Finally!  Yesterday I finally pulled together the lasagne recipe I told you about on Friday.  And it was worth the wait.  This savory summer-to-fall recipe combines basil and winter squash into one warming dish. 

 

Lasagne is a traditional Christmas Eve dinner in my family and I started making this one years ago when searching for non-beef option.  My brother doesn't eat pork or beef and I wanted something that wasn't just a meatless version of "real" lasagne.  I found a recipe from Giada DeLaurentis and have used it as a starting point for my own version.  

 

You'll notice her recipe calls for butternut squash but I often substitute pumpkin - really any winter squash could be used.  And I generally just roast a whole pumpkin and then puree it.  If I've roasted a large pumpkin I use the amount I need for the recipe, reserving the rest for muffins or bread. In a pinch you could probably use canned pumpkin, too.  I never have but I'm sure it would work okay.  She also calls for the addition of amaretti cookies.  I added them one year but found, for the expense, that they really didn't add much to the overall dish and so now I never use them.  Sometimes I also add a layer of sautéed mushrooms but really I love this pretty much as is. 

 

I don't care for no-cook lasagne which her recipe uses, so I don't use them, instead cooking my noodles prior to assembly.  Yesterday I made this one with fresh, homemade pasta - it was very exciting to make the entire dish from scratch!   

 

I think it's a beautiful lasagne with the small orange and green stripes.  However, to really see those stripes you need to let it rest and set before serving - as you are supposed to do with all lasagne.  I actually cut the piece above from my leftover chilled lasagne since I wanted the stripes to be really visible.  I know, that's kind of cheating, but if you let the lasagne rest for 15 - 20 minutes yours will look very similar. 

 

A nice thing about lasagne is that you can assemble it a day ahead of time and then pop it into the oven the next night.  It takes an hour to cook, but if you've assembled it the night before it can be a great midweek meal.  And, depending on the size of your family you can get two or three meals from one lasagne.  I often freeze individual pieces and can pull them out for a lunch or quick dinner at any time. 

 

This is a great fall dish and I think you'll really like it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday, I roasted a big tray of tomatoes in addition to the pumpkin.  One of my favorite uses for my garden tomatoes is in Roasted Tomato Soup.  I found the recipe in Gourmet several years ago, although it looks like they recently published it again as the link will show.  Because the tomatoes are roasted the flavors are concentrated and the tomatoes become very sweet.  You could actually use a good on-the-vine supermarket tomato in this recipe, too.  The only "hard" part of the recipe is that you need to run the soup through a sieve to remove any large pieces of seed or skin but that only takes a couple of minutes.  Make sure you do it though or you'll be sorry!  Other than that this soup is very simple. 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I normally use a red tomato, for this go-round I used Golden Rave tomatoes - my plant has been especially abundant this summer and on Friday I'd just picked another huge bowl of them.  This summer was the first time I'd planted them but they will be back in my garden again next year.  Golden Rave is a yellow, plum-style tomato.  They are medium-sized and fairly meaty.   They gave the soup a gorgeous golden color. 

 

Once you've made the recipe you'll see it's easy to customize it with your own ideas.  I use different herbs, sometimes add smoked paprika or other spices, occasionally add different vegetables (I'll roast a few peppers along with the tomatoes, for instance).  And, the recipe calls for heavy cream, which makes a delicious soup, but I sometimes leave it out altogether or substitute 1% or whole milk.  I often make the soup up to the place where you add the cream and keep that base in the refrigerator.  Then I'll just scoop out a bowl or two's worth of the base, add a couple of splashes of milk or cream and heat that up for my lunch. 

 

 

 

 

 

The normal garnish for this soup is a Parmesan wafer (recipe linked to from the soup recipe).  The wafers are really delicious - even on their own with a glass of wine - and look beautiful on the red version of this soup.  This weekend I  made the wafers and ate them along with my soup but because they are golden they just blended in with the soup and didn't look good as a garnish.  So for the photos I decided to try something new.  I used a slice of fresh mozzarella, topped with a slice of red tomato and a little sprig of thyme, since I'd used thyme in the soup.  I loved the contrast for the photo but even better the mozzarella melted a little into the soup and the freshness of the sliced tomato in contrast to the warm, roasted flavor of the soup was really good! 

