Momofuku Milk Bar
Page 22
When it came time to make an opening menu for the bakery we’d call Milk Bar, it was clear that it would have to be a hodgepodge of baked goods that had followed me through life and that this was one of the musts. I made a salty, hearty oat crust to hold the buttery goodness just right. Crack pie quickly became a staple of our storefront. There’s safety and camaraderie in numbers. My greatest feat was finding out I’m not the only one who can crush a whole crack pie—there’s a city out there full of sweet-toothed soulmates.
crack pie™
MAKES 2 (10-INCH) PIES; EACH SERVES 8 TO 10
This recipe makes two pies (two pies are always better than one), but you can always keep the second pie frozen if need be!
1 recipe Oat Cookie
15 g light brown sugar
[1 tablespoon tightly packed]
1 g salt
[¼ teaspoon]
55 g butter, melted, or as needed
[4 tablespoons (½ stick)]
1 recipe Crack Pie Filling
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Put the oat cookie, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse it on and off until the cookie is broken down into a wet sand. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can fake it till you make it and crumble the oat cookie diligently with your hands.)
3. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, add the butter, and knead the butter and ground cookie mixture until moist enough to form into a ball. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 14 to 25 g (1 to 1½ tablespoons) butter and knead it in.
4. Divide the oat crust evenly between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Using your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the oat cookie crust firmly into each pie tin, making sure the bottom and sides of the tin are evenly covered. Use the pie shells immediately, or wrap well in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
5. Put both pie shells on a sheet pan. Divide the crack pie filling evenly between the crusts; the filling should fill them three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes only. The pies should be golden brown on top but will still be very jiggly.
6. Open the oven door and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Depending on your oven, it may take 5 minutes or longer for the oven to cool to the new temperature. Keep the pies in the oven during this process. When the oven reaches 325°F, close the door and bake the pies for 5 minutes longer. The pies should still be jiggly in the bull’s-eye center but not around the outer edges. If the filling is still too jiggly, leave the pies in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or so.
7. Gently take the pan of crack pies out of the oven and transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature. (You can speed up the cooling process by carefully transferring the pies to the fridge or freezer if you’re in a hurry.) Then freeze your pies for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to condense the filling for a dense final product—freezing is the signature technique and result of a perfectly executed crack pie.
8. If not serving the pies right away, wrap well in plastic wrap. In the fridge, they will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month. Transfer the pie(s) from the freezer to the refrigerator to defrost a minimum of 1 hour before you’re ready to get in there.
9. Serve your crack pie cold! Decorate your pie(s) with confectioners’ sugar, either passing it through a fine sieve or dispatching pinches with your fingers.
oat cookie
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTER SHEET PAN
115 g butter, at room temperature
[8 tablespoons (1 stick)]
75 g light brown sugar
[⅓ cup tightly packed]
40 g granulated sugar
[3 tablespoons]
1 egg yolk
80 g flour
[½ cup]
120 g old-fashioned rolled oats
[1½ cups]
0.5 g baking powder
[⅛ teaspoon]
0.25 g baking soda
[pinch]
2 g kosher salt
[½ teaspoon]
Pam or other nonstick cooking spray (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. On low speed, add the egg yolk and increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar granules fully dissolve and the mixture is a pale white.
3. On low speed, add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix for a minute, until your dough comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. The dough will be a slightly fluffy, fatty mixture in comparison to your average cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Pam-spray a quarter sheet pan and line with parchment, or just line the pan with a Silpat. Plop the cookie dough in the center of the pan and, with a spatula, spread it out until it is ¼ inch thick. The dough won’t end up covering the entire pan; this is OK.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until it resembles an oatmeal cookie—caramelized on top and puffed slightly but set firmly. Cool completely before using. Wrapped well in plastic, the oat cookie will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week.
crack pie™ filling
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 (10-INCH) CRACK PIES
You must use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make this filling. It only takes a minute, but it makes all the difference in the homogenization and smooth, silky final product. I repeat: a hand whisk and a bowl or a granny hand mixer will not produce the same results. Also, keep the mixer on low speed through the entire mixing process. If you try to mix the filling on higher speed, you will incorporate too much air and your pie will not be dense and gooey—the essence of crack pie.
300 g granulated sugar
[1½ cups]
180 g light brown sugar
[¾ cup tightly packed]
20 g milk powder
[¼ cup]
24 g corn powder
[¼ cup]
6 g kosher salt
[1½ teaspoons]
225 g butter, melted
[16 tablespoons (2 sticks)]
160 g heavy cream
[¾ cup]
2 g vanilla extract
[½ teaspoon]
8 egg yolks
It will be the death of your wildly dense pie filling if there is any bit of egg white in the mixture. I believe the easiest, and best, way to separate an egg is to do so in your hands. You may also use the two half-shells to separate the eggs, but the cracked shells can tear the yolk open, and you may not totally separate all the white. If you do this by hand, you can feel when you get every last bit of white away from the yolk. Remember to wash your hands under warm soapy water for 30 seconds or more before and after you handle raw eggs! Save your egg whites for Peanut Butter Nougat or Pistachio Cake, or cook them up for your doggies, for a shinier coat.
1. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, corn powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until evenly blended.
2. Add the melted butter and paddle for 2 to 3 minutes until all the dry ingredients are moist.
3. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and continue mixing on low for 2 to 3 minutes until any white streaks from the cream have completely disappeared into the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Add the egg yolks, paddling them into the mixture just to combine; be careful not to aerate the mixture, but be certain the mixture is glossy and homogenous. Mix on low speed until it is.
5. Use the filling right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
pecan (or any kind of nut) crack pie™
One of the earliest descriptions we got from our crack pie addicts was, “It’s like a pecan pie, without the pecans”—which I s
ecretly hated. It’s so much more, and so much less. But one day we finally read between the lines and sarcastically, we thought, made a crack pie with pecans in the pie. It blew my mind a little. There aren’t too many boundaries in terms of the variations. So get crazy.
Follow the recipe for crack pie, filling the oat crust with as many or as few pecans (or other nuts) as you have in-house or like (I love it chock-full) before adding the filling. You will need less filling, since nuts will be taking up some of the room in the pie shell.
mixed berry crack pie™
Follow the recipe for crack pie, filling the oat crust with any variety or mixture of berries you have in-house or like before adding the filling. You will need less filling, since berries will be taking up some of the room in the pie shell.
gutter sundae
Conquer this cookbook already?
Too many scraps, leftover crunches, or crumbs?
Go to the hardware store. Buy a gutter.
Invite your favorite friends and family over.
Make a gutter sundae to celebrate.
acknowledgments
Thanks to the ridiculous team behind this cookbook:
• Meehan, my buddy, my brother, my family. I never would have thought such a sophisticated New York Times writer would become such a best friend.
• McBrooooom, for being the momentum and hysterics behind the recipes and text. I could not have gotten it done, or had such a great time doing it, without you.
• Gabri, Mark. Mark, Gabri. Life just doesn’t feel the same without a “that’s what she said.” Every 3 minutes. You are the coolest guys around. This book would have been nothing without your vision through the lens and on old-lady decorative plates!
• Kim Witherspoon (cue Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”), thank you for keeping me safe and sound and sane.
• Rica Allannic, for her insights on the manuscript; Judith Sutton, for her conscientious copyediting; Marysarah Quinn, for a design that brought the text to life; and the entire team at Clarkson Potter—including Christine Tanigawa, Joan Denman, Ashley Phillips, Kate Tyler, Sarah Breivogel, Donna Passannante, Allison Malec, Doris Cooper, Lauren Shakely, and Maya Mavjee—for being such wonderful cheerleaders and bringing such drive and dedication to this book.
Dave. Thank you for being crazy enough to see something in me that I couldn’t see in myself, and for giving me the space to spread my wings, while kicking me off cliffs hoping like hell I’d learn to fly. I won’t ever tell a soul about your soft underbelly. I see you watch over us every day at Milk Bar and smile. Thank you for teaching me to be everything else I never knew how to be before I met you. A leader. A business owner. A boss. An inspiration. A guide.
To the past and present at Noodle, Ssäm, Ko, Má Pêche, the Lab, and Papercut, with a special thanks to the old guard: Qunio, Serp, Hoski, Maslow, Scottie, Kev, Gelman, Kleinman, Cory, Drew, Alex, EJ, and Sue.
wd~50 lead by papa Wylie Dufresne. To everything it’s ever been and will become to anyone and everyone. Thank you for existing and for letting me into your inner circle.
To the men strong enough to stand as pastry chefs and crazy enough to have me in their kitchens: Alex Grunert, Sam Mason, Alex Stupak. I can never fully express my gratitude and pride to have worked for you.
Band of Outsiders, for the handsome suit they sent for Louis’s Cary Grant moment with Cereal Milk and the inspiring clothing Scott and his team design each season.
Benjamin Wallach, world’s best Dairyland Rep.
To my blood, Mom, Dad, and Ang. And the amazing family that followed: Joe, Jason, Mandy, Fede, Nola, Deb, Zhibek, and Dima. Aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers.
To my makeshift families past and present for giving me homes away from home. To the Bignellis. The Richmond Guard. The old Calhoun’s Guard. The Star Island Guard.
To all of our customers at Momofuku and at Milk Bar. Thank you for your support. Thanks for staying on the roller coaster, for riding out the bumps in the road, and for remembering that we’re just a team of people who love to bake and feed and please. We do our best for you every day, even on the days when it may not seem good enough.
And to every employee at Milk Bar, future, present, past. Milkmaids and Milkmen. You know who you are. Thanks for believing in it all and in me—for giving blood, sweat, and tears, if only for a shift, or maybe for the long haul. I am eternally grateful.
index
Note: Page references in italics indicate photographs.
