The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
We do like our lemon basil sweets around here. One year we made lemon basil ice cream, and that was good (Sukie really loved it, the rest of us were fans but also a bit weirded out).
Earlier this summer I made lemon basil pound cake scant hours after Bridget made one that was so gobbled up by our reading group that she never even had a slice! Poor thing, had to rescue her — and both of those were excellent.
I realize this particular combination might just not seem like a thing to you, so let me try to convince you with…
Lemon Basil Icebox Cookies.
Deliciousness. The last bit of summer right there in a cookie.
The recipe is the Lemon Icebox Cookies from the tried-and-true, every home-maker's help, The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook (but actually not all new — get this edition for a song). (I wrote about the cookbooks I think will help you learn to cook and stand you in good stead when you are feeding the crowd here.)
I added the basil.
And I forgot to measure it but I will make up an amount and you tell me what you think, because it's awesome and you will need to make these — just don't everyone bring them to the St. Gregory Pocket meeting. The others can bring this or this or this. You bring these.
(Recipe note: the original recipe calls for greasing and flouring the pans. You know I am all about belts-and-suspenders when it comes to offering incense to the Gods of making sure I don't fail with cakes, but I spaced this directive when making these cookies — who does that for cookies? But maybe nothing bad happened because of these awesome baking sheets from Doughmakers that Rosie got me long ago.)
Let the cookies sit a bit before eating — do you find that lemon things need to have a chance to bloom a little? Anyway, these cookies are great after a few hours.
The recipe is after this week's links!
- Please be the parents who let your kids do things. Please. Learn how. Use a knife? Yes. I don't think that it's true that a child will or will not eat something they have helped prepare, as this article suggests, but that's beside the point. The point is to give them the skills. Start with spreaders and work your way up.
- These medieval memes are so funny. Dear Dad, send money. This one has the added value of demonstrating that perennial complaints can be put in elegant language. Maybe some of them could be offered as copywork for our less eloquent pupils, in hopes of remediating their diction?
- Normally I wouldn't share a Facebook post, but this one from Leah Jackman-Wheitner pithily expresses something I've seen written about at greater length and to less effect. Any high school student could benefit from reading and maybe going over the points with you, and any freshman in college needs to read it — send it along to protect that investment of yours. Sukie was the one of our kids who expressed to me the idea that a student could approach being in college like a job, and just determine to work from morning to evening every day — and work hard. Brilliant.
- This video of six boys loving on their baby sister (who is amazingly chill and I guess she needs to be) is beyond precious. It always gets me that movies never ever depict sibling interactions the way I know them from my own experiences with my children and those of our friends. I really think that most people just have no idea for the feel of a large and loving family — the tone. Yes, there are spats and rivalries. But there is solidarity and love as well. I think this video captures that reality perfectly.
- Deirdre liked this interview with a master calligrapher whose work has gone viral on Instagram. He has some good thoughts about the creative process.
- If someone is challenging you about the videos that expose the admittedly overwhelming evil of Planned Parenthood, here is a post that zeros in on the crucial moment in question. And here is another one. Warning: graphic and heart-wrenching. Passing this info along does not constitute an endorsement of any particular candidate.
- As always, Fr. Rutler can step back and give us a good perspective on history. Here he warns of the erasure of memory in the schools as seen through the lens of current events in France.
Lemon Basil Icebox Cookies Like Mother, Like Daughter
(I doubled the recipe from the cookbook because as they point out, icebox cookies — the kind that you roll in a log and stash away to slice later and bake — are so handy to have in the freezer. They have a wildly inaccurate estimate of how many cookies their recipe will make, citing a yield of 96 for half this recipe here. Um no. I would say that the doubled recipe would make about 60.)
Cream together:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
Add:
2 large egg yolks (you can freeze the whites, did you know that? Or just add them to a large batch of scrambled eggs — no one will be the wiser)
2 Tbsp lemon zest
4 Tbsp lemon juice (you will need three lemons)
Add:
3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Mix on low speed until combined.
You can add some sprinkling sugar to the slices for a little sparkle if you like.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and get 4 pieces of wax paper. Shape each piece of dough into a log about 8″ long. Don't worry about making it round while the dough is warm — after the dough chills you will find it easy to roll it into a nice round shape in the wax paper before you slice your cookies.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours — you want it to be quite firm. You can put two of the logs in a ziploc bag for the freezer at this point.
Preheat your oven to 375*. The cookbook says to grease and flour your cookie sheets, and I forgot to do this, but nothing bad happened: see my note about the baking sheets at the beginning of this post.
