Day 81 - Gluten - Free Margarita Cookies

       I'm aggravated.  Plain and simple.  I'm aggravated to the point of tears.  I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm all happy and joyful right now because I'm not.  I made these gluten - free, but you can substitute regular all-purpose flour so others can enjoy them, too!  No, you can't.  Unless you know of a way to substitute the gluten-free flour and have a way that these cookies will not disintegrate at the moment you touch them, DO NOT use Gluten-Free flour.  I found this recipe from Meg & Josh at The Red Spoon.  It's a very interesting cookie.  While I'm not much of a drinker, I do enjoy an occasional Margarita, and thought these cookies were so cool that I just had to try them.  Her recipe used regular all-purpose flour, but I used the King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour and some Xanthan gum.  I'm giving you the recipe with the regular flour.  Remember, I didn't make them this way, so I can't tell you how they are. 

     Margarita Cookies   Makes about 50 cookies

     2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
     2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
     1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
     Pinch of salt
     2 teaspoons tequila
     Grated zest of 4 limes*
     Grate zest of one orange
     2 cups all-purpose flour

     Coating:     Approximately 1/2 cup clear sanding or other coarse sugar
     2 – 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
     1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

     Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth.

     Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky.

     Beat in 1 egg yolk, followed by the salt, tequila, grated lime and orange zest.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. Underbeat rather than overbeat; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather it into a ball, and divide it in half. The dough will be sticky and will probably stick some to the counter. Working quickly, separately wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

     Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 cm) thick. At this point, the dough was extremely sticky, so I put a small amount of flour on the counter.  Meg advised not kneading extra flour into the dough, just using enough to roll into a log.  Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

     Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

     Prepare the sugar coating: Whisk the remaining egg yolk plus a teaspoon of water in a small bowl until it is smooth and liquid enough to use as a glaze.

     Mix the coarse sugar and salt well and spread the mixture out on a piece of parchment paper.

     Remove the logs of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap them, brushing any excess flour off. Brush them lightly with a little egg yolk.

     Roll the logs in the sugar, pressing the sugar/salt mixture gently to get it to stick if necessary, then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/4 inch thick. I did as Meg suggested here and to get the sugar/salt mixture to stick better, took the parchment and rolled it over the cookie dough pressing the sugar/salt into the dough. 

     Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch space between them.

     Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned.  Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.

     Keeping: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, if they last that long. Because the sugar coating will melt, these cookies are not suitable for freezing.

    


As I said, I substituted the 2 cups of all-purpose flour for 2 cups of the Gluten-Free flour and added ½ teaspoon Xanthan gum.  They fell apart, completely crumbled as I went to pick them up.

 Well, a few didn't and those I was able to get a picture of, but the others are inedible.  And what makes me aggravated is that I'm doing this project and since my daughter's on this gluten-free diet, I really just want to be able to make her something that she finds absolutely delicious and wonderful.  I know these cookies would be wonderful made the way Meg made them at The Red Spoon.  So, I highly recommend that you do that.  I think I might try them again made that way, too.  The flavor really was wonderful and they did taste like a margarita, especially with the bits and pieces of salt and sugar that I was able to retrieve.  And that aggravated me all the more because they were so tasty. 

     I have a rating system on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and I need to rate them as I made them.  Unfortunately, because I made a mistake somewhere along the way, I have to give these 1 rolling pin.  My daughter thought they should be given 3 rolling pins, but in all seriousness, I can't do that.  I don't think it's fair and wouldn't want to mislead you.  Maybe instead of just an egg yolk, it needs a whole egg because of the switch in flours.  Ugh!  I don't know.  Now I need a real margarita. 

     Happy baking!

