Classic Recipes from the Mangia Bakery

Morning daydreams: un cappuccino, un cornetto, a Midtown Manhattan view.

Your answer: Mangia.

And no, I don’t just mean the Italian translation for the word eat; I mean come join us for breakfast at Mangia. With various locations to choose from, and various delicious breakfast options, it is important to give a special shoutout for our freshly baked pastries.

When simplicity and happiness go hand-in-hand, cappuccinos and pastries do too.

FAVORITES…

Granola Oatmeal Cookies

Who doesn’t love an oatmeal cookie?

These were on our menu when we opened in February of 1982, and are still a great favorite. Made with lots of butter, sugar, currants, and granola, in addition to rolled oats, make these rich and satisfying. They look fabulous in a glass cookie jar if you can keep them around long enough to store them. Fortunately, they are drop cookies and therefore easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup granola
¾ cup dried currants

Position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon nutmeg, and salt.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, cream the butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, oatmeal, and granola, ½ cup at a time, blending until just incorporated. Stir in the currants.
Using a medium cookie scoop or a soup spoon, drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inch between the mounds. With your fingers, flatten each cookie ½ inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 16 minutes, or until the edges are golden, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking and turning them front to back, as well. Cool the cookies on the sheets, set on racks. Store in an airtight container.

This makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies

Carrot Muffins

There are no nuts or raisins —- no distractions, in other words —- in these carrot muffins. Lots of carrots, spices, honey, and even apple enliven this batter. We have customers who, unfailingly, have one of these and a coffee to go day after day, week after week. That said, we can also attest to the fact that these are popular with soup or salad at lunch and as an afternoon treat. For that reason, the recipe makes a lot:18. These are tasty when toasted too. Spread a bit of cream cheese on them, if you dare. Because they are moist to start off with, they also happen to freeze well.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
about 5 small carrots
3 small Granny Smith apples
1 cup honey
1 cup peanut oil
½ cup of sugar
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 18 (1/2 – cup) muffin cups.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan; set aside to cool.
Into a large bowl, sift together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Trim, peel, and grate enough carrots to measure 2 cups grated.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat together the honey, peanut oil, melted butter, and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs and beat 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the grated carrots and apples, and beat 1 minute.
Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients; beat just until no streaks of flour show.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back when touched. Let the muffins cool in the pans and serve warm or at room temperature. Store, well wrapped in plastic, at room temperature or in the freezer.

This makes 1 Dozen Muffins

Mangia Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were one of the first cookies we offered when we opened in 1982, and they are still an all-time favorite. The better the chocolate, the better the cookie. Even enough we call these chocolate chip cookies, the chips are chunks.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces
½ cup chopped semisweet chocolate (about a 1 ½ – ounce piece)

Position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, cream the butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at time, beating after each addition, but don’t overbeat. By hand, stir in the pecans and chopped chocolate, mixing until evenly distributed.
Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, spoon the dough onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between the mounds. With your fingers, flatten each cookie ½ inch thick.
Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets between the racks halfway through baking and turning them front to back as well, until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown. Cool the cookies on the sheets, set on racks. Store in an airtight container.

Strawberry Almond Rounds and Apricot Almond Triangles

These are beautiful party cookies and a delicious challenge for the experienced cook or cookie maker. The effort, including two different bakings, will be worth it when you see just how lovely looking (and tasting) these are when finished. Delicate hazelnut dough cutouts are topped with strawberry or apricot preserves, ringed with piped almond paste, and then drizzled with melted chocolate. You have several options for making these: You can make 6 dozen of the same cookie; make the same cookie two different ways, varying the shape and filling; or bake half the recipe, freezing the remaining dough for another time. If you are new to making elaborate, multistep cookies, the last option may be the one to begin with.

To make the full recipe, about 70 cookies, you will need 3 or 4 large baking sheets, some parchment paper, and plenty of time. A final reminder: If you are making only half the recipe, remember to halve the almond topping and filling measurements as well.