 

If you are looking for a meal that is great for the changing of the seasons - combining summer's flavors into a cozy fall dish - I highly recommend this soup. 

 

You can find the recipe here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things I like to use my colorful tomatoes for is Bread Salad.  You can find a zillion recipes online for this salad and you'll see they all have similar ingredients.  I like to do a simple version. 

 

Generally I start with a nice rustic bread, cut it into 3/4" cubes and then lightly sauté it in olive oil.  I often add a little minced garlic and dried herbs to the pan, too.  And today I even added some chopped onion.  As with each step of this recipe you are free to add whatever sounds good to you. 

 

Once the bread is toasted on all or several sides, I remove the pan from the heat and let it cool a little.  The bread will get a little crunchier as it cools.  Next I cut tomatoes into 1" cubes.  Today I used several varieties from the garden but you can use just one type if you prefer.  Add some torn basil to the tomatoes (there's both a purple and green variety in the photo), toss everything with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. 

 

You can also mix in the bread at this point but I like to place some of the bread in the bottom of a bowl, heap the tomatoes over the top, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, add a few shreds of Parmesan cheese and then toss a couple more pieces of bread on the top. 

 

 

 

 

 

I was craving something sweet this afternoon and trying to decide what might satisfy me when I remembered I still had quite a bit of zucchini from a friend's garden.  At first I was thinking of a quick bread but came across an interesting recipe in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook for Zucchini-Cranberry Muffins. 

 

This is a super quick and easy recipe and in no time at all I was enjoying one of these light and moist muffins.  The zucchini provides the moisture, of course, and the cranberries add a great zing! There's a little cinnamon and vanilla included to add more interest.  They are sweet but not overly so.  They are so easy to pull together I think they may find a place at one of my next brunches!

 

adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

 

1¾ cup flour, 
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

2 extra-large eggs
1 cup sugar,
½ cup vegetable oil 
1 tsp vanilla

 

1 generous cup shredded zucchini

¾ cup cranberries

 

 

 

 

 

Here in Seattle we've had a warmer than normal summer - or at least it has been that way, although today is rather cool.  Last weekend I was invited to a friend's place to watch the Seafair hydroplane races and more specifically, the air show.  This event defines summer for many Seattle residents.  This year we had a perfect hot, summer day to enjoy it. 

 

I decided that my contribution for the party would be ice cream sandwiches - there's nothing better than low fuss and muss food for a summer party.  As I normally do when thinking of ice cream I turned to David Lebovitz' book, The Perfect Scoop.  I knew I wanted to make Fresh Mint Ice Cream from the book for the filling.  Not only is mint refreshing but my spearmint plants are going crazy right now!  So I checked his book for cookie suggestions and found a recipe for a chocolate cookie.  Once I knew I was making a chocolate cookie I opted to add about a cup of chopped bittersweet Callebaut chocolate to the mint ice cream, too. 

 

David's recipe makes a cookie that is not too sweet and is very crispy, kind of like a gingersnap.  They don't get soggy when filled with ice cream.  The first batch I made I followed his recipe to the letter but decided that the 3" size the recipe called for was bigger than I wanted.  When these cookies bake they spread.  What went into the oven at 3" came out over 4" wide.  So I made a second batch and this time made the cookies about 2" to start.  Using this size the recipe gives you 24 cookies, enough for 12 ice cream sandwiches.  That was perfect for my needs.  (If you are using his recipe I reduced the baking time to 12 minutes, too.  That seemed just right for these smaller cookies.)

 

After I made the ice cream, and while it was firming up in the freezer, I made the cookies and let them cool.  The one thing I would change next time is that I assembled the sandwiches when the ice cream was firm but not yet frozen solid.  It was a warm day and that was a pretty messy process.  I think it might have been better to let the ice-cream get completely frozen and then let it soften a bit for assembly.   That's probably what I'll try next time. 

 

At the party, after we'd filled ourselves on hot dogs, salmon, chicken and several versions of summer salads we brought out the ice cream sandwiches.  I think they were the perfect ending to a perfect summer party. 

