A Sparkly Bite Of Shortbread

 One of the best holiday cookies is a square or round of shortbread.Yet this recipe and other recipes need care and thought for you to create the perfect sweet.Once done the end result is a take on the classic Scottish cookie with some new zings added. This creates a fun holiday bite that can be made all year round. 

Regular contributor and pro baker Genevieve Ko gave the shortbread recipe and good advice in a keeper article in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. She gives a holiday shortbread recipe .not only rich with butter but orange zest to give it a bright tarty flavor. The icing has lemon in it as opposed to the usual cloyingly sweet flavor.. Chef Ko decorates her cookies with pale green and pale lavender icing however red and green can be used for the season. Both can be easily made however it does pay to prep and bake properly to ensure a perfectly formed, well baked cookie and silky icing. The very first and most important step is gathering a tools. If there's no stand mixer to blend the ingredients into a manageable dough then use a hand mixer. It may be even be better since women have been hand mixing shortbread for centuries and have always produced the perfect cookie.A wine or glass bottle can sub n for a rolling pin if this isn't available. No cookie cutters? Since into squares. Reusable plastic bags make great icing bags for creating designs on the shortbread.

Chef Ko also  offers other good gems for advice. She has advice for the three major ingredients.Butter for the cookies should always be left out to soften it. However too soft butter can give the cookies a greasy feel and it can spread too thin and bubble on top.The butter is ready when a finger is pressed into the surface and there 's an indentation.Leave the sticks out at room temperature.. What about the sugars used? White granulated sugar not only provides sweetness but also provides air pockets in the butter when the two are beaten together. The powdered sugar gives them a melt in your mouth crumble. Only a small amount of powdered sugar is used in Chef's Ko's recipe to maintain structure for decorating. Then there's the seasoning.Salt needs to be added, whether in the butter or granules does heavy lofting as does the vanilla. As for the orange zest, only grate the outermost layer of peel to avoid any bitterness from the pith.There are also other tips such as don;t over work the dough, bake it as long or short as liked for a golden orbrown top. She also recommends making the icing as thick as possible to ensure it doesn't;t drip off the shortbread's surface as well as how not t make a mess. Gradually tint the icing using only gel dyes.

The perfect shortbread can be had.It's just a question of using the right ingredients correctly. These ensure the perfect cookies, buttery and perfect in the mouth

The Best Brown Bag

 This has always been a conundrum for those brown baggers?What to bring for lunch and what makes for a good lunch.It;s nit a sandwich or leftovers. Its a one of a kind taste sensation.

Regular contributor and recipe developer Ali Slagle wrote about this for yesterday;'s New York Times Food section.Brown bagging it has always been a hit or miss for over a hundred years. Anyone can bring in cold cuts on their favorite bread slathered with either ketchup, mustard or mayo. This  idea is good until Wednesday when you crave something else. There are last night's meal but leftovers that you just ate sixteen hours before can be boring. What's to do> Ms Slahle recommends a variety of ideas. One idea is cooking up a big batch of something , preferably on a Saturday or Sunday when there;s time to cook.,Just make sure it doesn't;t get dull or soggy during a few days in the fridge.Pack lunches into servings right before you leave for work.Try to put food in Pyrex glass containers which work the best for this kind of lunch. The Times Wirecutter section recommends these or Glasslock's eighteen piece set. Each has a lock that prevents any kind of leakage Vary the meal by trying different veggie or spice combos

Keep in mind that lunch is the midday treat. Get excited about it.Think about what gets you going about takeout orders. Bring that same drive to a homemade lunch. It could be a slab of creamy salty feta cheese or a pickle.It could be a cup of guacamole or a chewy udon noodle. Add some salame slices or cut fruit for color and flavor.(also a good idea is to bring extra of these for that or three PM hunger attack).If you don;t want to use the company microwave then bring foods that don;t need to be heated up. Cooked chicken tender are good at room temperature. as is thinly sliced steak.Keep these in the office fridge if the ambient temperature is too warm. You can use leftovers in creating your lunch but do it in a way that they don't resemble last night's dinner. Try rice bowls with the previous night's roast chicken or fish. Think quinoa with whatever roasted veggies are around. Top with sauces and seeds.Also think homemade protein rich dips like hummus and cottage cheese. An avocado dip is both filling and delicious.

Brown bag lunch to a whole new level. Get creative. Go for grain based bowls or fun flavor combos. Make lunch the best part of the work day!