No photo here, as I am at Grandma's house without my own laptop or my camera cord. I took some photos on my cell phone, but my Bluetooth does not want to talk to my mother's MacBook's Bluetooth. Look, I'll put in placeholders for now, and maybe when the boyfriend unit arrives he can figure out how to make my phone sync with the MacBook.
[image = "picture of cookies in clear glass cookie jar, poinsettia and mixed nuts in background"]
Anyway, these are my favorite of all my grandma's cookies, aside from maybe her sugar cookies. I'll blog the sugar cookies later. These, these Walnut Frosties...to be honest, I never knew they had a proper name until tonight. And, while to me they are my grandma's cookies, they are properly attributed to Mrs. G.P. Longmire of Austin, Texas, published in ...from the 17th annual Bake-Off: The Pillsbury Busy Lady Bake-Off Recipes: 100 Prizewinning recipes...shortcutted and up-to-dated by Pillsbury...the Idea Flour (The Pillsbury Company, 1966). The ellipses are not me omitting parts of an even longer title; they are on the cover of the book.
I'm doing this now, before I inadvertently go back to the other side of the country without this recipe for, like, the twelfth time.
[image = "picture of cover of cookbook"]
[image = "picture of Walnut Frosties recipe, page 65"]
2 cups flour (technically, according to recipe, Pillsbury's Best Flour, which to be frank is probably what my grandma bakes with)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (technically, Land O'Lakes butter, which I know for a fact is what my grandma bakes with)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Oven 350, makes about 48 cookies
Combine flour, soda, and salt (note: Grandma sifts her flour before measuring, even if it's pre-sifted). Gradually add sugar to butter in mixing bowl, creaming until light and fluffy (note: Grandma actually does this by hand, bless her). Add egg and vanilla extract; beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a depression in center of each cookie; place 1 teaspoonful Topping (yes, it's capitalized) in depression (note: Grandma uses a melon baller). Bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes or until delicately browned.
Topping: Combine 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup dairy sour cream. (The book says Diamond Walnuts, but I think we all know I'm going to buy my walnuts at Trader Joe's, where nuts are plentiful and inexpensive.)
Media pairing: We've been watching the endless Brett Favre coverage on ESPN. All you have to do is turn on ESPN and I'm pretty sure they'll be talking about Brett Favre, regardless of what time of day it is or whether they're broadcasting women's college volleyball or whatever.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Creamy Turnip and Arugula Soup
Now that summer squash season is finally over, I thought it safe to purchase another CSA box of mystery organic vegetables.
It came stuffed to the brim with various sorts of greens. Despite a list of "what's tentatively in your box this week," I have yet to identify everything. One bunch is definitely curly kale, and one was definitely red mustard greens (I cooked them; they turned everything an enchanting shade of purple), and one is cilantro (I have no idea what to do with a giant-ass bunch of cilantro, especially since Boyfriend Unit is one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap). Two others have me completely flummoxed. One I decided was arugula.
Also in the box: two smallish turnips, two avocados, and a daikon radish. I still don't know what to do with the daikon radish, a thing which I typically encounter as a sushi garnish.
The turnips and the arugula went into this soup, which turned out delightfully and which I assume is relatively not bad for you:
Creamy Turnip and Arugula Soup (makes...I don't know, 4 servings? Since when do I measure anything?)
2 smallish or 1 giant mutant turnip (I usually find grocery store turnips to be giant mutants)
1 medium russet potato
1 can vegetable broth
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 1/2 cups milk (adjust as needed)
2 large handfuls arugula, washed, destemmed, and shredded, and mostly dry
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Peel and chop turnip(s) and potato
2. Heat olive oil on stove in pot; add garlic, turnips, and potatoes and let soften a bit
3. Add vegetable broth, cover, and simmer until vegetables are soft
4. Puree the hell out of vegetables, slowly adding milk until desired consistency is reached. (NOTE: The puree is pretty creamy without the milk, so it would probably still be pretty creamy soup if you wanted to go vegan and make this with more vegetable broth)
5. Return to stove, on low heat. Add arugula and simmer until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. I needed no additional salt, thanks to the canned vegetable broth.
6. Voila.
The assumption was that adding the potato and slightly cooking the arugula would tone down the sharpness of both arugula and turnips. The assumption was pretty correct.
Next experiment: What to do with the yams which were purchased, but not cooked, for Thanksgiving?
It came stuffed to the brim with various sorts of greens. Despite a list of "what's tentatively in your box this week," I have yet to identify everything. One bunch is definitely curly kale, and one was definitely red mustard greens (I cooked them; they turned everything an enchanting shade of purple), and one is cilantro (I have no idea what to do with a giant-ass bunch of cilantro, especially since Boyfriend Unit is one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap). Two others have me completely flummoxed. One I decided was arugula.
Also in the box: two smallish turnips, two avocados, and a daikon radish. I still don't know what to do with the daikon radish, a thing which I typically encounter as a sushi garnish.
The turnips and the arugula went into this soup, which turned out delightfully and which I assume is relatively not bad for you:
Creamy Turnip and Arugula Soup (makes...I don't know, 4 servings? Since when do I measure anything?)
2 smallish or 1 giant mutant turnip (I usually find grocery store turnips to be giant mutants)
1 medium russet potato
1 can vegetable broth
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 1/2 cups milk (adjust as needed)
2 large handfuls arugula, washed, destemmed, and shredded, and mostly dry
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Peel and chop turnip(s) and potato
2. Heat olive oil on stove in pot; add garlic, turnips, and potatoes and let soften a bit
3. Add vegetable broth, cover, and simmer until vegetables are soft
4. Puree the hell out of vegetables, slowly adding milk until desired consistency is reached. (NOTE: The puree is pretty creamy without the milk, so it would probably still be pretty creamy soup if you wanted to go vegan and make this with more vegetable broth)
5. Return to stove, on low heat. Add arugula and simmer until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. I needed no additional salt, thanks to the canned vegetable broth.
6. Voila.
The assumption was that adding the potato and slightly cooking the arugula would tone down the sharpness of both arugula and turnips. The assumption was pretty correct.
Next experiment: What to do with the yams which were purchased, but not cooked, for Thanksgiving?
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