Lime Meltaways and Shameless Self-Promotion

Drinks and dessert may not be the most common pairing one thinks of. Sure, there’s the classic wine and chocolate pairings, but in a time of sweltering heat and suffocating humidity, who can even fathom having a sip, let alone a glass, of dessert wine? It simply wouldn’t do. It’s the time of year for refreshment and relief from the overheated outdoors—decadent desserts are so last December.

But there is a way to work dessert into this uncomfortable weather. The answer is citrus. Light, sour, only slightly sweet, lemon and lime desserts are the way to go this time of year if you want to satisfy a sweet craving without feeling weighted down and overly-indulgent. And while these desserts may still not be the greatest for maintaining a swimsuit body, they do feel slightly less sinful than fudge, saltwater taffy, apple pie a la mode, ice cream, and the other desserts of summer.

My specific suggestion for summer soirees is the key lime meltaway. These delightful cookies are small, have a sour kick to them, and seem to melt away before you can even take the faintest bite. They are all you want when seeking something sweet in the middle of a hot day, and nothing more (by that I mean not more than your sweet tooth can take).

Lime Meltaways

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 50 itty-bitty cookies

13 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

zest of 2 1/2 limes

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1/3 cup of the sugar until they are fluffy. Add the zest, juice, and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until light and fluffy.

Use parchment paper to roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch diameter logs. Put in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.

Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the parchment paper from the logs and cut the dough into 1/4 think inch segments. Place cookies on baking sheet, one inch apart.

Bakes cookies for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then place in a ziplock bag with the remaining sugar to coat. Remove from bag and allow to continue cooling.

Pair with gin and tonics, Coronas, or any other alcoholic what-have-you of summer.

P.S. On another (hypocritical) note, I will soon be competing in the Ice Cream Takedown at the Bell House. Buy your tickets and buy them fast—these sell-out in no time! Fifteen dollars gets you tastes of 30 different ice creams, and the opportunity to vote for moi. And if you have any suggestions for ice cream flavors, comment away!

We’re Jamming…Jamming, Jamming, Jamming

To think that jamming was a thing of the past. We’re jamming, and I hope this jam is gonna last.

Forgive the long blogging hiatus, and embrace my blog, my jam, and the Bob Marley references. I promise it is worth it, for this jam falls into that most beloved category of recipes: incredibly low effort for a long-lasting* high return. (I asterisk long-lasting because though this recipes yields a plentiful 3 pints, they will only last so long as you are able to resist sneaking into the jars for “just one more spoonful” in perpetuity. I know I can’t help myself.)

I returned from vacation to the first signs of fruit ripe for the canning. And though I’ve been wanting to get my hands into the spring bounty since I got back two weeks ago, I’ve been held back by a lingering vacation attitude. I needed to find a recipe that was so simple, that I had no excuse not to make it. And I’m glad that I happened upon this one, for with only 4 ingredients, it has reaffirmed for me that sometimes the best things in life are the simplest.

Like a mother’s love. Okay, so that may not be simple, but this jam is such a winning combination of sweetness, tartness, and crunch, that anybody (including any mother) is bound to appreciate it. I’ll be sharing this recipe with my mom and some other special ladies this Mother’s Day weekend, and I hope you’ll consider doing the same.

Raspberry Jam

Adapted from Food In Jars

Makes about 3 pints

7 cups crushed raspberries (about 2 1/2 dry quarts)

4 cups sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 3 oz. package liquid pectin

If you are preserving your jam, prepare 3 pint jars in a boiling water bath.

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and stir frequently until the mixture forms thick bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and pectin and let the mixture return to a boil. Once the mixture returns to a boil, let it boil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it has thickened.

Pour the jam into the jars, leaving an inch of headspace. If you are canning, process the jars for 10 minutes. Voila! I told you it was easy.

Enjoy and keep posted for more jamming/canning posts, because I’ll be jamming ’till the jam is through.

Kolaches, Sweet and Savory

In a little more than 24 hours, I’ll be taking off on a transatlantic journey to London and Istanbul. And while I won’t be able to share the fish and chips, bread pudding, meze, and kebaps that I’ll be feasting with you, I will leave you with a particularly fun and rewarding recipe to try out while I’m gone.

Have you figured out what these delightful-looking pastries are yet? That’s right, they’re kolaches! Okay, so maybe you’ve never heard of these before. And to be honest, I had never heard of them until a little over a year ago. But if you are a native of Texas or the Czech Republic, you are probably amongst the fortunate few who have been sampling these hearty and delicious pastries since childhood. I envy you.

 

I first happened upon these pastries in Dallas, but you need go no further than your kitchen to enjoy these highly malleable treats. The dough is springy and a delight to work with, and goes well with both savory and sweet recipes. Below I’ve included recipes for both sweet kolaches (with apricot) and savory kolaches (with sausage and jalapeno). The dough is the same for both, so if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, I suggest you use half the dough for each recipe and make both all at once! Or you can double the dough. At least, that’s what I did. Call it making up for lost time, growing up kolache-less.

Kolaches

Adapted from Homesick Texan

Makes about 18 kolaches

For the dough:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm whole milk (do not boil)

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

For the filling (sweet):

1/2 pound dried apricots

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

zest of 1 lemon

For the crumbles (sweet):

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

For the filling (savory):

4 cooked, thin sausages, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch segments

2 jalapenos, chopped and seeded

For the dough, combine the yeast, warm milk, sugar, and 1 cup of the flour in a large bowl. Cover with a washcloth and let rise until it has double in size, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Combine the eggs, 1/2 cup of the melted butter, and the salt in a bowl and beat. Add this mixture to the yeast mixture and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. You have added enough flour when it is soft and moist, but not overly sticky. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, adding more flour if/when necessary.

