Popover for Some Yorkshire Pudding with Make-Ahead Gravy

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...In my world it's impossible to serve a rib roast without Yorkshire Pudding on the side. I suspect my family would abandon me on a dessert island if I even tried. Fortunately, the pudding is simple to make and comes together quickly. It's made with the same batter that's used for popovers, and I'm always amazed that a handful of ingredients can produce such airy golden towers. Years ago, I followed English custom and made the pudding in a single large baking dish. That worked while the children were small, but as their appetites grew, the pudding disappeared before everyone at the table was fed. At that point, I switched to popover pans so every member of the family could have their own to nap or drown with gravy as they saw fit. The individual puddings are a visual delight and the trick to their towering, gnarly height is three-fold. First, the batter must sit so the gluten in it has a chance to relax. Second, the initial temperature at which they cook must be high. Third, while the temperature is manipulated as they cook, the oven door must not be opened till the puddings are done. I guarantee that if you follow the directions in the recipe below, you'll have perfect puddings every time you make them. Because my kitchen is small, I do as much cooking as I can ahead of time. I make gravy the day before the feast, so the mess and last minute stress of getting it to the table becomes a non-issue. I like to use a New Orleans-style roux as the base for the gravy I pass with the puddings. It has wonderful flavor and I think you'll agree it's worth the time and watchful eye it takes to make. Here are the two recipes I used for our Christmas in February feast.

Christmas in February - Prime Rib and Fixin's

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox and I live in an area surrounded by small cattle ranches and, seasonally, that can lead to beef bargains not found in other areas of the country. During the Christmas holidays, standing rib and and strip roasts can be purchased here for what ground beef costs in other communities. My mother raised no foolish children, so I take full advantage of these bargains and pack the freezer when those holiday sale signs appear. That leads to some wonderful meals, and one of the the things I love to do is to serve a "Christmas" meal at odd times of year. We had some good friends for dinner this past Sunday and I decided to celebrate their company with one of the rib roasts stashed in the freezer. Whenever I do this, I go whole hog and make a dinner fit for the groaning board of an English country estate. There is, of course, the roast, but authenticity demands Yorkshire pudding, and the "pud" demands a gravy we find too heavy for the juicy rare, red beef we so enjoy. I make the gravy a day or two before the meal, while the wine sauce is a task for the morning of the feast. Potatoes, too, are made early on and sit in a slow cooker protected by a shallow puddle of cream that keeps them milky white for serving. I do, however, postpone the puddings till the last possible moment. While they can be made ahead of time, we prefer ours so freshly warm and moist you can almost hear them begging to be drowned in gravy. They share the oven with chunks of roasting carrots whose preparation is sheer simplicity, but whose color adds brightness to what can easily become a beige meal. While many think it unnecessary, we are salad folk and I think the meal demands shades of crisp greens to make it complete. To be honest, the salad, made with watercress and Belgian endive, is nearly as expensive as the beef and actually more work to make, but I can't prepare this meal without knowing it will grace my table. I generally make rolls of some type for the feast and dessert depends on the whims or dietary restrictions of the folks sitting at my table. This past weekend we had a luscious pear torte and a creamy lemon pudding to end the meal. I can't feature all these recipes in one post, so I thought I'd pick and choose and share those for the roast and its various sauces with you today. I have several recipes for standing rib roast, but I recently resurrected this one which is failproof. I think you'll enjoy its flavor and ease of preparation. Here is how it's made.

Chocolate Chili Crackled Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for another chocolate cookie, this spicy version from McCormick might just fill the bill. This is a chocolate cookie that gets its heat from Ancho chili powder. Some love these spicy versions, some do not. This is a perfect recipe for those whose families love the heat. I must admit I prefer my chocolate straight up, but the Silver Fox really likes this version, so I'm including it here. If your family loves heat with sweet, this version of crackle cookies might be just what you are looking for. They are simple to make, store well and add something a little different to your holiday cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Chocolate Nut Brittle

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This brittle is neither easy nor inexpensive to make, but I promise it is worth the time and money it takes to put together. The recipe for the brittle was the creation of Suvir Saran, a chef who is highly regarded by his colleagues. His brittle is different from most others because of the spices that are used to give it its unique flavor. This is a great recipe and fortunately the brittle freezes well, so it can be made weeks before things get crazy in the kitchen. Unless you have nerves of steel, this is not a recipe you want to make at the last minute. I don't make a lot of candy for the holidays, but I'll be sure to include this with the other confections that I am planning to prepare. This is good - really good - stuff. Here is how the brittle is made.

