Mondays with Maida - Craig Claiborne's Chocolate Macaroons

Page 239 in the old book / page 262 in the new book

I'm pretty sure these macaroons didn't turn out the way they were supposed to, though I have my doubts that they would have tasted that much better if they had. I don't think I can fault Maida on this one - the blame clearly is mine - but the phrase "consistency of soft mashed potatoes" did leave me a little uncertain. How soft is soft?

These cookies are made in (what I think is) a unique way: ground almonds, ground chocolate and sugar are combined with egg whites and then cooked on the stove until the mixture reaches the "consistency of soft mashed potatoes" which is supposed to take about five minutes. Then they are piped onto cookie sheets and baked. I was particularly worried about overcooking the mixture and Maida's warnings only increased my anxiety, "Do not let the mixture boil, and be careful that it does not burn... If the mixture [is] cooked long enough in the frying pan, these will not spread in baking. If it [is] cooked too long, the dough will be stiff and difficult to press through the pastry bag." There didn't seem to be any wiggle room - undercook and they will spread or overcook and it will be impossible to pipe them. Oh the pressure!

So I'm cooking the mixture on the stove and get to the five minute mark. The mixture is thick, but still fairly loose. I decide to go another minute. Not much different from five minutes. Ahhh! What to do, what to do. I chicken out and take it off the stove. The next step is to stir in the almond extract and then stir occasionally until the mixture cools. Once it had cooled I was pretty sure I had undercooked it and when I started to pipe it, I was certain. I considered putting the mixture back in the pan and cooking it longer, but didn't know if cooking, then cooling, then cooking the egg whites would create a new problem (does anybody know if this would have been OK to do?). So I piped the macaroons and held my breath. They spread almost immediately, but managed to hold a little shape. I put them in the oven fully expecting that they were going to spread and merge into a thin interconnected sheet of cookie dough, but miraculously they spread no further in baking. You can see in the photo, though, that the star shape was all but lost.

I think because they spread, they dried out more while baking. They were chewy, but not moist. I also thought they were bland, but it's possible a moister consistency might have enhanced the chocolate flavor. Maida certainly seems enthusiastic in the notes, "Hip hip hooray and three cheers for Craig for creating these sensational macaroons..." I think they might be worth another try.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I didn’t believe there was a chocolate cookie that I wouldn’t rate as a 5. I’ve found one. The cookie was kind of bland, not very sweet and sticky to the touch. It was a very attractive cookie, but not like any macaroon cookie I’ve every tasted before. Rating - 2.5"

Denny: "Very good. Chewy and chocolaty, but couldn't taste the almonds. I'd rate them a 4.0. Rating - 4.0"

Laura: "Chocolaty and yummy, but the cookie itself was a little "sticky". Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "This would be a favorite for chocolate lovers, but was too chocolaty for my taste. The texture was chewy, in fact, almost too chewy for a macaroon. The cherry added an appealing sweetness and color to this cookie, but I basically thought it was too heavy tasting for a macaroon. Rating - 3.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.4

Next week - Almond Macaroons

Nutrition Facts

OH NO, FIVE-O!

My name is Cathy and I'm a 50-year-old blogger. Waahhhhh!!!!! Birthdays come and go and I don't give them much thought, but this one is different. It's not the vanity thing... it's the living thing! I keep thinking, best case - I've reached the halfway mark. I remember my Dad saying many years back that time is relative and the older you get the faster it goes. Nothing could be truer and let me tell you, it sure seems as though the seasons are whipping by these days. What happened to summer? For that matter, what happened to the 2000's?

Aside from time passing too quickly, I actually like being older. I think I'm happier and more accepting of myself. I do detect an increasing impatience that's a little worrisome, but perhaps that is forgivable in light of my increasingly accelerated sense of time. In general though, life is good. Very good. I have wonderful friends and a fantastic family, good health, a comfortable place to put my head down at night, and not least of all this little blog which has brought me a sense of community and some friendships that I will treasure always.

There are certainly things I miss from my younger years, but then again I am SO much closer to retirement and the prospect of that thrills me to no end! I really can't complain about my job. People there have been good to me; I work in a place where I can feel that I'm contributing to the public good; and it has given me a comfortable life. BUT... the things I long to spend my time on are not the things I can make a living from and these days they seem to get bumped by work and general busy-ness: cooking, weaving, sewing, knitting, genealogy, etc. I will be able to do the job I wish most to excel at - being Aunt Cathy - so much better when I finally am able to step away from the more mundane work-a-day world! More time to bake cookies with Cassidy, sew with Christina, weave with Catelynn (yes, I've decided that 3-month-old Catelynn will be the next weaver in the family!), hug Tommy, and chase Brian around the house trying to plunk a kiss on his cheek.

But I shouldn't and I won't wish away the remaining working days, for at the very least there are evenings and weekends to be enjoyed: cooking in my little kitchen, catching up on hobbies, reading a good book, delving into a new weaving project, or simply enjoying the company of friends and family. There's also time to stay in touch here and I honestly look forward to that.