Grease a bowl and place the kneaded dough in the bowl, and cover until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Punch down the dough.

Pull off pieces that are about the size of an egg, and flatten into discs that are about 3 inches in diameter. Brush pieces with melted butter, place on a baking sheet, and cover and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.

FOR SWEET:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the sweet apricot filling, place the apricots in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for at least 4 hours, until fruit rehydrates. Drain the fruit, place in a large saucepan, and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, until fruit is very tender. Add the cinnamon and lemon zest, and mash with a potato masher until the apricots have been pureed.

For the sweet crumbles, combine all ingredients using a pie cutter or fork.

Once the three inch pieces of dough have risen, make indentations in the middle of the dough with your thumb. Fill with apricot filling and sprinkle with sweet curmbles. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The kolaches are ready when they are slightly golden brown. When they are ready, remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

FOR SAVORY:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once pieces of dough have risen, wrap each piece around a piece of sausage and a few bits of chopped jalapeno. Make sure to seal the dough well, not leaving and holes. Bake for 12 to 15 mintues. The kolaches are ready when they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. Serve with mustard or ketchup, or enjoy plain!

Pistachio Spiced Lamb Chops with Raita

With the recent Passover and Easter holidays, amid thoughts of chocolate eggs, jelly beans, matzo, and more traditional Polish Easter fare (cold cuts, sausages, a variety of cold salads), I found myself most often thinking about some spicy, pistachio-crusted lamb chops that I recently made. I had a hard time figuring out why—though the dish was delicious, the price of the chops meant it wasn’t a great option for a large feast—and eventually determined that this must have been because of the oft referenced Paschal Lamb.

I did a quick Wikipedia search on the Paschal Lamb, and I’ll spare you the somewhat gruesome reference. The mind, it goes to strange places. Suffice it to say, these lamb chops are so delicious, they’re thought-provoking, and no firstborns were slain in the making of this meal.

I actually made these lamb chops for a birthday dinner, and I’ll let the bones, which were left sucked dry and meatless, serve as evidence of the meal’s raging success. Stick to the suggested times for cooking the meat, and you can’t go wrong. I had never made lamb before, and spent most of my time cooking worried that this meal would be a complete flop, but the searing and baking method served me well. If you have any small, special occasions coming up, may I suggest you make these and bask in the site of your guests working hard to get at every last piece of this meal. It does great thing for the ego.

Pistachio Lamb Chops and Raita

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Pistachio Spiced Lamb Chops:

1/2 cup shelled pistachios, unsalted

1 teaspoons garam masala (you can also use chaat masala)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

6 small lamb chops (3 to 4 ounces each)

salt and pepper, for seasoning

olive oil, for cooking

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the pistachios and spices in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground and combined.

Salt and pepper the lamb chops generously, and let them sit for 15 minutes before cooking. Pour a generous layer of olive oil on a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb chops for 2 minutes per side on the pan. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the heat.

Dip the lamb chops in the pistachio mixture, coating all sides. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Raita:

1 cup plain yogurt (don’t use reduced fat!)

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced

1/3 cup English cucumber, minced (other varieties of cucumber will do as well)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients. Voila!

Serve the lamb chops with the raita. Enjoy the spicy and cool combination!

On Dealing with Crappy Winter Weather: Key Lime Pie

If I had known that it would be snowing in mid-March in New York, I may have stayed in Minnesota. Then at least I could be frolicking in some beautiful mountains of white fluff, rather than getting whipped by a wintry mix that is equal parts rain and stinging ice, and forms nothing but mush once it hits the ground. If I have to turn to the kitchen to defeat my weather misery once more this year, I may very well end up working through all my summer recipes and already be into pumpkin, apples, and all other things fall by the time spring gets here. Yes, I know that is in less than a week.

Punxsutawney Phil be damned, I am working up a storm trying to will warmer climes to New York. And what better way than with a super easy to make, citrusy, and spicy dessert that’ll have your face puckering and your hands reaching for a second slice? The lime filling is reminiscent of a drink you may have once drank at a swim-up bar somewhere in the Caribbean, while the warm spices of the gingersnap cookie crust are firmly grounded in this wintry season. Even though I thought I had had my fill of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and all other winter spices by now, their contrast with the key lime filling made me almost sad to think that their season is soon to be over (please, God, please). Key word: almost.

And for any leftover limes you end up with, may I suggest a stiff rum-based drink to help the pie with chasing away the latest bout of wintry mix?

Key Lime Pie

Adapted from A Year of Pies

Makes one pie

For the crust:

12 ounces gingersnap cookies

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

2 1/2 tablespoons lime zest

3 egg yolks, beaten

14 ounce can condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, pulse the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until they are reduced to fine crumbs. In a bowl, mix the crumbs and the melted butter until well-incorporated. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. Place the crumbs into the pan, and firmly press them into the bottom of the pan and halfway up the sides of the pan.

Bake the pie for 10 minutes and then let cool completely before filling.

For the filling, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Pour the filling in the pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool. This pie can be covered and stored in the fridge.

Garnish with fresh limes and some gingersnap cookies, and enjoy your respite from the winter blues.