One of my favorite treats to have during the holidays is one that I can
enjoy with a hot cup of tea. These traditional Scottish shortbread
finger biscuits are one of those favorites of mine. I come back to the
same recipe year after year, but this time I decided to try something
new. Going on a tip from a Scottish woman to use a portion of rice
flour for a more tender cookie, I instead decided to use garbanzo bean
flour.
I've been meaning to use garbanzo bean flour ever since I
purchased a package some time ago. I had intended to use it for making
Besan Ladoo, an Indian sweet made from gram flour, which is their name
for garbanzo bean or chick pea flour. I haven't had the chance to make
that sweet yet, but I took the opportunity to use the flour for the
first time. It turned out to be a very good idea. I achieved a much
more tender cookie than what I've made in the past. And to gild the
lily a bit, I dipped a third of each finger in melted semisweet
chocolate and then sprinkled it with chopped pistachios. I must say
they turned out great.
Holiday Goodies
Holiday Goodies
Skeleton Seance Soup
My sister thinks I’m a great cook. She thinks my chocolate chip cookies
are perfect, my panini-grilled sandwiches are divine and my omelets,
the best she’s ever had. My sister also thinks Kraft Macaroni and
Cheese is a gourmet delicacy.
New Year's Resolutions
Here we go again.
This is where Magical Thinking meets Enlightened Acceptance.
Here are some examples of Magical Thinking:
1.) I’m going to lose 15 lbs. this year.
2.) I’m going to eat right this year (less sweets and fat).
3.) I’m going to walk the dogs more often.
4.) I’m going to read more rather than play Jewel Quest on the computer.
5.) I’m going to re-do the garage/kid’s room/my office, without spending any money.
6.) I’m finally going to read that material about learning to do books on tape for extra money.
7.) I’m going to plan meals more so that everyone in the house isn’t grazing the whole day, including me.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
These have to be one of the quintessential Christmas cookies. They are known by many names but Mexican Wedding Cookie seems to be the most common.
There are several variations of this cookie in many countries – Biscochitos in Mexico (always made with lard), Kourabiedes in Greece, Polvorones in Italy and Spain making them a universal holiday cookie treat. It’s important to use the highest quality butter when making these melt-in-your-mouth morsels.
Mexican Wedding Cookie
2 cups whole pecans or walnuts
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened (preferably Plugra)
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups confectioners' sugar for rolling cooled cookies
San Francisco Rum Balls
Whenever my sister-in-law comes to visit, she tries to sneak in rum balls. There's a deli near Union Square that sells them and it must be sending out a homing signal. A rum ball beacon. It doesn't matter what we're doing or where we are, it's only a matter of time before she says "who wants to go get rum balls!" It's not really a question so much as a rallying cry.
So this holiday season I decided to make them. Not having eaten very many of them makes it hard to know if I have duplicated the version my sister-in-law likes so much. Lee says they are actually better than the deli version. All the recipes I could find are fairly similar. You can use rum or bourbon, cocoa or chocolate, walnuts or pecans and vanilla wafers, chocolate wafers or graham crackers. The crucial element in the beloved rum balls seems to be that they are covered in chocolate sprinkles (or jimmies as they are sometimes known). Making them stick presented a problem but not an insurmountable one.
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