Celiac Awareness Day 2011

Today I went for my endoscopy. It was a mildly unpleasant experience--and thankfully a brief one too. According to my doctor, the endoscopy is the gold standard for diagnoses of Celiac Disease and one was necessary to confirm the results of my blood panel.

And confirm it did. Parts of my duodenum were smooth, where there should have been folds. The classic villi pattern was absent, and instead replaced with a cracked earth or mosaic pattern as is typical with Celiac Disease. And several duodenal folds had evidence of scalloping, also seen in Celiac.

So it's safe to say that I became aware of My Celiac Disease on National Celiac Awareness Day. Strange, huh?

I've been stockpiling various ingredients required in gluten free baking over the last few weeks to be ready for this moment. And when I heard that Thomas Keller's pastry chef, Lena Kwak, had created a packaged gluten-free flour to be used cup for cup in regular baking recipes (hence the name C4C), I rushed over to Williams Sonoma to buy a ($20, three pound) bag. For me sometimes convenience trumps cost...especially if it tastes good. But I had been waiting until this day--my official day of diagnoses--to tear it open and give it a try.

The true test will be a side-by-side taste test on my Nana's pancake recipe with some homemade flour mixes, C4C, and King Arthur's GF flour...and that's coming soon. But for today I needed simplicity and convenience and comfort. I needed chocolate. I needed COOKIES-and now! That's exactly why a product like C4C is so great, if not spendy. And for the record, I should mention that I have not been paid or given free products for this review.

So how were they? My daughter said they were tastier than the cookies I make with "real" flour. My son said, "They're good! Really, really good." And I concur. Quite frankly, everyone was more than a little dubious that non-wheat flour could taste this good. The flavor was outstanding and the cookies were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, which is exactly how I like them. So far I am extraordinarily pleased with this product, and can't wait to try it in other recipes.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

I used C4C Gluten Free Flour available at Williams Sonoma stores or online. Try substituting your favorite gluten free flour blend to make these too!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: 21 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups C4C (or other gluten free flour mix)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup GF semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat butter until with sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

3. In another small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Add to the butter mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Dollop cookies in tablespoon portions onto a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 8-10 minutes. For crispier cookies, bake a few minutes longer. Cool cookies on a rack and store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days. But I seriously doubt they will last that long.

Back to School Treat

Back to School has been more of a new year to me than the first of January since I was a little girl. It marks the end of a usually long and rather lazy summer with a return to schedules, and bedtimes, and yes, homework too. It means my house stays a whole lot cleaner...but also that I do a lot more driving around town...especially between the hours of 3 and 8 p.m. And it means, for me, more time to spend in the kitchen--planning, creating, baking and cooking for the ones I love.

But cooking really is a labor of love sometimes, isn't it? And when there are a host of people who all require different diets, it can sometimes seem downright impossible. I have found that most days, breakfast and dessert are the only meals my family can agree on. Thus the Blueberry Granola Cookie Bars--a perfect little sweet something to tuck in their lunch boxes, or serve as an afternoon treat. And it's something that everyone will love.

I won't lie to you, they take quite awhile to prepare. But if you are lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom left with nothing but a cup of coffee and a quiet house after you usher your offspring out the door on their way to school, it's not a bad way to spend the morning. Use the time between steps to get your Tracy Anderson on..or catch up on your book club book...or clean out a closet...or make your list of all you'd like to accomplish during the fresh new (school) year. And when your kids get home in the afternoon all sweaty and tired and hungry, give them a kiss, and a cookie, and they will sing your praises. I promise.

Blueberry Granola Cookie Bars
Printable Recipe

These delicious bars, adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies are layered with shortbread crust, jam and homemade oatmeal. You can save time by using packaged granola, but the small effort to make your own from scratch is well worth it. Plus, you will have some left over to sprinkle on yogurt for breakfast.

Prep time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 1/2 hours (includes chilling time)
Yield: 2 dozen bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces (1 1/2 sticks)
1 large egg, plus one large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberry jam

Almond Coconut Granola
(makes about 5 cups)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Preparation:

1. Make granola. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter with honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the water. Stir together the oats, almonds, and coconut in a large bowl. Pour the butter/sugar mixture over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Bake, stirring frequently, until golden and brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

2. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

3. Process 1/2 cup slivered almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Lightly beat egg, yolk and vanilla in a Small bowl. Add egg mixture to the processor through the chute while the processor is running. Pulse just until clumps form. Pat dough into the prepared dish, evenly covering the bottom. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick dough all over with a fork and bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

6. Spread jam over crust and top with about 2 cups of granola. Bake until jam is bubbling and the granola is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift from the pan and cut into 2-inch squares. Bars should be eaten within a few days, or frozen for up to a month.

