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clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.
LET COOL IN THE PAN on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
TIP
    •
To toast the pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F, spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Cool and finely chop.

Chocolate Panini

    I hesitate to even provide a recipe for this crispy little morsel because it’s so damn simple. It’s like giving a recipe for cinnamon toast. You don’t need me to tell you how to make that—I hope! Still, at the risk of being ridiculed, I offer up this recipe because it’s something a lot of people have never thought to do. If you’re one of them, make this and then thank me, because you’ll find yourself grilling up a chocolate sandwich every time you get the munchies. Think of it as a poor man’s
pain au chocolate
, with the added dimension of fruity olive oil and sea salt (which are musts, by the way, so don’t skip ‘em). It makes a tasty, speedy breakfast partner for your morning coffee. MAKES 1 SERVING

ingredients
Two 1 / 2 -inch-thick slices brioche bread or other white bread
High-quality, fruity, extravirgin olive oil for drizzling
1 ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate, or 2 to 3 tablespoons Nutella
Fleur de sel for sprinkling
instructions
BRUSH ONE SIDE of each bread slice liberally with olive oil. Arrange the chocolate (or spread the Nutella) evenly on the non-oiled side of one of the slices. Top with the other slice, oiled-side up. If you have a panini press, grill the sandwich until golden brown on both sides and the chocolate has melted, a minute or two.

(If you don’t have a panini press, heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 teaspoons of oil and the sandwich. Weight the sandwich with a heavy cast-iron skillet or a heat-safe plate topped with canned goods or a kettle full of water. [Go ahead and get creative; the goal is to flatten the sucker.] Cook until golden brown and the chocolate has begun to melt, about 1 minute. Turn and repeat on the other side, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry.)
REMOVE THE SANDWICH from the heat and let cool a minute. Then drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and cut crosswise into triangles.
TIP
    • I love the eggy decadence of brioche for this, so go hunt some down from your favorite bakery. If you have any left over, wrap it up well and freeze it for another use, like for the Aric-A-Strata . Any mild-tasting bread you have on hand will work, too. Challah is great, as are leftover slices from an artisan loaf, though the chocolate tends to melt through its larger holes.



I love old cookie recipes, with their deep histories and long traditions. Nostalgia, after all, is a big part of why I love to bake. Still, there’s no reason why we can’t take those old standbys and help them kick up their heels once in a while. I think our grandmothers would approve. In this chapter you’ll find a few fan favorites, like shortbread and spice cookies, that get a lift in texture and flavor through the use of different flours and less-traditional ingredients. They’re the new classics, with a thoroughly modern makeover.

    Cooking with your Senses
    Turning batter into cake or dough into cookies is almost like alchemy. There are a whole host of things that have to happen at the molecular level for the transformation to occur. That’s why successful baking requires precision, proper technique, and recipes.
    And that’s why so many people are scared to do it. But even within the confines of a baking recipe there is wiggle room—room for you to express your style, taste, and good sense. Follow a recipe like a robot, and you’ll likely end up with cardboard results, but follow it while using all of your senses, and you’ll make magic.
    So relax. Engage. Put some good music on, pour yourself a glass of wine or tea, light some candles—do whatever it takes to get yourself