Meyer Lemon Butter Cookies

Even the best of bakers have bad days in the kitchen, and I had one yesterday. My usual batch of breakfast muffins turned into squishy, overly moist globs instead of their typical deliciousness. Instead of happy, perky blueberry raspberry muffins I ended up with sticky sad muffins. I even managed to drop my kitchenaid mixer on my chest when trying to store it away (bruise to prove it as well). Some days, you just stay out of the kitchen until your baking mojo returns. And most gratefully my poor lame muffins were still tasty and thus eaten.

Thankfully, I had much better success with my Meyer Lemon Butter Cookies! I discovered the recipe from AlpineBerry.com when doing some searching for a lemon cookie recipe. Now please understand that while I greatly appreciate lemon flavored desserts, I am not a big lover of lemon goodies. Hence the meyer lemons! These little gems were light, refreshing and very easy to make. And a possible addition for my annual cookie trays.

The trick to the buttery goodness of this recipe is using powdered sugar in the baking mix as opposed to usual white granulated sugar. It makes for light, fluffy cookies that nearly melt in your mouth.

If you follow the recipe as directed, the last step before baking involves brushing the cooled dough log with egg yolk and then rolling in sugar. Yum!

ps - the other cookies in the photo are my Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies, recipe should be up shortly!

Sablés au Citron
(from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan)
(makes 50 cookies)

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar (measured then sifted)
2 large egg yolks (divided use: 1 for dough, 1 for coating)
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tsp finely grated lemon zest (to taste)
2 cups all purpose flour
approximately 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for coating)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth, add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in 1 egg yolk, followed by salt, vanilla and lemon zest.

On low speed, add the flour and mix just until flour is incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a counter, gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Chill dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. (If the diameter is right, the length you end up with is fine. Mine are usually about 6 inches long.) Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill dough for 2 hours in refrigerator. (Dough logs can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in freezer for up to 1 month.)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

If you are coating your cookies with sugar, whisk the remaining egg yolk until it's smooth and liquid enough to use as a glaze. Spread granulated sugar out on a piece of waxed paper. One log at a time, unwrap your chilled dough log and brush lightly with the egg yolk. Roll the log in sugar, pressing gently to help the sugar stick.

Slice each log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Place on baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch between the cookies.

Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes until they are set but not browned. (It's okay if the yolk-sugar edges brown slightly.) Transfer cookies to cooling rack.

Garlic Knots

Photo by Lane Fricke

One of the favorites from our first ever Foodie Meet Up from a few weeks ago happened to be the garlic knots. Delicious! It was a group effort that brought them into being, with special thanks to Kitte and Lane for their creativity and playfulness with the dough. Both are awesome companions in the kitchen.

My friend Kitte happened to bring some leftover dough she had, I believe Navajo fry bread dough with sesame seeds added for goodness. This led to two different batches, always a plus in this group of eaters.

The added bonus came when Kitte realized her creativity wasn't limited to shaping the garlic knots as KNOTS, and instead she used her ingenuity to make some uh, rather "fun" creations.

The batch of dough made especially for the event was based on a recipe I found on FoodMayhem.com. Our changes included using tons more garlic (love the garlic, folks) and different shapes, sizes, forms of knots. Lane made one concoction that was amazing! He made the garlic/parsley mixture and layered it on one side of the rolled out dough, then cut triangles like crescent rolls, and rolled them into crescent shape. My mouth is watering just thinking about them...

Photo by Lane Fricke

Enjoy!

Garlic Knots
~12-13 knots

• 3/4 cup +1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/3 cup water at room temperature (70 to 90 degrees)
• 5 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 packed tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions -

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Whisk in salt last (preventing direct contact with yeast). Make a well in the center and pour in water. Stir together to moisten the flour, just until dough begins to form, about 20 seconds. The dough will look shaggy and bumpy, not smooth.

2. Pour 4 teaspoons oil in a 2-cup sized bowl or cup (bigger if you are increasing recipe size). Place dough in and turn to coat. Cover tightly and rest on the counter until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F at least 30 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, stir together 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt in a large bowl (you’ll see why later). Set aside.

4. When the dough is ready, place it on a board and gently press into a 10″ x 6″ rectangle. There will be left-over oil in the cup/bowl that the dough was rising in. Spread that oil over a baking sheet.

5. Spread half of the garlic mixture across the rectangle dough. Cut into 3/4″ strips (6″ long).

6. Tie any type of knot and lay on baking sheet with about 2″ space in between. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and parsley to the garlic mixture. Stir.

7. When garlic knots are done baking, toss in the garlic and parsley mixture and serve immediately.

The Big Easy

Sunset at Jackson Square 

The first time I visited New Orleans was for a conference which happened to coincide with my 18th birthday. And I was smitten. Completely blown away by the culture and class of this town. Luckily I have had the chance to return nearly every year (or more frequently at times) since then - twelve years running now! Most recently, I found myself in the Big Easy for another conference and enjoyed turning this trip into a foodie fest of sorts. Once a foodie, always a foodie.

Amazingly delicious honey lavender ice cream from Bayona

 

Another delicious dessert from Bayona 

For the first part of the trip I was staying out near the Carrollton Streetcar Line in the Uptown-Carrollton area. The area of Oak Street is adorable and I highly recommend it. Lots of little shops, trendy, foodie, love it! My morning chai stop included Rue De La Course coffeehouse. For a local nosh stop, I visited the new location of Juan's Flying Burritos. Both are recommended from this chef!