Salted Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies. Yes.

I like my sweets with a touch of salt, and apparently I'm not alone. Salted desserts can now be found just about everywhere, and for good reason--salt rounds out the sweetness of baked goods and other treats. Chocolate dipped pretzels, salted caramel ice cream, and bacon topped cupcakes abound, each a study in contrasting flavors.

I've made salted desserts before. One of my favorites is the Butterscotch Budino that's served at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. In today's recipe, I take a standard oatmeal cookie, load it with butterscotch chips, and then instead of adding salt to the batter, I sprinkle the top with a few flakes of Maldon salt.

Maldon salt is a pure sea salt from England that has large, delicate flakes. I typically use it to finish dishes (it tastes wonderful sprinkled on veggies or in salads) but it works well atop baked goods because it doesn't melt into the batter as it bakes, like other salts can do. You can find it at Whole Foods or other specialty grocers, or online. A little goes a long way and a box will last you quite awhile.







This recipe only makes two dozen cookies....you may want to double it in case your family loves them as much as mine did!

Salted Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
Printable Recipe

These cookies are thick, chewy and topped with a sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt. Make sure you have a glass of milk at the ready.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 22 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
2/3 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup butterscotch chips
Maldon salt for sprinkling (or other coarse, flaky sea salt)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until smooth.

3. In another smaller bowl, whisk flour and baking soda to combine. Add to butter mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in oats and butterscotch chips until evenly combined.

4. Measure out rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of salt.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookie is lightly golden brown. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

A Dedication

As I write this, my sweet Nana is on her deathbed. What was once a lovely, vibrant and always dignified woman, is now a tiny, shrunken creature, almost not visible beneath her bedsheets. She can no longer eat or drink on her own, and her fate, and the manner in which she will achieve it, seems especially cruel considering the fact that she loved to eat good food, and cooked and served it with gusto.

She shared her passion for cooking with my mom, who in turn, shared it with me. Nana was always in the kitchen whipping up the latest cuisines for her many friends and dinner groups. Nana was the one who introduced me to fresh blueberries and real maple syrup on one of my many weekends spent with her (she is Canadian after all).

I have especially fond memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas, where Mom and Nana would bustle about together in the kitchen, taking turns chopping, stirring, peeling and tasting, creating the perfect holiday feasts again and again. Each year was better than the next, it seemed. Nana was the expert at gravy, and she taught me how to make it dark and rich--never too salty or too fatty, but perfectly smooth and glossy.

When I was 16, Nana gave me my first real cookbook for Christmas, The Fanny Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham. In it, under the dedication it reads: Christmas 1991. To Alison- The happy cooker. Love, Nana.


Happy cooker, indeed! Cooking is for me, as it was for her and my mom, a creative outlet....something that makes me extraordinarily happy, especially when those with whom I share my cooking are appreciative. Though I have hundreds more cookbooks in my collection now, I still turn to this classic often, and it has all the tell-tale signs of a much-loved and much-used book as it's pages are splattered with all kinds of goo. I know Nana would appreciate it, and Marion Cunningham too.

I will always remember my Nana with fondness and will never forget her kindness, gentle touch, and extraordinary patience with her four grandchildren. It is unbearably difficult to watch someone you love struggle so in her final days and hours. I can only hope that at the end of this long and arduous journey, there is a feast waiting for her--a celebration rich with other loved ones she's lost along the way and yes, plenty of food...a leg of lamb perhaps, with some of her famous gravy and maybe some mint jelly on the side. And don't forget dessert!










Marion Cunningham's Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
Printable Recipe

My kids and husband have eaten hundreds of these over the years. They are crunchy, peanut buttery, and have the traditional cross-hatch marks too. Dipped in milk they make the perfect after school (or late night) snack, and they travel well in a lunch bag. They are crisp on the edges and chock-full of nuts, with the slightest bit of give in the middle. Make sure to look for shortening that has no trans-fats.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat together the shortening, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and stir until combined.

3. Mix in the peanut butter and beat until completely incorporated.

4. Place flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, beating after each addition, until evenly mixed.

5. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a fork, make a cross-hatch design on the top, smooshing them so they are about 1/2 inch tall.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack until they are completely cooled. Store in an air-tight container.

