Shortbread Cookies

Yes, it has been awhile since I posted. Not sure why… so no excuses or explanations, just a simple “Hello” I am BACK. Yesterday was Halloween, and one of my long time traditions is to bake shortbread cookies, using shapes for the season or day. My mama used to bake cookies for various special days (Valentine’s Day, Christmas etc etc) and I like to make these to honor her love of baking and passing that on. FACT!! I ♥ shortbread!! Yesterday when the cookies were baking, the fragrance in our kitchen was heavenly!

About 12 years ago, I transitioned to using spelt flour. While it is not gluten free, it is better than white processed and I have to say I have mastered baking with spelt. About 3 years ago, I started toying with gluten free products for baking. One cookbook that I found handy is the “Gluten Free Girl”(Shauna James Ahern)… and most recently, there is a wonderful cookbook out (actually she has two now) “The Healthy Gluten Free Life” (Tammy Credicott).

That all said - this recipe is for Darlene. AND it can be adapted /turned into gluten free. My theory is … play with the recipe, if you are a baker, and see what works best for you. One of my favorite quotes of Julia Child “there is no such thing as a mistake in the kitchen!” To give credit where credit is due, my recipe is an adaptation from the Joy of Cooking, one of my standard “go-to” cookbooks for ideas and more.

Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies - makes approx. 2 dozen

Ingredients
1/ 2 cup butter, unsalted preferable @ room temp
½ cup coconut oil @ room temp

2 cups flour (spelt, gluten free etc)
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Sift the flour/ sugar together

1 Tablespoon of pureed pumpkin
1 Tablespoon of yogurt (I used vanilla flavored yesterday)

Sparkling sugar for decorating
Sea salt

Directions
Cream the butter and then add the coconut oil to the butter.
Cream the two together

Add the sifted flour/powdered sugar and salt to the creamed mixture
Add in the pumpkin /yogurt to the mixture
The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides and forms a ball

To roll into cookies - divide the dough in half. It is important to make sure to sprinkle flour on the pastry cloth (frequently) as this dough is fragile, breaks and is hard to work. IT IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT!!!

Gently roll out the dough using your favorite shape cutter; place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. If desired sprinkle with “bakers decorator sugar” (I use India Tree brand). Yesterday’s cookies had a ULTRA light smattering of coarse sea salt as well.

Bake for 25 minutes - rotate pans after the first 15. Cool and remove.

Notes for the gluten free bakers. As the "glue" is missing, I have found that extra moisture works well to help bind the product together. This is something you will have to play with!

Last, but not least, as Julia would say….. “Bon Appetit”

French Onion Soup

January 20, 2013, a beautiful high desert day.  Sunny, 45 degrees, the Sisters (East Cascades) are covered in snow and there is a brisk wind blowing.  This posting brings news of Isla James Bazemore! Parents - my son, Brandon and his wife Sandi!  Needless to say, she is adorable!  (I could be biased of course).  Isla James arrived this past Friday, 1/18 at 11:18 -- LOVE that!  Since receiving the outstanding news of Miss Isla’s arrival, my weekend has been filled with smiles and thoughts of my first meeting with Isla James, making it hard to wait!  Dreams of cooking in the kitchen with her, baking gingerbread, taking long nature walks in the desert when she visits... all of them fill my heart with peace.  In the meantime, on a relatively coolish high desert day, brisk wind blowing, French Onion soup called to me. Cousin Kimberly (East Coast - Kemble faction) wanted the recipe (facebook posting), thus this recipe is for Kim! 

French Onion Soup

The original recipe I use calls for beef broth, but as we are vegetarians, I make my own broth. The batch for this particular recipe was heavier on onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots and garlic, but the following recipe works as well.

roasted vegetable stock/broth ingredients

2 - 3 stalks celery

2 -3 carrots cut into chunks

1 -2 onions - cut into chunks

1 - 2 leeks / green part (saving the white tops for another dish)

cabbage (can use savoy or green) - I use ¼ of an average head, chopped

fennel (I use ½ of a bulb), cut into smaller pieces (can use the core as well)

4 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bay leaf

6 whole black peppercorns

fresh parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt

2- 3 quarts of water

directions ~ preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a soup pot or Dutch oven drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of the pot

Add in the chopped veggies, toss with sea salt, add in bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns etc.  Roast for minimum ½ hour or longer - the goal is to caramelize the veggies (brown)

Once roasted to above directions, add 1 quart of boiling water (this will protect your pot from being “shocked” by the heat change). Veggies will sizzle, and once that has stopped add at least an additional 1 -2 quarts of water.  Bring to a boil (takes about 15 minutes), turn down and let cook at 400 for another 30 minutes.  Turn off oven, and let it sit, mingle and cool down.

Using a sieve, pour the broth into quart canning jars (or other containers) and let cool.  If using glass quart jars, you can freeze, but leave at least an inch at the top so it won’t crack the jar. You can save the veggies if you would like, but I typically discard them at this point.

This makes at least 2 - 3 quarts if not more (yesterday I made 4 quarts).

French Onion Soup

4 - 5 sweet onions thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons of butter

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 quarts (or more) veggie broth (can use beef broth if desired)

½ cup of dry sherry

½ cup of grated Swiss Cheese

Toasted slices of French Bread

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat olive oil and butter together to medium heat in a large shallow pan.  Add onions, coating well.  Cook on low heat (can do this in the oven at 350 or on the stovetop) until onions brown and caramelize (not quite crispy).  This takes about an hour or so to do it properly.

In a Dutch oven (I use my mama’s cast iron) heat up the stock, adding the onions to the heated stock. Bring to a boil and then turn down and let cook together for at least a half hour if not more (flavors meld together better).  Add the sherry, taste for seasoning and add sea salt if Enjoy - great with a mixed greens and a light vinaigrette dressing. desired.

To serve, add the grated Swiss cheese, pour the soup into a large casserole or individual casseroles, bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Top with toasted bread and grated Parmesan cheese.

Great when served with mixed greens tossed with a light vinaigrette.

And last but not least, as Julia would say...."Bon Apetit!"