Cut your slices 1/4 inch thick, for real. Maybe even check the measurement with a little ruler to see that you are getting them the right thickness. They will spread during cooking and you don't want them too thin or the tenderness will be lost.
Place the slices 1″ apart on the sheet — the cookies will spread.
Bake until set and slightly brown around the edges, although these won't really brown. Check them after 10 minutes, but mine took 14 (but my oven runs cool). If your oven heats unevenly, set the timer so you can rotate the sheet(s) halfway through the baking.
Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool, and cool completely.
Lisa G. says
Thank you for saying that egg whites can be frozen – I’ll remember that one! It’s funny you should mention this recipe. I had pinned a recipe for rosemary lemon shortbread cookies, and decided to mix up the dough; it sits in the fridge. I waited to long to make it because I wondered who, realistically, in my acquaintance would want to eat them? Then it occurred to me that I should make them up anyway and freeze them. At some point some occasion would arise when they could be thawed. Maybe I’ll make them today. But, I used dried rosemary – can your cookies be made with dried basil, do you think?
Laughed out loud at the letters from medieval college students! I also loved the boys with their new sister.
Leila says
Lisa, I think this kind of cookie (and your rosemary one) rocks the ladies’ gathering or couples’ book club. The occasion will arise — or you could make one!
I would not use dried basil, personally. But maybe someone should and report back!
Cami says
I’ve been thinking of trying a Rosemary lemon cookie with pine nuts. It sounds different and fun and sophisticated. But I won’t know if it’s a winner until I try it.
Mrs. B. says
Leila, is the basil in the picture of the grated zest the amount you used?
Leila says
Mrs. B — yes. Three to four tablespoons, I’d guess.
Mrs. B. says
Thanks! Now, you’re not going to keep the pound cake version all to yourself, are you?? 😉
Margo, Thrift at Home says
I am totally on board with this! I love herbs with sweetness (rosemary raisin bread is awesome, lemon thyme bread is another great one). I just made basil ice cream yesterday with cashew pralines in it. It is wonderful (Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is the only ice cream book I use). Thanks for this recipe!
Lisa G. says
I also find these flavors tempting to try; but sometimes I hesitate, wondering if I should force my poor brother, or our guest,s to go along with my whims. During the summer I made some buttermilk and corn ice cream – recipe from Country Living – and when I told my co-workers about it, they wrinkled up their noses. On the other hand, at home my bro and our friend actually did enjoy it. So maybe I just need to make the stuff anyway, and help my friends to expand their culinary horizons.
e says
I am not leaving my full name as I don’t want certain family members to recognize me – ha! We all read you (all!)
I cringe and cross myself and ask God’s forgiveness for others (okay, maybe not that) when I hear or see people say something about – or write about “gods”– I think I am going to hell if I even joke about offering to gods? What is up with that – born/raised Catholic – had a superstitious mom, but into some weird things – her superstitions were about,say-open umbrellas in the house and that sort of thing. Yet, I am the worst sinner in God’s line-up. any ideas for me?
Thank you for these awesome links and the cookie recipe.
Leila says
e, well, I hope I didn’t offend you. I don’t like making jokes about GOD, but I am probably more lax about making jokes against the pagan gods. I will say three Hail Marys 😉
Katie says
I actually read the knife article just yesterday. It makes good sense to me (though it will scandalize my mother and MIL!). A while ago I’d bookmarked the site forsmallhands.com as a spot to look for “good” toddler/preschool gifts when the holidays are near. Thanks for the other link too, to the blog about kiddos and knives. It reminds me of a book that I happened upon when our first daughter was born, and which has been formative when thinking about family life as it’s developed around here: The Joyful Child by Susan M. Stephenson, which considers Montessori wisdom from birth-3 in the context of the home.
The lemon basil cookies sound like exactly my taste! Maybe I will commission them from my husband– we were just talking about what to do with our tallish basil plant. Today he made bread and stocked the freezer with sourdough and rye. Now THAT’S a husband who is a treat to have around while postpartum!
Leila says
To Mrs. B and others — the Lemon Basil Pound Cake is a riff on another recipe from this same cookbook (http://amzn.to/1V4iaj2) — Lemon Poppyseed Poundcake.
Bridget was looking to make a cake and wanted to make that one — only we didn’t have poppyseeds and we both agreed that it would be unseasonal, yet, appealing.
I suggested that she substitute basil for the poppyseeds, and she went for it.
SO good!!