McCall's Cinnamon Crisps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another recipe that is as old as my marriage, and while I'm quite proud of it, that number is not one I throw loosely about. I made these cookies for the Silver Fox our first Christmas together. The old McCall's cook book was my kitchen bible at the time and while style and taste have changed over the years, I must say it never let me down when I relied on it as my principle recipe source. I love cinnamon cookies, so these were a natural choice for me to make that first Christmas. They are simple. They are easy to make. They are delicious. There was a time I thought them difficult to make, but time and experience have made them an easy peasy addition to our Christmas table. They taste a bit like cinnamon graham crackers, but please put the emphasis on "bit like" because these are the best graham cracker you have ever or will ever have. Here is how to make the cinnamon crisps.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love bread and Christmas in our home would be incomplete without a holiday loaf that we can break together and eat with our coffee on Christmas morning. Some of the breads are beautiful, elaborate affairs, while others are downright plain in their simplicity. Plain or pretty, they must be delicious to make it to my table, and if they have a story to tell they are sure to be a shoe in. This Romanian bread is much like Italian panettone and while it is time consuming to make, it is easier to make than its Italian cousin. While this is not a beginner's bread, those who have a modicum of patience and a bit of experience with yeast breads, will be in for a treat come Christmas or New Year's morning. Here is how this Romanian bread is made.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of about.com

Ingredients:
2-1/2 tablespoons + 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup +1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine sugar
4 ounces light or dark raisins
Zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces melted butter
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ounce walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:
1) Scald 1/2 cup milk and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.
2) Heat another 1/2 cup milk just until lukewarm. Do not scald. Place yeast in a small bowl and pour lukewarm milk over, stirring until dissolved. Add yeast mixture to flour paste and beat until large air bubbles appear. Cover and let rise at least 15 minutes.
3) Heat remaining 1/4 cup milk to lukewarm. Do not overheat. Pour into a warmed large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add, stirring after each ingredient, the egg yolks, sugar, raisins, zest, yeast mixture and flour. Knead about 10 minutes by machine or 15-20 minutes with buttered hands while still in the bowl, adding butter as necessary to achieve a nonsticky, pliable, moist ball of dough. It will probably take about 3 ounces of butter. Save the rest.
3) Add rum, vanilla and oil and knead another 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down and with hands dipped in some of the reserved melted butter, knead another 5-10 minutes.
4) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10- to 12-inch round pan that is at least 3 inches deep with cooking spray. Using buttered hands, twist the dough and place in the pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan.
5) Mix 1 large egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush top of dough. Sprinkle walnuts and a few raisins on the dough, if desired. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean or an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.
6) Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. If you wish, while the cake is still hot, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and walnuts. Yield: 1 loaf.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                     Two Years Ago Today:

                    Chocolate Nusse                                                        Braciola and Tomato Sauce

                Three Years Ago Today:                                               Four Years Ago Today: 

       Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives                                  Christmas Bread Round-Up

Pecan Pie Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love pecan pie and, if it weren't so caloric, you'd see it far more often on my table. Despite the calories, I break my own rules during the holiday season and often serve it as a dessert, though in a slightly altered form. A slice of pie following a holiday feast boggles my mind, but I can deal with bite-size bars that are packed with the same ingredients and flavors. This is my favorite recipe for pecan bars. It comes from McCormick and I think you would agree these folks know a thing or two about spices. While the bars are delicious and easy to make, I've not had a lot of luck freezing them. They do, however, keep for up to a week if they are kept in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped. They are also a great excuse to practice will-power and avoidance of the old "one's not enough, two is too many" syndrome. Here is how this version of the bars is made.

