TK KEY LIME MACARONS, P. TK SPICED ITALIAN PECAN MERINGUES, P. TK CHRISTMAS MORNING BISCOTTI, P. TK food stylist: simon andrews; style editor: suzie myers suzie editor: style andrews; simon stylist: food FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE 1 DECEMBER 2017 Holiday Baking Cookie Swap ODAY DAVID LEFEVRE is a cookie pro, but the memory of his mother’s cookie exchange gave him the there was a moment when his family idea of doing his own swap, for a good cause: On one night endured a mild panic about who would roll, in December, a group of prominent chefs across L.A. would cut and shape the holiday treats known as serve plates of bartered cookies at their restaurants, with St. Nicholas Day letters. “When I was proceeds going to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. growing up in Wisconsin, my mother always He reached out to friends, like Ted Hopson, his old sous- made them at Christmas,” says the chef who’s currently the executive chef and co-owner of Los Angeles chef, who owns a trio of beachside spots: The The Bellwether in Studio City, and Della Gossett, a cook he TArthur J, Fishing with Dynamite and Manhattan Beach Post. knew from his days working for Charlie Trotter and who now He recounts how his mom baked an almond cream–filled heads up the pastry kitchen at Spago Beverly Hills. And he version of the letters, one of the cookies traditionally made contacted people he admired, like Joshua Graves, the pastry to celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, observed on December chef at Rose Cafe in Venice, and Ivan Arturo Marquez of 5 or 6. She would churn out dozens of them, trading some Broken Spanish in downtown L.A. Cumulatively, the six with relatives and neighbors for their cookies and saving the participating chefs baked, swapped and sold more than 1,000 rest for Christmas morning. “We kids were allowed to open cookies, raising $2,500 for the food bank. all the stockings and one present before the adults got up,” After its successful debut, the cookie exchange is back LeFevre says, “and we could eat the St. Nick letters.” again this year, on December 3—but with changes. For one But when LeFevre was 20, his mother was hospitalized, thing, the chefs will make more cookies. They drastically and her absence left a gaping, letter-shaped hole in the underestimated demand the first time around. Plus, they will holiday. So LeFevre, then a student at The Culinary Institute offer patrons the option of ordering an assortment for takeout. of America, stepped into his mom’s baking shoes. This season’s lineup will have an incredible His first batches were clumsy, but over the years variety of deliciousness—homey bar cookies, he learned just the right amount of almond “The cookies were Rice Krispies Treats flavored with matcha tea, cream to use and how to flawlessly pinch the perfect, but Parisian-style macarons, Mexican-inspired dough into letter shapes so the filling didn’t spill thumbprint cookies, nutty einkorn shortbreads out. “Eventually, they were perfect,” he says, my sister wasn’t and homages to Mallomars and Oreos. “but my sister wasn’t really excited by them. really excited. “This project brings together people in What she loved most were the imperfections.” What she loved our community who see the big picture,” LeFevre has tried to find a place for the most were the says LeFevre. “It’s about helping others and cherished recipe on one of his restaurant imperfections.” enjoyment. The greatest thing about being a menus, but it’s never quite fit. Then last year, —DAVID LEFEVRE chef is making people happy through food.” St. Nicholas Day Letters David LeFevre twists his flaky, buttery almond cream–filled until smooth, about 4 minutes. Form each log into an S shape. cookies into the letter S in honor of his sister, Suzanne, but Spoon the spiced almond paste Repeat with the remaining disk they can be adapted to make any letter. Whatever the shape, into a pastry bag fitted with a of dough, almond paste and a hit of fleur de sel just before baking kicks up the flavor. ½-inch tip or use a sturdy, beaten egg. Freeze the cookies resealable plastic bag and snip until firm, about 1 hour. off a corner. Active 50 min; Total 3 hr 15 min 2 Tbsp. whole milk 5. Preheat the oven to 375°. Makes 16 Fleur de sel, for sprinkling 3. Line 2 baking sheets with Brush the cookies with the 1½ cups all-purpose flour parchment paper. In a small remaining beaten egg and 1. In a food processor, pulse the bowl, lightly beat the egg with sprinkle with fleur de sel. Bake 2 sticks unsalted butter, flour with the butter until the the milk. On a lightly floured for 20 to 25 minutes, until cubed and chilled mixture resembles coarse meal. surface, roll out 1 disk of dough golden. Transfer the cookies to ½ cup ice water Add the ice water and pulse just into a 14-by-8-inch rectangle. a wire rack and let cool slightly. 