Orange Cardamom Cookies

I’m back!  I just spent a very fantastic week in Mexico, near Playa del Carmen.  I got some sun, ate tons of food, and enjoyed a margarita or two.  My husband and I went with my parents and younger brother, and I am not happy to be back in the cold weather.  But at least we didn’t arrive home to snow, like much of the rest of the East Coast.  I haven’t gone through pictures yet, but I will be sure to share some once I do.

Now on to a recipe.  This one was sent to me by my sister-in-law, who found it in Bon Appetit.  She always has ambitious ideas about baking, but has a 2-year-old to intervene on those plans.  So I was totally surprised and impressed when she not only shared the recipe, but shared cookies with us.  And they were totally delicious.

I am not a huge fan of roll out cookies, as they can be time-consuming and sometimes not worth it.  But these have such a lovely, delicate flavor, from both the cardamom and orange.  I need to find some more recipes that use cardamom, because I spent an arm and a leg on that jar of spices.

Some friends and I got together to make these one night, so the rolling out was much more fun.  The dough is a little strong if you eat it raw, but the flavors mellow out once they are baked.  I’m thinking of trying to roll the dough into a log and then just cut the cookies off, much like when I make gingersnaps (which I have yet to share with you all).  Either way, they’re totally delicious and I highly recommend them.

Orange Cardamom Cookies

Source: Bon Appetit

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
raw sugar

Whisk flour, cardamom, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in finely grated orange peel and vanilla. Add egg; beat to blend. Add 1/3 of flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Add remaining flour in 2 additions, beating on low speed just until blended. Refrigerate until firm enough to shape, about 1 hour.

Divide dough in half. Form each half into ball. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm enough to roll out, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD Dough can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let chilled dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll out, about 15 minutes.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to generous 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using festive cookie cutters. Carefully transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Gather dough scraps into ball. Flatten, cover, and freeze dough until firm enough to roll out again, about 10 minutes.

Bake cookies until light golden brown, about 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking for even cooking. Carefully slide parchment paper with cookies onto racks to cool completely. Let baking sheets cool completely, then repeat process with remaining dough, lining sheets with fresh parchment between batches. DO AHEAD Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies in airtight containers at room temperature.

Link Love

I have some recipes in the pipeline (not to mention an upcoming vacation to the tropics), but I wanted to share some of my favorite things on the internet right now.

Alejandra of Always Order Dessert, had two posts recently on food waste, and how to cut back on it.  The first one was her tips on reducing food waste, and the second post was a collaboration of readers comments.  Check out #4, from yours truly!

Grace of A Southern Grace is a girl after my own heart.  She is a southerner who is now a Yankee (and sometimes I wish I was a Yankee who lives in the South), and she knows her comfort food.  I’m in love with anything that has a ham hock involved, and her black eyed peas are no exception.  Edit: She is a southerner who lives in the land of Yankees, but is not actually a Yankee herself.

Adele over at Tales of the Basil Queen is a fellow Bostonian, although she is quite obviously much smarter than I, being a law student and all.  But even law students wake up to no heat in their apartment in winter (been there, done that) and also know the importance of a hearty baked pasta to get you through those Boston winters.

The fabulous Miss Neira is another local, and a fabulously stylish fashion student.  Check her out, she has great giveaways and tips to look your best without breaking the bank!

My girl Gabby is out on the West Coast, and not only is she fabulous, but she’s living my dream of going to culinary school.  She has the best outlook on life, is always getting into fun situations, and apparently has the best BFF ever.

Easy Cinnamon Buns

I happen to be a large fan of cinnamon buns.  We would always have them on Christmas day.  When I was a freshman in college I would grab a cinnamon bun and one of those sickeningly sweet starbucks bottled coffee drinks every Tuesday morning before sitting through art history.  I don’t know how I didn’t gain a million pounds in college.

I was planning to make cinnamon buns for Christmas  and bring them to my in laws house, but I was using my tried and true, but long recipe.  You have to make the dough overnight, and then assemble and bake, and I just ran out of steam right before Christmas.  I did make the dough, but never did anything with it.

We ended up having a New Years Day brunch, and I had found a different recipe for cinnamon buns at Delicious Meliscious, and joy of joys, they only took a few hours!  They also made 12 delicious, fluffy, cinnamon buns.  Definitely a winner in our book, and I plan to keep making this recipe.

I made them a day ahead of time (up through the second rise) and then popped them in the fridge.  I took them out at least an hour before baking, and then baked them as instructed.  They came out great, and someday I hope to make them all in one sitting.  I also didn’t make cream cheese frosting for them (B refuses to eat cream cheese frosting) so I did a regular confectioner’s sugar and milk icing.

I even had to break out a ruler to make sure my rectangle was large enough, and I still ended up with the small, odd-shaped ends.  It doesn’t matter what they look like, they’re still delicious and perfect for breakfast or with tea.