Family Peace Cookies

Cookies and milk....more specifically double chocolate cookies and milk can make anyone's day, wouldn't you agree? But these, these! Friends, these cookies are a category of bliss unto themselves. Initially crisp, they crumble into melty goodness in the mouth. They are deep and rich and full-flavored, which comes, in part, from the healthy pinch of sea salt in the batter. I first came across these cookies, known to some as "World Peace Cookies," at my sister-in-law's home last weekend. She found the recipe here, but I've seen it here and here too.

I think I'll call them "Family Peace" cookies because in my experience, they can transform the grumpiest kids (and moms) into almost unrecognizable giddy, smiling fools. They can erase pain and suffering faster than an epidural....and they have fewer side effects too....except for the small matter that you might be temporarily blissed out and unable to think straight.

"What were we just arguing about?" "Um.....I have no idea....please pass another cookie."

Because the recipe doesn't call for eggs, the dough is sandy. Don't freak out. When you mix it, it won't seem to want to come together. Turn it out onto your work surface and pat the crumbly mess into two balls of dough. This part doesn't look too pretty....especially after you roll them into logs, if you know what I mean. The logs get refrigerated for a few hours, then are sliced and baked until they are barely set. In fact, they won't look done at all. Again, don't freak out and trust the recipe.





What you end up with are small cookies that are so achingly scrumptious that you will barely be able to contain yourself. They are so tempting that I found myself eating them straight out of the oven so that they sizzled a little on my tongue. I recommend that you have a cold glass of milk handy, even if they are cooled, to wash down all that chocolate. Bake one batch during the day to enjoy with the kids, but save the other one for your late night snack. Or maybe even share the mind-blowing bliss with your Valentine....nothing says I love you like a homemade treat.



Double Chocolate Crumble Cookies
A.K.A. Family Peace Cookies
A.K.A. World Peace Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 22 minutes, plus 3 hours cooling time
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer is fine), beat the butter until soft. Add the sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

Carefully add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing slowly so you don't get flour all over the place. Dorie recommends covering the mixer with a towel for awhile to help with the spraying flour. Mix until the dough looks evenly incorporated, but still crumbly. When you pinch it with your fingers it will stay together though. Do not overmix!

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and pat into two balls. Wrap each ball in plastic and roll it into a log that is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The plastic will help hold it together as it still may be a bit crumbly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap the log and cut into slices that are about 1/2 an inch thick. If the cookies break apart, just press them back together with your fingers. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet (or a silicone lined one) about 1 inch apart. Slide the cookie sheet onto the center rack of the oven and bake for exactly 12 minutes. The cookies will look underdone. That is okay. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling completely.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I am thankful for so much this Thanksgiving--for the sunny weather, for my great kids and husband, for prosperity during these difficult times...but mostly that I'm not cooking dinner this year! Which of course means no house to clean, no turkey to brine, no potatoes to peel, no bread to bake. I cannot tell you how happy I am about this, especially in light of the fact that I've already cooked a big Thanksgiving dinner...in September. (If you need any recipe ideas check here.) So I'm feeling kind of over it, at least the cooking part...the eating part, well, that's another matter altogether.

Perhaps, like me, you are ready to move ahead and start thinking of other things...Don't tell anyone, but I've secretly been lining up my Christmas boxes and adding to our decoration collection for some weeks now. I've even been caught listening to (one of) my favorite Christmas albums, and in our house, listening to carols before Thanksgiving is over is strictly prohibited!

But, what can I say, I'm in the mood, and luckily my submission to Disney this week was for a Christmas cookie. It's difficult to come up with interesting flavors that haven't been done before. Everyone has their favorite butter cookie recipe, chocolate chip recipe, and recipe for kiss topped peanut butter cookies. I wanted something flashy, yet traditional...kind of like me. (I joke! I'm just flashy...again, kidding). Since citrus is in season now, a cookie with those bright flavors seemed to fit the bill, but it needed a little something more....I settled on CHOCOLATE.

I've never been one to enjoy an orangette (except for the blogger), but I have to admit that subtle orange flavors marry exquisitely well with chocolate, especially the dark variety. I tested out two recipes...the first ended up thick and chewy, and the second was crisp and buttery. I sent the thick and chewy ones off to Disney and will share the thin and crisp cookie recipe with you here. That way, as soon as they post my recipe on their site, you can taste both for yourself to see which you prefer. (By the way, they were both good...I just thought the thicker cookies were more photogenic.) At any rate, you should include these in your cookie repertoire for a little something different this year. Dunked into a cup of rich, hot chocolate, they're enough to send anyone right over the moon....






