Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies + A Cookie Swap!

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Cherry Almond Butter Thumbprint CookiesA cookie swap is such a beautiful thing.  You make a big batch of cookies and divvy them up, trading your single variety for a little of this, a little of that.  This year, I participated in a different sort of cookie exchange.  Instead of partnering up with friends or co-workers, I signed up to swap cookies with total strangers…other food bloggers!  I sent off boxes of almond thumbprint cookies filled with homemade sour cherry preserves to Deb, Lynn, and Katie and, in return, received packages from 3 other bloggers.  

I’ll walk you through my recipe for almond butter and jam filled thumbprints, then show you the loot I received in exchange.  

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Stout Braised Beef Roast with Cinnamon & Orange

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Stout Braised Beef Roast with Cinnamon, Clove, and OrangeA few days ago, I waited on a woman who warned me of her severe cinnamon allergy.  Cinnamon?!  I’ve been in the service industry for a loooooong time and that was a new one for me.  I was immediately struck by how tragic it would be, especially this time of year.  I’m sneaking cinnamon into everything I make, from chocolate cookies to my latest braised beef, and loving every moment of it.

This is a beef roast inspired by a beef stew I had in Belgium.  It’s a chuck roast that has been braised in a dark, chocolatey stout with orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.  It’s dusky, spicy, and tastes exactly as December should.  Matt and I ate it on a quiet night in, but I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it for any winter/Christmas dinner party, provided no one on the guest list has a cinnamon allergy.

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Apricot & Almond Torrone Morbido

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Almond Torrone with ApricotsLast week, I spotted a really simple recipe for torrone and even though I thought I wasn’t a fan of the Italian candy, I just had to give it a try.

Torrone, if you’re unfamiliar, is a shiny white nougat dotted with nuts and dried fruits that makes an appearance in every Italian shop and household at Christmas time.  I’m sure my brothers and sister remember it as that weird white candy our Italian relatives would faithfully send every year.  We’d dare each other to try it after we finished our more palatable peanut butter balls and cut-out cookies…in other words, it may be an acquired taste for some.

Well, it’s a taste that I’ve now acquired!  This likely has to do with the fact that this is a softer, chewier torrone; the torrone of my childhood was torrone “duro”, a very hard candy that would split into crunchy shards when cut.  Torrone “morbido” is a soft, chewy torrone.  It’s made with whipped egg whites and honey, cooked together until they’re thick and sticky, then flavored with whatever nuts and dried fruit you like.  

Interested?  You should give it a try!  I’ll walk you through the process.

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Spiced Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

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Spiced-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Remember a couple of days ago, when I said I was going to lay off the baking and hefty eating until I fully recovered from Thanksgiving week eating?  Yeah, about that…

…it didn’t happen.  See, I found myself with an unexpected morning off this week.  And it just happened to be in the middle of a massive snow storm.  And I had to shovel.  That’s hard work, you know.  You’ve really got to keep your strength up if you’re going to be shoveling lots of heavy, wet snow.  So the butter came out to soften and my holiday baking was underway.

I started with these spiced chocolate shortbread fingers.  They are the perfect cookie to bake when you’re snowed in, relying on just a few staple ingredients you can almost always count on having on hand: butter, flour, cocoa, sugar ‘n spice.  The flavor of the shortbread actually intensifies after sitting for a few days, making them an excellent treat for gifting.  Plus, waiting for them to age to perfection buys me some more salad time.  It all makes perfect sense, right?  Right.

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Frisèe, Fennel & Hearts of Palm Salad with Pomegranate

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Frisee, Fennel, Avocado, and Hearts of Palm Salad with Pomegranate SeedsI spent most of a long plane ride home yesterday daydreaming about this salad.  After 2 weeks of exploring chilly cities (across 3 countries that adore French fries even more than the US) and seeking warmth through said frites, wild game, and stewed meats, I was ready for crisp vegetables and a tall glass of water.  

Thankfully, 12 hours on a plane will give you plenty of time to dream up a great salad.  I thought about everything my over-indulged body was craving and, as soon as I got home from the grocery store, put it all together in a big bowl: crisp fennel, bitter greens, hearts of palm, creamy avocado, and crunchy pomegranate seeds.  The combination satisfies with its contrasting textures and gorgeous shades of pale green with ruby-red accents. And while nothing can beat being on vacation, it’s awfully nice to enjoy a meal in the comfort of your own home that doesn’t leave you feeling like you need to be air-lifted from the table.  

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