in case you missed these...

have you seen the sweet (lord in heaven!!) goodness that molly has been dishing over at orangette for the holidays? like these chocolate blocks (photo courtesy of said sweet molly)? you realize of course that the possibilities are endless here. i am having visions of espresso beans, candied ginger, pretzels... i could go on and on. i also made a batch of these lemon cookies with a few modifications, first i couldnt find a meyer lemon, and second i was too lazy to buy turbinado sugar, so i went with a regular lemon and dusted mine with powdered sugar. still fabulously delicious. think lemon flavored shortbreads almost. yum. then there are mav's pizzelles and cookies. how badly do i want one of those griddles? very. and then of course there is melissa's norwegian apple cake. good night. i love this recipe for so many reasons, but mostly because the way melissa writes it is exactly the way i cook. oh you know, a pinch of this, a bit of that until it tastes good, until it looks right. probably not very helpful when trying to impart a recipe, but so true to my form. i know that most of these posts have been about cookies and cakes and holiday goodies, but i promise you that i have been thinking about weekly fare. i hope to start a discussion about what you make throughout the week soon. after i get done making just one more cookie recipe...

do you still have a can of pumpkin?

if you do, dont shove it to the back of your pantry for next year. drag that can out, grab a few potatoes and pick up some cream and leeks from the store on your way home tonight. you are going to want to make this one. this little number comes directly to me from one special lady that i know has plenty more amazing recipes tucked up her sleeves, or at the very least stuffed in an apron pocket somewhere. thanks amy!

pumpkin leek potato soup

3-4 leeks chopped
3-4 russet potatoes chooped
1 can pumpkin (15oz)
1/4 c butter
1 carton soup broth 32 oz. (or water)
1/2 cup half and half (or evaporated milk if you want less fat)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
juice from one lemon
1-2 teaspoons salt
cracked pepper
1 tbl brown sugar (to taste)

saute the leeks until wilty in the butter on low/med heat for about 10-15 min,season with salt and pepper. add chopped potatoes and the broth and bring to boil and simmer until soft, about 30 min. add canned pumpkin and puree with a stick blender or in a blender. stir in half/half and the seasonings. taste as you go. It should be sweet/sour with just a hint of cinnamon, adjust as necessary. If you are in doubt, add more brown sugar.

you can leave the potatoes unpeeled for a more rustic texture. It makes a thick soup,feel free to add more broth or water to thin it to the consistency you like. and if you are like me, go ahead and crumble a little cooked bacon on the top. enjoy and stay warm if you just got buckets of snow like us midwesterners!

don't go empty handed

i hope everyone enjoys this time with family and friends. please relax and enjoy. indulge in some good food and conversation. and if you still havent found that little something to bring along with you on your visit, try this simple but delicious recipe sent to me by my friend sarah. at the very least it will make your home smell delicious!

Warm Mixed Nuts

5 c. of raw mixed nuts

1 T. olive oil

2 shallots

3 cloves of garlic

2 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. fresh rosemary

1/4 t. cayenne

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. course salt

Heat oven to 350. Place nuts in a single layer on baking sheets. Toast until golden and fragrant for 8 to 12 minutes rotating pans. Put in a bowl and set aside. Thinly slice the shallots into rings. Thinly slice the garlic lengthwise. Heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic until golden. (3 to 5 min.) Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Melt butter and pour over mixed nuts. Add rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, and salt. Stir. Toss in garlic and shallots.

oh snap

ginger snaps are a necessity this time of year in my opinion. dont get me wrong, they are delicious year round, but now when it is cold (for some) and you have a cup of hot tea or coffee that is just begging to have a little something dunked in it, this is everywhere you want to be. these gingersnaps are thin and crisp, sweet and spicy and just that darn good. eliot and i shared a few during our afternoon fika last week, and then i had a few more (five...) that evening. ok, so they are dangerously addictive. but dont worry because this recipe makes the kind of dough that you keep in the freezer. if you have weak self control like myself, only slice off three or four and bake them. they are also perfect for that unexpected visitor. warm the oven, put on the kettle for tea, slice a few of these and in twelve minutes you sit down for a lovely visit over tea and cookies. i found this recipe last year on marikos blog and have been using it ever since. i promise dear readers, that soon i will give you more than cookie and dessert recipes. just bear with me, i have been having so much fun baking that it is hard not to share. ok, here you go. enjoy.

