The Versatile Shortbread Recipe

 One cookie is a Christmas baking must - shortbread,This Scottish classic is a tasty nibble, full of buttery goodness. What makes it even better is that the recipe is versatile. Yiu can add other ingredients to make it different and even savory. it's an amazing recipe in any home baker's arsenal.

Regular contributor , food stylist and chef Yewande Komolafe wrote about this delcious bite in today's new York Times Food section. She gives the basic recipe and six variations incluiding the hot recipe this season, the savory shortbread. This article is a keeper and perfect for those holiday parties and cookie exchanges. The basic remedy is a blend of two cups of unsalted butter which gives the dough its' rich flavor and deep golden color along with five cups of flour, two cups of sugar , two large egg yolks and two teaspons of kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal. You can double or triple the recipe if you want to make three of the recipes. The first one is a fancy but simple one. It's taking the crumbled shortbread dough and rolling it into logs.each log surface is brush with egg white and then rolled into colored sugar spread out on a sheet of parchment paper. They're then sliced and baked at 350 degrees Farenheit for twenty two minutes. This is a good way of using red and green for a festive, fancy cookie.A different spin is spiced chocolate marbled shortbread. This is a yummy mix of the two flavors enhanced with ginger and citrus zest.

Shortbread can also be the base of bars and rounds. Chef Komolafe has a great recipe for strawberry jam bars with cardamom. This is taking the shortbread dough and first adding cardamon to it. The dough is sep

arated.One half will be pressed into a cookie pan while the other is refrigerated. Any kind of fruit jam  like strawberry or raspberry is layered on to it . It's then topped off lemon zest  chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts or pistacchios. The reserved dough is crumblred on top of this and it's then baked for thirty five minutes. It's then cooled for half an hour and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Another yummy treat peppermint patty shortbreads. This is using the recipe as a base and topping it off with mounds of homemade marshmallow and homemade chocolate ganache. Crushed pepper mint candy decorates it.It's a labor intensive recipe with the mounds resembling that cookie classic Pinwheels, but so worth it. An easier recipe is the shortbread combined with salted caramel and peanut butter. The unicorn in all of this is the savory shortbread.Chives, black pepper and cheddar are added and the dough is cut into strips..They're bent and then baked. Imagine these topped with egg salad or devilled ham.

Shortbread is the most versatile of all the cookie doughs. Try it in it's classic style, savory or mixed with other ingredients. All are delicious.

Themed Christmases Part Two

Yesterday the holiday cuisines of Britain , Australia and Jamaica were explored for a themed Christmas dinner. Now it's time to get other ideas for a holiday meal, complete with after dinner treats. They're tasty and fun, perfect for celebrating. 

One of the most delicious palates is the French. True French cuisine derives from Catherine de Medici's  Northern Italian influence on her husband's Henri II's  court. Canapes, small slices of toasts or puffed patry are topped with such Gallic treats as charcuterie slices and dabs of Brie and Gruyere. Escargot in a garlicky butter sauce and foie gras follow howevr if these are too much then think of a comforting chestnut soup. This is a mix of pureed , boiled chestnuts , whole cream and vegetable stock, spiced with a bay leaf. The main course varies according to region. The Perogord region in central France prefer a roast duck while most of the country love a good roast ham. France is known for one of the most famous Christmas desserts - Bpouche de Noel or Christmas log. This is a delicous marriage of flourless chocolate cake or sponge to a chocolate whipped cream topping. Make it more foresty with marzipan mushrooms and a trail of cranberries on the plate. Greek Christmas tradtions are steeped in centuries of tradition. You could easily make their braised lamb shanks with a tangy feta and anchovy laced salad. The Greek Christmas cookie kourambiethes are sheer heaven in every bite.These are buttery balls liberally dusted with powdered sugar.