Crisp Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 a stick), room temperature
1/4 cup shortening, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the butter and the shortening with the sugar until smooth. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, and zest and whisk to combine. Mix the flour with the cream of tartar, baking powder and salt and stir into the butter mixture using a wooden spoon. Add the chocolate chunks and mix well.

Place 1/4 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Form the dough into walnut-sized balls and roll in sugar, then place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press the cookies flat using the bottom of a drinking glass and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until very light golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

The Natives Are Getting Restless

Back in California, we are lucky to have strawberries year round at our farmers' markets. The are usually ripe throughout, and consistently sweeter than anything you might find at the grocery store. Contrast that with the berries available on Cape Cod, and all over New England for that matter, for a few fleeting weeks in early summer. The poor souls who call these parts home must fight over every little pint and quart basket that gets delivered to farm stands and green markets, knowing that if they miss their chance for "Native Strawberries" they have to wait another whole year to get a taste. Folks swear they are better than strawberries from any other place, but I personally suspected that they were so berry deprived that they were viewing the world through jam-colored lenses. After all, the strawberries I buy nearly every week are pretty darn delicious.


But you know what they say about assuming...I must admit, that the so-called Native Strawberries are hands-down the most delicious berries I have ever tasted, and I have nibbled a lot of them in my lifetime. They are smaller than the kinds I usually buy, and softer too. Deep red throughout and gently perfumed, they are sweet with a subtle tart undertone that rounds out their flavor. I was planning on making jam, or syrup, or pie, or even shortcake, but after I got a taste, I didn't want to cook these delicate beauties, or undermine them by drenching them with cream or even sugar. They are perfect just as they are. And it was pretty difficult to resist eating the entire quart by myself and save enough for dessert.


I decided that crisp and buttery shortbread cookies would make a fine accompaniment to the berries and quickly threw together a batch, using my (slightly modified) grandmother's recipe. Requiring just a few ingredients and one bowl, they are easy to make when you don't want to dirty your mixers (or don't have a mixer to use...as is the case in this summer house). I usually roll mine out to a quarter-inch thickness, then use cookie cutters to cut them into cute shapes (they are a Christmas favorite). But this afternoon, I simply rolled them into a log, refrigerated them, then cut them into quarter-inch disks. It worked like a charm, and they were so good with our fresh berries. They almost looked like little sand dollars, which would make an appropriate Cape Cod name for these most delectable treats.

The season here is almost coming to an end. The nice lady at Setucket Farm Stand told me that they would only be available for 10 more days, unless we get a lot of rain. It poured today, but I hope that I get one more chance to have some native berries this year...

Cape Cod Sand Dollars

makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies

In a large bowl, blend 1 stick (1/2 C) of soft butter with 1/4 C powdered sugar and and 1/2 t pure vanilla extract. With a wooden spoon, stir in 1/2 C flour and a pinch of salt. Stop mixing when the dough has just come together, or you risk overworking it. Wrap with plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the log into 1/4 inch slices and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just golden around the edges, but still pale. Cool on a rack.

Dough can also be rolled out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

Sweet and Simple

It's spring break here, and today I have a houseful of boys. My smart daughter, having evacuated the premises, has left me alone to deal with this rowdy bunch of pre-teens. Lucky me. They have spent most of the day playing with these tiny alien-looking, transformerish balls called Ba-Ku-Gan (or something). I also heard a strange thumping coming from inside their room, but I'm afraid to inspect the potential damage. Eventually, I shooed them outside, and they worked up quite a sweat playing a hands-on game of basketball, which is good and bad...good because they are outside, and bad because they are now hot and, well, smelly. To counteract their pungent odors, and help appease their insatiable appetites, I decided to open all the windows and bake some cookies.

I have never been a huge sugar cookie fan, but I've made these before and they are really, really good. And they look so sweet sitting on a blue China plate. Of course I did not serve them to the boys that way. They got a bundle in a paper towel and were sent outside...where boys belong. But I took mine on the dainty plate into my room with a cup of tea. I felt quite refreshed actually...that is until I looked in my sons' bedroom and took in the aftermath. Oh well, I really don't have much else to do, right?

Sugar Cookies

adapted from Gourmet Cookbook

1 C granulated sugar
1 C powdered sugar
1 C vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t cream of tartar
4 C flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together sugars, then add oil. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. Add flour, stirring until combined. It will be slightly dry and crumbly. Measure out level tablespoonfuls of dough, then roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar, then press lightly to flatten each cookie slightly. The edges will crack slightly. Sprinkle additional sugar on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Dainty Delight

I'm off to Grandmother's house today for our weekly visit, which I love. She always has the most interesting stories, like how I learned last week that she can knit (or used to be able to) but never really had the patience for it (sounds like me). Evidently, her mother was quite the avid knitter and used to knit all sorts of wonderful things for her children to wear, like the beautiful knit wool sweater suit my grandmother had when she moved to California from Canada. Though very lovely, it was quite inappropriate for the warm and sunny California weather, but she had to wear it, because it was one of the only articles of clothing she owned. I may never complain that I have nothing to wear again....well, for a while at least.

