It was a sad day . . .

Aside from the fact that I have been unable to rotate this photo, I was also unable to properly make the cookies that we equate with the Christmas season!!!

I have been making viennese cookies every year around Christmas for at least 10 years. At least 10. You can see them from a post a year ago. I found the recipe in a little novelty Cookie cook book I received as a gift years ago.

These cookies are always a hit. They are the one cookie I get asked for.

This year though, this year I had malfunction after malfunction with my equipment. My piping bags blew out, the nozzle blew out of the bag, you name it. I felt like I had never worked with a pastry bag before. Finally, I put the cookie dough in the fridge and drove all the way over to a supply store and bought new bags, new nozzles, new ends to screw the nozzles on, everything I could think of.

I came home triumphant. I washed all my new gear, pulled the dough out of the fridge and let it sit, so it would be the right consistency. When the consistency was perfect, I put the dough into the brand new bag fitted with a brand new nozzle, and . . . and . . . and . . .

nothing.

The dough would not come out!

So, defeated, I rolled the dough like a log and sliced rounds and baked them, then filled them with the espresso flavored filling that adds to the delightfulness.

Note to future self: They are not the same!!!! The joy of these cookies is the delicate crunch in the mouth. Persevere - you can do it. Don't give in to the temptation to roll and slice. It will only end in disappointment!!!

Dear future self - I know you can do it. I have faith in you!!!

Molasses Cookies with a rum glaze

This is an America's Test Kitchen recipe that I remembered, but couldn't find.

I had to jump through hoops and cross mountain ranges to finally get the recipe I had lost.

This time a saved an actual printout of the recipe, so, take that ATK.

Why do you have to make everything so difficult and secret?

Molasses Spice Cookies

'cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2-cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1'teaspoons ground cinnamon

1'teaspoons ground ginger

'teaspoon ground cloves

-teaspoon ground allspice

-teaspoon pepper

-teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1' sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/3cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

---

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

'cup light or dark molasses

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread ' cup sugar into a shallow dish for rolling.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt together.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.

Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the molasses until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds (the dough will be soft).

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls with wet hands, then roll in the sugar to coat.

Lay the ball on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating each baking sheet halfway through baking. (The cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.)

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Dark Rum Glaze

With dark rum glaze: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar with 3 tablespoons dark rum until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and let set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Queen of Sheba Cake

I read about this cake that inspired Julia Child. It may be the first cake she

tasted in France. I was dying to try it.

Christmas is the perfect occasion, right?

I invited some friends over for dinner on Christmas eve eve.

I made a simple fish stew, and that was nice with the cheddar biscuits and a salad.

It was all really an excuse for me to finally take on the 'Queen'.

Of course, you know it was a disappointment.

How could I have worked myself up like that and not experience a let down?

The cake is good. It really is.

However, what cake can live up to mythic standards?

Changes I made: The recipe made only one 8" round, so I doubled it and used a 9" round, and a 4 1/2"round. Next time I would ground the almonds finer. Though they looked finely ground in the processor bowl, but once baked in the cake, they seemed coarse. I had stopped grinding for fear of the almonds becoming a paste.

I also doubled the icing, which is a sort of ganache. It was mythic and epic and I'd like a bowl of it right now!

Cheddar Scallion Biscuits

Thanksgiving

I was too busy entertaining this year to take pictures. Someone else took pictures, but they are all of people.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with a nice salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, green beans, cranberry congealed salad and cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and apple blackberry pie.

Plus lots and lots of wine!

Federweisser and Zwiebelkuchen

In southern Germany in the fall, there is a delicious tradition celebrating the early wine that is sold only at this time of year in Germany. Federweisser (feather white) is a sweet, bubbly almost-wine that is served before full maturation.

The wine is traditionally served with zwiebelkuchen (onion cake). I wanted to recreate the experience here. The federweisser is not shipped because the bottles cannot be fully corked. So, the only way to experience the sweet nectar is to find a winery in the states that has adopted the tradition. In order to simulate the idea, I bought a nice light muscat and surprised my German hubby witha homemade zwiebelkuchen.

I started by sautéing 6 onions, thinly sliced. I stirred in a cup of sour cream and 4 beaten eggs. Typically, there is also bacon included in the mix. Sometimes caraway seeds are added, but I wanted the pure sweetness of the onions to shine. I made a simple pie crust and rolled it out on parchment paper.

I mounded the onion mixture on the crust and rustically folded the crust over.

I also made a simple lentil soup to accompany the lovely onion cake.

Delish!

Fall upon us

I am posting a lot of food pics at once. I sort of forgot what this meal was, but obviously see some roasted butternut squash, brown rice, greens of some sort, chick peas, and pan roasted figs, drizzled with a little honey.