Lemons in the Snow Cookies
Lemons in the Snow Cookies
The funny name for these cookies is really easy to explain. The cookies are flavored with both lemon juice and lemon zest in the dough. When nearly cooled, they are rolled in powdered sugar. They end up looking like little snowballs. Yummy, lemon flavored snowballs. The dough also contains finely ground almonds, for extra texture. They are a delicate, cake like cookie, with a slightly crisp outside. You could also add a little grated lemon peel to the powdered sugar, before rolling the cookies in it, for a more intense lemon flavor.
Lemons in the Snow Cookies
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel -or more if you like
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
confectioners’ sugar
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Add lemon juice and peel. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Add almonds. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (cookies will not brown on top). Remove immediately to wire racks; cool for 5 minutes, then roll in confectioners’ sugar. Makes 36.
Orange Tea Bread
Orange Tea Bread
If you are looking for a new recipe for a quick bread, and like oranges, I would recommend trying this one. It is flavored both with orange zest in the batter, and then a warm orange syrup is drizzled over the bread, right out of the oven. This makes for a bread that is flavorful and moist. It can be breakfast, a brunch dish or even a dessert, when topped with ice cream or whipped cream. The recipe makes one loaf, but I often double the recipe and make two. It seems to disappear around here pretty quickly.
Orange Tea Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Syrup:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-1/2″x4-1/2″x2-5/8″ loaf pan. Line pan with wax paper or parchment and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, butter and orange zest. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir mixture until well combined. Transfer batter to loaf pan, smoothing top, and bake in oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. While the bread is baking, combine orange juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat while stirring, and simmer for 1 minute. Keep syrup warm. Make holes in top of bread with a thin wooden skewer and drizzle with syrup. Let stand in pan until cool. Makes 1 loaf.
Lemon and Sour Cream Cupcakes
Lemon and Sour Cream Cupcake
Since winter is citrus season, I find myself making all sorts of recipes with lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges. I love the lemon flavor in these cupcakes. They are rich, without being too heavy and full of zest. Lemon in both the batter and frosting really makes them special. Cupcakes are also such a nice, easy to serve dessert for parties. If you try these, I am sure you will be pleased, as will your family and friends. It makes a big batch, so you can freeze some for later. Even though I normally frost these, you can also just combine powdered sugar with a little lemon zest and dust them with it, instead of the frosting.
Lemon and Sour Cream Cupcakes
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon each baking powder and salt
2 cups sour cream
Frosting:
9 tablespoons butter, softened
6 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 T. vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 tablespoon milk
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill 30 greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Makes 30.
Spiced Applesauce Cake
Spiced Applesauce Cake
As a kid, I loved applesauce, right out of the jar. I still do. I admit to being spoiled these days, because I usually make and can my own sauce. You don’t have to limit yourself to just eating applesauce as is. You can bake with it, too. This cake is one way to enjoy applesauce, homemade or store bought. I used butter in the recipe, but if you used coconut oil instead, the recipe would be vegan. The spices work so well together. Simple and full of flavor.
Spiced Applesauce Cake
2 c. unsweetened applesauce
½ c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 T. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. each cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
¼ t. cloves
1 c. raisins or chopped nuts
Heat together applesauce and butter until butter melts. Cool down a bit. Preheat oven 375 and grease 9×13-inch pan. Stir all ingredients together bake 30 minutes. Cool in pan.
Ruth Stevens’ Overnight Slaw
Ruth Steven’s Overnight Slaw
When I was growing up, I had a neighbor, Ruth Stevens, who was like a grandmother to me. I adored her. She loved gardening and animals, and had a gentle quality about her, that I will never forget. I spent many happy days in her garden and learned so much from her. She gave me this recipe. I was about 12 at the time and Mrs. Steven’s was in her 80’s. I still have her recipe, written in her slightly shaky handwriting. Since she said it was her mother’s recipe, I am guessing this recipe to be at least a hundred years old. When I look through old recipes and come across it, I always think of her, and miss her even to this day.