Almonds
Thai Tea Crunch
Apple Cider Soak
Apple Pie Layer Cake, 6.1, 6.2
Bacon, Scallion, Cream Cheese Plugs
Bagel, Everything, Mix
Bagel Bombs
Baking powder and baking soda
Banana
Cake
Cream
Cream Pie, 3.1, 3.2
Layer Cake, 8.1, 8.2
Beet-Lime Ganache
Beet-Lime Ganache, Chèvre Frozen Yogurt, Pistachio Crunch
Berry, Mixed, Crack Pie
Berry Milk Crumb
Birthday Cake
Birthday Cake Crumb
Birthday Cake Frosting
Birthday Cake Soak
Birthday Layer Cake, 3.1, 3.2
Black Pepper Brioche, 10.1, 10.2
Black Pepper Butter
Blondie Pie
Blondie Pie Filling
Blueberry & Cream Cookies
Breads
Bagel Bombs
Black Pepper Brioche, 10.1, 10.2
Chinese Sausage Focaccia
Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissants, 10.1, 10.2
Turkey, Swiss & Mustard Croissants
Volcanoes, 10.1, 10.2
Brioche, Black Pepper, 10.1, 10.2
Brittle. See Nut Brittle
Brownie Pie
Butter, browning in microwave
Butter, for recipes
Butters, flavored
Black Pepper
Kimchi
Mustard
Cakes
Apple Pie Layer, 6.1, 6.2
Banana
Banana Layer, 8.1, 8.2
Barely Brown Butter
Birthday
Birthday Layer, 3.1, 3.2
Carrot
Carrot Layer
Chocolate
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip Layer, 3.1, 3.2
Chocolate Malt Layer, 5.1, 5.2
layering, note about
Pistachio
Pistachio Layer, 3.1, 3.2
Candy Bar Pie, 7.1, 7.2
Cap’n Crunch cereal
Sweet Corn Cereal Milk™
Caramel, Salty
Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake Truffles, 4.1, 4.2
Carrot Layer Cake
Cashew Brittle
Celery Root Ganache
Celery Root Ganache, Tristar Strawberry Sorbet, Macerated Strawberries, Lovage, Ritz Crunch, 9.1, 9.2
Cereal Milk™
Fruity
Sweet Corn
Cereal Milk™–based recipes
Cereal Milk™ Ice Cream
Cereal Milk™ Ice Cream Pie
Cereal Milk™ Panna Cotta
Cereal Milk™ White Ruskie
Fruity Cereal Milk™ Ice Cream
Sweet Corn Cereal Milk™ “Ice Cream” Filling
Sweet Corn Cereal Milk™ Ice Cream Pie, 1.1, 1.2
Charred Marshmallows
Cheese
Blue, & Kimchi Croissants, 10.1, 10.2
Lemon Mascarpone
Pear Sorbet, Stilton, Cornflake Crunch, Pumpkin Ganache, 9.1, 9.2
Turkey, Swiss & Mustard Croissants
Volcanoes, 10.1, 10.2
Cheesecake. See also Liquid Cheesecake
Filling, Mint
Chèvre Frozen Yogurt
Chèvre Frozen Yogurt, Pistachio Crunch, Beet-Lime Ganache
Chinese Sausage Focaccia
Chocolate. See also Fu
dge Sauce; White chocolate
Brownie Pie
Cake
Chip Cake
-Chip-Cornflake-Marshmallow Cookies, 2.1, 2.2
Chip Layer Cake, 3.1, 3.2
chips, mini, for recipes
-Chocolate Cookies, 3.1, 3.2
Compost Cookies
Crumb
Grasshopper Pie, 4.1, 4.2
Hazelnut Ganache
Holiday Cookies
Malt Layer Cake, 5.1, 5.2
Red Velvet Ice Cream, 5.1, 5.2
Valrhona, for recipes
Chocolate Crust
Chocolate Crust–based recipes:
Banana Cream Pie, 3.1, 3.2
Candy Bar Pie, 7.1, 7.2
Cinnamon Bun Pie, 6.1, 6.2
Cinnamon Streusel
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Citric acid
Cocoa powder, for recipes
Coffee
Compost Cookies
Frosting
Compost Cookies
Concord Grape(s)
Jelly
Juice
PB & J Pie
Sauce
Sorbet
Confetti Cookies, 3.1, 3.2
Cookie(s)
Blueberry & Cream
Chocolate-Chocolate, 3.1, 3.2
Compost
Confetti, 3.1, 3.2
Corn, 1.1, 1.2
Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow, 2.1, 2.2
Fruity Pebble Marshmallow
Holiday
Oat
Peanut Butter
shaping
Corn. See also Sweet Corn Cereal Milk™
Cookies, 1.1, 1.2
freeze-dried
Cornflake Crunch, 2.1, 2.2