Jolly Holiday Squares

note: marshmallow layer is much thinner than pictured

adapted from Over Cocktails blog

via Karen Lonergan

makes 24 squares

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 bag butterscotch chips

½ cup smooth peanut butter

3 teaspoon canola oil

1½ cups mini marshmallows

Melt everything but the marshmallows in a cast iron pan over low heat. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, a regular sauté pan will work. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper. Pour half the melted mixture into the pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Pour other half over and, using a spatula, smooth the top surface to make even. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and deliver these delicious little morsels to your favorite friends and teachers.

Don't double the recipe. If you want to do more than one batch, do them side-by-side.

Sicilian White Cookies (Pastine Bianche)

Photo by Katy Lonergan

adapted from Over Cocktails blog

via Carol Hutchinson

makes 24 cookies

For the cookies:

2½ cups flour

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoon baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon anise extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

¼ cup milk

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup milk

White nonpareils (round sprinkles)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour and baking powder in a small bowl. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and extracts. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add about ⅓ of flour and mix on low speed. Gradually add milk and remaining flour, mixing just until blended. Mixture should stiffen but still be a bit sticky. Dust hands with flour and roll dough into 1” balls and place 2” apart on cookie sheets.

To make glaze, whisk all ingredients until thick yet fluid, adjusting milk accordingly.

Bake cookies until light golden brown on bottom, about 10 min; tops will be white, dry, soft and springy. Slide parchment onto racks. Immediately dip top half of each cookie into glaze. Allow excess to drip back into bowl. Set cookie, icing side up, back on parchment and immediately sprinkle with nonpareils while icing is wet. YOU MUST WORK QUICKLY! Allow to cool and dry completely.

These cookies are as delicious as they are beautiful and not too sweet: the perfect tea cookie.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with Greek Yogurt and Jam

Photo by Katy Lonergan

adapted from The New York Times, April 27, 2012

via Anne Halsted

serves 6

1⅓ cups Greek yogurt, more for serving

⅔ cup whole milk

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, more for frying

2 tablespoons honey

260 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)

12 grams baking soda (about 2 teaspoons)

12 grams Kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon)

2½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Jam, for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, eggs, butter, and honey. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and fold in the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the poppy seeds and lemon zest.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a pat of butter to the skillet and swirl to coat. Working in batches, drop ¼ cup batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes; flip and continue cooking until golden and firm, 1 to 2 minutes more. To serve, slather each pancake with a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of jam.

My Tender French Toast

invention with frozen sliced bread
by Katherine Koelsch Kriken

serving size adjustable to need

sliced frozen cinnamon bread or frozen sliced bread
2 beaten eggs per each 4 bread slices
dollop non-fat vanilla yogurt
few drops Grand Marnier and/or vanilla to taste
salt to taste
butter for sautéing

Whip whole eggs and mix with yogurt. Season mixture with pinch salt, drops of Grand Marnier and/or vanilla. Pour egg mix into flat pie pan or platter. Bathe sliced frozen bread in egg mixture for a few minutes until well-coated but not thawed. Heat fry or sauté pan to medium-low. Add butter to frying/sauté pan. When bubbling, add egg-soaked bread. Keep pan temperature moderate to low. Sauté each side until golden. Frozen fruit may be added before flipping uncooked side. If any egg mixture remains, add to pan just before removing from sauté.

Discovered frozen bread makes tender French toast. Frozen fruit added to pan at end adds refreshing zest. Greenlee Cinnamon Sliced Bread is my choice. My family has tested French toast recipes from beginning of time. By accident, I think this is the best one.

Parsley, Kale and Berry Smoothie

Photo by Romulo Yanes

from Bon Appetit.com

via Katy Lonergan

serves 2

½ cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)

4 kale leaves (center ribs removed)

1 cup frozen organic berries (such as strawberries or raspberries)

1 banana (cut into pieces)

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

Purée ingredients with 1 cup of water in a blender until smooth (add water if too thick).

If kale is not readily available, fresh spinach is a good substitute. This is full of healthy micronutrients and, for a healthy smoothie, tastes pretty darn good.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta

Photo by Katy Lonergan

adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2011 

via Anne Halsted

serves 4 to 8

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded, finely chopped

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup coarsely crumbled feta

8 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425° F. Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapenos; cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add chickpeas, paprika and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Add crushed tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta evenly over sauce.

Crack eggs one at a time over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are barely but not quite set but yolks are still runny, 5 to 8 minutes. Garnish with parsley and cilantro.

This makes a nice, easy breakfast for a crowd. Some would serve it with pita bread, but I prefer toast!

Unbelievable Banana Bread

from Williams Sonoma’s Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook 

via Kate Gambs Knickerbocker

makes 2 loaves

1½ cups walnuts 

2¼ cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

¾ cup vegetable oil 

2¼ cups sugar 

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

1½ teaspoons baking soda 

½ cup buttermilk 

2 cups very ripe bananas (about 5 small or 3 large bananas), mashed

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° F.

Put the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until aromatic and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. After 6 to 8 minutes, shake the pan and rotate if necessary to sure even browning. When broken in half, the interior of the walnuts should be golden. Let cool, then roughly chop the walnuts or break into pieces by hand. Keep oven set to 350° F.

Spray two 9x3-inch loaf pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine the oil and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use a hand mixer. Beat on low speed, until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk in a small bowl. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the mixer, followed by half of the buttermilk, and mix on low speed until barely combined, 10-15 seconds. Repeat. Scrape down the sides and mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Add the mashed bananas and walnuts and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pans and let cool on the racks for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Unbelievable indeed!