Jennifer says
I’ve been looking for a good cookie sheet/roasting pan–does this Doughmakers one work well for oven fries, roasting cauliflower, etc, too? If so, I think I’ve found it!
Leila says
Jennifer, the particular one I posted up there would not be best for oven roasting, I think, because it has no sides. But this one would be great:
http://amzn.to/1KqOTH8
There are other sizes on there (that one happens to be pretty big). See what you think. I do like this brand for sturdiness, evenness, and less sticking without having a coating.
Anel says
Oh, I enjoyed all the links you sent, Leila. Thanks. Showed my boys the calligraphy one and the video about the brothers and little sister.. soooo cute.
However, the feeling that we are dealing with pure evil clutched at my heart when I read [could not watch the content of the videos] about Planned Parenthood’s doings. How does one not cry and cry and cry?
I suppose drowning one’s family in the good things in life, would be a start..?
Mrs. B. says
Thank you for the answer about the cake – looks like I’m acquiring another cookbook 🙂 We’ll make the cookies for today’s feast.
I enjoyed the tips for college very much – I have to wonder though how many students can afford to consider college their only job, when so many of them are forced to have a job on the side… The cost of education is insane these days, completely disconnected from reality.
Leila says
Mrs. B — my kids have all worked at college. It’s not “the only job” but having an approach of “I’m working from morning to night” helps avoid the “I’ll pull an all-nighter” mentality. You fit things in because you have a workmanlike approach to the whole enterprise. The extra money-making job fits into that bigger picture.
Mrs. B. says
I agree with what you say – it’s more realistic than her assertion that college is a full-time job so you put in 40 hours a week, between class time and study. I would think that for most students with a job on the side that might be impossible, unless it’s a summer job.
The mentality certainly helps, as you say. College IS a job, not something you do in between “parties”.
Ashley says
The cookies look interesting – I’ve never used basil in my baking. At first I thought you had used lemon basil as opposed to “regular” basil. The basil ice cream mentioned above sounds interesting. I pulled a recipe out of one of my magazines earlier this summer for a basil chocolate chip ice cream but haven’t gotten around to making it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas on meals to take to new moms and what to serve when company comes to visit. I didn’t see any of that modeled growing up, so I’m always at a loss in both situations and I have a feeling I’m making it hard for myself.
Leila says
Ashley, I am not sure that we have posted on new meals for moms but we have this post with awesome comments to go along with my recommendation of blueberry muffins with flax: http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2014/07/blueberry-muffins-for-a-new-mother/
Lots of ideas there.
Mrs. B. says
I just wanted to leave a comment on the cookies – they are delicious! The whole family loved them, and now I can’t wait to make the cake version (I am more a cake person than a cookie person…)
My dough was a lot paler than yours, Leila – you must have better eggs (my mother has always despised pale egg yolks…). Also, I think it looked a little softer than yours: either too little flour, or I should have put it in the fridge for a few minutes before cutting it into the 4 parts. How do you usually measure flour, Leila? I keep flour in a plastic container like this one (http://www.amazon.com/Snapware-4014-22-8-Cup-Rectangle-Cereal/dp/B00416WAM0), and scoop it up with the measuring cup, leveling against the flip top (unless the recipe explicitly calls for spooning flour into the measuring cup.) But I have read that filling the cup directly often means packing too much flour, so now I always measure a little less flour than a full measuring cup – but maybe I’m wrong!
Now I’m going to read the new cake post! Thank you again for this recipe – another good one to keep in mind when we are tired of winter and want a refreshing dessert!
Mrs. B. says
I forgot to mention that I never put anything directly on my cookie sheets, as I don’t like washing them too often (the inside of the lip always rusts…) I always line with foil (occasionally parchment paper), and I never have a problem with things sticking. For these cookies I spread just a hint of olive oil on the foil because I didn’t know how these cookies would “behave”. Everything was perfect!
Leila says
Mrs. B, these particular cookies were made with rather generic supermarket eggs. I wouldn’t say they are particularly richly colored, alas. The cookies might look a bit more golden because I used the raw sugar to sprinkle on top – it’s sort of brown. And maybe I left them in a few minutes longer than you did? I don’t know. Also I use unbleached flour.
I keep the flour in a large square bin. I measure by scooping and swiping with a knife in the approved manner. I do think that maybe if you are pulling a measuring cup against the rim you could be packing the flour a little. The way to find out would be to weigh what you measure out — both ways, and compare.
claudia says
finally making these cookies today! Happy Fall! My basil will soon be nipped by frost, so will take advantage of the garden goodies while I still can!