Chez Panisse Gingersnaps

8 ounces unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 small eggs or 1 1/2 large eggs
1/3 cup molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Cream butter until soft. Add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until fluffy. Add molasses and beat until well-incorporated. Sift the dry ingredients, and add to the mixture. On low speed, mix until it all just comes together. Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with plastic wrap, so that some hangs over the outsides. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Pack it tightly, and try to make the top as level as possible. Cover the dough with the plastic overhangs. Freeze until very firm, preferably overnight. Unwrap and remove dough from the pan. Slice brick into thin slices, no more than 1/8". Place on a parchment-lined sheetpan and bake at 350 degrees until the edges turn dark brown, about 12 minutes.

soup IS a meal

in my book, soup is definitely a meal. i think i could eat soup everyday from now until march, and then switch to gazpacho. mmm. lately my favorite has been to take a heap of sweet potato and through magic of the culinary type turn it into a satisfying bowl of thick, silky soup. all you need is a hunk of crusty bread and a small bowl of salad and there you have it. a meal.

this recipe was adapted from i think october's cookie magazine.

chunky sweet potato soup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried sage (less if it is ground or to taste)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cubed
6* cups chicken or vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan***

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes**. Stir in the sage and cook 1 minute more. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir. Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and stir to combine. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

* the original recipe called for 4 cups but i used a 6 cup can, which was nice because it tends to thicken after a day or two. but believe me it is still way yummy.
** i usually use this time to peel and cube the sweet potatoes, making the whole process much easier.
*** i like to keep a block of decent to good parmesan cheese in my fridge, and find it easier and prettier to shave slices with a vegetable peeler. so professional...
**** (getting ridiculous i know, but also satisfying to see that many astrics lined up) the first time i made this soup i only had one sweet potato on hand but happened to have a small butternut squash on my counter. threw that in along with the s.p. and it was just fine.

there you have it folks. so easy that when i made this monday night, i also made a pot of broccoli cheese soup for eliot and a batch of chili. the sweet potato goodness was all mine as the rest of my family is crazy and doesnt eat them, except arlo of course. if you are big fan of sweet potato/pumpkin/butternut squash (or anything else orange for that matter) like i am, then you should also take a look at mollys puree. to die for. i just said that.

have you made anything yet?

i did, the orange chocolate chip muffins. they were stupid easy and so good. perfect breakfast this morning at work. have you tried anything yet? let me know and if you have and took a picture, even better! share share!

{coffee} + {cookie} = {fika}

first a thank you to mav for letting me use her beautiful picture of her very own fika from last week. a second thank you goes to melissa for sharing a recipe from the "family vault". you know it has to be good if it was locked up right? right. so please take the time to read the wikipedia link to the word fika because i think we all need fika in our lives, especially at this time of year. we all have to admit to a love/hate relationship with the holidays. some days i just want to give, give, give and then some days i feel so grinchy that i think i could fast forward to march (without skipping eliot and arlo's birthdays of course). for my peace of mind and a perfectly legitimate reason to enjoy all the holiday cookies that will be coming our way i plan to take time out each afternoon to enjoy fika with eliot. i know he will love it. ok, now onto the recipe!

Russian Teacakes

1 cup butter or marg softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

Heat oven to 400. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla.
Work in rest until dough holds together. Shape
into 1" balls--on ungreased baking sheet. Bake
10-12 min. until set but not brown. While warm
roll in powdered sugar. Cool and roll in sugar again.

how easy is that? so easy. oh and one last bit of cookie talk, did you see abby's post for persimmon cookies??? i was so excited when i saw it because i have never ever heard of such a cookie, and very rarely do i meet a cookie i dont like. time to make a new acquaintance...