Saturday, October 22, 2011

Speechless

I have lost my voice.  I have lost my words.  I have lost  my passion.  Nothing I do seems to bring them back.

I hope that this is not the end of this blog.  I hope that something brings me back to normal--whatever that is.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of fun recipes.

Lemon-Cornmeal Sheet Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart, these cookies are delicious and made with an unusual method.

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
1 large egg and
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons slice almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in  a medium bowl.

Beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in 1 egg and lemon zest.  Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture.

Press dough into and even 1/4" thickness on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with almonds and 1 tablespoon demerara sugar.  Bake until golden, 22-25 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack, then break into uneven pieces.





The other is a nice little treat to have before dinner with a glass of wine.


Roast some sweet red grapes tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper in a hot oven until they begin to soften, about 20 minutes.  Top toasted bread slices with fresh ricotta, the roasted grapes, a sprinkling of thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Enjoy!