Holiday Cooking

I make a serious rum cake, and I know to stand well back when opening the oven door. But today, I forgot. I still have my eyebrows. But I'll pay a visit to Supercuts, to get all the singed hair trimmed away.

I sit at my desk and occasionally stop and say, "What is that charred smell?"

Holiday Cooking

My Kitchen Aid is getting a workout as I fill the counters with rum cakes, bourbon balls, and cookies. I love to bake, and although I've reached an age when one cookie has to be enough (well, one cookie a day), I still have to fill the urge. So the goodies become gifts to friends and kids, which is just plain, simple fun.

Of course, my friends are doing the same thing, so I still end up with a decent supply of forbidden goods. I'm the master of freezing and eating a small amount at a time.

I'm planning a winter solstice feast for the 21st - just my husband and me. If the goddess will be merciful, it won't be a Spare the Air Day, so we can have a fire. Wouldn't it be sad if our overpopulation and pollution prevents us from celebrating the lengthening of days with firelight? If it does, I'll light a few candles and be content.

But the feast: I'm making Nicole Spiridakis' Mushroom and Spinach Galette, which recipe you will find here, on NPR. Nicole's version sounds wonderful, but I'm following her Mom's advice and adding Gruyere cheese to mine.

I will also cook up a kale salad: just saute some shallots and minced jalapeno in olive oil, add torn kale leaves and toss until the leaves wilt. Add a little salt and you've got a bright green and slightly spicy addition to the meal.

I think the galette calls for a Zinfandel or maybe even a Cab.

Dessert will be Viennese Crescents, a cookie from my childhood that I simply adore. Nicole has that recipe on her blog, but I'll add it here, too. These are perfect representations of the crescent moon.

Viennese Crescents

1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup ground (unblanched) almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla
Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 300 F. Cream the butter and then add the sugar, flour, almonds, and vanilla. Mix well.

Shape with fingers in crescents about 3 inches by 1 inch and 1/2 inch thick. Roll in confectioner’s sugar.

Place on cookie sheets. Bake 35 minutes. Cool. Roll in sugar again.

They store best in an airtight container with an inch or so of confectioner's sugar in the bottom.

Makes 36.

Yes - my friends will find some of these in their gift baskets, too.

Baking Days

Today, I made scones.

Oat scones. With whole wheat flour, of course.

Oh my goodness, they were good.

I used the recipe from my new "Cheeseboard Colllective Works", that fabulous cookbook from Cheeseboard Collective with actual recipes for their amazing scones and pizzas.

The scones I made today were for a client. I may have to make some for me.

I also got to make two loaves of Rosemary-Olive Bread.

Most clients must watch they eat, and they don't ask for baked goods. I can't eat them much, either.

So it's a real treat to have a client who wants this stuff.