    

Day 56 - Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream

          Yeah, I know.  There was lime in yesterday's recipe and lime in the day before that, too.  I guess when I start using one ingredient I have a tendency to just "go with it".  I'll spare you the song and the video tonight though.  But you can go ahead and hum it in your head if you want.  No?  What, can't hum and read at the same time?  I suppose it's kind of like that rubbing your belly while patting your head kind of thing  - a little too difficult.  You can always go back to yesterday if you've forgotten how it goes.
     Today was a wonderful day while running errands.  I need to get out and do that more often!    I went to pick up some groceries and one of the cashiers, JoNell, came up to me and said, "Have I told you my joke about the mushroom?"  I said, "no", and was thinking, I don't ever remember you telling me any jokes, but I'm game.  She says, "A mushroom went into a bar and sits down and has a few drinks."  Now I'm thinking uh-oh, how is this going to end?  "After these few drinks he turned out to be a fun guy!"  Get it, fungi.  Mushrooms, fungi.  I thought it was cute, and very appropriate for a supermarket setting. And it was clean.  I love people.  You just need to open yourself up and let them in. 
     Then I went to the library to find some gluten free cookbooks.  They were all out, but I found others!  As I was browsing, a mother and an adorable little two year old with long brown hair and big brown eyes came into the section.  The little girl said hello after she'd rounded the corner because we were both eye level.  She showed me the book she was taking home and then sat down next to me to read it.  And read it she did, in the way a two year old will do.  Very loudly and nonsensical to adults, but true to themselves.  I couldn't help but chuckle as her mother kept trying to quiet her because it brought back so many wonderful memories.  The three of us talked for a few minutes, and as Peyton and her mommy started to walk away I said, "Peyton, it was so nice to meet you."  She turned around, and came running towards me.  She held out her hand, looked up at me and said, "it was nice to meet you!".  Awww, it made me melt!  I really hope I see her at the library again.

I found the Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream in a book that I picked up while listening to Peyton read.  I picked up a few actually and they are all SO YUMMY!  I'm excited!  This one though is from Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans, p. 361-362; author, Susan Spicer with Paula Disbrowe; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-1-4000-4389-7.  I really like this book and there are quite a few things in here that look quite delicious besides the items that I plan to be baking.  I just might have to purchase it or ask for it for Mother's Day (hint, hint).


Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream
     ¼ pound (1 stick) butter, plus more for buttering the pan
     1 cup sugar
     3 eggs
     2 cups flour
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1 teaspoon ground cloves
     2 teaspoons baking soda
     1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
          (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)   I used this.
     1 cup unsulfured molasses
     2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
     Lime Cream

     Preheat oven to 350ºF, and butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
     Melt the stick of butter, pour into a large bowl, and allow it to cool slightly.  Beat the sugar and eggs into the butter.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and grated ginger.

                                   

                     

     

     Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the molasses and soda solution into the water.  Whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar and the eggs, then stir in the molasses mixture.

     Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, testing for doneness with a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake (it should pull out clean and free of batter).  Another indicator is that the cake will pull away from the sides of the pan when it's done.  Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake, invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Cut into squares and serve with Lime Cream.

 

  
      Lime Cream
     2 eggs
     ½ cup sugar
     1/3 cup fresh lime juice
     Zest of 1 lime, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
     4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cut into small pieces
     1 cup heavy cream

     In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the eggs and sugar at high speed until double in volume and light in color.  Lower the speed and blend in the lime juice and zest.

     Pour the egg mixture into a medium metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water (or a double broiler).  Cook over high heat, whisking often, until smooth, very thick, and custard like (about 20 minutes).  Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is fully incorporated.  If the final mixture is lumpy, strain though a fine sieve.  Otherwise, cool to room temperature.

     Using an electric mixer or a wire whisk, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks.  Gently fold a fourth of the whipped cream into the lime curd.  Then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
     *Note:  If you don't have time to make the lime cream, no one is going to complain if you serve this cake with whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of bourbon.*