 

 

 

 

 

After my brunch I found myself with quite a few remaining strawberries.  Some had been sliced and sugared for drinks but many were still gorgeous whole berries.  I knew, however, that I would not be able to eat them all before they started going bad.  I thought about making jam but I still have quite a lot left from last year and I also have my heart set on making cherry jam this year so I didn't need any more jam.  I also thought about freezing them whole for future use but decided that didn't really appeal to me at this time.  And then it came to me - syrup -  gorgeous strawberry syrup.  

 

Making syrup is a lot like making jam but you don't need to cook it down as much or use pectin, natural or packaged.  I've made syrup in the past but couldn't find my recipe and an Internet search turned up very few real options, surprisingly.  So I just created my own.  The one concern I have with this recipe is that I am not positive that the amount of sugar I used is enough to keep the syrup from growing lovely, little green mold at a future date.  So I know this recipe is great for short term use but I'm not sure how long it will last, even if canned.  Please keep that in mind if you follow this recipe. 

 

In the short-term, though, this is a really fresh, berrilicisous syrup perfect on everything from waffles and pancakes to that evening bowl of ice-cream.  This recipe makes about 8 cups, feel free to reduce the ingredients to make a smaller batch.  And adjust the sugar to your taste but I wouldn't reduce the amount only add to it. 

 

About 8 hallacks (pints) of strawberries, stemmed and sliced

3 cups of sugar

7 Tbsp of orange juice

Vanilla Bean (optional), sliced in half

 

Blend or mash the berries until all pieces of berry are gone.  Pour the liquid through a strainer to remove any larger seeds that are remaining.  You should have seven cups of strawberry puree remaining. 

 

Add the puree, sugar, orange juice and (if desired) the vanilla beans (scraped from the pod) and pod to a large pot.  Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and all the sugar has dissolved.  If you want a thicker syrup you may boil it down a little.  Just remember as it cools it will thicken.  Also, the shorter amount of time that you boil the mixture the more you'll retain the fresh berry flavor. 

 

Remove from the heat and scrape any foam that has accumulated off the syrup.  Dispose of the foam. 

 

If you are going to try to can this recipe, ladle the hot syrup into hot jars and process as you would for jam.  Or, let the syrup cool and pour into jars or bottles to be stored in the refrigerator. 

 

I love how the cold berry syrup contrasts with hot, buttery pancakes or waffles!  Little yin-yang bites of flavor.... 

 

 

 

 

It's finally time.  Fresh, local strawberries are arriving in abundance in local markets.  How I love local, spring strawberries!  You can use them in all the traditional ways and this recipe is a nice little twist.  I picked it up several years ago when I attended a class taught by Greg Atkinson.  It's always a winner when I bring it to parties.  The crust is really more of a shortbread cookie - I've often thought of eating it all on it's own it's so good.  It's topped with pastry cream and then you finish it with whatever fruit is in season or readily available. 

 

adapted from Entertaining in the Northwest Style by Greg Atkinson 

 

·         Almond Pastry

·         Vanilla Pastry Cream

·         An assortment of fruit like raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, nectarine, champagne grapes, blueberries, etc

Prepare the Almond Pastry ahead of time and keep it at room temperature.  Prepare the Vanilla Pastry Cream and keep it refrigerated. 

No more than 2 hours before serving assemble the tart.  Spread the pastry cream on the pastry.  (It will be a little stiff so I always give it a good stir to loosen it a bit before spreading.) Arrange the fruit in rows (the long way) on the tart.  Cut tart into 6-2” pieces and serve.

Almond Pastry

¼ cup butter, softened

½ package (3.5 oz) almond paste

2 Tbsp sugar

1 medium egg white

1 cup flour

¼ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Beat butter, almond paste and sugar on medium speed in a mixer or by hand until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg white and beat until smooth.  Reduce speed and add flour and salt, beating just until combined. 

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and form it into a log.  Flatten the log into a rectangle and then roll out to 6”x12”. 