Countdown to Christmas - Chocolate Nusse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Opening an old recipe box is a bit like opening Pandora's box. The contents pour out, but there is no unpleasantness to deal with. There may be a flash of sadness as memory conjures a glimpse of faces and places that can no longer be touched or seen, but that passes, and what's left is a special warmth and gratitude for the time and space that was shared and enjoyed with those who have triggered the reverie. On a more practical note, there are also some wonderful recipes to be exhumed, and if it's true that we are what we eat, those kitchen scribblings help to explain whole blocks of our lives. I found this recipe for chocolate nusse  among those the Schlesinger's shared with the Silver Fox and me, and I wanted to pass it on to those of you who like the unusual and are fond of barely sweet European pastry.  The Schlesinger's were our first landlords and they added color and kindness to the early years of our marriage. Mama S had no daughters of her own, so I became the repository  of her wisdom and I can still hear her admonitions, the most serious of which always began with the rather ominous, "lest you have to move your tent to another village".  That was never necessary, but I think I spent more time in her kitchen than I did in my own.  She was a wonderful cook and I was fortunate enough to be there when she wanted to pass on what she knew. That's how I learned that a nusse is a nut or a confection made with nuts and it's also how I became the recipient of this old-world recipe. It makes an atypical Christmas cookie that I think you will enjoy. I know you will love the ease with which it comes together, and I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Chocolate Nusse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, separated
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2  to 2-1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts)  
Ginger marmalade or cherry or apricot preserves

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Add chocolate, vanilla, orange zest and cinnamon and blend well. Stir in flour and salt. Chill dough for 1 hour.
2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3) Using a teaspoon measure, form dough into small balls. Drop into egg whites, then roll in chopped nuts. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make an indentation in center of each cookie by pressing with a 1/4 teaspoon measure. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nuts are lightly browned. Remove from oven and again press 1/4 teaspoon measure into cookies to form indentation for filling. Cool cookies on tray. Store in airtight containers or ziplock plastic bags. Fill indentations with marmalade or fruit preserves just before serving. Yield: 4-1/2  to  5 dozen cookies.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

               Braciola with Tomato Sauce                               Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                 Christmas Bread Round-Up                                                 Lebkuchen and Speculaas

Countdown ro Christmas - Cratchet's Christmas Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox and I spent Black Friday making fruitcake. Not just any fruitcake, mind you. These rum soaked gems were gleaned from memories of Christmas past and their making was a part of holiday ritual that dates back to when our hearts were young and gay, and we were newlyweds living in a basement flat on the south side of Chicago. Financial constraints determined that gifts that year would be token offerings, and rather than make cookies, we decided to gift our families and friends with fruitcake. It was a selfish decision on our part. We didn't care much for cookies, but even back then, we'd never refuse a slice of fruitcake, especially if it was served with sippin' sherry or port. The building in which we lived was owned by a German Jewish couple, who for all intents and purposes had adopted us, and at their insistence the recipe for their fruitcake became ours. Our kitchen was tiny, as a matter of fact it had no counter space at all, and the fruitcakes had to be made on the white enamel instrument table that we used for our meals. The Silver Fox began by cutting paper strips from brown paper bags and lining the pans we had borrowed for the project. The fruit and nuts came next, and they were combined in an immaculately clean scrub bucket, the only container we owned that was large enough to hold the quantities of fruit and nuts we had to mix. The creaming came next and then, finally, everything was combined and we filled the pans with batter. Never have pans been watched with such anticipation. Four hours later we had 12 fruitcakes sitting on the instrument table, and with a mixture of pride and accomplishment, we wrapped each in rum soaked cheesecloth to store and ripen. We checked them religiously to make sure their shrouds remained moist and the cakes were properly mellowing. They were, if I may paraphrase, "a triumph". We still love fruitcake, and because I still have some restrictions on my activity, we decided to stay in this past Friday and cook, rather than risk crowds and an elbow in the eye. Memory, on many levels, made easy work of this year's fruitcakes. I know they'll be delicious, but I suspect they'll never measure up to those we made 50 years ago. I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cakes are made.