     I have always loved gingerbread and this one was absolutely delicious, especially with the Lime Cream!  The cake was extremely moist and very rich in flavor.  I liked eating that just by itself, but then add the lime cream.  Oh. My. Goodness.  As my husband said, it was unlike any other dessert he has ever had.  The lime cream really added something special to it.  I know Susan put in the note about using whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar and bourbon, BUT I would highly recommend that you do whatever it takes to make this cream.  I cannot tell you how excited I was as I was standing over the stove and dipped my finger into the double broiler and tasted the CURD!  I actually made lime curd!!!!  Something I've never done before and I made it tonight!  The best part was, that I didn't really think that was what it was going to turn out to be.  So, I was ecstatic with the surprise!  See what happens when we go into something with NO expectations?
     I must tell you though.  Be careful when you pour the soda solution into the molasses mixed with water.  It will bubble up on you extremely quickly and if you're not paying attention, you are going to have one big sticky mess all over your stove top.  I can proudly say, that this did not occur.  Also, when the batter is ready to be poured into the baking dish, it will seem pretty soupy and not as thick as other cake batters you may have made.  I kept checking the recipe, thinking I had added an extra cup of water somewhere.  Don't panic, it's supposed to be this way.  Also, when inverting the pan, wave your hand over the thing, do a dislodging happy dance, or put a heck of A LOT of butter and flour in the bottom 'cause that sucker ain't gonna cooperate.  I knifed around the edges as it said...

     Oh yeah, and when the cake is in the oven, it's going to get kinda high, so make sure there is plenty of room between the racks and you may want to put a cookie sheet under the pan in case it should spill over.  That did occur.  Back to the inverting.  Yeah.  No.  It came out.  Well, in pieces that were not so pretty, and only half of it.  So I shoved it back in the pan and served it from there.
     My rating system is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being something you really should consider making and when you serve it to others, they are going to think you're a baking expert!  Tonight was a definite 4 rolling pin recipe!  I was going to put a little Tequila in the lime curd, but was afraid to.  Maybe next time.  Enjoy this one!
     Happy baking!

Day 55 - Lime Poppy Seed Cookies

     Have I told you that I hate driving into the high school parking lot?  Yeah, I know I have.  34 days ago to be exact, in my Créme Brulée post.  So, today I decided that I hate being in the parking lot in the afternoon almost as much as in the morning.  I had to meet my daughter in front of the school to drop off a paper she needed to bring to the office and driving to find a spot was just a wee bit tricky because at times, I felt as if I was a salmon swimming upstream.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  I know the kids are excited to be out of school and can't wait to high tail it out of there because I was the same way when the bell rang.  Oh, wait.  That's right.  I rarely ever went home when the bell rang because I was always staying after for field hockey or drama.  But anyway, I can imagine how they feel.  Freedom.  The teenager cherishes it, especially if they have their own car.  Now, I'm not going to generalize and say ALL teenagers at the school are this way because there are absolutely wonderful kids that attend who I am absolutely in love with.  They are wonderful people.  There are others however who do not care one iota (wow, haven't used that word in years and looking it up discovered that it is the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet - Greek: Ιώτα [jota] Yota/Jota.  Who knew?) about who is in their way as they embark on their mission to escape the clutches of that menacing fortress.  (Ooh, that sounds dark and ominous.)  So, I kind of felt like I was playing dodge ball, but with cars.  Kids flying down the lanes as I was trying to back out, kids backing out without looking while I was flying, (NO!, kidding) down the lane.  No accidents, no fender benders to tell you about, just my frustration dealing with people who care for no one but themselves.  And remember, I do not generalize.  Gee, I sound like a really angry person, don't I?  I'm not, really.  Something has to REALLY push my buttons to make me upset and that doesn't happen too often, but when it does...

     I had a lime leftover from yesterday's dinner, and since I've been making all things lemon, I thought I'd add a touch of lime to something (uh oh, cue the song...well, here's the video.  Enjoy the momentary break!).

Sorry, that song just popped into my head when I typed lime.  And I loved this show growing up - watched it every week!  I adapted this recipe from the New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neill and they are listed as Aunt Hetty's Poppy Seed Cookies.

     Lime Poppy Seed Cookies - makes about 36 cookies

     1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

     1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder

     ¼ cup poppy seeds

     6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

     ½ cup sugar

     2 large eggs

     ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

     ½ teaspoon almond extract

     juice of ½ lime

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Lightly butter two cookie sheets.