Carefully transfer to the baking sheet.  (I like to slide the parchment or silicone mat under it and then lift onto the sheet.)  Prick all over with a fork.

Bake until the pastry is brown around the edges and slightly puffed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool completely on pan then carefully move to the serving tray. 

Top with pastry cream and fruit. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp salt

1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk

1 cup whole milk

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Whisk in the egg and extra yolk.  When the mixture is smooth, whisk in the milk and vanilla bean.

Cook the custard over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Whisk rapidly to prevent lumps.  When the custard is the consistency of sour cream (this happens pretty quickly) transfer it to a mixing bowl immediately.  Remove the bean pod, and then stir in the butter and vanilla extract.  Chill the custard completely before using it as a filling. 

Here are a couple other photos of versions I've made in past years.  The first photo is a double tart.  I used extra pastry cream to hide the seam, where the candles are, and added a bit more fruit later to hold the candles up better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am especially excited about rhubarb season this year.  I plant I've had for a few years has really come into it's own and I'm going to get a nice batch this year.  I picked a few stems this weekend - just enough to make either a small pie or two adorable rustic tarts.  I use the same recipe for both, the only difference is that I roll the dough a little thinner for the pie.  I like my rustic tarts to have a substantial crust on them.  It makes it easier to pick up a piece and eat it with your hands if you are so inclined.  Well, except it's still a bit hard to keep the filling from falling out all over the place! 

 

My mom was one of the best pie-makers around and she always used all Crisco in her pie dough recipe.  Over the years I've switched to half butter and half Crisco.  I like the flavor of the butter but appreciate the no-fail dough the Crisco creates. 

 

Pie Dough

(makes 2 crusts)

 

⅓ cup shortening

⅓ cup butter, cold and cut into pieces

2 cups flour

½ cup cold water

½ tsp. salt

 

Mix salt, 1 cup flour, butter and shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly.  Add the balance of the flour and all of the water, Mix with pastry cutter until the water is mixed in and the dough is coming together.  Finish bringing it together with your hands trying not to warm it too much.  The butter should still be visible in the dough. 

 

Divide the dough into two equal portions, flatten into thick disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate while you prepare the rhubarb. 

 

5 generous cups of rhubarb cut into 1" pieces

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon, if desired

 

Mix dry ingredients together and then sprinkle over the rhubarb.  Toss the rhubarb with the sugar mixture and let sit for at least 15 minutes.  The rhubarb will get a little juicier so toss the ingredients again.  You'll still have some of the dry mixture settling to the bottom of the bowl. 

 

Roll out both pieces of dough, making sure the dough is sized to fit your pie plate.  Place one circle of dough in the pie plate, add the filling (including any "leftover" sugar mixture).  Dot the rhubarb with small pieces of butter, if desired, then place the top piece of dough over the top.  Trim and crimp the edges and cut a few steam vents in the top. 

 

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375° and bake an additional 45 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes to allow the rhubarb to thicken. 

 

For the tarts: 

Roll the dough out to two 9" (or so) circles. They should be about ¼" thick. You may need to roll out a little larger and then trim the circles down a bit.   You can either place the shells into small pans, as I've done in the photo above, or just place them flat on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Put half of the fruit in each shell, making sure you also evenly divide the remaining sugar mixture between the two shells.  If using the flat shells keep the filling toward the center, leaving a 1" - 1½" border around the edge. 

 

Once the filling is divided, bring the extra dough up and around crimping as you go, to create a stand-up border.  If using the baking sheet, make sure you pinch the shell up to form a little rim as rhubarb gets really juicy when cooking. 

 

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375° and bake an additional 35 - 40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes to allow the rhubarb to thicken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costco has been carrying blackberries again.  I can never resist them.  So last week I made Blackberry Crisp.  Again.  You can find the recipe here.  Then I topped it with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream that I made from a recipe in the Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.  Pretty perfect all around. 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, it took me a little longer to get here than I thought it would.  Mainly due to my schedule more than anything else.  The good news is that this recipe does not have to be precise.  I just hate delaying the steps because that means it takes a little longer to get to the finale! 