If you want a "meat" themed holiday dinner then think Argentina. The best beef in the world comes from this interesting South American country. enjoy a good grilled slab of beef wtih chimichurri or salsa verde. They also have a heavy Piedmontese influence (Pope Francis is one such Argentinian with roots near San Maurizio Canovese). The meal is a Piedmontese classic with veal in a tuna and anchovy sauce. It's called viteela al tonno and it would even make a great New Year's day dinner. enjoy it with a gplass of anana fizz, a heady mix of cider or sparkling wine  and pinrapple juice. This comes bottled but you can make your own version with pineapple juice , and sprakling wine. Finish with a pan dulce or panetone, This is great end to a dinner and a good evening snack too. Now you cn get it with chocolate chips for an even tastier bite.Another warm weather country with a Christmas bounty is Nigeria. You could start off with beef or a roast chicken served with a tasty side of jollof rice. Make your version with tomato and curry with cooked long grain rice. Ginger, green peppers and onions are also added for a flavorful mix.Dessert is a coconut patty made with flaked coconut and powdered sugar.

A themed Christmas dinner is a fun trip around the world. Have one country or mix it up with two or three. The end result will be a tasty and memorable meal.

Themed Christmases Part One

Are you dreading a boring Christmas dinner? Then think beyond the usual fare. Have a themed holidsy dinner with different foods from around the world. It's a fun chamge up that's even more exciting than those Christmas gifts.

Most people would choose an English style holiday meal thanks to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The 1843 ghost and redemption story hints at a great feast of turkey and steamed pudding and it can easily be replicated here. In fact their holiday meal was probably the basic for our Thanksgiving. Along with the bird there is stuffing, gravy , brussels srpouts and cranberry sauce. You could give it a Northern English falvro by subbing in Yorkshire pudding a savory whole pan popover for the stuffing. You could also serve a great joint of roast beef too instead of the turkey. The steamed pudding which is actually a cake is really the star of the whole meal. This dessert is really a steamed cake made with the usual batter ingredients of eggs, flour milk and sugar along with vanilla for flavoring. It;s poured in a large parchment paper line bowl which itself is placed into a sauce pan halfway filled with water. It's then steamed for two hours , Afterwards its' inverted upside down and is covered with brandy and a sprig of holly.The pudding is set afire and served flaming to the table. Custard or ice cream is usually served with it.

Another idea  and this depends where you are is the Australian Christmas barbecue. The Aussies go wild with the grill  since the holiday falls at the beigninng of summer Down Under. It's bring out the burgers and dogs along with chicken kebobs and shrimp. Cold oysters are another treat if you want to be authentic. They also make a potato gratin or scalloped potatoes,This dish is good even with any kind of Christmas main course. It's layering sliced potatoes with butter, cheese and cream and topping it off with crunchy bread crumbs or even crushed potato chips. WHat to finish off a big summer meal ? A fruit trifle is a popular choice.It's layers of any kind of fruit, gelatin or custard and fresh whipped cream. If you're really ambitious try the Pavlova, named for the early Twentieth Century Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.  This layered cake of meringue, again fresh whipped and usually strawberries is a light and airy showstopper. Another warm weather Christmas meal is a Jamaican one. The main course is ham while the sides are a fun baked mac and cheese along with a fresh salad. Dessert is a yummy sweet potato pudding which is the crustless version of the pie.

These are just the beginning of an iinternational Christmas. Pick one and run with it. You can have fun with a traditional meal or a summery barbecue. Go wild. It's Christmas.

Cookies Cookies Everywhere!

 This is the time of year that home chefs start looking at cookie and treat recipes . There are so many? what to choose. Do you go with a variation of one recipe?Or go across the board with a wide array of different ones.

That's the dilemma I'm facing right now. My plan is gifting family and friends with tins of homemade treats. The question is what to put in them.I  am planning on baking two or three sugar free versions of such classics as shortbread and brownies for diabetic friends. Baking such is going to require sugar substitutes like Splenda which I'm not happy with using. I'd rather go for the all natural Stevia and I have  been looking into recipes for cookies requiring it.From there  its on to the traditional ones. I know I want to make the rolled out sugar cookie ones that require royal icing. As for the royal icing, the traditonal recipe calls for egg white as the binder however I'll be using chickpea brine or aquafaba for that. Of course I'd like to make regular shortbread.It's a Scottish holiday tradition where the family initials are fork printed into the dough. Am I going to dip some of the shortbread triangles in chocolate to create my family's classic devil ears (so named by my Mom noticing how our cats' ears flattened and turned into "devil ears " when they hissed at each other). Yes! Shortbread and dark chocolate are the perfect couple so that recipe is a go! Another idea I've been flirting with is savory shortbread. I love this idea of taking the sugar out and putting in  Parmesan and rosemary for flavor. These would be great topped  with a dab of tapanade or cold cuts.