Cratchet's Christmas Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups dark seedless raisins
2 cups golden seedless raisins
1 cup diced candied lemon peel
1 cup diced candied orange peel
2 cups red glace cherries
1 cup green glace cherries
1 cup chunked glace pineapple
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons table salt
1-1/2 cups butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
8 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups brandy or rum, divided use

Directions:
1) Place light and dark raisins in a large bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup brandy or rum and allow to steep for 8 to 24 hours before proceeding with recipe.
2) Grease bottom and sides of 3 loaf pans. Cut heavy brown paper into strips to line pans with a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Generously grease paper strips. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
3) Add lemon and orange peel, red and green cherries, pineapple, pecans, walnuts and crystallized ginger to raisins, tossing to combine.
4) In a separate bowl, sift flour together with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add flour mixture to fruit and nuts and toss until all fruit is lightly coated.
5) Cream butter until light. Add sugar and beat until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until blended. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup brandy or rum. Mixture will appear curdled but continue on.
6) Add butter-egg mixture to floured fruit, stirring until completely mixed. Batter will be very stiff and you may have to use your hands to assure mixture is properly combined.
7) Turn batter into prepared pans and bake for 3-1/2 to 4 hours, or until cakes are a deep golden brown. Remove pans to a wire rack for cooling. When cakes are lukewarm, slowly pour 1/2 cup brandy over tops allowing it to absorbed as it is poured. Carefully remove cakes from pans and cool completely before wrapping with brandy or rum soaked cheesecloth and plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator or pantry. Pantry storage will require air-tight tins. Allow to sit for 4 to 6 weeks before serving. Yield: 3 loaf cakes.

This post is being linked to How Sweet the Sound - Pink Saturday

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                                     Two Years Ago Today:

               Pecan Streusel Coffeecake                                                   Baked Indian Pudding     
           

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

        Pasta with Broccoli Pesto and Peas                           Cranberry Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce

Merry Christmas

 Painting by Caspar David Friedrich                                                                   Silent Night Cello Solo - YoYo Ma


A very Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you. I hope the holiday season fills your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter. Hugs and Christmas blessings...Mary

Gløgg

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our annual holiday party is over and this year the theme was loosely based on Christmas in Scandinavia. Everything turned out well and I think we came pretty close to the meal that might grace a Norse holiday table. We had ham, pate, meatballs, West Coast salad, gravlax, and Jansen's temptation. Unfortunately, I couldn't get herring in the quantity I needed, so we had no herring on the table. We did have desserts aplenty and I even made Limpa bread for the occasion. There was also gløgg and aquavit for those who spirits needed lifting and Swedish egg coffee for the rest of us. Now that order has been restored, I'm going to treat myself to a cup of  gløgg. It has been raining for most of the day and some mulled wine would really hit the spot tonight. Gløgg is very easy to make and I wanted to share this recipe with those of you who might want to try it. If you do imbibe, don't forget the traditional toast. Skål! Here's how this version of mulled wine is made. God Jul!

Gløgg/Mulled Wine...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of A Healthy Journey

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 (750-milliliter) bottles dry red wine
1 cup raisins
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup honey or maple syrup

Directions:
1) In a large sauce pan, bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
2) Strain boiled mixture into a large bowl. Discard leftover spices and return liquid to mixture to sauce pan.
3) Add in wine, raisins and sweetener and and slowly reheat mixture. Do not let it boil unless you want wine to evaporate.
4) Serve hot with a spoon of chopped almonds and raisins. Garnish with a cinnamon stick! Yield: 18 (1/2-cup) servings.