Cinnamon Buns

Dough

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (I used active dry)

Filling

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing

2 cups confectioner’s sugar
milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve yeast in warm milk (this didn’t really dissolve much, but it still worked) and then add eggs, butter, salt, and sugar. Add flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour (or you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook). Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix together confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a creamy icing.  After rolls have come out of the oven, pour icing over the rolls and serve warm.

Mac and Cheese

As you might realize from the above picture, I recently learned that cropping is a good thing.  I always knew it, but never really applied it to my blog.  I digress.

I can’t believe that I have yet to share this recipe with you.  Homemade mac and cheese was something that I started making my sophomore year of college, when I had my first apartment.  It was something that my mom would make all the time, and now I know why.  It’s fairly easy, inexpensive (all you really need are a block of cheese and pasta, usually you have milk, butter, and flour in your pantry), and makes for good leftovers.

In recent years I have experimented with it a bit, trying different cheeses, adding things.  My mom would sometimes put ham steak into it, which I like, but my new favorite is also peas.  Sometimes just regular mac and cheese, sometimes just peas, and if you’re feeling really sassy, BOTH peas and ham steak.

I know that sometimes you might think I’m putting on a front about being a picky eater (ever see any seafood on here?  I didn’t think so), but according to my mom, when I was younger I refused to eat this unless it was yellow.  So she made it with velveeta.  And let me just tell you, velveeta is not cheese.  It’s rarely found with the cheese, because it requires no refrigeration.  Let that one sink in for a minute.  Yes, I will admit that I used to use the stuff on my grilled cheese, but I have since moved on, and love to make them with Muenster cheese, as it melts brilliantly.

Anyway, this is a favorite of both B and I, and who knows, it could be yours too.

Mac and Cheese

3 tb. unsalted butter
3 tb. flour
3 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
various cheeses (cheddar, jack, mozzarella, fontina, whatever you have in your fridge)
bread crumbs
1 lb. cooked pasta (I use wheat pasta)
optional: frozen peas and/or cubed ham steak

Boil your water and cook your pasta according to directions while you are making the cheese sauce.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, whisk in flour and incorporate completely.  Let cook for about a minute.  Add in milk, salt and pepper, and whisk constantly, until sauce comes to a bubble and thickens.  This could take 10-15 minutes.  Don’t rush it and turn the heat up to high, keep over a medium heat.

Once sauce bubbles, congratulations, you have made a bechamel sauce!

Now is when you start adding in cheese.  I don’t ever use a set amount of cheese, I just start dicing and tossing into my sauce.  I also will use shredded cheeses leftover from other meals.  You can basically raid your fridge of any cheese you happen to have, it will not make this mac and cheese bad.  Melt the cheese in the sauce, and taste to see if there is enough cheese flavor to your liking.  If not, add more.  Also season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once cheese has melted, add in frozen peas and cubed ham steak, if using.  Again, put in as much or as little as you like.  I like peas a lot, so I probably add in 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

Mix together with pasta, adding pasta in batches to make sure there is a good ratio of sauce to pasta (you don’t want there to be too little sauce).  Pour into a 9×9 (or 8×8) baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 for about 15  minutes, until breadcrumbs are crispy and brown.

Another year, already?

P.S. I didn't go to BU, my husband did, and now I'm an enormous fan of their hockey team.

I know, I know.  Everyone and their mother is posting about the new year.  And guess what?  So am I!

I’m not usually so reflective on New Year’s Eve, generally I’m grumbling about our lack of “exciting” plans.  Since we rang in 2009 with a bang (that ended in a 2 day hangover in bed), this year we’re starting out with a nice quiet New Year’s.  We might go see some first night things, we might not.  I have half a mind to make a really nice dinner and sip champagne on the couch with the husband.  We’ll see what the weather does.

And for our first thing in 2010, well we’ll be having a brunch with the husband’s family.  I’ve seen so many posts about New Year’s brunches that I thought it was a fabulous idea.  Why do all your drinking on New Year’s Eve when you can do it the next day?  Mimosas and bloody mary’s anyone?

While for some 2009 wasn’t a great year, it had its ups and downs for me.  I am thankful that we still both have jobs, as I know many others were not so fortunate.  We were also lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the market and buy our first condo together.  We took some trips, some good, some eh.  I tried new things, including new dishes, as well as hiking.  Who would have thought?  My grandfather passed away suddenly.  Work was a challenge, with my boss leaving and we didn’t hire anyone else.

I don’t really know what 2010 will bring, and I’m OK with that.  I am not one to make resolutions, I would say I don’t believe in them, but that’s not quite right, as I know they exist.  There are things I would like to accomplish, but I don’t want to try to force myself to do them when I am expected to.  Like finish my quilt.  Or find a new job.  Try new recipes, and change my blog design.  When it happens, it will happen.

One thing I do know is that yesterday my horoscope said that next year could be my best ever.  Does that mean it’s all downhill from there?  I know I’m not going out to party like it’s 2010 tonight, but in a month I’ll be in Mexico with my family (so long as I don’t get snowed in here), and what better way to start a new year!

I hope you all have a great New Year!