When I started blogging in 2004, I felt that I was an anomaly. It seemed to me at that time that every other blogger was at least 20 years younger than me. I suspect I was mistaken then and I know that's not true now - and thank goodness for that! Blogging brings all sorts of people together and the variety of ages is no less than the assortment of hometowns, ethnicities, or favorite ice cream flavors! Anyway, I have come to feel very much at home here, so I am finally ready (though still with slight trepidation) to post my picture here. Hello everyone!



I'm home from work today and since it's a weekday morning it's very quiet. A little while ago, I heard a rattling sound which was a little alarming. Leo (my cat) and I gave each other puzzled looks and then I heard it again. It was coming from this room. It turned out to be a goldfinch tapping on the window. There was a minute or so when I was able to look him right in the eye, but of course the moment I turned to grab my camera he was off. It was such an unusual and wonderful thing to happen on my birthday, that I have decided to take it has a good omen. I think the next fifty years are going to be great!

My Favorite Hand-Formed Cookies

With a come hither look that's hard to refuse, these Fudge Mallows made the Cookie Panel's top ten, but were too sweet for my taste.

Can you tell I'm running out of steam? I probably shouldn't admit that, but it's true. I think I've had enough cookies for a while, but there are only 16 to go and I can't stop now! Unfortunately, whether it's my waning enthusiasm, or that after 132 cookies I've become hypercritical, or possibly even that the cookies in this chapter weren't quite up to the standards of the earlier chapters, I was slightly underwhelmed by these hand-formed cookies. There were definitely cookies I liked, and even some I liked a lot, but in my opinion there were no WOW cookies this time around. I should hasten to add that I may be alone in my view of this group of cookies, for the cookie panel in its infinite wisdom awarded its first 5.0's to two cookies from the chapter: the Fudge Mallows and English Gingersnaps #1.

This chapter brought the most dramatic cookie disaster yet, the second cookie to get a reputation in the wilds of the blogosphere for looking like a turd (I kid you not. And I'm not telling what the first one was, it's in the witness protection program), but still and all, it was fun. Lots of fun, actually - there is something very, very satisfying about rolling dough with your hands, be it into little balls or long ropes.

So, on with the show. I hope my earlier comments don't deter you from trying some of these cookies. Even if they're missing that wow-factor, there were still some very good cookies. As usual, the runners-up are in no particular order and I've saved my very favorite cookie for last...


This is a classic, but still sooo good - delicate, buttery, and nutty Austrian Walnut Crescents.


Chewy and crunchy at the same time, with the winning flavors of brown sugar and toasted almond. I think I'm going to have to find an excuse to make these Señoritas again very soon.


Not to everyone's liking because of the sesame seeds, I thought these Italian Sesame Sticks were delicious... and habit-forming!


And finally, my favorite: Coconut Washboards. I made them with unsweetened, dessicated coconut, which I expect is what made them so crunchy (the recipe says they are semisoft cookies). Though I'm curious to try them as Maida intended (probably with sweetened, shredded coconut), I loved this crunchy version. They taste great too - it always amazes me how basic ingredients such as brown sugar, butter and vanilla can combine to produce such wonderful flavor.

One more chapter!!! I get my weekends back!!! But I'm getting ahead of myself... there are still 16 cookies to go and hopefully a few gems yet to be discovered. Please join me next Monday when I begin the mysteriously titled last chapter, "Et Cetera". And if you're just tuning in, all the cookies on this page are from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies. The book is out of print but still available as a remainder, used, or in your library. All but one of the recipes were also reprinted in the newer Maida Heatter's Cookies which also includes cookie recipes from a couple of her other books. Read about my little project here and start here if you're interested in exploring my earlier posts.

Mondays with Maida - Italian Sesame Sticks

Page 235 in the old book / page 259 in the new book

Here we have another plain but good cookie that (I think) got undeservedly low scores. I think there were quite a few people that didn't enjoy these, but on the other hand a large batch of over 70 cookies was gone by the end of the day, so someone must have liked them! I know I did. They are rich and crumbly, have flavorful crust of sesame seeds and are one of those cookies where you keep going back for another.

In the recipe notes Maida explains that the recipe comes from a trattoria in New York's Little Italy where she enjoyed them with espresso. She noted that she saw the regulars dunking them in red wine (hence my photo above which you may have been puzzling over). I tried one dunked in wine and I think it might be an interesting combination, but unfortunately the only wine I had on hand was opened long ago and long past being drinkable.

If you (like me) loved playing with Play-Doh as a kid, you are going to have a blast making these cookies. You trained your entire childhood for this! Remember rolling out long, worm-like ropes of the stuff? The instructions for this cookie have you roll out 20-inch-long ropes of dough and then cut it into shorter logs. Fun!



Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I love sesames on anything. As a matter of fact the only type of bagel I eat are sesame bagels. My first impression was that there wasn’t much to this cookie, but after the second bite, I really enjoyed the lemony taste and the sesames. The cookie was a little on the dry side. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "It had to happen. A recipe that someone should not have passed on due to mediocrity. I found these dry, seedy and not really that good. More like a not-so-crunchy breadstick. If it were a breadstick, I'd give it a 3, but with the no chocolate penalty, I'd rate it a 1.0. Rating - 1.0"

Laura: "Too many sesame seeds! Cookie underneath is tasty, but the sesame seeds ruin the cookie for me. Rating - 2.0"

Terri: "These cookies remind me of a shortbread cookie rolled in sesame seeds. Actually, they are a bit like a cracker. Mine was delicious with my morning coffee - not too sweet, but filling. Rating - 3.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 2.4

This is the last cookie in the chapter, so please join me again on Tuesday to find out which of the hand-formed cookies were my personal favorites!

Next week - Craig Claiborne's Chocolate Macaroons

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - English Gingersnaps #2

Page 234 in the old book / page 258 in the new book

This cookie is a smaller, spicier, and orange/lemon-scented (and yes - snappier!) variation of last week's English Gingersnaps #1. I loved the orange and lemon rind in these - it really brightened the flavor and made the cookies a little out of the ordinary.

The dough for these cookies has slightly less flour than the original recipe, so the dough is softer and needs a longer chilling time. After chilling, the dough is very easy to handle and shape. These gingersnaps are a more conventional size, so you get a generous 80 or so cookies per batch.

The cookie panel is a little short-handed this week. I really thought I would catch Suzanne and Denny later in the week, but a late flight delayed Suzanne's return and Denny worked from home at the end of the week, so the cookies I'd saved for them were enjoyed by someone else - me! Here's the panel (what's left of it, that is)...

Laura: "Yummy and crunchy. These cookies remind me of the wonderful gingersnaps my grandmother would make. Delish! - 4.5"

Terri: "These ginger snaps are a bit spicier with a tinge of orange taste as compared to Gingersnap #1. Also, they are not as chewy and smaller. I prefer the #1 G.S., but if you like spicier - try these. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.3

Next week - Italian Sesame Sticks

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - English Gingersnaps #1

Page 233 in the old book / page 257 in the new book

Well, I could hardly have been more surprised if Denny had deducted points for chocolate - the cookie panel (with Drucie subbing for Denny) bestowed a perfect 5.0 upon these very simple, very unchocolate gingersnaps. What made this perfect score even more befuddling was that I wasn't all that crazy about the cookies myself.

The recipe makes a relatively small number (22) of large cookies. The dough requires only a brief chilling time and the cookies are easy to make, so the entire process is not very time consuming. The dough is formed into balls which are coated in sugar before baking. The sugar coating splits open during baking forming the familiar crazed surface.

Ginger "snaps" doesn't seem quite the right name for these large semisoft cookies. They have the requisite spicy ginger flavor, but the texture is hardly a "snap". I was never a fan of gingersnaps until Nupur introduced me to Trader Joe's triple ginger snaps. I couldn't help but compare these cookies to the TJ's version. In my opinion, those yummy little TJ snaps would best these cookies hands down. It will be interesting to see how next week's cookie, a smaller, crisper version of this cookie with more ginger and some grated orange and lemon peel, will compare.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I’m usually not a big fan of ginger, but I loved this cookie. My first impression was, 'wow, what a big cookie', but after my first bite, I wanted more then one cookie. The texture was just right, soft yet had some crunch to it. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "Large, moist, chewy and delightfully gingery! These Ginger Snaps #1 are definitely a 5! Rating - 5.0"

Drucie: "These cookies were moist and chewy with a great flavor. I think that these are my favorite so far - even though they aren't chocolate! Rating - 5++" (I promised Drucie I'd include her ++)

Terri: "These are the best ginger snaps I've ever tasted! Just the right amount of ginger and spicy but sweet. Very moist and chewy texture. The sugar sprinkled on top is perfect. Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 5.0

Next week - English Gingersnaps #2

Nutrition Facts

RCI: Maharashtra - Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Mixed Vegetable Pulao and Toor Dal

I've had weeks to get this done, but wouldn't you know I'd put it off until the last possible moment? In fact, I was very close to not participating in the June Regional Cuisine of India (RCI) event, which is hosted this month by Nupur of One Hot Stove. I am glad I did finally get my entry together. First of all, because Nupur is hosting it. I feel fortunate to call Nupur my friend and she has been an inspiration to me in many ways. Nupur has been hosting a weekly series called the A to Z of Indian Vegetables which I have been following with avid interest, but it hadn't even occurred to me that I might participate. When she announced that she would be hosting the June RCI and that it would focus on Maharashtrian cuisine and she provided links to sites with Mahatashtrian recipes, it seemed to me that the time had come to jump in and join the fun.

The second reason I'm glad I didn't let this event go by without joining in is that if I hadn't participated, I might never have tried this delicious vegetable pulao. I confess that my selection criteria for a recipe for this event were less than admirable - it pretty much came down to, "what looks easy?" Oh, there was one other criterion, given that I was hours from the deadline, "what can be done in one evening?" That ruled out any recipes calling for sprouts. So, in the end I picked this Mixed Vegetable Pulao, a tasty mix of rice and vegetables scented with whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cadamom, peppercorns, and bay leaves). I used the suggested vegetables, but I expect you could vary them according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Oh no - I just realized I left out the peas! Oh well, it seems that is my modus operandi when cooking Indian - at least one ingredient is added late or left out entirely! Someday I will get the hang of this!