One Year Ago Today: The Other Tom and Jerry

Two Years Ago Today: Mussels Fra Diavola

Three Years Ago Today: Caramel Corn

Double Ginger Snaps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It somehow all gets done, and while I had my doubts this year, the house sparkles and the decorations, save for a small glitch with the color of poinsettias that were delivered, are everything what I wanted them to be. Christmas has come to this Oregon hillside. We've even had a bit of snow and for the last two mornings, the ridge line that fronts our home has been a pristine white. Oregon snow, at least at our elevation is a rare and short lived event, so it is especially nice to have it fall at Christmas time. The baking for our Sunday brunch is done and the breads and cookies I'll be serving are in the freezer waiting for the big thaw. The savories will involve a last minute push, but I'm up to that now that I can see all else is done. I'm actually looking forward to my own party. As I surveyed my kingdom tonight, I realized only one thing kept the moment from being perfect. The house needed cinnamon and ginger to balance the fragrance of the fir that was permeating the rooms on its first floor. The double ginger snaps I'm featuring tonight come from a recipe developed for Williams-Sonoma. They are next to no work to make, so I decided to bake a batch. While I combined wet and dry ingredients, the Silver Fox chopped ginger and our combined effort put cookies in the oven in less than 20 minutes. We were like kids waiting for them to cool. Simplicity has become important to me as I grow older and I love easy recipes that produce delicious result. This is one of those recipes. It makes a chewy, fragrant holiday cookie that I think you'll enjoy. My only caution regards the amount of time it takes to bake them. Time in the original recipe was grossly understated and my cookies needed almost 20 minutes to bake. These are wonderful with milk or a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I do hope you'll try the recipe. The cookies are easy to make and they are a wonderful old-world addition to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how they are made.

Double Ginger Snaps ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coarse sugar crystals

Directions:
1) Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2) Sift flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir oil, brown sugar and molasses until they are well blended. Add whole egg and beat to combine. Stir in flour mixture
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the oil, brown sugar and molasses until well blended. Add the whole egg and stir until blended. Fold in flour mixture, then stir in crystallized ginger.
4) Beat egg white in a small bowl. Spread sugar crystals in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls with dampened hands. Brush each ball lightly with egg white and roll in sugar to coat lightly.
5) Place cookies 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until tops of cookies are set and crackled, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove cookies from pans and place on wire rack until completely cool. The cookies will firm as they cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Figgy Pudding

Two Years Ago Today:  Fresh Fettuccini with Corn Pesto

Three Years Ago Today: Linzer Cookies

Anise Biscotti

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are delivering Christmas baskets to the neighbors this afternoon. I've just made a last minute addition to them because they weren't quite full enough to achieve the look I was aiming for. I decided to use these anise flavored biscotti as a filler because, while they are delicious, they are also very easy to make. As it happens, they're also one of my favorite cookies and I liked the thought of holding a few of them back for my own consumption. They are wonderful with a cup of coffee and it is a near perfect treat for those of us who don't like our desserts to be too sweet. The cookies have a mild licorice flavor that is a perfect way to end a meal. I have one caution to share with those of you who plan to give this recipe a try. The dough is very soft and I've found it best to form the logs on prepared cookie sheets rather than attempt a transfer from the counter to the pan. You'll also want to form long, narrow logs because this is a dough that spreads and will encroach, amoeba-like, on its neighbor if given half a chance. I do hope you will try this recipe. This biscotti would be a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how they are made.

Anise Biscotti...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Carroll Pellegrinelli at about.com

Ingredients:
3-1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon anise extract
2 teaspoons ground aniseed
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted, hand-crushed

Directions:
1) Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) Mix flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk.
3) Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in anise extract and ground seeds.
4) Gradually add flour mixture until well combined. Hand stir in almonds.
5) Divide dough in half. Shape into two logs, about 12-inches long, and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pans to wire racks for cooling. Let pans sit until biscotti are completely cool, about 25 minutes. Slice logs diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices.
6) Discard parchment paper, and place log slices, cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn and bake for 8 minutes longer, or until just beginning to color. Biscotti can be made 1 week before you plan to serve them if they are stored in an airtight container. Yield: 2 dozen biscotti.

