Linzer Cookies

In preparation for the holidays, I decided to give one of my favorite cookies a try. I'm not quite a baker because I am actually really bad at following directions perfectly. (I might be known to leave out an ingredient or two here and there...) However, I decided why not...

I halved this recipe.

Melting the butter to room temperature was easy enough.



So was grinding the almonds into a fine powder in my food processor.



The handy Kitchen Aid stand mixer made whisking the wet and dry ingredients a cinch!



After the mixture was combined, I rolled out the dough into a thin flat sheet and stuck it into the fridge... this is when the recipe went from easy and fun to hard and confusing!!! For some reason, the dough was extremely soft and the moment it was taken out of the fridge it became impossible to cut with the cookie cutters and handle by hand. After several trips to the freezer, we successfully cut 10 tops and bottoms.

Here are a few survivors.



And then our cookie graveyard...



However, we were able to salvage a few.



The cookies were thin, light, and super flaky. The blueberry spiced jam that we filled in the middle was a delicious touch! If only these cookies were easier to make, I'd be making these cookies all the time.

Time to find a new recipe. Please share yours if you have one!!

Pumpkin Ale

Fall is one of my favorite seasons because pumpkin is infused into virtually every food (and sometimes non-food) item. So this is my tribute to fall beer.



This beer is actually quite light in flavor, but has distinct hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't quite know much about the different types of beer... ask me what the difference is between a lager and an ale... and I would tell you... I HAVE NO IDEA.

But I do know that this beer is a perfect accompaniment to Asian-Inspired Burgers by The Hubs.



Makeshift Asian-Inspired Burger Recipe (estimates only!):

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
5 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup onions - finely chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp soy sauce
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 lb ground beef (80/15)

1. Mixed (preferably by gloved hand) all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Form into large 1/4 lb patties and flatten somewhat.

3. Grill or pan-sear the patties.

4. Top with bun and favorite add-ons.

Happy Weekend!!!

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Since I still had half a container of buttermilk in my fridge from this recipe, The Hubs suggested that I try to make a buttermilk ranch dressing. Given that he was born and raised in Texas, buttermilk ranch would practically be a daily staple if I did not insist on keeping that stuff out of our home for health reasons.

But in the name of not wasting food, I made my first homemade buttermilk ranch dressing... that was shockingly simple!

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk (I've also seen some recipes use sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon dried chives *
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder **
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional) ***

1. Combine all the ingredients and whisk until smooth.

2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Toss with salad and grate in parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

* We did not have any dried chives, but our fall garden is still keeping us supplied with fresh chives so I finely chopped several pieces and threw them in the mix.

** Since I was distracted, I thought that the recipe called for 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder, but it tasted great!

*** Of note, after mixing all of the ingredients, I actually added some sugar because the buttermilk was pretty sour. I added granulated sugar in 1/8 teaspoon increments to my liking. You can omit or include based on your preference.

Bon appetit!



ps: We had the dressing again the next day and it was even more fantastic. I think all the ingredients had a flavor party overnight, so this might be one of those things you whip up the night before you decide to serve it.