Anyway, back to the pulao. The only difficulty I had (aside from forgetting the peas) was that the recipe turned out to be more time-consuming than I anticipated. One step that I'd probably do ahead next time is deep-frying the cashews. In fact, if you can find unsalted roasted cashews, I would use those. Don't leave them out though - they add a pleasant contrast in texture and a sweet, nutty flavor. I was also surprised to see sugar as an ingredient. Since no amount was given in the recipe and I no experience on which to draw, I just arbitrarily added 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I assume the idea is to balance flavors and not to make the dish taste sweet, but even so I have no idea how much is appropriate. If anyone can offer any insight it would be much appreciated!

I had some toor dal alongside the pulao, which was a wonderful combination. The recipe also suggested serving the pulao with a raita, but time was short and the two dishes were all I could manage. Perhaps I'll make a raita to have with leftovers tomorrow :)

So that's my entry... thank you for hosting Nupur!

Mondays with Maida - Charlie Brown's Peanut Cookies

Page 231 in the old book / page 255 in the new book

One look at the list of ingredients and I knew this one was a contender for the "Top Ten" list: cinnamon, brown sugar, salted peanuts, peanut butter, and chocolate chips (not to mention two sticks of butter). I liked these very much, but... how do I put this... they're good in an obvious and not very subtle way. They're kids' cookies - not that there's anything wrong with that. We're all kids when it comes to cookies I suppose!

This cookie is a thumbprint cookie made from a brown sugar dough with a little cinnamon added. You roll each ball of dough in chopped, salted peanuts and then poke it with your thumb to make way for a dollop of peanut butter. Then to absolutely, positively guarantee that everyone will love them, you arrange a few chocolate chips atop each one.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I love the name of the cookie. You will never get a complaint from me when the cookie has peanut butter, peanuts, and chocolate chips. There is a certain way you need to eat these cookies since the chocolate chips are in the center and on top of the cookie. You need to eat around the chips and then put the center of the cookie with the chips in your mouth all at once. Then you get a surprise of peanut butter and chocolate chips together. Can you tell my favorite candy is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup?. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "Crunchy and very peanutty, with a dab of chocolate. Delish! Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "Wow. Awesome to look at. They actually look overloaded and they are. Almost too many peanuts, but not really. Extra crunchy and not too sweet and the crown of chocolate chips puts them over the top. Can't think of too many better except for my Mom's. Rating - 5.0"

Terri: "These are fantastic! I could eat the whole batch! A great combination of nuts, chocolate, peanut butter and chewiness. The nuts are not ground completely, so they add to the crunchiness of this great cookie. A big winner. Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.8

Next week - English Gingersnaps #1

Nutrition Facts

My Quiz Answers

1. How will you/did you spend Father's Day? Cookout, picnic, restaurant? Any special food traditions?

Our tradition of the last few years (hmmm... how old does something have to be to qualify as a tradition?) has been to play a round of miniature golf. Actually, this is my youngest brother's tradition. Originally it was just he and my dad, but now I'm invited join in the festivities along with my mom, sister-in-law and Cassidy. This year David and Stephanie spent the weekend with her parents, so our miniature golf game is scheduled for next weekend. My personal tradition, as I've mentioned before, is to make my dad a batch of fig bars (Maida Heatter's "Big Newtons"). I delivered those to him on Father's Day, had brunch with my parents, and played a few hands of Flinch. It was a very nice day and I'm looking forward to Father's Day part II next Sunday!


2. Do you know what the odds are of having more than one double-yolked egg in one carton of eggs?

OK, I have to apologize on this one. It was obviously a setup, but the least I could have done was word the question more clearly. I don't know what the odds of getting more than one double-yolked egg in a carton are - as you all guessed, they're probably quite low. What I should have asked was, if you find a double-yolked egg, what are the odds that you'll find another in the same carton? I presumed, as you might, that they would be *really* low, but that is apparently not the case. I bought a carton a couple of weeks ago and upon using the first egg, saw my very first double-yolked egg. I was amused and not at all alarmed to see one double-yolked egg, but by the time I'd cracked open the third or fourth I was a little freaked and was wondering what kind of mutant chickens were making my eggs. I was thinking of firing off an email to Jen, who is blogdom's resident expert on eggs, but decided to first consult Google. I learned that the large eggs layed by young hens are likely to be double-yolked. So, that means that if your carton of large eggs came from a young flock, there's a good chance you'll have more than one double-yolked egg. In my case, every single one of them was double-yolked. I know they're supposed to be lucky, but still... I was never so glad to finish a carton of eggs!