I got some beautiful red cabbage and decided to make this salad for a class I was teaching. It is meant to be made a day ahead- even a few days ahead. You can make the salad with red or green cabbage or a combination. After a few days in the fridge, if you make the combination of red and green the green cabbage will pick up the color from the red cabbage and the whole thing will look red. Because of the acidity of the cider vinegar in the dressing, the red cabbage not only maintains its color, I think it gets a little brighter. With the vinegar dressing the slaw will keep for at least a week in the fridge- it just gets more “pickled” over time.
Ruth Steven’s Overnight Slaw
8 cups shredded cabbage- about 1 medium head
1 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste
1 T. celery seed
2 t. dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
Place cabbage in large bowl. In jar with a tight fitting lid place the rest of the ingredients and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cabbage and stir to coat. Cover bowl and place in fridge overnight to let the flavor blend and the cabbage soften. Salad will wilt down quite a bit. Keeps in fridge for a week or two. Serves 6-8.
Tahini Dressing
Spinach Salad with Tahini Dressing
I love this salad dressing. The combination of tahini, garlic and lemon juice really works. It is also very simple to make. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Think of it like peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds instead. I asked a few friends who do a fair amount of cooking, about how they cook with tahini. The answer was the same, they use it in hummus. That was about it. But tahini can be used in more dishes than just hummus or baba ghanoush. It can be the base for any number of sauces, dressings and dips. Tahini can be found in most larger grocery stores and in specialty stores. You can also make your own by combining sesame seeds with a little olive oil in a blender and mixing until smooth.
Tahini Dressing
1/3 c. tahini
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 c. olive oil
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. You can also place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well to combine. Use on green salads or on fish dishes and falafel.
Note: Tahini is a sesame seed paste used a lot in Middle Eastern and African cooking. It can be found in specialty food stores and in some grocery stores. You can also make your own, in a pinch, by blending sesame seeds in a blender with a small amount of oil, and blend until smooth. I use olive oil. Store home-made tahini in the freezer for best results and just scoop some out when needed. You can also add a little more lemon juice to this recipe when using on seafood dishes.
Candied Orange Peel
Candied Orange Peels
During the winter months, when citrus is in season, I find myself eating a lot of oranges. I also find myself with a lot of orange peels. I dry some, and powder it up for use in baking and cooking. But there is always more. A dear friend of mine loves candied orange peel so I am sure to make her at least a couple of batches this time of year. It’s a pretty easy thing to make and a nifty way of turning something that might otherwise be discarded into something tasty. You can also candy other citrus peel this way like grapefruit or even make candied ginger by using slices of fresh ginger. Best to use organic oranges, since you are eating the peels.
Candied Orange Peel
2 large oranges ( you can also use 1 grapefruit or 3 lemons)
or 1 lb. of ginger root*
¾ c. water
¾ c. sugar, plus extra for rolling
3 T. light corn syrup, optional
Remove peel from fruit using a sharp knife. Try to get the peel off in 4 pieces. Cut the peel into ¼-inch wide strips. Place peel in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat process 2 more times. Return to pan with fresh water and boil 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Bring ¾ c. water and ¾ c. sugar to boil in sauce pan with the corn syrup. Boil 2-3 minutes and then add the peel. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all but a spoonful of the syrup is left. This should take about 10 minutes. On a wax-paper lined baking sheet sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and arrange the peels on top of the sugar. Toss the peels around until cooled adding more sugar if needed. Place peels on a drying rack for 24 hours before storing. Once dried you can also dip one end of the peels in dark chocolate. Makes ½ pound.
* If making the candied ginger root peel and cut into 1/4- inch slices. Then cut the slices into 1/4-inch thick strips
Dukkah
Dukkah
Dukkah is an Egyptian dish that is a mix of toasted nuts and spices. It has a wonderful fragrance and crunchy texture. A lot of the flavor comes from toasting the nuts and spices before grinding them up. Toasting really brings out the flavor of both the nuts and the other ingredients. It is traditionally served with olive oil and bread. You put some Dukkah in a little bowl, and put olive oil in another little bowl. Dip your bread in the oil and then in the Dukkah. I like to sprinkle it on fish or chicken before baking. Dukkah is also good tossed with cooked veggies, or sprinkled on an omelet. So simple and so tasty.