 

To bring you up to date, we started with Step One:  Making Limoncello and Step two:  Checking In.  Today we are going to do the final assembly.  And just to make sure we are all on the same page.  The following instructions are for a single batch (one 750ml (fifth) of vodka), although in several of the photos you'll actually see two jars of the vodka-rind concoction. 

 

 

 

 

By this point much of the color should have leached from the rind and the vodka should be tinted yellow.  In the photo above you'll see one jar is darker than the other.  I decided to experiment with vodka brands this time and it's interesting how much darker the one on the right (Monarch) is than the one on the left (Gordons). 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step is to strain the rind from the vodka.  Line a funnel with a coffee filter, pour the vodka-rind mixture through the filter a little at a time.  Let the vodka completely drain.  I actually let mine sit overnight. 

 

While the vodka is draining mix a batch of Simple Syrup. 

 

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

 

Mix together in a small pan.   Bring to a boil over high heat, turn the heat down and then boil for 2 minutes.  Let cool.  This will make about 1 1/2 cups of syrup. 

 

 

 

 

Once the vodka is completely drained and the Simple Syrup is cool you are ready to mix. 

 

And this is where your judgement comes into play.  Depending on your preferences and how sweet or tart your lemons were you'll need to adjust the amount of simple syrup you add.  Two things to keep in mind:  as the flavors meld over time, the vodka taste will become much softer; limoncello is generally drunk chilled and when alcohol is chilled the flavor is muted.  In other words be careful how much simple syrup you add.  It may seem you need more now but later the liqueur might taste too sweet. 

 

 

 

 

I start by adding about half of the syrup to my vodka, stir it up and taste.  Then I'll add a little more, stir and taste.  I'll repeat this until I have the right mix for my taste.  With this first batch today I used just over a cup of the syrup - I had about 1/3 cup remaining. 

 

 

 

 

I've started draining the second batch today and my guess is that when I add simple syrup tomorrow I may use a different amount.  I'll try to remember to come back and update this post when I do. 

 

Once you have your final mix, bottle it and wait.  One recipe I found says that it's ready to drink after 7 days, another says 40 days.  Although you will probably enjoy it that time (serve it well chilled) I think it's best 2 to 3 months after mixing. 

 

Once it's bottled store it in your freezer.  The high concentration of alcohol will keep it from freezing. 

 

Traditionally limoncello is sipped after dinner, sometimes along with a coffee.  I love it for a sweet little hit later in the evening.  Or it can be used in mixed drinks, such as in a Lemon Drop.  You could also add it to soda or sparkling water as a kind of lemonade.  Whatever way you choose to serve it, remember that it packs a punch! 

 

You can actually use this recipe with any sort of citrus, although lemon is the traditional blend.  With summer coming on it might just be time to experiment with some other versions of this traditional liqueur.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I started a batch of homemade limoncello using Meyers lemons that I found at my local Costco.  Today it was time to take a peek at the concoction to see how it was doing.  Our goal is to wait until most of the color has leeched from the zest.  As you can see the zest is still brightly colored, although it's not as bright orange as it was to start.  The vodka is beginning to gain a bit of a yellow tint.  That tint is hard to see in the photos - I should have placed something white in the background to make it easier to distinguish. 

 

So, it's coming along but still needs more time.  At this point we just need to let it sit longer.  I'm going to let it go another two weeks until March 24th.  Check back then for the update! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costco has been carrying Meyer lemons the last few weeks.  We don't normally see the tart-sweet fruits in this area.  Meyer lemons are sweeter than other lemons, and they have a much more floral scent.  Their color is somewhere between yellow and orange, similar to a really fresh egg yolk.  Some accounts state that Meyer lemons come from a cross between a Mandarin orange and a lemon.  But that could be because that's what the juice tastes like. 

 

I bought two of the four pound packages and am in process of figuring out what to do with these golden treasures.  I decided to start with a recipe that will give me double mileage.  A few years ago I made Limoncello and loved it.  Meyer lemons are supposed to make some of the best Limoncello and since the recipe only requires the zest I'll also be able to use the juice for something else. 