     In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and poppy seeds.  Set aside.  In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and lime juice and beat at low speed until smooth.  With the mixer continuing to run on low, gradually add the dry ingredients.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix for an additional minute. 

Using one teaspoon of the dough at a time, shape into little balls.  Place them about 2 inches apart on the buttered cookie sheets.  Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand to make the them ¼ inch thick.  Dip your palm in cold water if dough begins to stick.  Bake 20 minutes, til slightly golden.  Cool on wire racks and allow to cool completely.

     My husband and son loved these cookies.  My daughter is going gluten free, so couldn't eat them.  I wasn't too nuts about them.  The guys think they should be rated 3 rolling pins and my rating system is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  I give them a 2.5 rolling pin rating.  So, I could combine them and give them a 2.75, but we'll stick with the 3.  I tasted the almond flavoring more so than the lime and I really liked that, but as poppy seeds will do, they settled into the spaces between my teeth.  Not that I have large spaces, haha, just the nooks and crannies.  You know what I'm talking about.

     Happy baking! 

Day 54 - Baked Tilapia with Mango Salsa, Baked Potato, and Salad

     I completely spaced and forgot to take pictures of the process until dinner was on my plate ready to be eaten.  It's so weird how that happens.  One of my priorities is to take pictures as I'm creating and yet I cannot tell you how many times I've put something into the oven and gone, "Ooops!", and had to pull it back out.  Tonight, I guess I was just so focused on having dinner ready by 6:30.  And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Haha.
     Oh yeah, this is the second fish dish of the year and it's only the 54th day.  I told you in the Tuna Casserole blog of my (ahem) love for fish and that I would probably only be making one other recipe with fish in it.  Well, this is it!  No, I'm kidding.  I decided to make fish because it is something we should be eating at least once a week and my daughter who despises it is going to have to acquire a taste for it since she's started this gluten-free diet.  I will be making more of it.  As long as I can make something to go along with it that sort of disguises the taste for her, I think I'm ok.  So, dinner this evening was Baked Tilapia with Mango Salsa, a baked potato with the fixings and a salad of baby Romaine greens.  It was yummy!  For four of us, I only purchased 3 larger Tilapia fillets because we really aren't big eaters and I hate to have the fish left over because no one ever eats that the next day here.  So here's the recipe for the three fillets and you can adjust as needed.

     Baked Potato With the Fixings
     4 medium baking potatoes
     butter, lots and lots of butter
           (well, you decide how much you want to put on your spud.  Me, I like it swimming in the stuff!)
     3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
     3/4 cup greek yogurt
     1/3 cup chives
     sea salt
     freshly grated pepper

     Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Scrub potatoes with brush under water to clean.  Prick holes in each side of each potato with a fork.  Place directly on oven rack for 60-70 minutes.  Slice each open and serve.  Garnish as desired.
    
Meanwhile...potatoes baking in oven allowed prep. time for the Mango Salsa I found from Ellie Krieger at the Food Network.  It was delicious and the perfect accompaniment for the fish.  Actually, it would be delicious with scallops, too.  Years ago I had made another mango salsa precisely for scallops, but today couldn't find the recipe and for the life of me couldn't remember what was in it besides the mango.  For copyright purposes, I am not going to post the recipe, but you can click on the Mango Salsa and it'll bring you right to it.

     Baked Tilapia with Mango Salsa
     3 large Tilapia fillets
     1 tablespoon melted butter
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     1 teaspoon sea salt
     ½ teaspoon freshly grated pepper
     1 clove minced garlic

     Spray a 9" X 13"-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Place fillets in dish.  Combine olive oil and butter.  Drizzle over fillets.  Sprinkle with sea salt and grated pepper.  Add minced garlic.
     Cover dish with aluminum foil to prevent drying and place in oven.  Bake at 400ºF (that's why the potatoes are already baking at this temp.) for 15 minutes.

     Dinner was quite delicious, if I do say so myself, and as you can see, colorful.  And healthy, too!  And I was able to make my daughter' potato portion gluten-free, so all parties were happy.  I have a rating scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  This baked Tilapia and baked potato earn a unanimous 4 rolling pins!
    Happy baking!