4 oz. almond paste until the dough comes together. Cut the dough crosswise into Serve warm or at room Divide in half and press into eight 1¾-inch strips. temperature. 1 large egg white disks. Wrap in plastic and refrig- 4. Pipe a line of almond paste MAKE AHEAD The cookies can 1/3 cup granulated sugar erate until firm, at least 1 hour down the center of each strip. be stored in an airtight con- or overnight. 2 Tbsp. light brown Brush one side of each strip tainer for up to 3 days. sugar 2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer with the beaten egg. Roll one ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract fitted with the paddle, beat the side over the filling and pinch almond paste with the egg ¼ tsp. ground cardamom the seam closed. Transfer the white, both sugars, vanilla and logs to one of the prepared 1 large egg cardamom at medium speed baking sheets seam side down. DECEMBER 2017 2 FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE Holiday Baking Cookie Swap KEY LIME MACARONS Uyen Kirshenbaum Key Lime Macarons These tangy, one-bite sandwiched meringues fromUyen 3. Make the macaron shells mixture. Using a rubber spat- Nguyen, the executive pastry chef at Manhattan Beach Post, Line 4 or 5 baking sheets with ula, fold in the remaining get a surprise pop of flavor courtesy of fennel seeds. silicon mats or parchment meringue, then cut through it, paper. In a medium bowl, sift pressing it against the side of the almond flour with the con- the bowl to slightly deflate Active 1 hr; Total 3 hr; Makes 70 with 1 tablespoon of water. In a fectioners’ sugar. Stir in half of to a thick, lavalike consistency. medium saucepan, combine FILLING the egg whites, the lime zest the Key lime juice with the 7. Transfer the meringue to and food coloring until a 3 large eggs granulated sugar and bring to a a pastry bag fitted with a plain smooth paste forms; the color ½ tsp. powdered gelatin boil over moderately high heat, 1/2-inch tip; pipe onto the pre- should be a shade or two darker stirring occasionally. Slowly pared baking sheets in 1-inch ¾ cup fresh Key lime juice than the final desired color. pour the juice mixture into the mounds, 1 inch apart. Tap the ¾ cup granulated sugar eggs, whisking constantly. 4. In a small saucepan, com- sheets on the counter and top 1½ sticks unsalted butter, Scrape the egg mixture back bine the granulated sugar with each macaron shell with a cubed and chilled into the pan and cook over ¼ cup of water and bring to a few fennel seeds. Let dry until MACARON SHELLS moderate heat, stirring, until boil, stirring occasionally. Cook a skin forms, 1 to 3 hours. bubbles appear and the mix- over moderate heat, without 2 cups almond flour 8. Preheat the oven to 350°. ture thickens, about 3 minutes. stirring, until the sugar syrup Bake the meringues for 9 to 1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar Add the gelatin mixture and stir reaches 240° on a candy ther- 12 minutes, until crisp on the until melted. mometer, about 5 minutes. 5 large egg whites, at room outside and slightly chewy on temperature 2. Set a fine sieve over a small 5. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer the inside. Transfer the baking 2 tsp. finely grated lime heatproof bowl. Strain the cus- fitted with the whisk, beat the sheets to wire racks and let zest tard into the bowl; discard the remaining egg whites at cool completely. Using a thin 30 drops of green food solids. Gradually whisk the but- medium speed until medium metal spatula, peel the coloring or 5 drops of ter into the custard until it is peaks form, about 4 minutes. meringues off the baking green food gel fully incorporated. Cover with Carefully drizzle in the hot sheets. Pipe the custard onto 1 cup granulated sugar plastic and refrigerate until syrup at medium speed. the flat sides of half the cold, at least 2 hours. Spoon Increase the speed to high and meringues. Top with the 1½ tsp. fennel seeds the custard into a small pastry beat the meringue until stiff remaining meringues.