Who doesn't love a good sandwich cookie? Truth be told, ice cream sandwich cookies from The Coolhaus are my favorite variety (hmm, maybe I should make some). But when I can't have ice cream "sammies," a Linzer cookie (or two) makes for an excellent treat.
How do you make pomegranate and orange cookies, you ask? You could do it a lot of ways, but my recipe involves pomegranate jelly-filled orange shortbread. I've modified my vanilla rum shortbread recipe to add some sweet citrus flavor.
Since Linzer cookies require more steps than your typical cookie recipe, I'll keep this post short and sweet. Here's R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush."
Ingredients:
--2 sticks + 6 tbsp. chilled and chopped unsalted butter
--zest of one orange (approximately 1 tbsp.)
--2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
--1 c. turbinado sugar
--1 c. cornstarch
--2 c. all-purpose flour, + extra for rolling
--1 tsp. salt
--pomegranate jelly (I used one from Kozlowski Farms in Sonoma, CA)
--about 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt. In a food processor, combine flour mixture, butter, orange zest, and sugar. Pulse for about 1-2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the freshly squeezed orange juice and continue to pulse until a dough forms.
On a floured surface, separate your dough into quarters. Roll each piece of dough until it's about 1/4" thick (you can make thicker cookies if you'd like, but since these are going to be sandwich cookies, I like them on the thinner side). Use a floured Linzer cookie cutter and cut enough cookies for both the bottom layer and the top layer (the one with the decorative cutout). Repeat with remaining dough, incorporating the scraps until you've used all the dough.
Place cookies on a parchment-lined sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes (no more!). If the cookies become golden on top, they're a bit overdone. Remember, they'll be *really* soft when you take them out of the oven--it'll seem like they're not done, but they are. Place on a cooling rack using a thin spatula and allow cookies to cool completely.
Once they've cooled, place about 1 tsp. pomegranate jelly on a "bottom layer" cookie and put a "top layer" cookie on top, making a cookie sandwich. The jelly should poke through the decorative cutout. Repeat until all the cookies have become delicious little sandwiches.
Using a sifter, dust all the cookies with confectioners' sugar before serving.
It's December, and it's time for holiday desserts! Inspired by Giada's recipe, this bread pudding is oh-so-rich and sweet. Every winter, I end up experimenting with different bread puddings, and this year won't disappoint. The only catch to this specific bread pudding is that you'll likely find that the main ingredient, the panettone, is typically available solely during the holiday season. (*Not sure what panettone looks like or where to find it? It's a sweet Christmas bread filled with candied fruits that, I believe, originated in Italy but is a holiday staple across many parts of the world. You can find it in almost any speciality food store once November rolls around, or you can make your own.)
I made this eggnog bread pudding during one of the first real snowfalls of 2013, and it was a delightful dessert (and later on, as a breakfast food). I topped it with a cinnamon and molasses whipped cream, recipe to follow.
During the snowy winter months, I have to admit that I've collected snowflakes on contrasting dark-colored paper to marvel at their singularity. For the sentiments that snowflake collecting brings, and for winter treats, here's Mark Mothersbaugh's "Snowflake Music" from the fabulous Rushmore soundtrack.
Ingredients:
The Bread Pudding:
--1 large (1 lb.) panettone loaf
--10 large eggs
--6 c. eggnog (you could make your own, of course, but a tasty half gallon from your local grocer will do just fine)
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--1/2 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. vanilla extract
*Note: it's best to make this the night before you plan to serve it so the pudding can have time to "marinate" in the refrigerator!
The Cinnamon Molasses Whipped Cream:
--1 pint heavy whipping cream
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. molasses
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside. Remove your panettone loaf from its wrappers and cut into roughly 1" cubes. Arrange the cubes in the baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, eggnog, sugars, and vanilla until well blended. Pour over the panettone cubes, cover with plastic, and place in the fridge overnight. (In a pinch, you don't need to let the bread pudding sit--you can put it in the oven right away.)
Bake uncovered for 45-50 min, or until the center puffs and the pudding is set (believe me, you'll know when this happens, and if you check too soon, the pudding will look like it's never going to set). Remove and allow to cool.
You can also make the whipped cream a day in advance, or immediately before you're ready to serve your bread pudding. Either way, it's quick and easy. In a large bowl, beat the ingredients on medium speed for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
Cut and serve your eggnog bread pudding with a (very large) dollop of cinnamon molasses whipped cream.
Hello again, October! A few weeks ago, I had a delicious dinner combination at Charlottesville's Beer Run: bratwurst, roasted apples, and mashed sweet potatoes. I couldn't wait to try out a version of my own. Here, I've made parsnip and sweet potato mashers (I love the sharp, earthy flavor of parsnips), sauteed apples with caramelized onions, and Guinness beer brats (yes, please!).
I really feel October in my bones as football nostalgia sets in. Because even with pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and a strong fall wind, what is October, really, without football, friday night lights, and an oh-so-sweet love song? Here's John Fahey's "Beautiful Linda Getchell," from his 1965 album, The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death.
Ingredients:
--5 brats, sliced (you can use the Guinness brats that I used, or whichever suit your fancy)
--4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
--5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
--1 large yellow onion (or two small ones), peeled and sliced thinly
--3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and coarsely sliced
--1 c. half & half
--1 stick unsalted butter
--1 tsp. nutmeg
--1 tsp. cinnamon
--1 tsp. paprika
--2 tsp. salt (approx.)
--2 tsp. pepper (approx.)
--1 tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cover sweet potatoes in foil and poke fork holes in them to vent. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. On a separate parchment-lined baking sheet, lay parsnip pieces in a single layer and drizzle olive oil across the pieces, turning them to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place both the sweet potatoes and the parsnips in the oven, with the sweet potatoes on the lower rack. Bake parsnips for approximately 35 minutes, or until they're soft and crispy (this time may vary slightly depending upon the size of your parsnip pieces). Remove and allow to cool slightly. Allow sweet potatoes to bake for approximately 1 hour (again, this may be longer depending on the size of your sweet potatoes), or until sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and combine in a food processor with the parsnips. Pulse a few times and then add 1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced. Slightly heat the half & half (in the microwave will do), and then add to food processor. (If you add cold milk or cream, your mashers will become pasty). Pulse for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until ingredients are combined. (You could also do this without the food processor using a potato masher, but I find that the parsnips are a bit too chunky without the aid of the blade.) Stir in 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. paprika. [Be careful here: only add the nutmeg, not the cinnamon! The nutmeg is for the mashers, and the cinnamon goes with the apples!] Set aside until ready to serve.
In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 stick butter over low heat and add yellow onion slices. Simmer, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, golden-colored, and "caramelized." Add the remaining 1/4 stick butter to a separate large saucepan and heat butter and apple slices over medium heat, along with 1 tsp. cinnamon and a dash of salt. Saute for 10-12 minutes, or just until apples are soft and golden. Remove from heat and mix in caramelized onions.
Using the onions' saucepan, add the bratwurst slices and saute until crispy.
Serve the apples, onions, and brats over the sweet potato mashers. This dish is incredibly delicious (I can't take all the credit--thank you, Beer Run and Guinness!), and there will be leftovers!
