Baking Corner
I posted these cookies on Instagram and promised to give you the recipe here.
I was in Homegoods where they had a plethora of various foodstuffs on clearance, one of which was a jar of lime-mint-rum marmalade, of all the random and appealing ideas (good ingredients, don't worry) — and Knit Night, which I host, was that night.
I searched my mind for a treat making use of this delicious preserve, and the idea of these jam-thumbprint-style cookies came to me. I regard them as Christmas cookies, though I have never made them during that season (!) (why not!?!) (they are so easy!), but it seemed like the best way to showcase the jam.
They are so good! And super easy. These are not snacking cookies for the kids to fill up on, they are special treats for the ladies at the St. Clare Guild as it's really called (and one's husband as he passes through and the kids on a feast day, I'm not that mean!). I call them Mojito Cookies but who knows if I'll ever find that marmalade again!
The important thing is to use salt in the dough. Some recipes don't call for it. Don't skimp, for if you do, the cookie will seem bland no matter how delectable the jam bit is.
My recipe here calls for a whole egg; some recipes call for egg yolks, but I already have several containers of egg whites in the freezer (from making mayo, which in future I will also use a whole egg for, but more on that another time).
(Mojito) Marmalade Cookies, Like Mother, Like Daughter
Preheat your oven to 375°F
For the filling: about 1/2 cup of jam or marmalade (in this case, lime-mint-rum!) or lemon curd — in my case I used lime-mint-rum marmalade which certainly was a rare find!
Cream together:
12 oz butter (1 1/2 sticks), just room temperature, not warm
1/2 cup sugar
Incorporate:
One egg (you could do two egg yolks if you want whites for something else!)
Add:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix well.
Form 1″ balls (I use a cookie scoop — like a mini ice-cream scoop — because you don't want the dough to become warm). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and make an indentation in each one. A kid could do this with his thumb or you could use the back of the small end of a melon-baller (I keep that gadget on hand for easily removing the core of a halved apple and recommend it for that too!).
Use the same melon-baller or a small spoon to drop a bit of marmalade (or jam, or lemon curd) in each cookie.
Bake for 10-13 minutes (this depends on how dark your cookie sheet is, whether you used parchment, and how hot your oven runs, it actually took mine 14 minutes) until the dough is set and the bottoms are slightly browned.
Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. They will store in a tin! And they are rich, so this batch makes a good amount, but of course, you can easily double the recipe!
Gardening Corner
My seed bench is full of goodies (lots of tomatoes, and this year my peppers sprouted well, courtesy of a new heat mat). I was at Tractor Supply (not an ad) for potting mix and couldn't resist this pretty plant for the perennial garden (random pic swiped off the internet since I failed to take a “before”):
Since one can really go broke buying perennials this way, I justified this expense by cutting off the flowers and dividing the plant — and even putting a few slips into a pot in the seed bench to see what happens with this Saxifraga Alpino Rockfoil. I'm not very green in the thumb, but the “alpino” aspect of this specimen seems to suggest a certain hardiness, do you not think?
There you can get a glimpse of my other winter sowing pots! Doing pretty well over all!
We'll see if these little ones grow some roots!
Quilting Corner
We'll be going to visit Suzanne soon — baby time, yay! — and I am really hoping to have this quilt done!
I think I'm on track. It's always hard to tell when the project is a big, immobilizing blanket!
Auntie Leila Says Corner
Last week I talked about the way simply deciding you'll take responsibility for something makes that job easier to face — in this case, meal planning, even if you aren't particularly wonderful at it/don't like it. The conversation in the comments went around to the undeniably thwarting issue of complaining and so on.
I have actually posted so much about this, not to mention whole sections in The Summa Domestica, so let me just say here that another mind shift must be undertaken, one that goes hand in hand with taking responsibility.
And that is the way attitudes change when parents shift their focus away from seeking affirmation from children. I don't mean this in any sort of mean, unnecessarily authoritarian way, though authority is a big part of it. I simply mean that when you demonstrate your alpha status and exude confidence that even if things are not exactly as the pack would wish, everything will be okay, a lot of the issues disappear.