One Year Ago Today: Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

Two Years Ago Today: Miso Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Warm Apple Pudding with Hot Caramel Sauce

Swedish Dream Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Swedish cookie tray, gleaned from my childhood memories, was a testament to logistics so efficient that it put army campaigns to shame. Like many women of Swedish heritage, Mrs. P began her Christmas countdown the day following Thanksgiving. The keepers, speculaas, lebkuchen and florentines, were the first batches to be baked and for days thereafter, additional cookies were added to her holiday assortment.The goal was to have at least 15 varieties to serve to guest throughout the Christmas season. Anything less than that was not acceptable and identified the hostess as a member of an inferior Nordic tribe. I never asked which tribe that might be and that's probably a very good thing given the geographic diversity of my readers. I suspect you've had most of the cookies that appeared on her holiday trays, but there is one that I haven't seen since those early days in Chicago. It's called a Drommar, or Swedish Dream Cookie. There are several versions of Drommar on the internet, but they are gussied up versions of the traditional cookie which should be made with ammonium carbonate or baker's ammonia. It can be purchased here. Ammonium carbonate is a classic leavener that was used years ago to make extra crisp cookies. It gives a "fluffiness" of texture that baking powder can't and its leavening power is activated by heat rather than moisture. It has a strong, almost repellent, smell, but the odor dissipates as the cookies bake, and, while the raw cookie dough is unpleasant, you'll find the finished dream cookies are delicious and will literally melt in your mouth. This is an easy cookie to make and I highly recommend it to those of you who would like to add something new to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how classic Drommar are made.

Swedish Dream Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Very Swedish weblog

Ingredients:
1-1/2 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 cup white suggar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon powdered ammonium carbonate

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2) Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat, using paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. With mixer still running, add canola oil in a slow,steady stream, beating to incorporate.
3) Place flour and ammonium carbonate in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add to creamed mixture, mixing just until a smooth dough forms. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes, or until it can be shaped and rolled.
4) Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of cookies crack and crater and are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool cookies on pans for 5 minutes, before transferring to wire racks to complete cooling. Yield: 36 cookies.

Note: Do not open the oven until cookies are done!

One Year Ago Today: Miniature Peppers Stuffed with Sausage

Two Years Ago Today: Holiday Coffee Cake and Muffin Round-Up

Three years Ago Today: Pink Peppermint Patties

Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The cardamom in these lovely tea cookies convinced me they could fairly be included in the series of recipes I'm highlighting to celebrate the feast of St. Lucia. While the cookie is not a Scandinavian heirloom, it reflects Scandinavian sensibilities and would fit right in with the other confections found on a Swedish holiday table. These sugar cookies have crisp brown edges and soft chewy centers and the combination makes a perfect treat to serve with coffee or tea. I made a couple of small changes to the original recipe which can be found here. I used more cardamom and less orange zest than the developer suggested. I didn't want the oil in the orange zest to completely overwhelm the taste of cardamom, so I altered the recipe to personal taste. My changes are highlighted in red below. I also used freshly ground cardamom because I had the pods on hand for my holiday baking. This is a lovely, not too sweet, sugar cookie. It has the added advantage of being very easy to make, but because the dough must be chilled twice before it can be baked, additional time must be factored into your baking plan. I think those of you who try the recipe will be very pleased with the results. Here's how the cookies are made.

Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of drbabs and Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 1-1/4 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom)
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 yolk of large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one medium orange (I used 1 teaspoon orange zest)

Directions:
1) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom and set aside.
2) In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar together till just combined, about 30 seconds. Add egg and egg yolk; mix lightly  to combine. Mix in vanilla extract and orange zest.
3) Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing just until combined, about 30-45 seconds. Chill dough until it can be shaped, about 30 minutes.
4) Scoop dough with a tablespoon and roll into balls. Place evenly on cookie sheets and flatten slightly with back of a spatula. (If dough is still very soft, it may be easier to do this after dough is chilled.)
5) Place cookie sheets in refrigerator and chill dough for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you're baking one sheet at a time, place oven rack in center of oven. If you want to bake two sheets at one time, place racks so that oven is divided into thirds. Bake for 5 minutes. Reverse cookie sheets front to back (and switch shelves if you're using 2 shelves). Bake for 5-7 more minutes until cookies are brown on edges and still soft in the center. Place cookie sheet(s) on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cookies with spatula and place them on wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 30 cookies.

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