 

So today is step 1 of my new batch of Limoncello.  I'll document the steps as I go along, if you want to make some, too.  Just a warning - this is not a quick process.  Step one requires 2 to 3 weeks.  Step two can take as little as another three weeks but your liqueur gets much better if you let it sit longer.  I think three months is about right.  So settle in for a long ride. 

 

The good news is that the hardest part is waiting - there's really very little work involved. 

 

For step one all you do is zest six or seven large lemons.  Place the zest in a glass or stainless steel container.  Plastic will work but is not ideal.  Do not use an aluminium container as it will react with the citrus.  Add one 750ml bottle of 100 proof vodka.  (This is the cheaper vodka you'll find on the bottom shelf of the liquor store.)  If you can't fine 100 proof, 80 proof will still work.  Step one may take a little longer and when we get to mixing in the simple syrup in step two you may want to adjust the recipe it a bit so that your Limencello isn't too low-alcohol - more on that when we get to step two. 

 

Once you've mixed the zest and vodka, close the jar and place it at room temperature in a dark place.  A pantry or closet is ideal.  And now we wait. 

 

Note:  If your lemons have been waxed - if they are pretty and shiny - you'll first want to remove the wax.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the lemons and then remove them after about 30 seconds.  Immediately wipe them with a rough towel.  That will remove most of the wax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love to braise at any time of year but it's especially great in the winter.  Since most braises need around three hours, having your oven on for that long adds warmth to the house and the beautiful fragrance fills the house with a coziness. 

 

Last night I choose oxtail for my meat.  I think years ago it really was oxtail but now it's actually beef.  It's a relatively inexpensive cut of meet and is perfect for braising as the sections of bone add a rich dimension to your final product. 

 

I started this one as normal, browning the meat in a heavy pan, then adding onions, garlic, celery and cooking them until starting to soften.  I used red wine to deglaze the pan.  Then I added baby carrots, sliced rutabaga, bay leaf, a tablespoon of tomato paste and stock to almost cover it all.  About 2 1/2 hours in I added a few more carrots, mushrooms, and small tomatoes. 

 

After a total of three hours, I removed the pan from the oven, separated the meat and vegetables from the pan sauces using a slotted spoon.  I covered the meat and vegetables and kept them warm while boiling a batch of fettuccine.  At the same time I added a flour slurry to the pan juices and brought it to a boil to create a sauce. And then I enjoyed!  

 

 

 

 

One of my all time favorite meals is simply buttered pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese.  Sometimes I get "fancy" and add a chopped herb of some sort or occasionally I'll add chopped green onions, but more often than not it's just pasta, butter and cheese.  I made up a plate last night and it was especially good since I used the fettuccine I'd made with my brand-new KitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment!  Using just a basic pasta recipe (the one I used was from Mario Batali but they are all the same) I had fresh pasta whipped up and ready to go in about an hour - and that included 30 minutes of resting time for the dough! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you bring home all the lovely market produce you get to find something fun and tasty to create with it.  As soon as I spied the mushrooms, I knew a lovely chicken noodle soup was in my future.  I sauteed a thinly sliced onion and some chopped garlic until tender and then added a teaspoon of finely chopped ginger, the box of mushrooms (chopped) and chopped celery and continued sauteing for a few minutes. 

 

Once everything was tender I added 1 quart of chicken stock, chunks of baby carrots, rosemary, a tablespoon of tomato sauce and roughly cut pieces of roasted chicken breast.  I also added salt and pepper along the way. 

 

I actually made a mistake here -although it wasn't fatal!  I should have either finely chopped the rosemary or enclosed it in cheesecloth so it could be easily removed before serving.  Instead I just tossed in a couple sprigs which you might be able to get away with in the spring but not in the winter.  As it cooks the leaves fall from the stems and winter leaves are pretty tough.  Not great when they are throughout the whole dish.  The good news is that they are pretty easy to see and pick out as you are eating.  But that's not exactly the best experience if you have guests!

 

I brought the soup to a boil then reduced the heat so it could simmer until the carrots were tender - 10 minutes or so.  Then I added some freshly made pasta - more about the pasta in a later post!  It took about 5 minutes to cook the pasta until tender.  If you were using commercial dried pasta you might want to add it when the carrots were getting tender but not quite done.  Carrots can lose their sweetness if cooked too long. 