3. Do you have any "cooking cheats"... shortcuts you take because it's easier and no one will ever know the difference?

Now with this question, lazy cook that I am, I was really hoping to get some good tips! Using canned tomatoes is such a normal thing for me that I had never even thought of it as a cheat, but I may avoid a future emergency run to the grocery store the next time I'm a little short on milk thanks to Mari! My cheats have to do with sifting. These days I seldom sift flour before measuring, instead just fluffing it up a bit with the scoop. I used to have just the teensiest guilt pangs when I'd do this, but then one day saw Ina Garten doing the same thing. Now I know I'm in good company and the guilt is gone :) Usually, when a recipe says to sift ingredients together I'll go along with that, but if I need to put those dry ingredients in a bowl anyway, I'll just whisk them together rather than dragging out the sifter or strainer.


4. If you were to indulge in a peanut butter sandwich, what would you have with it? Strawberry jam? Grape jelly? Cheese?

Mmmm... so many possibilities! I'd have trouble picking just one. At the moment it would probably be strawberry jam, since I just made some recently. In the past I always enjoyed my homemade apricot jam and another favorite is apple butter. I love Chuck's idea of bananas and will have to give that a try soon. Here's one that might not have occurred to you, but which is (trust me) delicious: thinly sliced dill pickles. Really!

5. When loading the dishwasher, do you think the spoons and forks should go up (handle down) or down?

I think we're all in agreement on this one - handles down!


Thanks to Mari, Leigh, Zarah, Nupur and Chuck for taking the quiz - I've really enjoyed reading your responses!

Mondays with Maida - Sour Cream and Pecan Dreams

Page 229 in the old book / page 254 in the new book

These cookies are formed like thumbprint cookies, with a smidgen of brown sugar, sour cream, pecan, and cinnamon filling. They are firm, but not quite chewy and have a hint of cinnamon from the filling. One person who really liked these was certain they had pumpkin in them (they don't).

They're quite easy to make, but don't be alarmed if you wind up with lots of extra filling. Well, maybe I should qualify that... I had lots of leftover filling and I think the cookies were just fine. In fact, I'm not sure where all that filling was supposed to go. Perhaps if I'd chopped the nuts more finely I might have been able to fit more into each cookie. If you do end up with extra filling, I found a great way to use it up: spread some on a piece of bread and put it in the toaster oven or under the broiler. Yum!

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "The cookie was good, not great, but good. I would have liked the cookie a little bit softer, but I did enjoy the taste of the brown sugar and pecans. I didn’t really taste the sour cream topping since it was mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon. Rating - 3.5"

Laura: "Sweet and tasty cookie with a very yummy bit of pecan-pie type dollop in the center. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Excellent. Subtly flavored but really good. I'm not sure why I like them so much, but I do. I'd give them a 3 after -1 no chocolate deduction. Rating - 3.0"

Drucie: "These cookies are moist and chewy with a flavor that is subtle yet delicious. I don't usually like cookies with nuts in them, but these have made me see the light! I really like these cookies. Rating - 4.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.6

Next week - Charlie Brown's Peanut Cookies

Nutrition Facts

The Sunday Quiz

The Sunday Doodle

Just curious, wondering, need to know...

1. How will you/did you spend Father's Day? Cookout, picnic, restaurant? Any special food traditions?

2. Do you know what the odds are of having more than one double-yolked egg in one carton of eggs?

3. Do you have any "cooking cheats"... shortcuts you take because it's easier and no one will ever know the difference?

4. If you were to indulge in a peanut butter sandwich, what would you have with it? Strawberry jam? Grape jelly? Cheese?

5. When loading the dishwasher, do you think the spoons and forks should go up (handle down) or down?

Leave your answers in the comments... I'll post mine on Tuesday. Have a great week, and happy Father's Day!

My Quiz Answers

1. Do you know the difference between "Crushed Tomatoes" and "Ground Peeled Tomatoes"? Muir Glen sells both and to my eye they look exactly the same.

I've been wondering about this for quite some time, but it didn't occur to me until just a couple of weeks ago that I could email my question to Muir Glen. I got a speedy, albeit to-the-point, response: Thank you for contacting us. Because of the higher solids content (higher Brix), the Crushed product is a thicker product. If there is anything else we can do concerning this matter, please let us know. I wasn't familiar with the term, Brix, but I've now learned that it is a measure of dissolved solids, or more specifically dissolved sugars. I compared the nutrition labels on the Muir Glen site and the crushed tomatoes are indeed higher in calories (25 calories per serving vs. 20 calories) and sugars (3 grams vs. 2 grams).


2. Do you eat breakfast cereal? For breakfast? Do you have a favorite?

Cereal is my breakfast mainstay. In warmer weather I have cold cereal with milk and (usually) fresh fruit just about every morning. In cold weather I switch to hot oatmeal with a little brown sugar. My favorite cold cereal seems to change every few years, but for the past several years it has been Nature's Path Multigrain Oatbran Flakes. I like the taste and I like that it's slightly sweet, so I don't need to add sugar. Bonus - the flakes are very sturdy and don't get soggy in milk. :)


3. You're channel surfing and come upon the Food Network. Who would you stop for? A. Emeril, B. Bobby Flay, C. Giada De Laurentiis, D. Ina Garten, E. Alton Brown, F. Oh please, I'd be on the next channel so fast...

