Earl Grey Shortbread with Lavender Buttercream
I went full on Christmas this year. Ok, well, I had some B- gift giving moments, cards that never went out, and I got a tad bit cranky at the fifth office holiday party event. Overall, though, I gave this year’s Christmas a valiant effort. I type this as I’m on my fourth back-to-back viewing of the 24-hour A Christmas Story extravaganza that plays on TBS each year. #familytradition…
I had a holiday first this year though: a Christmas Cookie Exchange, courtesy of my dear friend, Josie. Right, I know, how do you get to 40-something (aka ’29 again’) before attending your first Cookie Exchange?… I don’t “do” Christmas cookies. Don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t an uppity “don’t do” … that was a baking hesitance on my part. In fact, baking is actually quite intimidating to me. Cooking is an art; baking is a science. I’m a ‘dash of this, dash of that, throw it in a pan’ kind-of-gal. You ask me to add a cup of flour and there’s a good chance I’m gonna plunge my hand into the flour bag and scoop out about a cuppa flour… As much as I want to believe it’s just a ‘dash of this, a splash of that, pop it in the oven and forget about it’ –this doesn’t work in baking. So, I gave great thought to what I was going to take to my inaugural Cookie Exchange.
I knew I wanted to combine Earl Grey and Lavender in some combination, and I had been thinking about this for quite some time. I figured two dozen would be more than enough (well, two dozen minus the few I burned… it happens…). I found out later (i.e., reading the “bring 4 dozen” invite right before driving to the event) that the goal of a Cookie Exchange is not to bring your most unique recipe. The goal is to bring a shit ton of cookies, the Christmas kind. So, I kinda did this “Ahh, Lynn, epic fail on the Cookie Exchange” when I re-read the invite. Then, I swirled some Lavender Buttercream on my Earl Grey shortbread, took a bite, and soliloquized: “Ohhhh, Lynn, epic cookie win…epic.cookie.win…”
As I mentioned, I have been wanting to bring Earl Grey and Lavender together. Two delicate, intriguing flavors. Both so distinct, yet there is clear harmony between these two flavors. I opened up my tin of Earl Grey tea, then I twisted off the top of a glass jar full of organic culinary lavender buds, and I took a big whiff of both. It took me back to sipping a cup of tea while admiring my little garden when I lived in Harrogate, England. Then, my daydreaming went off in another direction and I embraced a big ‘ole dose of sentimentality over some amazing friendships I’ve made as I’ve moved around over the past 20 years. One of them: my wonderful gal pal, Josie. My little baking “lightbulb” went on and I knew Earl Grey and Lavender were going to come together in a non-traditional Christmas cookie for her Cookie Exchange.
…and how could I not get sentimental when, a few weeks ago, Josie sent me a picture album from a trip we took to Disney World & Epcot Center for New Year’s Eve about 8 years ago. When I met up with Josie in Florida way back on that day, she gave me a huge hug and then immediately provided one condition for our trip: we were wearing matching outfits and it would include mouse ears. How could I resist?… I still have my shirt…
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.”
~Elizabeth Foley
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream, if needed, to thin buttercream
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log (about 2 1/2-inches in diameter). Tightly twist each end of the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just lightly brown, about 12 minutes. Watch the time carefully, these cookies are thin and will burn quickly. Let the shortbread cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.
- Add butter to the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar and finely chopped lavender. Increase the speed of the mixer, scrape down the sides, if needed, and beat the frosting until fluffy and combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- If the frosting seems too thick, beat in a tablespoon of milk at a time. If it seems to runny or too thin, you can beat in more powdered sugar. Frost the shortbread when they are completely cool. Top with a few lavender buds, if you wish.
Baked Eggs with Roasted Acorn Squash & Kale
If you know me, like really know me… you know I’m an introvert (that was possibly an understatement). So, even though my California soul longs to be out, flip flops on, frolicking around on the beach with my homies,… this winter thing kinda suits my need to turn inside, go into my gal cave, stay in my jammies all day, sip my coffee slowly, get mesmerized by the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, savor the sweetness of solitude, and just RECHARGE. So, while I resist winter with every fiber of my being, December is actually a soothing time of year for me. Beyond the obvious that is the holiday season, there is a subtle settling into a transition that transcends the autumnal shift.
Today, I woke up, rolled around in bed for two hours longer than intended, and calmly recognized it was going to be (and needed to be) one of those jammies-all-day kind of days. I threw on my big ‘ole fluffy robe, shuffled downstairs, peeked into the kitchen and knew that baked eggs in a cast iron skillet had to happen on this lingering, lazy morning.
When I discovered I had an acorn squash, one onion, kale, a carton of eggs, dried cranberries, pecans, and vegetable broth already on hand… Well, I had a moment. That sweet feeling when you delightfully discover something you weren’t expecting. Seriously, it was special. Let me mention some other ingredients: the spices. I, like you, have a cupboard stuffed full of every imaginable spice (and, oddly, I never seem to have the spices needed for a new recipe… another life mystery). But, there are two spices I keep right near the stove: Herbes de Provence and a bottle of ground Spiced Chipotle Smoked Red Jalapeños. I found it at Whole Foods. I adore it. It adds a smoky, spicy, unique flavor.
Breakfast, brunch.. this dish is a ‘good morning to you’ all day long…
- 1 large acorn squash (about 4 cups of squash), cut in 1/2 inch slices
- 1 teaspoon each of Kosher salt & ground black pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil (for the squash)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (for sautéing the onions)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch slices)
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- 1 bunch curly kale cut into thin ribbons (about 5 packed cups); try to remove the big stems...