Other cookie ideas that are tempting to try are homemade Oreos.I'm looking at the recipe and thinking it coulbe an easy bake and bake. The filling is a no brainer.It's a vanilla butter cream. The idea of adding a pinch of espresso powder  to it for a different spin sounds good too. Of course my cookie tins will have chocolate chip cookies Again I may change it up by using dark chocolate M&M's instead of the usual chips. This gives the cookies a festive holiday look. Will I try a big chunky chip too? It would be different and there are some friends who love a cookie that's more candy than dough .Oatmeal cookies are always a welcome treat in any cookie tin. I plan on using my Mom's Fannie Farmer Cookbook recipe for lacy oatmeal cookies. They were one of my childhood favorites with the cookies having  a crisp, delicate edge and a warm buttery flavor. Another recipe which I want to try is a moon or whoopie pie. This is more of a cake than a cookie with a dense marshmallow buttercream filling. I think it's a fun change up from the traditional and it would be a different way to end Christmas dinner.

There are cookie recipes everywhere. The question is which to try  -what's in your comfort zone? Pick three or four and stick with them, The result will be a tasty array of holiday treats,

Simple Lunches

 Lunch is often t he meal t hat's overlooked,especially if you're working from home. It's either a smoothie or a cup of yogurt and a drink of some sort to wash it down. Yet' that's not a meal.  A simple lunch can get you through the afternoon.It's a tasty mid day break that's both filling and tasty.

Cold days deserve a hot meal. A simple lunch is an easy canned soup. Gardein and Campbell's Well Yes are perfect for this. Gardfein's has a variety of plant based ones along with chili for a satisfying good for you middday meal. Their  version of Italian wedding soup is just as flavorful as Progresso's which is made wirh beef meatballs and chicken broth. The company also has a really good gumbo too along with beef and chik'n ones that are also loaded with veggies rice or noodles Well yes is going in this vegan vein too. They introduced their version of plant based chicken noodle and rice soups. A true plus about Well Yes is that  they have indiviual  microwavable cups of  soup. This is perfect if you're eating by yourself . For those who want classic then think about Campbell's tomato soup. or chicken noodle Both make for  a fun lunch . especially with a big stack of Saltines. A homemade soup is easy too. Heat smaller sized pasta like orzo or pastina in any kind of broth. Within half an hour there's a delicious hot meal that's soothing and filling.

An easily made hot sandwich is always a good lunch. You couldgo with a simple grilled cheese or the fancier Croque Monsieur. white bread is used but you can also go with whole wheat or even brioche bread. This is buttered liberally on one side. You could use mayo as many home chefs swear by this. as for the cheese most go for the good old fashioned American but if you want some zing then use a sharp, zingy Vermont cheddar.It's then frying it ona griddle or fryer for a few minutes on both sides. For a lusher lunch try the French bistro classic the croque monsieur. This is a yummy  amped up version of grilled cheese complete with an easy Bechamel sauce. Don''t be fooled by the name. The sauce is an easy cook on the stove top, using milk butter and flour. Dijon  mustard and nut meg are added at the end and whisked in. (Keep in mind that the sauce can be made in advance and also the extra is good over any kind of veggie). It's slathered on toasted white bread followed by a layer of ham and shredded Gruyere cheese.  The sandwich is then cooked for about five minutes in a 425 Farenheit degree oven. You can make an air fryer version of this and add the bechamel sauce later.

An easy lunch is easy to make. A hot soup or sandwich fills the bill. They make for a rewarding mid day meal.

Can Fruitcake Ever Be Updated?

 No one really bakes fruitcake for the holidays. It seems relagated to christmasses pasts along with bubble lights and silvery strands of  tinsel. Suppose, though this centuries old classic could be updated. would people want a slice? Yes.

