Sweet Mary

Lemon Poppy Seed Slices

Cookies. Cookies. More cookies. This is another new recipe I tried this year to help balance out all the chocolate cookies I made. They are light (not in calories, in flavor!) and lemon-y. A nice addition to the Christmas platter.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat till combined. Beat in egg, lemon peel, milk, vanilla and lemon extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in poppy seeds. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch log. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours. Cut logs into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 11-12 minutes until edges are golden. Cool on wire racks.

Cranberry-Macademia Bars

I have two more recipes to post before heading out for Christmas. Again, this one is from the Better Homes 100 Best Ever Christmas Cookies 2002 that I use every year. I have never made these bars before. I will say that, although tasty, they are a bit too sweet for me. Other people seem to love them. If I made them again, I'd cut the sugar a bit. They are, however, very festive looking and I love the cranberries. I would suggest using only fresh cranberries.

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped macademia nuts
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup finely chopped cranberries
1/2 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. For crust, in medium bowl, stir together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it looks like course crumbs. You can also use your Kitchen Aid Mixer to do this. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped macademia nuts. Press the flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is light brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Beat together 1 1/4 cups of sugar, eggs, milk, orange peel, and vanilla. Pour over hot crust. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, cranberries, and coconut. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes more or until golden. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while still a bit warm.

Toffee Squares

You know, I am not really a big fan of winter. Shivering out in the cold while you warm your car up to go to work. Wondering how many layers to wear to keep warm. But, I am also not a fan of balmy Decembers. That just always feels wrong as the holidays approach. Now, this year, it has been cold. In fact, I am absolutely fearing my first heating bill because I have no idea what to expect in this big old Portuguese triple decker I am now living in. On the other hand, we might actually have a white Christmas. We got whomped with a big storm two days ago and are expecting another to start tonight.

After being released from work early due to the cruddy weather, I took the opportunity to bake more Christmas cookies, listen to a ton of music, and watch a very silly movie (Blades of Glory). The snow came down and down; however, I was content to entertain myself up here on the third floor and keep warm with my long johns and hat on. And, I am all set to bake all day tomorrow while it snows and sleets. Nice.

So, here is a new cookie I tried. Can't say they are my favorite. But, I had a few people give them a try and they gave a very positive thumbs up. This recipe came from the Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best-Ever Christmas Cookies from 2002 that my sister, sister-in-law, and I pull out every year and use. I can't say enough about bar cookies. They are fast and easy. Anyone can make these and they will taste delicious. Give them a try if that's what you are after!

3/4 butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Set aside.
For crust, in a large bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter and the brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium until combined. Beat in the egg yolk. Stir in flour and salt until well mixed. Using floured hands, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
For filling, in a heavy saucepan heat and stir the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium until bubbly. Cook and stir for a few more minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Mixture should be thick and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Spread the filling over the crust. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes more or until the top layer is golden brown. Let cool a few minutes.
Sprinkle baked layers evenly with chocolate pieces. Bake 1-2 minutes more until the chocolate melts. Remove from oven. Set on a wire rack. Using a flexible spatula, immediately spread chocolate evenly over the baked layers. Sprinkle in the pecans. Press them into the chocolate a bit so they stick. Cool completely on the wire rack. Cover. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Cut into bars. These will freeze up to 3 months.

Giving

My new job has me thinking about giving. About giving more. Or, about starting to give. Time. Money. Toys for needy families. Clothes. Canned food. Blankets. Whatever jives with your own interests and personality. There's something out there for you. Especially at this time of year. It can be a lonely depressing season for those in need. I'm not going to give you a run down of organizations because there are tens of thousands. But, I will give you one link in the food blog world because it's a great idea and it just might inspire you to either donate there or somewhere else. Or, maybe, just maybe get your own thing going on to raise money and/or awareness about a cause near to your heart in the not so distant future. So, click HERE to be directed to Chez Pim. It's the 4th Annual Menu for Hope. Many chefs and food bloggers have donated their time, merchandise, and food items to raise money for a lunch program in Lesotho. For every ten dollar donation, you get one chance to win the prize or item of your choice. It's a clever way to help raise money to fight against hunger.

Pear, Rum, and Pecan Tart

Since Sunday afternoon, I have cranked out two batches of holiday cookies and a very tasty tart for a small party at work. Yep, I thought that a taste of something sweet would be a good way for my new colleagues to become better acquainted with me. After all, they're going to be eating the stuff I bake for the next few months! And, well, more time in the kitchen is always a good thing in December to ward off the long stretch of cold that lies ahead.

So, what to bake for a holiday lunch? I chose a Pear, Rum, and Pecan Tart from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz (p. 76). Pardon the photos. They were taken in house at my job before I sliced and plated the tart.

This tart was lovely. Toasted pecans in a rum custard. Very nice. I even made the suggested chocolate sauce to go along with it. The only thing that would have made it better was a nice strong cup of good coffee.

Brown Butter and Rum Custard

3 eggs
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
10 tablespoons butter
2 medium pears
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum

1 prebaked 9-inch tart shell

To make custard: Whisk together eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons dark rum.
Coarsely chop pecans after toasting.
Cut butter into chunks. Melt it slowly over low heat in a saucepan. Be careful when it bubbles up. The recipe said it calms down and, indeed, it did. When the butter gets dark and looks like the color of maple syrup, remove from heat. Don't let it burn. Quickly pour it into the egg mixture. I poured it through a strainer because there is some "stuff" left from the butter. When you pour it, make sure you whisk the egg mixture rapidly so the eggs don't cook. Stir in the pecans. Put this in the fridge to thicken for an hour.

For the pears: Peel them. Quarter them. Core them. Cut lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Put them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of dark rum and the brown sugar. Macerate them for 15 minutes. Be sure to toss them often to coat.

To bake the tart: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the rack in the center of the oven. Arrange pears concentrically in the prebaked tart shell. Pour custard over pears and fill to rim. Set the tart on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool before serving. Pair with chocolate sauce and/or homemade whipped cream.

Back in Providence

Is it really December 7th? Already? Well, I have most certainly neglected this blog. What a whirlwind of activity the past few weeks have been. I am happy to report that I am back in Providence and, at least, kind of settled into my new place. I feel a bit lost in all this space; however, am slowly getting used to it. I will say, though, that the kitchen is great. Lots of cabinets and room to move, as well as a very funky old deep country like sink and, of course, a full sized gas stove. I will christen the stove this weekend as I begin baking some Christmas cookies. Yep, I am already going through baking detox here. I miss being on my feet around the oven and mixers all day. Having said that, I am excited to be back at a very fun company where I worked for seven months last year while going to culinary school. I am replacing someone out on maternity leave in a department that handles all charitable giving. So, it's all good and, at least, I know what I'll be doing for a while as I figure things (i.e. how to keep baking/culinary things in my life on whatever terms I deem appropriate). OK, enough transition news. I'll be baking some new bar cookies this weekend and a tart for a holiday party on Monday. Start checking in again. I am back.