This is true in prayer and worship (also topics covered extensively here) and in matters of dining. If we were to look at the family from way, far away, sort of squinting our eyes, a good peaceful picture we'd see would be the father providing and the mother dispensing. They are making their household together. The children rise up in the household and take their place in due time. This picture is orderly and has a hierarchy.
If the mother is narrowly focussed on getting the kids to pray or to eat, she will shift that view — skew it out of balance. And the peace will be gone. They will pray and eat much more readily if husband and wife put things into place priority-wise and let the chips fall where they may. And good bread and butter will ensure no one expires from hunger.
A secret:
If you plan your menus at first in a rhythm and pattern, you'll be pleased with how the children respond.
Begin with Sunday, the most important day of the week, the day of worship, rest, and celebration (of the gift of being, not necessarily a party! an attitude rather than an agenda). Plan a nice meal for that day.
Move on to Friday. Fridays need to be meatless (for us Catholics, with rare exceptions; but why not?). Pizza Friday or Fish Taco Friday or Tuna Melt Friday soon become family favorites.
Make one day the pasta with meat sauce day (and this can be varied — spaghetti, lasagna, Egyptian lasagna, stuffed shells, etc).
Make one day soup and sandwich/bread/cheese night (using leftovers from Sunday's meal — can be a different Sunday thanks to the freezer).
Make one day chicken, one day pork/sausage…
… and one day “bits & pieces”. This post is by Deirdre and explains how she came to name our round-up of links this way! It's based on our Saturday suppers when the kids were growing up!
There you go! A week's rotation. If you keep Chicken Day to Chicken Day, the children will come to expect it. You will say “it's Chicken Day” and they will be silenced. They will accept it. And soon (after 10 weeks, I'll guess), they will begin to appreciate it. Try “Chicken Lightly Seasoned” and see if I'm right, but don't look for any approbation or affirmation. Don't show weakness — they will pounce.
Another secret:
Naming things really gives you a surprise factor few kids can resist. I have witnessed children eat something called “Cowboy Beans” that they would have scorned if called “Vegetarian Beans” — not for any political reason but due to boredom. I myself cannot resist anything in the cowboy or hobo category. Chuckwagon stew > stew.
When I serve butternut squash soup, we call it “Toxic Waste” (too much? that's how we roll! it's what it looks like!). What child can resist that?
Polish Dinner of the Gods > kielbasa with sauerkraut (have I shared that recipe?)
And so on!
bits & pieces
- On Facebook I have a post with all my favorite movies. Denise Trull writes beautifully about the quiet witness to faith of the French film Au Revoir les Enfants and reminds me to add it to my list! I love the soundtrack as well. (I will see if I can make the list into a post!)
- Speaking of baking, I have been enjoying making these scones. I tried adding an egg, because to me scones should have egg, but actually they are better as written, without!
- A hilarious list from an ancient pope: 10 Reasons Men Should Not Marry. But also maybe a good examination of conscience for us women? And maybe we could write one from a woman's point of view, also pretty funny?
- I often reference the book by Joseph Colapinto called As Nature Made Him (affiliate link), about the abuse and fraud of Dr. John Money, diabolical “father” of the transgender movement (also, by the by, a warning of the dangers of modern, non-ritual circumcision, rarely talked about). Here is a shortish article, David Reimer and John Money Gender Reassignment Controversy: The John/Joan Case, if you aren't up for reading the book.
from the archives
- Sibling rivalry and how to quell it (but it will always be there to some extent)
liturgical living
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Suzie says
We make thumbprint cookies for St Thomas’s day and I have the children say “My Lord and my God!” as they poke their finger in. Its kinda hokey but a fun tradition for us.
Leila says
Cute!
Leigh says
The dinner marketing is hilarious and brilliant! I will definitely have to try “Toxic Waste” with my crew!