Regular contributor and author of several dessert books, Claire Saffitz posed this question in yesterday's new York Times Food section.fruitcake has been much maligned over the decades with the former late night host Johhny Carson once joking that there was only one fruitcake in existence  that made the rounds  from family to family. everybody in the States grew up on the English version, which has a spicy , molassses flavor and a rich , tender crumbs thanks to a long aging process.It's basted or "fed" with high proof alcohol and then tightly wrapped for weeks or even months. Homemade and commercially baked ones are studded withh those unnaturally colored red and green  glaceed cherries . Sugared pecans usually formed the roof of this creation, Creating a cake of this way was a way of preserving both fruit and cake in  times when there was no refrigeration. The cakes were also coated in jam and then sealed with royal icing  which also helped with keeping it for months and even years.

Luckily Ms. Saffitz's version skips all that. what she presents is a cake batter that has almond paste in it. Adding this will help with keeping the fruitcake moist for one to two weeks. There is no added liquid , keeping the proportions of sugar and fat high, fostering an environment in which bacteria can't survive.As a bonus the longer the fruitcake sits the better taste it will have. Her fruit selection is wide, Yes, there are cherries but they're dried deep red cherries, not the glaceed kind. There are also dried apricots, cranberries, prunes and currents. They're combined in rum and freshly squeezed orange  and then the mixture is tightly covered in a boel. It's  left to sit out until all the liquid is absorbed. The batter has the aded zing of fresh lemon and orange zest instead of the candied one which is hard to find in the States. There are the usual spices  of ginger all spice and cloves. The finished cake is basted in apricot jam and then an icing made of confectioners sugar,milk, lemon juice and salt is poured on top of it.

Is it time to rethink fruitcake? Yes! This recipe proves that the holiday classic doens't have to be stodgy. It can be zesty and exciting too.

California Cooking Southern Style

Many think that California cuisine is heavily inflienced by Mecican and Asian cuine yet there is another influence - the African American one. Fueled by thirty years of Great Migration, this is a cuisine with Southern roots and Golden State ingredients. It's finally being acknowledged in a cookbook by a California chef.

Food writer and podcaster of  A Hungry Society  Korsha Wilson wrote about this and chef Tanya Holland in today's New York Times Food section. Chef Holland is the author of a new book highlighting California soul food.Tanya Holland's California Soul : Recipes from a California Journey West (Ten Speed Press 2022)> She has written other cookbooks and also hosted a TV cooking show "Tanya's Kitchen Table." Yet it is her restaurant Brown Sugar Kitchen that made her famous. Hers is a fusion of her parents Louisiana and  Virginian roots with California grown and native ingredients. Hery chunky apple, sliced Granny Smith apples caramelized in a cast iron skillet.  recipe was parially inspired by her grandmother back in Virgnia, she also baked rolls with sweet potato  along with cooking apple cider braised pork chops and gumbo z'herbes with crab and prawns. This type of fusion cooking came about from the Great Migration between  1940 to 1970 when African americans left Lousiana and Texas and settled in Oakland and Los Angeles. The brought their recipes with them and subbed in Dungeneess crab for blue  and used rice grown in the Sacramanto Valley for Lousiaina classics like jambalaya and dirty rice. Santa Maria style barbecue blended with Texas  smokehouse tradition.

Chef Holland's background is an impressive mix. She was born in Connect cut and raised in Rochester , new York.  She trained in Burgundy, france at the Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne after graduating from the University of Virginia. She worked at a series of French style restuarants in the US but was routinely denied the opportunity to learn new skills and mive up through the ranks. she had to create her own opportunities. she moved the San Francisco Bay area whre she opened Brown Sugar Kitchen. she sourced local bakers and farmers to stock her eatery.  She has left there and now works with the James Beard foundation to make its' award more inclusive. Three of her recipes are included in the article. There is her gumbo that is loaded with Dungeness crab and shrimp, spiced with file and thyme.It also has potatoes , onion and - a California influence coconut milk in it. Then there are her sweet potato rolls which take a new spin on a classic bread recipe. Her date bars are a nod to one of California 's most popular fruits, dates. She makes a paste of them and uses it as the filling for rich brown sugar and butter rich cookie .

California soul cooking is an important part of the state's culinary history.It is a fusion of traditional recipes and native ingredients. It's a perfect marriage that creates delicious dishes.