In partnership with the MIT Sloan Club of Northern California, thank you for joining your fellow alumni and Sous Chef for an interactive virtual baking experience! Pastry Chef Becky Marshall will lead you in making two seasonal desserts to share this holiday season.

Courtesy of mixologist Presley Green, the ingredients and preparation instructions for homemade Hot Apple Cider are provided for you to enjoy throughout the experience. Please prepare in advance, as we will not complete these steps together.

Menu, recipes and dial-in details listed below. We will complete all baking steps together.

Preparation:

Preparing for the Experience:

Please complete the following steps 30 minutes in advance:

• Optionally prepare the Hot Apple Cider to enjoy throughout the experience

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C)

• Bring butter and buttermilk to room temperature, as noted below

• Locate and portion all items

For reference while shopping and during the experience, print the menu and comprehensive event details with the following:

MENU & EVENT DETAILS

Baking Menu

Mexican Chocolate Snowballs 

Yields 36 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds, chopped

• 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup (32 g) almond flour or (28 g) very fine ground almonds

• 3 tablespoons (16 g) cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt

• pinch cayenne, optional

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick, 8 tablespoons)

• 1/2 cup (57 g) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract (1/4 teaspoon for more almond flavor)

• 3 tablespoons (21 g) powdered sugar

• 1/2 tablespoon (3 g) cocoa powder, optional

• Pinch of cinnamon and/or cayenne, optional

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Sprinkle almond slices or slivers on the baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer almonds to a bowl to cool.

In a small bowl, combine flour, almond flour or fine ground almonds along with the cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne (if using) and whisk or fluff together with a fork.

Add butter to a stand mixer or mixing bowl, and cream for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour dry ingredients into the mixing bowl on low, or stir until the dough almost comes together. Add almond slices or slivers, stirring until just combined.

Using a 1/2 tablespoon measure, scoop out balls of dough. Roll the dough into spheres and set on the prepared baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. The cookies are ready when they are slightly cracked on top, have puffed a bit and have a matte finish.

Cool the cookies completely on a rack.

To finish, in a bowl, combine the remaining powdered sugar and the optional cocoa powder, cinnamon and cayenne. Roll the cookies in the sugar mixture to coat.

Vanilla Iced Buttermilk Cookies

Yields 36 Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 3/4 cup (198 g, 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups (297 g) granulated sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla

• 2/3 cup (158 ml) buttermilk, room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour

• Holiday sprinkles, optional for topping

Icing

• 3 tablespoons (44 ml) buttermilk

• 1 1/2 cups (151 g) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Add the softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a mixer and cream until fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.

While the butter and sugar are creaming, in a small bowl add the dry ingredients and fluff with a fork.

Add the eggs and the vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing on low until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix on low to incorporate.

Lastly, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend until just combined. Turn the mixer off and stir by hand with a large spatula just to incorporate all ingredients.

With a soup spoon, drop mounds of dough (a generous 1 1/2 tablespoon) onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until barely golden brown. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling, whisk the icing ingredients in a small bowl until the mixture is lump-free and smooth. Top the cooled cookies with a spoonful of icing and spread it with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Top with holiday sprinkles.

Let the icing set up and serve. Store in an airtight container.

Seasonal Coffee

Hot Apple Cider

Yields 4 Drinks

Ingredients:

• 4 1⁄2 cups apple cider

• 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 1 whole cinnamon stick

• 3 whole cloves

• 1 whole star anise

• Garnish: orange slices & granulated sugar to rim glass

Method

Rim coffee mugs with sugar. Set aside.

Add apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as liquid warms through. Pour apple sider into prepared coffee mugs. Garnish with orange slices.

Enjoy!

Questions?

Email us at info@souschef.kitchen with
questions about your culinary experience.