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pecan pieces
- 4 to 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly shaved Pecorino Romano and/or Asiago cheese
- Heat the oven to 410 degrees.
- While the oven is pre-heating, thoroughly wash the acorn squash and cut into 1/2 inch slices. I typically start cutting from the end and then when I reach the center with the seeds, I scoop them out. I'll often slice a side off the acorn squash so I can lay it flat and then cut the slices a little easier. You can leave the rind on or cut it away from the "flesh." I opt to leave it on because the roasting makes it tender and it gives a great texture to the dish.
- Lay the acorn squash slices flat on a large sheet pan, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. Roast the squash slices for 20-25 minutes in the 410 degree oven. Halfway through the roasting, flip the squash slices over on the pan with a spatula.
- Meanwhile, while the squash is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat (a cast iron skillet works beautifully, since you'll be broiling the eggs at the end--in the oven--in your gorgeous, big skillet). Sauté the onion slices for 20-25 minutes (about the same time the squash is roasting). Season the onions with salt & pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence. Watch the onions so they don't burn; if they start to get too dark, turn the heat down to medium so they can caramelize a bit. After 15 minutes, add the roughly chopped garlic cloves.
- After the onions have caramelized, add the thinly sliced kale to the skillet (about 2 cups at a time). After you add the first 2 cups of kale, pour 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth and let the kale cook until it just softens. Stir a bit and then add 2 more cups of kale, 1/4 cup of broth, 1/4 teaspoon of the chipotle powder, and simmer until the kale softens. Add the cranberries and pecan pieces, simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Add the final cup of kale and stir the onions, kale, cranberries and pecans in the skillet and let it simmer for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the roasted squash from the oven. Cancel the bake setting and turn on the broiler in the oven. Move the rack in the oven (with an oven mitt!) so it is about 6 inches under the broiler. Take the roasted squash slices and place them in the skillet. You can "cut" the slices into smaller chunks with your spatula in the skillet, but be careful not to stir the mixture too aggressively or the squash will break apart and get mushy.
- Take the back of a spoon and press 4 - 6 wells into the squash/kale/onion mixture. Crack an egg into each of the wells and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half the shaved cheese on top of the eggs and squash mixture. Carefully, place the skillet in the oven and broil for 4-5 minutes until the egg whites have set, but the yolks are still runny. Keep an eye on the eggs, they will go from 'just set' to cooked yolks very quickly. When you remove the skillet from the oven, sprinkle the other half of the shaved cheese on top of the dish.
- Serve immediately with buttered toast or toasted pita bread.
Apple Cider Caramels
I feel like November just cruised by, top-down-with-the-heater on, leaves floating by, beep-beep, get outta the way… Now, the tree is up, lights twinkling, foggy mornings, forecast snow, humming baby it’s cold outside, peeking over my shoulder and wondering how Autumn just zipped on by. It didn’t even ease it’s foot off the accelerator.
Autumn in Virginia was lovely and it was short-lived. I gave it my all; I really did. Pumpkin Spice Lattes (they taste different when you drink them with a big, chunky home-made yarn scarf hugging your neck…they do…); fall leaf peeping; apple picking in the orchards; the Hunt Races at Montpelier; sneaking gorgeous chunks of squash into unsuspecting dishes; getting nostalgic watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; and just, well, you know… soaking in the seasonal slow down.
Somewhere, on a country road, at a stand filled with apples and gourds, at a location I’ll never remember, I picked up some apple cider. This isn’t the clear jug of apple cider on Aisle 9 that looks curiously like the apple juice snuggled up next to it. This is the cloudy, thick, spicy, rich, country stand apple cider. I’ve also found some great, seasonal apple ciders in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. Both Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s apple ciders are deelishussss.
So, farewell Autumn. Just before I get into the Christmas cookie swing of things, I’m saying au revoir to your color-filled days with these: Apple Cider Caramels.
“Autumn is as joyful and sweet as an untimely end.”
― Rémy de Gourmont
- 4 cups apple cider
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Fleur de Sel or flaky salt
- Grape seed oil for the knife
- On high heat, boil the apple cider in a saucepan until it is reduced to a thick syrup (about 1/2 cup in volume) and stir occasionally. This takes about 35 - 40 minutes.
- While the cider is boiling, get your other ingredients ready because you'll need to move quickly after the cider is reduced to syrup. Measure the sugars and place in a bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks. Measure the heavy cream. Stir together the cinnamon and salt and place in a separate, small bowl.
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of parchment paper (in a crisscross layout). Set it aside.
- Once you are finished reducing the apple cider, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the sugars, butter, and heavy cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the butter has melted. Return the pot to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel (for 5 minutes) until a very small spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be formed into a little ball. If you want to be precise, use a candy thermometer and let it boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees. Either way, watch the caramel closely; you don't want to under or over cook it.
- Immediately remove the caramel from the heat, add the cinnamon and salt mixture, and give it several stirs to distribute the cinnamon/salt evenly.
- Pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and firm—about 2 hours (only about an hour in the refrigerator). Once the caramel is firm, lift the caramel from the pan by the parchment paper and transfer it to a cutting board. Let the caramel sit out for a little bit before you start cutting it. If it is too cold, it will crack when you try to cut it. Use a well-oiled knife to cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Lightly sprinkle the caramels with flaky salt.
- Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of waxed paper or parchment, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room temperature and hard and chewy if left in the refrigerator. These caramels keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container if left outside the refrigerator.
- Perfect holiday gift. Unless you eat them all first...
