Spring Foodventures

Hello Friends. It's been a while (grad school happens). It's finals week, so what better way to procrastinate papers, projects, and studying than to share pictures of my spring food adventures, or foodventures as I like to call them.

We begin with Valentine's Day, where we rang in this holiday of commercial love with an Anti-Valentine's Day party and booze. Here we have some watermelon and raspberry heart-shaped jello shooters and bittersweet cookies (inspired by BitterSweets candies, the anti-SweeTart sugar fix).

We move on to Presidents' Day Weekend. In honor of George Washington, I made cherry sugar cookies. I cannot tell a lie...

Continuing with holidays, Easter happened. Easter is a season of renewal and redemption, but I did something unforgivable. I deca-peep-tated a beloved, American treat. Peeps are quite possibly the grossest candy, despite their adorable nature. They were sacrificed to a higher cause: s'mores bars.

I whipped up some deviled easter eggs for an Easter supper hosted by my gracious friends Rob and Kristen. We had quite the dinner spread: Honey Baked Ham, Hawaiian Rolls, Bacon Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Cilantro Jicama Pineapple Spinach Salad, Green Beans with Walnuts and Cranberries, and Quinoa and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Mini Peppers. Oh and cake.

The following week Rob and Kristen got married! Cecilia hosted a hot-pot-style dinner for Kristen and the ladies before Kristen flew off to Florida. While the boys were off enjoying less clandestine entertainment, the ladies oogled Gene Kelly's bum in An American in Paris with no shortage of wine.

          

Then came the wedding! and my first stay in sunny Florida - dancing, macarons, cake, beaches, sunsets, drum circles, and seafood galore! A more fantastic trip could not have been had.

          

Once we got back to Tucson, it was time for the 1st Annual Taco Festival and Annual Tucson Pie Party (ALL IN ONE DAY!). That was the best smelling day of my life.

My favorite taco was the Chicken Prickly Pear Taco. MMMmmmMmm. I have dreams about this guy.

          

          

My favorite pie ended up being a savory Apple and Kale Pie with onions. Who knew?

It's been a challenging spring, but food has been kind to me (and my hips).
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Snowball Cookies

 I got home to Silver Spring from Tucson Saturday night. What did I do my first day home on Sunday? Start making Christmas cookies of course. This will continue for the next two weeks in my home. We'll play traditional choral Christmas carols on the speakers, and my mom and I will bake. They're not kidding: It's the most wonderful time of the year.

These Snowball Cookies are a childhood favorite. Our old neighbors and family friends the Sebastians would make these every year and serve them with peppermint ice cream. They are a spin off of Polvorones, or Mexican wedding cookies. I dare you to only eat one. These little guys just melt in your mouth while the nutty pecan flavor lingers on. Oh, and you'll be covered in powdered sugar.

         

If you can spare to share, these make a great little gift all packaged up in a cellophane bag.

The Christmas Cookie Season has begun! Stay tuned for more cookie recipes this week and next.

Snowball Cookies
adapted from Bon Appétit

yields about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, coarsely ground

Directions:

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half and form each half into ball. Wrap balls separately in plastic. Chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or dish. Set aside.

Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough.

Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Enjoy.
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Seahorses & Sea Scallops (Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies)

I miss the ocean. Don't get me wrong - the desert is full of beauty, and Tucson sure does know how to set a sun - but nothing quite beats a sea breeze rolling off from the seemingly-infinite, blue horizon...

I have one of those conch shells on my nightstand, and it teases me with the sounds of the ocean. So I was left no choice but to roll out my longing on a lightly floured surface, and squeeze out my wanderlust through a pastry bag. The result are these cute little seahorse and sea scallop cookies.

The base is a lemon poppy seed sugar cookie - a perfect flat canvas for whatever creation you have in mind. With plenty of lemon zest, this sand dollar packs a refreshing punch.

I've traded sand between the toes for poppy seeds between the teeth, but there are worse second-bests... I hope these cookies bring a smile to you, as they do to me :)

Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart

yields about 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
In the bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. While the mixer is running, add the egg, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and poppy seeds, and mix until well combined. Turn the mixer down to low and gradually add the flour, salt, and baking powder, and mix until just combined.

Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper;.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut twice more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes, but do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Decorate with royal icing, if you fancy. Enjoy.


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Pecan Linzer Heart Cookies with Black Cherry Filling

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! ♥ This year I finally got around to making Valentine's Day cards, except I mailed them really late. But that's ok, right? That makes them extra-special, because when Valentine's Day is over, and you think you're done getting trinkets of love in the mail, BAM - there's my Valentine (late...). Well, here you go. You can at least look at them on Valentine's Day... :)

I've always wanted to make Linzer cookies, but never tried. They looked so complicated and time consuming with their double layers and filling (this coming from a girl who will spend hours decorating cookies...). "And in short, I was afraid." (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is the best poem, ever. Just don't read it on Valentine's Day...)

But fear not! These cookies are hardly time consuming, especially if you have Linzer cookie cutters, and you can fill them with whatever kind of tasty jam you like.

These cookies are perfect for Valentine's Day because they look like little doilies with hearts in the middle. I even baked the heart cut outs and made little heart cookie sandwiches...

And you feel healthy, because... uh... there's fruit in the jam... never mind the excessive powdered sugar mustache you now have... um... it's Valentine's Day, so it's alright...

Pass the box of chocolates, please! ...and another cookie.

Pecan Linzer Cookies

Martha Stewart

yields 32 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup red jam (I used black cherry, but any kind of red/purple fruit will do.)

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Pulse pecans, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet). Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours (I suggest overnight).

Preheat oven to 375 F. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes. Strain and let cool.

Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares and top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days. Enjoy.
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