Like so many others, I'm of the opinion that the Food Network has gone seriously downhill (it started when they took Sara Moulton's Cooking Live off the air), but hope springs eternal, so I still check the line-up from time to time. I used to really enjoy Alton Brown and didn't mind Giada De Laurentiis, but sort of can't be bothered with either any more. I still stop for Ina Garten though.


4. How much time do you typically spend fixing dinner (not including clean-up) on a weeknight?

Except on very rare occasions, 15 to 30 minutes, tops. It's rare that I do much more than heat up some leftovers on a weeknight. If I'm out of leftovers, it's got to be something I can throw together pretty quick because I'm usually ravenous by the time I get home.


5. I recently came across a recipe that calls for "4 to 5 fresh sage leaves, peeled and finely chopped". Any ideas on how to peel a sage leaf, or do you think it's a mistake?

I was hoping one of you would know the answer to this. I have plenty of sage out in my garden, so gave peeling sage a shot and failed miserably. I can't imagine that it's worth the trouble, even if it is possible, but I'm still curious to know. I'm thinking about sending a letter off to the publisher to see if I can get to the bottom of this.

Thanks to Rachel, Stephanie, Nupur, and Anonymous for playing along! See their answers here. Unfortunately, no one came up with a way to peel sage :) but they had some good guesses on crushed vs. ground tomatoes and I enjoyed comparing notes on cereal, food TV, and preparing weeknight dinners.

Mondays with Maida - Austrian Walnut Crescents

Page 228 in the old book / page 253 in the new book

Tender and buttery little cookies in a pleasing crescent shape - you'll get no complaints from me! Well, perhaps one teeny weeny quibble... they need a bit of salt. But these cookies are easy to like even without the salt.

The dough is slightly crumbly (and seemed to become more so as time passed), but still relatively easy to handle. The shaping takes a little time, but is quite doable. Maida tells you to roll the dough between your hands, but I found it easiest to first shape the dough with my fingertips into the shape you see at the top of the picture below - sort of like two back-to-back cones. This shape must then be thinned out and lengthened. You can do that either by rolling it between your hands, or by rolling it on a flat surface with both hands. I found that this second method was better for getting evenly tapered ends, but sometimes resulted in the cookie caving in. Fortunately, the dough can be easily pinched back into shape with your fingers. The final step is to bring the ends around to form a crescent shape.



Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "Yum! The taste reminded me of a similar cookie that’s round with walnuts in them and is covered with powdered sugar. The Austrian Walnut Crescents didn’t crumble when you ate them and were not as heavy as the round cookie. The crescent shape with the powdered sugar was attractive. I loved the walnut taste of the cookie. I could eat them all. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "Yummy, tasty and crunchy... but just a little drier than I like. Rating - 3.0"

Denny: "A very nice little cookie, but a little bit on the bland side. Crunchy and tasty with a bit too much powdered sugar. Even with the -1 chocolate deficiency, I'd give them a 3.0. Rating - 3.0"

Terri: "These are outstanding! The walnuts are finely ground and the buttery flavor is delicious. These would be an excellent choice to serve with a chocolate type cookie Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.0

Next week - Sour Cream and Pecan Dreams

Nutrition Facts


Ghosts of cookies past

The Sunday Quiz

The Sunday Doodle

Just curious, wondering, need to know...

1. Do you know the difference between "Crushed Tomatoes" and "Ground Peeled Tomatoes"? Muir Glen sells both and to my eye they look exactly the same.

2. Do you eat breakfast cereal? For breakfast? Do you have a favorite?

3. You're channel surfing and come upon the Food Network. Who would you stop for? A. Emeril, B. Bobby Flay, C. Giada De Laurentiis, D. Ina Garten, E. Alton Brown, F. Oh please, I'd be on the next channel so fast...

4. How much time do you typically spend fixing dinner (not including clean-up) on a weeknight?

5. I recently came across a recipe that calls for "4 to 5 fresh sage leaves, peeled and finely chopped". Any ideas on how to peel a sage leaf, or do you think it's a mistake?

Leave your answers in the comments... I'll post mine on Tuesday. Have a great week!

Mondays with Maida - Cracker-Barrel Raisin Cookies

Page 226 in the old book / page 252 in the new book

Just out of the oven, these cookies had a nice little crunch on the outside and were soft on the inside, but a day later that nice contrast of textures had disappeared and what was left was a dryish, soft cookie. Happily, lots and lots of soft raisins add moisture and chewiness to what otherwise might have been a rather unremarkable cookie.