I always like to bring my grandmother something sweet to eat because she has a wicked sweet tooth and when a person is 90, why not indulge a bit? But unfortunately I have no flour because I haven't had a chance to get to the market yet this week due to unforeseen circumstances. But a post on another fantastic blog caught my attention. Have you heard of Palmiers or elephant ears? They are cookies that are light, crisp and sweet, a perfect treat to go with coffee or tea. And because they are made from puff pastry (which I will probably NOT ever make from scratch) I can pull the dough right out of my freezer; it's an easy and delicious solution to my bare pantry, much like my cinnamon roll recipe.

It is so important to use quality ingredients if you are going to fake it instead of making it from scratch. So make sure that the puff pastry you buy uses real butter, not some nasty emulsified oil stuff. The ingredients on my Trader Joe's puff pastry are as follows: wheat flour, butter, salt, sugar, water. That is as close to homemade as anything!

Palmiers

Remove one large or 2 small sheets of puff pastry from the freezer. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (or as long as the package directs).

Set dough on a lightly sugared board, sprinkle the top heavily with sugar, about 1 C total, and roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick.

Roll each edge towards the center, jelly roll style until they meet in the middle. Place the rolls in the fridge to rest for about an hour, or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove from refrigerator and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay on a greased cookie sheet, or one that is lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through. Remove to rack to cool.

Oh Holy Night and Butter Cookies

Tonight, on the night of the Winter Solstice, and the fourth Sunday of Advent, we began what I hope is to be a new tradition at our home. Called the Advent Spiral, it is practiced in Waldorf schools and many churches at some point during the Advent season. We chose to do ours on the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, to help us remember how the birth of Christ brings light into the world.

As the participants walk the spiral (made from various evergreen branches) towards the lit candle in the center, they reflect on the darkness that is in this world. At the center they light a candle that they are carrying (which is stuck in a little apple). Then on the return path they set their candle down to illuminate the way for others, all the while reflecting on how they can bring the light of Christ out into the world. This ritual was performed in silence, then carols were sung at the end.

I must admit, that I had to suppress a giggle as I walked the spiral, but I was quite moved at how reverent my children were when they had their turn. They were all eager to participate and as we watched everyone else take their turn, a hushed and eager anticipation filled the space. It provided much opportunity for conversations about the real meaning of Christmas, and how that is so lost in much of the other Christmas "rituals" including frantic shopping, traffic and crowds, and parties. It was such a lovely and spiritual time, and brought our hearts right back to where they should be in these last few days before Christmas. In fact, we loved it so much, we may do it again on Christmas Eve, inviting some friends and neighbors to participate.

I realize that this post has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with food....but should mention that after the Advent Spiral, many celebrate by eating star shaped cookies (symbolic of the miraculous star that guided the shepherds), and drinking hot cider. I think we may do that on Christmas Eve when we do Spiral #2.

Which brings me to my recipe. These cookies are delicious, buttery and easy to make en masse. I made 25, 4 inch gingerbread shaped cookies to my son's class for his holiday party. Of course, it requires a whole pound of butter, so it better make a lot, right? The recipe is adapted from one in Susan Branch's Christmas from the Heart of the Home Cookbook.

The picture below is all that is left of the cookies, a veritable "gingerbread men" carnage. Not pretty to look at, but pretty good to eat.

Butter Cookies
makes 6-8 dozen

2 C butter, softened

1 1/2 C sugar

4 egg yolks

2 t vanilla extract or 1 t almond extract

4 1/2 C flour

1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add yolks and extract and mix well. Sift in flour and salt and beat into butter mixture until well mixed. Use an un-greased cookie sheet when ready to bake. I refrigerated the dough for a bit, then rolled it out to about a quarter of an inch thick on a floured board and then cut them into shapes. This dough can also be shaped into a log, rolled through chocolate sprinkles then sliced and baked, or made into candy canes by dying half the dough red then rolling them out into 4 inch strips (like pencils) and twisting them together into candy cane shapes. Bake for about 10 minutes, but do not let them brown. Remove from cookie sheets while still warm and let cool on sheets of parchment.