Apple pie deliciousness from GW Fins

For the days I worked the conference, I switched things up and moved down to the French Quarter. A few of the joints I was able to frequent included Bayona, GW Fins, and The Royal House Oyster Bar. All were amazing! Now normally I am a strict vegetarian with an occasional seafood/fish splurge a few times a year. However, being down in NOLA and wanting to support the local economy (as well as realizing that the fishing industry is about to crumble with the situation in the Gulf), I splurged on oysters one night. Of course it was totally worth it!

Tiramisu from GW Fins

A lovely idea which I may steal to start referring to myself... Kitchen Witch!

Foodie Fest in my Kitchen!

Last weekend a few friends and I held our first ever foodie fest meet-up in my kitchen. The results were amazing, mind-boggling amazing! A huge heaping thank you to all the folks who participated - both as chefs and eaters. When my NOLA trip wraps up I will post the recipes for what we cooked and baked. Stay tuned for a second foodie fest next month! Yum!

Menu included:

Garlic Knots with 2 types of dough
Homemade Hummus
Garlic Leek Broccoli Quiche
Blueberry Strawberry Pie (vegan)
Cheese Plate
And of course... Mimosas!

  I am a sucker for flowers. :)

Strawberry Lavender Bread

What does a little piece of heaven taste like in your mouth? Eat a piece of this bread and find out. A friend of mine occasionally gets a mass amount of organic produce due to his connections (no, it didn't fall off the back end of a truck... well not in the way you think!). He knows what chef I am, so I am fortunate enough to get a little piece of the action when fate roles my way. A few weeks ago it happened to be organic strawberries! And tons of them.

After some research (always key), I found a strawberry bread recipe from the Joy of Baking to start with. Then applied my special Panda touch - in this case, lavender! The results were amazing. Truly, insanely amazing. As I ended up making two batches, I tweaked the second one by using low-fat coconut milk. While it was tasty, I still preferred the first batch better. 

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Bread Recipe:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1-2 tablespoons lavender flowers, lightly crushed to enhance aroma

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch).  Set aside. 

Place the walnuts (or pecans) on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely before chopping coarsely. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Next, gently mix in the lavender. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and yogurt (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and walnuts.  

 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with a pinch of lavender, and bake about one hour, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen, although mine went too fast to even think about it!

Makes 1 big loaf

Vacation

Even a chef needs a break! Or so goes my justification for yet another quick jaunt across the country. And when I am treating myself to a holiday, taking part in the local cuisine is a must. This past weekend my travels took me to the Gulf side of central Florida. Imagine sun, sand, and lots of flip flops. The purpose for the trip was the wedding of two dear friends. And of course, another foodie experience.

Did I mention that one of the themes of the wedding was Elvis? Yep, a favorite of the bride's! 

 

The wedding reception had a candy bar! And of course this beautiful cake, which is much too pretty to be one of my creations. It had vanilla and chocolate layers with raspberry filling in between. And yes, the wedding was fabulous as well. :)

Of course I had plenty of extra time to sample some of the best eggs florentine I have had in years! Let me introduce you to the Frog Pond. I highly recommend it for a brunch-style joint on St. Pete Beach.

Giant, isn't it? And oh so delicious!

Panda's Breakfast Muffins

The person I share my abode with adores breakfast muffins, scones, granola, and the like. To be a good cohabitator (and win brownie points for him at his office), I often make these little gems. My breakfast muffin recipe came about after a summer of fiddling with various morning muffin recipes and finally discovering the right blend of ingredients. Some recipes call for too much sugar or too much dairy for my liking. However, these stellar babies emerged from the flames of their predecessors and win smiles quite frequently.

Note - they are kinda healthy. Yep. I know. You were hoping for something a little more naughty maybe? Alas while they taste like little fattening muffin treats, they in fact are low-fat, low-sugar in comparison to other breakfast muffins. So feel free to lather them up with your favorite natural spread! Enjoy!

Panda's Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients
3/4 Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 White Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
1/3 cup Applesauce
1/3 cup Milk (non-dairy is my choice)
1/2 cup Blueberries (frozen or freshly washed)
1/2 cup Raspberries (frozen or freshly washed)
1/2 cup Chopped Nuts (optional)

Method 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper muffin cups or grease the pan by hand.

In a medium sized bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and sift.

In a mixing bowl or with a mixer, add the sugars, vanilla extract, and egg and blend. Note, I sometimes add a splash of almond extract as well (say 1/2 a teaspoon or less). Add the milk of your choice (usually rice in my case) to the batter and mix.

Next add the applesauce and gently blend. If you prefer, you can use one of the flavored applesauces (such as cinnamon) to enhance the flavor.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients until well mixed. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl down from time to time. If using nuts, mix these into the batter.

Next gently fold in the berries (by hand works best so as not to crush or burst the berries).

Fill each muffin cup 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full. Typically, this recipe yields about 10 average muffins. They are also great as mini-muffins too.

As a final touch, I dust the tops of all the uncooked muffins with a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg as well as a few nuts if I haven't used them in the batter.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes (watch them during the final 5 minutes depending upon your oven) until the muffins are set. Note - I have occasionally had to cook these to 25 minutes if the oven was off or the berries extremely ripe as well as cook them slower at 350. Leave them in the pan for about 2 minutes to start cooling, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish the process. You can also modify this recipe into a breakfast bread!