There are two ways to shape these cookies. Since this is the "Hand-Formed Cookies" chapter, I went with the first method: chill the dough, roll it into balls, then make crisscross markings with a fork. However, if I were to make these again, I think I'd use the alternate method - drop the dough (without chilling it), then press with a fork. This second method would certainly save time and having seen the results of the first method, I don't think the extra effort is necessary.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "Cathy tried in vain to pick out the cookie with the least amount of raisins for me since she knows I’m not a raisin fan. I do like raisins if they aren’t cooked. I think I’ve figured out why I don’t like raisins in cookie. Somehow they loose their sweetness and become bitter tasting. Even though I like a crunchier cookie, I didn’t mind the soft texture of this cookie. Rating - 2.0"

Laura: "Moist and yummy cookies. Very plump raisins, with a hint of lemon in the cookie. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "These were OK. Not crunchy enough for me, raisins were a little too plump for my taste. That suggests to me that someone might even really like these a lot, just not me. Minus one for lack of chocolate, so I rate them a 2.0. Rating - 2.0"

Terri: "These cookies are definitely for raisin lovers! Each cookie has about 6 raisins and they remind me of a raisin bran muffin. I like the slight lemony taste - they may be a bit dry, but very tasty with morning coffee! Rating - 3.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 2.6

Next week - Austrian Walnut Crescents

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Coconut Pennies

Page 224 in the old book / page 251 in the new book


Time for another chapter in the continuing saga of Cathy's coconut adventures... As you may recall from last week, the cookies billed as "semisoft" turned out very crunchy. Well, this week the cookies described as "crisper" (than last week's Coconut Washboards) were actually quite chewy. I suppose there could be some other explanation, but at the moment my assumption is that it all comes down to the coconut.

Last week I used unsweetened, dessicated coconut. This week I used a store brand of sweetened "flaked" coconut. The flakes of this coconut are broader and shorter than either the "Angel Flake" or "Fancy Shred" Baker's coconut you may be familiar with and I think account for the chewiness of these cookies. I neglected to take a picture of the coconut, but Leigh suggested I do a post with pictures of the various types, which I think is a great idea, so look for that sometime soon.

This recipe had small amounts of cinnamon and nutmeg in it, but I couldn't detect either. The cookies are most noticeably sweet, rich (two sticks of butter'll do it), and chewy. I didn't think they were as good as the Coconut Washboards, but they earned equal marks from the cookie panel.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "The cookie reminded me of a dry, chewy, oatmeal cookie. I don’t know if I really tasted the coconut except it did make the cookie chewy. This wasn’t one of my favorites. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "Chewy and sweet - not as coconutty as I would have expected, but still a very delicious cookie. Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "Very good. Crunchy and coconutty. Minus one for no chocolate makes them a 3.0 to my tastebuds. Rating - 3.0"

Terri: "These have a chewier texture then the Washboards from last week. I prefer these. The amount of coconut is just enough to give them a coconut flavor but not like a macaroon. I'm not sure why the name 'Pennies' except the shape is round! Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.4

Next week - Cracker-Barrel Raisin Cookies (oh-oh, Suzanne's not going to like that...)

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Coconut Washboards

Page 223 in the old book / page 249 in the new book

OK, here we go with my big coconut dilemma again. A conundrum that is only aggravated by the fact that I currently possess four different kinds of coconut, all of which must eventually be used up. Ideally I would try each kind of coconut in each recipe, but I'm afraid for now it's going to be try one and see how it turns out...

I made this week's Coconut Washboards with the unsweetened, dessicated coconut. This time, I did not rehydrate the coconut and I measured it by weight. The cookies turned out very crunchy - which was how I envisioned them (for me, that name conjures up an image of a store-bought cookie from my past), but a little different from the semisoft cookie described in the recipe notes.

The other difference I noticed was that the dough was easy to handle. In fact, I didn't need to chill the dough before shaping. Each portion of dough is first rolled into a sausage shape, then flattened, then pressed with a fork. It takes a little time, but is easy and nearly foolproof.



I thought the cookies were very good, but I'm curious to try the recipe again using sweetened, shredded coconut, which I expect would produce a cookie closer to the semisoft cookie Maida describes. Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "This was a plain-looking, rectangular shaped, big (but not thick) cookie. Even though it was plain-looking, the taste was anything but plain. I love the crunch of the cookie and the coconut, buttery taste. It tasted great with my morning coffee. Rating - 4.0"

Laura: "Crunchy and yummy - not too sweet - just right! I would have liked just a tad more coconut, but overall a very delish cookie. Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "These were good. I liked the crunch and the coconut taste. Minus one for no chocolate makes them a 2.0. Rating - 2.0"

Terri: "If you like the combination of coconut and crunchiness, this is the cookie for you! I particularly like coconut and found this cookie had just right amount... not as much as a macaroon. Also, a nice size cookie since it's rectangular in shape - with ridges like a washboard. Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.4

Next week - Coconut Pennies

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Danish Butter Sandwiches

Page 221 in the old book / page 248 in the new book

These big, sweet cookies definitely have eye appeal, but they are very big and very sweet - too much so for some. I didn't test them on any kids, but I imagine they'd love them. I thought these buttery, crunchy cookies were very good, but my conscience was troubled with the knowledge that there were over two sticks of butter in just 24 cookies - that's 2 1/4 teaspoons per cookie!