For the hazelnut dough

For the hazelnut dough

1 ¼ cups whole hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (page 57)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 cups all –purpose flour
¾ pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Parchement paper for baking the cookies

For the almond topping

1 Pound almond paste (do not use marzipan)
6 large egg whites

For the filling

1 cup strawberry preserves, at room temperature
1 cup apricot preservers, at room temperature
(or 2 cups fruit preserves of your choice)

For the chocolate garnish

3 ounces semisweet chocolate

Make the halznut dough: place the toasted and skinned hazelnuts in a food processor. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the processor. Add the flour. Pulse, using the on/off button, until the nuts are very finely ground. Add the butter and process until brumbly.
Combine the egg yolks and cream in a cup
With the motor running, pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and process until the dough starts to come together. Do not overmix. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrao it in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
Make the almond topping: In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, blend chunks of almond paste with the egg whites, adding one egg white at a time until well mixed and creamy. Continue to add almond paste and egg whites until you have the amount of topping you need and its texture is suitable for piping.
Prepare the filling: Place each fruit preserve in a separate bowl and whisk with a fork to lighten.
Position the oven racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 4 large cookies sheets with parchment paper .
Divide the hazelnut dough into thirds, and work with only one piece at a time, keeping the remaining pieces refrigerated. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. With a 2 1/4 – inch round cutter or a 2 ¼ – inch triangular cutter, or both, cut out cookies and place them, 1 inch apart, on the lined cookie sheets. Slide the cookie sheets onto the racks, placing 1 sheet above and 2 on the rack below. Hold the remaining cookies sheet in the refrigerator until the first batch of cookies is removed from the oven. Bake from 15 minutes, rotating the sheets between the racks halfway through the baking time and turning them front to back, as well. Remove from the oven, but do not remove the cookies from the cookie sheets. Bake the remaining cookies in the same manner.
Gather the scrap’s, knead them into a ball, and refrigerate until chilled before rolling again. Reroll only once, or the dough be tough. Continue to roll out dough, one piece at a time, cut out cookies, and bake them. (You now have all the bases of the cookies, half cut into rounds, the other half into triangles, semi baked.)
Fill a medium pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch tip with the almond paste. Pipe an edge all the way around the tops of the baked cookies, leaving the centers empty.
Spoon a dollop of preserves into the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for approximately 20 minutes, until golden.

Cool on the cookie sheets, set on racks, for 10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, make the chocolate garnish: In the top of a small double boiler, melt the chocolate, stirring, until smooth. Keep the chocolate warm.
Dip a fork into the hot melted chocolate and hold it over the cookies, letting the chocolate drip over them in streaks. Let the cookies dry a bit before you serve, or store them in the airtight containers.

Makes about 3 dozen strawberry almond rounds and 3 dozen apricot almond triangles.

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

These are chocolate chip cookies, with a rich twist – white chocolate chips and dried cherries. These are splendid at teatime or for dessert.

Position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 large cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, cream the butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the whole egg and egg yolk and beat until blended. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, and then the chips and cherries, blending until just incorporated.
Using a medium cookie scoop or a soup spoon, drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving 1 ½ inches between the mounds. With your fingers, flatten each cookie until just incorporated.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until golden, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time and turning them front to back, as well. (If all 3 sheets will not fit in the oven at the same time, hold 1 in the refrigerator until the first batch of cookies is removed). Cool the cookies on the sheets, set on racks. Store in an airtight container.

Espresso Bars

We started baking these bars in November 1996. They were an immediate hit then, and they still are. Mocha- flavored chocolate on a rich shortbread base is a great combination. The instruction in the recipe of wrapping the still-hot pan of pastry in plastic wrap is admittedly unorthodox but necessary. When the pan is enclosed so that it is airtight, the topping steams and achieves a lovely, custard-like texture. These bars are tailor-made for entertaining and have the advantage of being made in advance on account of the pastry. We know these bars keep for 3 days, but if your household is like either of ours, you won’t have them for that long.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the butter and chocolate into chunks and put them in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Melt the butter with the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and let the chocolate mixture cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat together the sugar and eggs until mixture falls in a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Next fold in the melted chocolate. Next fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until well combined. Spread the topping evenly over the prebaked short pastry base.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until springy yet firm on top. Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, then carefully wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, gently pressing the plastic against the topping. Let cool completely, allowing several hours.
Unwrap, run a knife around the edges, and cut into 1 ½ x 3-inch rectangles. To store, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days.