A traditional Syrian cookie similar to shortbread. They’re buttery, filled with pistachios and studded with sesame seeds – their crispy, light texture goes perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Usually made with mahlab, ground pits from a wild cherry, the almond extract and ground anise/star anise/fennel will get you pretty close to the flavor.
You can make honey syrup to help sesame seeds stick to the dough, just pressing dough into sesame seeds is enough to make them stick but you might like the extra sweetness.
Ingredients
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp ghee, room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp almond extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground star anise, anise or fennel seeds (listed in order of best flavor fit)
Pinch of salt
1 cup toasted white sesame seeds
1 cup pistachios, ideally unsalted, coarsely chopped
Optional: 5 Tbsp honey and ¼ cup water
Directions
Make optional honey syrup: In a small saucepan, mix honey and water. Simmer/stir over medium heat until honey dissolves – about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cream ghee, add sugar and mix well.
Mix in egg, vinegar, almond and vanilla extracts and ground spice.
Add flour, baking powder and salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Scoop a generous tablespoon of dough, flatten into a disc about ¼ inch thick. Thinner = crunchier.
If using honey syrup, pour into a large deep plate and add sesame seeds. Press one side of cookie into a bowl of pistachio pieces and then turn cookie over and dip in honey syrup/sesame mixture.
Otherwise, press one side into a bowl of toasted sesame seeds and then the other side into chopped pistachios.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, sesame-side-up.
Bake about 20 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Leave on baking sheet about 5 minutes and then move to a rack to cool completely.
Nothing like a stuffed date to make your day, unless it’s a stuffed date DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE! Decadent. Delightful. Divine.
Ingredients
3 ounces dark chocolate – about ½ cup chocolate chips or similar
1 tsp coconut oil
24 dates – medjool or other
½ cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup almond butter
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Cut lengthwise slit in each date and remove pit. Remove date crown.
Fill each date with about ½ tsp almond butter and chopped almonds and press closed.
Make a double boiler using a small pot with about an inch of water. Place a small bowl over the pot and make sure the bottom isn’t touching the water. Add chocolate and coconut oil to bowl.
Bring water to a simmer and let chocolate melt slowly while you stir it constantly.
Using a toothpick, lower dates into chocolate and spoon chocolate over exposed part to fully coat. Shake off excess chocolate and place on baking sheet.
Let dates set 5 minutes on counter then put in freezer for 10 minutes.
This recipe is from Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. The granddaughter of an emancipated slave, Edna Lewis is considered the doyenne of Southern cooking, championing the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients and giving traditional dishes a refined touch. She met fellow chef Scott Peacock in the late 1980s and they became lifelong friends, sharing a deep dedication to preserving the dishes and details of classic Southern cooking.
The original recipe pairs it with whipped cream, go with that or the Yogurt Whipped Cream we suggest here.
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, more for pan 2 cups cake flour, more for pan ¼ tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt 2 eggs 1 ½ cups dark molasses
1 cup heavy cream, chilled 1 cup Greek whole milk yogurt ½ tsp vanilla 2-3 Tbsp caster sugar Pinch of sea salt Optional: ½ tsp fresh lemon zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round baking pan. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Blend in spices and salt with a wire whisk.
In a small pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Melt 1/2 cup butter in it, then whisk water into flour mixture. Beat eggs and add to mixture, along with molasses. Whisk until well blended. Pour into pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until a skewer plunged into center comes out with no trace of raw batter. Interior will be moist. Serve warm with Yogurt Whipped Cream.
To make Yogurt Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream on medium speed until you get soft peaks.
Keep whipping, and add yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest (if using). Slowly add in sugar.
Whip until peaks hold when you lift the whisk.
Use immediately or store in refrigerator for several days.
What’s a great way to chase the blues away? Indulging in the bright flavors of citrus!
Here’s a fun cake to make because you cook mandarins until soft and the bitterness of the pith is tamed, and then they’re blended up as part of the batter! The rind and almond flour lend a nice taste and textural dimension to this moist masterpiece. Choose organic mandarins for this recipe since you’re using the entire fruit.
Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan – fruity, high quality EVOO a plus!
3 medium mandarins, organic preferred
¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
¾ cup almond meal
Powdered sugar for decoration/dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line base of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease/flour sides.
Place mandarins and enough water to cover in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 10 minutes. Drain. Put mandarins back in pot with cold water and repeat process.
Rinse mandarins and allow to cool enough so you can handle them. Cut into ½ inch slices, then dice. Remove any seeds, let cool completely. Place in food processor/high-speed blender and pulse to blend. Scrape sides between pulses, until only a few visible bits of rind remain. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Add in olive oil and pulse to combine all, then let cool completely.
In a bowl, beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar. Add in mandarin/olive oil combo and beat again to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine almond meal and all-purpose flour. Little by little, add this to wet ingredients, making sure no clumps form.
Use clean electric beaters to beat egg whites and 2 Tbsp sugar in large, clean dry bowl until firm peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to fold half of the egg whites into the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the other half of egg whites until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and a test skewer comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.
Yogurt parfaits are fun, versatile, easy to make and look beautiful.
In this recipe we’re highlighting local products – Hola Granola, Wingfield Honey and Tenderlyrooted sprouted walnuts! It’s a great way to savor the delicious creations from our local producers.
Ingredients
2 cups plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
2 cups Hola Granola
2 cups fresh fruit – berries, or other fruit – sliced into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp Wingfield Honey, divided
Juice from ½ lemon
Optional: ½ – 1 cup Tenderlyrooted Toasted Vanilla or Classic sprouted walnuts
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp honey with lemon juice. Fold in fruit to coat evenly.
Layer ingredients into 12- or 16-oz glasses or jars, in the following order: ¼ cup yogurt, ¼ cup granola, ¼ cup fruit. Repeat layers a second time.
Just before serving, scatter walnuts on top of each one, followed by a drizzle of honey (about 1 Tbsp each).