They're very easy to make, but I had one little problem. To shape the cookies you roll them into balls, flatten them slightly between your hands, and then use a fork to imprint them with the stripey design. As you can see above, the dough was a little crumbly, so when I flattened the balls they tended to split on the sides. The only remedy I can think of (except - perish the thought - add more butter), would be to try beating the dough a little longer. The instructions are to beat it until the mixture holds together, but maybe I didn't let it go quite long enough.

I found my kitchen scale came in very handy in shaping these cookies. Since I find those cues for sizing cookies confusing (is a well-rounded teaspoon more or less than a rounded teaspoon?), lately I've been using the scale to create sort of an exemplar cookie. I weigh all the dough and then divide it by the number of cookies it's supposed to make to find the weight of one cookie (say 25 grams). Then, I weigh out 25 grams (or whatever the amount is) of dough and I can see exactly how big each cookie is supposed to be. With these cookies, since it's important that they be uniformly sized and it was a small batch, I weighed each portion.

By the way, the beautiful tray the cookies are sitting on was given to me by Zarah when she visited about this time last year. The gorgeous spring weather that has finally arrived has me fondly recalling her visit and wishing we could make it an annual tradition!

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "The cookies were very attractive with indentation lines going down the center of the cookie. I guess I’m not a fan of sandwich cookies. I’d rather eat one at a time. Maybe that’s why people (me) separate Oreo’s and eat the center filling before eating each cookie separately. I thought the center browned butter filling was too sweet. The cookie was rather plain tasting. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "Yummy, buttery, delicious cookies with added treat of a creamy sweet icing in between. Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "OK, nothing special, so nothing to say. Minus one for no chocolate. Rating - 2.0"

Terri: "These are delicious - if you like shortbread cookies you'll love these ones. These sandwich cookies are like two shortbreads with butter creme holding them together. Very sweet and buttery. I particularly like the crunchy crispness in the texture. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.3

Next week - Coconut Washboards

Nutrition Facts

I can't like that

A while back, my three year old neice, Cassidy, and my brother came to my house for dinner. I thought I'd come up with an ingenious plan to get her to eat the tomato and chickpea dish that I was serving. I put a little of the pureed mixture (sans the whole chickpeas) in a small bowl and presented it to her with some crackers. I told her it was "dip" - Cassidy calls anything in which you dunk something else dip (the ketchup for french fries, the tamarind chutney for pappadums, etc.). Though Cassidy has become a picky eater, she loves dipping and I thought she'd be so charmed by the presentation she'd forget to scrutinize what it was she was about to eat.

Ha - wishful thinking. I set it before her, she gave it one look and pronounced, "I can't like that". Of course, I had to stifle my laughter - she'd obviously confused "can't" with "don't". Or had she? I thought about it a little and realized that for so many of the foods I say I don't like, it really would be more honest to say that I can't like them. Whether it's the appearance or just of idea of it, I've passed judgement before even tasting. It would be so much easier to be open-minded about food - why can't I?

I'm afraid won't be answering that question today, but I did want to share the latest food which I've decided I can't like (though, in this case I am mildly curious) - the Kool-Aid Pickle, aka the Koolickle.

Mondays with Maida - French Filbert Macaroons

Page 219 in the old book / page 246 in the new book

Funny that this cookie comes so soon after my revisit with its Italian cousin, Brutti ma Buoni, or as Maria Grammatico calls them, Belli et Brutti. Last time I tried that recipe which is made with almonds, I was thinking it might be interesting to try it with hazelnuts rather than almonds. Little did I know that I was just a couple of weeks away from trying Maida's take on that very thing. According to Maida, these cookies are traditional for Christmas in France.

Her version has not only the expected nuts, sugar and egg whites, but also a small amount of seedless black raspberry jam and finely minced candied cherries. There's not enough of either to provide more than a hint of flavor, but that's OK - hazelnuts are the star here and their flavor comes through loud and clear. What the jam and cherries do is help make the cookies moist and chewy. Hazelnut... moist and chewy... I think we have a winner!

These cookies are very easy to make. I used the food processor to grind the nuts and it worked well. I worried that I should add some sugar to prevent the ground nuts from turning to butter, but that was not a problem at all. I didn't get them ground quite as evenly as I'd hoped, but the few larger bits of nut here and there provided a nice texture.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I enjoyed the taste of the cookie, but didn’t care for the texture. The texture was extremely chewy and I felt like I was chewing gummy bears. I think that it probably was the candied cherries that make the cookie so chewy. The cookie took too much work to enjoy. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "Very moist and chewy. Lovely flavor of hazelnuts. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Excellent. Very tasty and not as crunchy as they look. Couldn't pick out the raspberry taste, but the cherries added to the overall excellence of the cookie. Minus one for no chocolate makes them a 3.5 for me. Surprisingly good since I'm not much for regular macaroons. Rating - 3.5"

Terri: "These are absolutely fantastic! If I closed my eyes while eating one of them, I'd think I was in a French pastry shop! These macaroons are chewy and have just the right amount of hazelnuts, jam, and candied cherries. They are all blended so well, one can see a slight reddish tint in the cookies. Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.8

Next week - Danish Butter Sandwiches

Nutrition Facts