More Cookies and Ever Closer to the Holiday

I am really late with cookie making this year, but I am valiantly working on them, amidst other holiday food prep. I made my Cranberry Orange Relish, at my sister-in-law's request, to bring to her house Christmas Day. I made some Sugared Pecans and will be making some Cheese Twists also to take. They have a big dinner at noon, and then spend the afternoon with the whole family opening gifts, and then set out snack-type things in the evening. Those last two things are my contribution to that latter portion of the day.
 

Thumbprint Cookies

I know everyone is exceedingly busy at this point in time, but yesterday afternoon I made Thumbprint Cookies. Instead of my thumb to make the hole in the center, I used the pestle from my marble mortar and pestle set. The smaller end was the perfect size to make a nice, neat little well in the dough. The size was perfect for the glaceed cherries I set into them before baking. 

I have the dough made and chilled to make my Rolled Butter Cookies tomorrow as well as a new recipe I am calling Almond Meringue Tarts. I was absolutely positive i had almond flour in my freezer, but cannot find it, so back to the store tomorrow, briefly for that. I am making my husband's favorite Cherry Bon Bons also. Since Christmas Eve is all little snack/appetizer type foods at our house, I also have various standard recipes I will make, plus a couple of new ones. I am making my Green Pea, Feta and Mint Spread, Bean and Cheese Dip, and Bacon-Wrapped Dates, as well as a new recipe i am creating for a hot Artichoke Dip. Those things along with cheese slices, salami, grapes and crackers will be our feast for the evening.
 

Thumbprint Cookies

This blog is being done hurriedly, so I will get right to the recipe:

Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 40 to 45

1 cup butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon Boyajian Lemon Oil or slightly more of lemon extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
about 45 glaceed cherries

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and the extract and lemon oil. Add the flour and salt and combine gently, to form a dough. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.  

Make balls of the dough, press in a deep well, insert a cherry and set on cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 350. Form the dough into small balls as shown. Use thumb or other implement to make a deep well in the ball of dough. Insert a glaceed cherry and set on an ungreased cookie sheet. Set the cookies about 1½ inches apart. While the dough has no leavening, they do inflate and spread just a little. Bake the cookies for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are set and beginning to color at the edges.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Green Peas and Pomegranate Arils

I mentioned the other day that I made a green pea appetizer spread. Oh man, it is so good. I baked a new batch of No-Knead bread just for that. The recipe came from Michael Symon, on The Chew, but I changed it a bit. The ingredients are there, but the amounts are different. As with most recipes, you try something and add a little of this or that. Whatever tastes good. This is the recipe as I made it. It's naturally gluten-free, too.

Green Pea, Feta and Mint Spread

Green Pea, Feta and Mint Spread

1 cup frozen sweet green peas, thawed
3/4 cup feta cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more, as needed
salt and pepper

Thaw the peas under running water. Place them in a food processor with all ingredients except the salt and pepper. Process until well mixed, but still a little chunky. Check to see if salt is needed; the feta cheese might be salty. I put in 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt without tasting and it was too salty, so check first. Add in pepper as desired and process briefly to combine.

Okay, that said, I didn't have any lemons in the house. I usually keep limes rather than lemons, but I didn't even have any limes. What I used was Boyajian Lemon Oil, about 3 drops, cause that stuff is really strong. Do not try using lemon extract or flavoring or it will be awful. This lemon oil, for anyone who has not tried it, is pure oil of the fruit and looks, smells and tastes just like concentrated essence of the zest of the fruit. Three drops was good. I might have been able to use 4 drops, but I stopped while ahead. Next time I will use real lemon zest because I think it will make a spectacular spread just that much better.

Pomegranate Arils

This morning I decided to open up a pomegranate I had gotten a few days ago. I had it on the counter so I would remember and use it. Today was the day. I have liked pomegranate arils in past, but they were a little distractingly crunchy. I don't know if this pomegranate was more ripe, but these were sweet and only minimally crunchy. They were downright delicious. I got all the little arils out. There were two whole cups of them. That was one large pomegranate.

Supremed Grapefruit and Pomegranate Arils for breakfast

By the way, in case you didn't know, those little things are not seeds. Arils are a covering for the seed of some fruits. The aril itself is attached in some way to the plant and the seed is inside the aril covering. Mace is an aril to the nutmeg. The cotton fibers are the aril to the cotton seed.

So there I stood, tasting how sweet those little arils were and thinking I had planned to have a grapefruit for breakfast. I decided to have both. I supremed the grapefruit segments and put some pomegranate arils on top. It was, I believe, one of the prettiest breakfasts I have had.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.