 

I had a bowl of this soup for dinner last night and some for lunch today.  Today's version was extra good as the flavors had mingled and fused into a lovely warm broth. 

 

So visit a local Farmers' Market if one near you is open or at least head to your local store and walk the produce aisle as if it were a Farmers' market.  Think about what is in season and likely to be sourced fairly locally so that you get the best flavor possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

I've written about those cookies several times but I've never been completely satisfied with the way they turned out.  But this year, this year I finally was able to end up with the cookie I remember!  And do it consistently over a couple batches.  Yay!  I'm so happy to have finally mastered this recipe.  And it wasn't about tweaking the ingredients but about really understanding the technique.   

 

This is another of those recipes that I really wonder how my grandmother made them with out a big ol' mixer.  I'm sure it could be done but I've got to say that she was made of much hardier stock than I am. 

 

As I've mentioned before you can buy the molds from places like Amazon.  Or you can try to find original molds on Ebay but they are collector items and come at quite a cost.  The ones I use now I purchased at Sur la Table.   

 

I'm posting both the original recipe, which was the common one used in years past and was actually found on the back of many of the molds, and then below it I have my notes on how to make the recipe actually work. 

 

Springerle

(Grandma W)

 

Sift 4½ cups flour with 1 tsp. baking powder.

 

Grease two large cookie sheets.  Sprinkle them generously with anise seeds.

 

In large bowl beat 4 eggs at medium speed until light.  Gradually add 1# (3¾ cups) powdered sugar, sifted, while beating well. 

 

With wooden spoon blend in 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind and flour mixture. 

 

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate one hour.

 

Roll dough ½” thick on lightly floured board.  With floured springerle form print pictures on surface.  With sharp knife cut out cookies on lines between pictures. 

 

Let stand on cookie sheets at least 12 hours. 

 

Bake at 325° 25 to 30 minutes. 

 

Cool, then store in airtight containers.  Makes 40.

 

 

(Brenda’s Notes)

 

In large bowl beat 4 eggs (with whisk attachment) at medium speed until light (at least 10 minutes). Eggs should be pale yellow, thick and about doubled in bulk.  Do not beat until stiff. 

 

Gradually add 1# (3¾ cups) powdered sugar, sifted, while beating well.  I’ve found that sifting about 1 cup at a time, adding it to the eggs, then sifting the next cup, forces you to add it slowly enough to get it well incorporated. 

 

Sift 4½ cups flour with 1 tsp. baking powder.

 

With wooden spoon (paddle attachment) blend in 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind and flour mixture. Same thing with the flour – sift a bit, then add it, then sift a bit more.  Blend until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth.  My big mixer has to work hard at low speeds so be prepared to increase speed as needed. 

 

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate one hour. Don’t refrigerate longer than one hour.

 

Grease two large cookie sheets.  Sprinkle them generously with anise seeds.

 

Roll dough ½” thick on lightly floured board.  With floured springerle form print pictures on surface.  With sharp knife cut out cookies on lines between pictures.  With the molds I have, I roll the dough out to about ½” and to the dimension of the mold. Lightly flour the dough. Then I put the mold on the dough, then turn the whole thing over – it helps if you have plastic wrap under the dough or one of those flexible cutting boards.  Then I press the dough into the mold with my hands- start at the center and then work your way out to the edges as the dough will spread a bit. Then turn the whole thing back over and remove the mold.  If you find some did not get pressed very well you can carefully put them back over their little area – generally it will kind of line itself up – and then press a bit more.  

 

Let stand on cookie sheets at least 12 hours. 

 

Bake at 325° 25 to 30 minutes.  Even with my big molds (where I only get about 25 cookies) they only need about 15 minutes.  Until bottoms are golden and tops are just starting to color.)

 

Cool, then store in airtight containers. Add a slice of apple to the container to keep the springerle soft.  Change it out every 3 days or so. This is something my grandmother did and I find it is important to keep the cookies from drying out quickly.  Makes 40.