A Taste of New-York History: Liddabit Sweets

 

New York has many food traditions, and this new era of handmade, artisanal items seems to be a new wave in New York’s food history. How does it feel to be a part of that? Why do you think that’s important? We feel really lucky to be a part of the food community; and not necessarily because we’re in New York, or the handmade movement; people who work in food are a very particular type of crazy, and there are a lot of tight bonds formed because of that craziness.

As far as being part of what’s happening in New York particularly, a lot of that was a right-place-right-time sort of thing. Yes, we make (in my humble opinion) a truly outstanding product; and yes, we’ve poured four solid years of blood, sweat, and tears into this business; and I do think the movement towards higher-quality, “slower” food is important. But not because it happens to be kind of fashionable right now; because I think it signals a change in the way we as a country (and to different extents globally) are thinking about food, and how it’s produced and consumed. For the past ~60 years, the movement has been towards convenience, efficiency, all that stuff. And I understand that impulse, and it makes sense—or did, for a long time. But I think that momentum has carried food past where it makes the consumer’s life easier, and over to a place where it’s just a way for a few really big companies to make a bunch of money because they’ve convinced you that’s the only way to eat. And it can be an uphill battle to explain to customers why what we make is so much pricier than a mass-produced candy bar: because it’s made with real, fresh ingredients, by skilled people, every single day we’re in the kitchen. The product speaks for itself; once folks give it a try, it makes more sense.

But we’re just a small part of that; we’re a specialty item, you know? For other stuff—pickles, jams, cured meats, bread, yogurt, staples like that—we’ve gotten so far away from knowing how to make that on our own, in our kitchens, that of course it’s surprising when you see a loaf of bread that costs twice as much as it does in the grocery store! But if you go home and bake a loaf of bread, you understand on a gut level the amount and type of care that goes into making something that seems so ordinary. The fact that people are getting so much more interested in cooking at home ties into the interest in the artisanal food thing; it’s a level of understanding between the producer and the consumer, and I think that’s really the crux of why it’s so important. Human relationships are a big part of food, and a big part of why people start working in food. It’s a tangible way to care for another person, to make them something that nourishes their body. That’s where most of us started—wanting to have that feeling of making other people feel cared for and nourished. Sounds cheesy, but I think it’s a much better direction to be headed in.

And now, a recipe from the Liddabit Sweets cookbook!

BUCKEYESMakes about fifty 1½-inch buckeyesWe were asked to make these as wedding favors for a friend, and we kind of rolled our eyes. Buckeyes? Really? But they’re so . . . boring. Peanut butter filling, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate to resemble horse chestnuts. Sure, they’re a favorite of Ohio natives, where the buckeye is the official state tree; and sure, they’re easy enough to make. But where’s the challenge? The excitement? Didn’t they want something fancier for a wedding?Yeah, right. Peanut butter and chocolate is a classic combination for a reason, and this recipe gets it all right: rich, peanutty, and smooth, with a little texture from the nut f lour, and the richness cut by the bitterness of the dark chocolate. The container of extra buckeyes in the fridge lasted maybe a day. We’re not even gonna tell you how many were in there to start with. You wouldn’t believe it.

Special Equipment

• Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or electric mixer with large bowl

• 2 large (13″ x 18″) rimmed baking sheets, lined with parchment or wax paper

• Wooden toothpicks

INGREDIENTS

For the centers

¼ cup (60 g) cream cheese, at room temperature

1½ cups (275 g) creamy commercial peanut butter, such as Skippy

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks/150 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt

1 cup (85 g) almond or peanut flour (see Note)

3 cups (400 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For dipping and garnish

About 4 cups (26 ounces/740 g) chopped dark chocolate, or 3 cups (19 ounces/540 g) chopped dark chocolate and½ cup (4 ounces/110 g) mild vegetable oil

Coarse sea salt (optional)

1 Make the centers: Combine all the ingredients in the mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed until completely incorporated and creamy-looking. Cover and refrigerate the peanut butter mixture until it has firmed up a little (it should be pliable but hold its shape), about 30 minutes.

2 Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture, roll it into a ball with your hands, and place it on one of the prepared baking sheets; repeat with the remaining mixture. Once all the mixture has been formed, place the balls in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. (Any leftover peanut butter mixture can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to a week.)

3 Prepare the dipping chocolate: Temper the 4 cups dark chocolate according to the instructions on page 26 or melt it as directed on page 24. Or use the 3 cups dark chocolate and ½ cup oil to make Cheater’s Chocolate Coating, following the directions on page 32. Place the coating of your choice in a large bowl.

4 Dip the buckeyes: Stick a toothpick into a peanut butter ball and dip it in the chocolate, but don’t submerge it—leave the top quarter undipped. This spot is what makes a buckeye a Buckeye! Transfer the buckeye to the second prepared baking sheet. Pull out the toothpick, twisting it gently, and either use your thumb to carefully smooth out the hole left behind or cover it with a few grains of coarse sea salt. Repeat with the remaining buckeyes.

5 Allow the buckeyes to set up until the chocolate is firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Store the buckeyes, layered with wax paper, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

NOTE: Nut flours are sold at specialty and health food stores. Bob’s Red Mill is a widely available brand; they have a great almond flour that works very well in this recipe, adding a delicate nutty flavor and hearty texture that we love. Peanut flour, which you can find online at Amazon, adds an extra-special peanutty kick that you should definitely try at least once.

LIZ SAYS: When we say “commercial” peanut butter, we mean the emulsified, no-oil-on-the-top kind. In the kitchen, we use Peanut Butter & Co’s Smooth Operator; it’s not quite as industrially shelf-stable as Jif or Skippy (don’t hoard it for the zombie apocalypse), but any minor separation that might occur can be ameliorated by placing the peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish and heating it gently in a microwave on High for 5- to 10-second bursts, stirring well between bursts. It should come back together.