Dukkah
¾ c. each whole, blanched almonds and hazelnuts
½ c.(scant) coriander seeds
¼ c. cumin seeds
6 T. sesame seeds
In 300-degree oven toast nuts for about 20 minutes or until golden. Bake cumin and coriander seeds, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until you can smell them. Toast sesame seeds about 5 minutes. Cool all ingredients. If you prefer, you can toast the seeds in a skillet, over medium heat. Just place the coriander and cumin seeds in a skillet and heat, stirring often until they become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and continue toasting until sesame seeds are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Be careful not to burn them. Grind sesame seeds and spices into a coarse powder. In processor chop nuts fine and combine with spices. To serve dukkah: pour olive oil in a small bowl. Place crusty bread and dukkah on a plate. Dip bread in oil then in the dukkah. I also use dukkah sprinkled on chicken and fish. Store in fridge or freezer for extended freshness.
Toasting the spices
Serving Dukkah with olive oil and bread
Really Easy Blueberry Crumb Cake
Blueberry Crumb Cake
When local berries are in season I freeze plenty so I can enjoy them all year round. In a recent cleaning out of the freezer, I pulled out a package of blueberries and decided to make something with them. I love blueberries in pretty much anything. I cook with them all the time. This is one of my favorite blueberry recipes- and that is saying a lot. It is a classic and always a favorite when I make it for friends and family. The cake is moist, tender and delicate but the magic is that crumb topping. The cake isn’t too sweet, so you can enjoy it for dessert, or even for breakfast or brunch. I like it plain, but friends have been known to serve it with ice cream. There is something extra nice about a blueberry cake on a snowy day.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. milk
1 pint blueberries, fresh or frozen
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in blueberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Note: I have used a 9-inch round pan and it worked fine.
English Toffee Crunch
English Toffee Crunch
If you are looking to make a special sweet treat for someone, English Toffee Crunch is always a good choice. The crunchy, sweet toffee is coated with chocolate on the top and bottom along with a sprinkling of fine chopped nuts. A classic, for sure. I know people are sometimes a little scared about making candy, but this is pretty easy to make, and well worth the effort. The only special piece of equipment you will need is a candy thermometer. Just be careful when handling the hot ingredients. The end result is a special treat for a special someone.
English Toffee Crunch
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 sticks butter (not margarine)
3 T. water
1 T. light corn syrup – recipe follows for homemade
3/4 lb. milk or dark chocolate, or chocolate chips
1/2 c. very finely chopped walnuts
Over low heat, stirring constantly, cook sugar, butter, water and corn syrup until mixture reaches hard crack stage (300-310 degrees). Pour onto ungreased jellyroll pan tilting quickly in all directions to get toffee as thin as possible. It hardens up unbelievably quickly so work fast. I like to warm the cookie sheet a little in the oven so it buys me a few extra seconds to thin out the toffee. Harden in fridge about five minutes or let stand at room temperature until cooled down. Melt chocolate in double boiler and spread half of it over toffee, spreading to edges. Sprinkle with half the nuts and return to fridge it harden chocolate. Turn toffee carefully onto another sheet and coat the bottom with the remaining chocolate and nuts. Chill until chocolate hardens then break up into bite sized pieces. Note: you can use even more chocolate if you like a thicker coating. Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Makes 1 1/2 lbs.
Homemade Corn Syrup Substitute
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
dash of salt
Combine all in a large, heavy stainless steel pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid for 3 to 4 minutes to get the sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook to softball stage, 238 to 240 degree’s F. or when a small amount is dropped into cold water and does not hold its shape; stir constantly. Cook for another minute. Cool and store in covered jar at room temperature, will keep well for 2 months at room temperature.
For dark corn syrup add 1/4 cup molasses
