Like the Corner of My Mind

Last night I went to Frenchie's lab Christmas party. I used to be a member of this lab so I am very familiar with how these parties work. Boss buys lots of booze. Scientists drink booze. Scientists play some bad pool. Boss buys lots more booze. Scientists do some crazy dancing.

My memories of these parties were not only of the good times at the party but a Saturday in bed recovering from the never-ending flow of free alcohol. This year was no different! I spent all day before the party trying to figure out how I was going to keep myself from feeling like crap on Saturday and went in armed. However, as soon as I arrived I was a little nervous because I didn't know very many people and was not really looking forward to having to explain my job situation...so I downed 3 beers and ate no food. Classic. By the time we got to the bar my good intentions were out the window and I think a couple shots of tequila were in. Oops!

The party was a lot of fun and I got to talk to people! It didn't even matter who they were, although of course I enjoyed every single one of them, I was just so excited to talk to people. Even strangers, which is usually not my thing. Oh, and also the freakin' most adorable baby ever was there and I got to entertain her while her parents played pool. Frenchie gave me the "don't get any ideas" look while I happily bounced the baby. After almost 11 hours of drinking and dancing, it was time to go home.

Frenchie always thinks it is a little weird that I like visiting him in the lab and going to his functions but it is entirely to boost my ego. See, people there love me, or at least they act like they do. I am always met with lovely compliments and smiles when I go, so why would I not enjoy it? Plus I feel SOOO comfortable around science types. Maybe because my dad was a scientist so I grew up in that environment but I really feel like I can be myself. Not always true around lawyers. I often feel like I'm trying too hard when around lawyers and end up with that not so good feeling the next day. Like maybe I said or did something inappropriate. Hopefully that will change with time and spending more time in the legal world. If that ever happens.

New name

I'm thinking of changing the name of my blog to something more catchy and perhaps related to cooking. But I don't want it to be only a cooking blog. Arg. Decisions are hard!

Any catchy ideas?

Hazelnut Tea Cookies and Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

The last two recipes from my baking frenzy. I took both of these to my last French class yesterday and people went NUTS over the hazelnut cookies. I mean, absolutely insane!! Especially crazy P, the Franco-filly, who asked me if I made them from a box. A box? My people do not make no cookies from a box lady!! I got the hazelnuts from my grandparents farm, roasted them myself, pureed them with the kitchenaid resulting in a thin layer of hazelnut dust all over the kitchen (don't tell Frenchie). There were NO boxes involved!! (no offense if you make cookies from a box, I'm sure they are wonderful, just not my thing)

Hazelnut Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange racks in upper and lower third. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until aerated and evenly combined; set aside.

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until whipped and light, about 2 more minutes.

Add half of the nuts and mix until evenly incorporated and nuts are broken up, about 1 minute. Add flour and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in remaining nuts.

Shape dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on baking sheets, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until underside of cookies are brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets.

Meanwhile, place some powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in the powdered sugar until just coated and tap off excess. Let cool completely and recoat in powdered sugar, tapping off excess sugar, before serving. Makes about 45 cookies.

I happen to love the Chocolate Snowflake Cookies more and these are made in our house every year. However, last year there was an unfortunate mishap that have soured these cookies a bit. I slaved over these in the midst of finals last Christmas to bring to a holiday party at the icebox. I made them and prepared a plate covered in foil and left it on the counter while I went to class. In the evening I grabbed the plate and ran out of the house for the party. I took the foil off and the first layer of cookies were fine and people raved. Apparently though, when the second layer was revealed it was infested with ants!!! The hosts were incredibly cool about this and did not make a big deal and dumped the cookies but I was still mortified!! It still makes me cringe.

So, if you have an ant problem, please wrap these cookies well because those little guys love the powdered sugar! The dough needs to be chilled so make it ahead of time.

Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate squares
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

Directions

Mix oil and chocolate in microwave proof bowl and melt in the microwave about 2 minutes, checking often and stirring. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Add about one-fourth of dry mixture at a time to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition.

Cover and let chill at least 2 hours.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in powdered sugar

Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when you take them out.

Try not to burn your tongue when you stuff one immediately in your mouth. Enjoy!

Chocolate Panaforte Candies

I made these candies for Frenchie. They are chocolate on the bottom with a fig, hazelnut and orange topping. This is not my favorite type of candy because I'm not a big nut fan, but they made Frenchie really happy and impressed. Don't worry about me. I have a tray full of meringues to eat.

Guess where I got the recipe? December's Bon Appetit magazine of course.

What are your favorite Christmas recipes? Or what have you been hoping to try?

Meringue mountains

I always assumed that making meringue candies would be difficult but it really wasn't! This is definitely a new favorite. I probably didn't make these before because you kind of need a stand mixer. I mixed them for about 10 minutes total so you're hand would get tired with a hand mixer. I stole this recipe from food network 12 days of cookies but changed the name and wrote it myself. Is that a copyright violation? Abra?

Chocolate Dipped Meringues

4 egg whites, room temp
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (the recipe said to use superfine sugar but I couldn't find that so I used regular sugar and it was fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix egg whites on medium until frothy. Add cream of tartar and mix until combined. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla while beating. Once all sugar is added, turn speed up to medium high and mix for about 6 minutes. The meringue will be firm and shiny and look like heaven!

If you have a pastry bag and tips you can make pretty little snowpeaks, but I don't have that kind of fancy stuff so I put the meringue in a ziploc bag, cut a tip out of the bottom and squeezed it out into ugly snowpeaks while getting meringue EVERYWHERE. In my hair, all over my shirt, all over the counter. Actually, that's what happens whenever I cook but meringue is a little stickier than most things.

Bake in a 225 degree oven for 1 hour and then turn off oven and leave them overnight.

Meringues in the oven


To dip in chocolate, melt a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or over a double boiler and dip each snowpeak in the chocolate. If you want, crush some candy cane and have some sprinkles ready and dip in there after the chocolate. Place on wax paper to dry. Store in airtight container (not in the fridge). Be super impressed that you made these pretty meringues.

I tried to make this one below look like the ones you get in a Parisian boulangerie. I've got a ways to go.

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