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“Fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge… yum!”
A day later, of course, my daughter’s stomach hurt like anything. How do you decide what treats to make at the holidays? To be honest, I’m not really a huge sweets eater. I’d much rather have something savory. So every year it seems like I try to find an alternative to the standard cookies and fudge. And then… end up still making the cookies and fudge. This year I infused olive oil with basil and put it in a pretty bottle with slices of bread to go with it. Lovely, but too much work to do en masse. So, after delivering three of these, I was back to baking. To simplify I made pretty little puff pastry palmiers (photo above) to go along with my fudge. Recipe (courtesy of Sunset Magazine, Dec 2008): - 1/2 C packed light brown sugar - 1 sheet (8.6 oz.) frozen puff pastry - 2 tsp ground cardamom dough, thawed according to package instructions 1. Combine sugar and spices (note- you can be creative here... add orange zest, or chopped candied fruit, or crushed candy cane with some chocolate nibs). Unfold dough flat on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with half the sugar mixture. 2. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll (once) the mixture into the puff pastry, being careful not to reshape the dough. (Note: this is more messy than it sounds, but don't worry, it still turns out well.) Flip the dough over and repeat with backside. 3. Beginning with side closest to you, fold in by 1 in increments to the center of the rectangle. Repeat with other end, then fold the two over as if closing a book (say, for example, my new PRINT version of Betting Jessica:>). Wrap airtight and chill at least 1 hr. 4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Using a sharp (not serrated) knife, slice dough into 1/2 in slices. Line baking sheet with parchment and bake until doubled in size and golden, about 8-10 min. Let cool (if you can stand the wait... don't burn your tongue if you can't.) They are so easy that my daughter could help and I could whip them out the day ahead of time. Plus… as I mention in the recipe, you can add whatever you like to the sugar, so I made a variety. Aside from the cardamom, I also made cinnamon and then added chocolate nibs (the cocoa bean that has been roasted and crushed. Yummy and crunchy.) The problem came when I tried to make my chocolate banana muffins. I’m still not sure what went wrong, whether it was converting it to a bread size, or mixing up an ingredient, but the end result was a dense loaf that could have been used as a paperweight. I briefly considered this, but after tasting it, realized the flavor was still good. My great idea struck the next day when I noticed a dipped biscotti at Starbucks. After a second bake, and a good dunk in white chocolate, viola! The bread was now an Italian biscuit. But for real inspiration I would suggest referring to a new friend and amazing cookbook author, Francine Segan. I myself would have made something from her cookbook Dolci but my husband wouldn’t let me open the package, very clearly marked from her, until Christmas morning. That shouldn’t stop you however. Here’s a link to the book. And if you are looking for some motivation, be sure to sign up for my newsletter (link) which will direct you to her recipe for Cenci… a lightly fried, sugared, dough rolled thin using a pasta machine, and has a delicious picture to tempt you. Hope you enjoy every moment of your holiday baking. And when life gives you paperweights, make biscotti! What are your favorite holiday recipes? Care to share any simple ones? I’ll be sure to tweet them out with a link to your site or your comment. And, don’t forget that every comment left on one of my blogs this month enters you to win $10 to the non-political charity of your choice. So leave your comment and then check back at the end of the month to see if you have won.
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“I guarantee you, when you are 25 you’ll be looking back on this and saying, “what was I thinking?’”
Or…. The poor high school student, whose mother was off pouting about something she had said hours ago and whose father had been haranguing her for the entire hour we were in line to see Santa, might be surrounded by her four close friends, preparing for Christmas in her own little apartment, thinking, ‘Wow! I never knew Christmas could feel like this.’ I have noticed that Christmas is a time when adults turn to children again. Sometimes this is a good thing, like when we are excited by the decorations or lick the spoon from the fudge (something I did last night. :>) But sometimes it is a regression into behaviors more suited to a six year old, like fixating on an ideal of what we wanted to happen, rather than enjoying the moment we are actually living. As each silent tear fell from this young adult’s eyes I prayed that Santa would be able to bring some Christmas cheer back into her life. I wished that she could have her own, personal moment with Santa, like the sacrament of reconciliation at my Catholic church, to know that even in the dark moments of her life when she feels most alone and hopeless, she is loved and cherished. I’m not sure what ended up happening. The family followed us in, still frowning and angry at one another, the daughter still with bright eyes. But I was busy, enraptured in the moment of joy between my daughter and Santa, solid in my knowledge that someday, 25 years from now or longer, we would all have our own, private and lovely, memory of this visit to Santa. What are your favorite memories of Christmas? Was it a time of peace or strife in your family? I love to hear from my readers, so leave me a comment. All comments entered onto any of my blogs during the month of December will enter you in a drawing to win $10 to the non-political charity of your choice. Check back at the end of the month to see if you won. Happy Holidays! Deanne |
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