Preaching to the Choir (and a recipe for Potato Leek Soup)

Yes, you are in for a spate of slow-cooker recipes.  What can I say?  I'm in love. 
 
After trying a lot of stews and braised meat dishes (all to stupendous results) I decided to go even simpler.   I wanted to try the "dump everything in and walk away" method of slow-cooker cooking.   You know, the reason we all have them: laziness.  Er, I mean, convenience.  Then it dawned on me - SOUP!


I love soup all year round but there is something so perfect about a bowl of warm, fragrant soup on a cold winter's day.  I figured pretty much any recipe that ends up pureed would benefit from a long and slow rest in the slow cooker and started my soup foray with a classic - Julia Child's recipe for Potato Leek Soup.   

Until last year I hadn't eaten this in forever.  As a family we rediscovered it while on a cruise.  I ordered it at dinner one night thinking I'd eat just a bit and then move onto my entree.  One mouthful into the bowl, my daughter snuck her spoon in for a taste.  Her eyes lit up and she took another.  And another.  And another.  She soon polished off the entire portion and requested more. (Fortunately you can do that on a cruise).   I knew I had to add it to my repertoire.

Julia's recipe calls for cream and serving with a generous dollop of creme fraiche.  Now all of these additions are delicious.  But I am a woman of a certain age (ahem) with a cholesterol count of a certain level (ahem).  Time and genetics are not on my side.  I didn't want to sacrifice any of the luscious creaminess imparted by all of those high-fat ingredients, but I'd also like to stick around for a while.    

Taking inspiration from the method of adding bread to thicken soups (like gazpacho) I added some hearty sourdough to the soup once it finished cooking and pureed it together with the rest of the ingredients.  The bread adds a subtle creaminess and acts as a thickener without adding any additional fat.  A touch of butter adds richness and brings out the sweetness of the leeks.  Best of all, until you have to puree the whole mess you can just leave it to cook all day.  If you prefer you can make this on the stove top and I have included those instructions as well.


I have since made several other soups all to great success and am considering a soup swap (a la traditional cookie swaps).  If you're interested in participating, let me know.  In the meantime, make this soup and eat it on a chilly night with some salad and raise a glass of dry white wine in a toast to Julia.


Creamy Yet Creamless Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from Julia Child
Yield:  approximately 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups leeks, whites and light green parts, sliced
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced (Russet work well but I have also used large new potatoes)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water - if you're feeling really ambitious simmer the dark green parts of the leeks in the water of the stock for a while to make a leek stock)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 TBS butter (optional)
• 2 slices of bread (preferably sourdough or something hearty), crusts removed and roughly chopped 
• Parsley or other green herb of your choice for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place leeks, potatoes and garlic in the container of a slow cooker.  Pour the liquid over.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook on low 8 hours or high for 4.
2. If desired stir in 3 TBS butter and allow to melt.
3. Add bread into soup mixture and stir to combine.  
4. Puree the soup in batches or using an immersion blender.  You will get a much silkier textured soup if you use a blender.  If the soup is hot take care to only fill the blender 2/3 of the way and don't cover it tightly.  Instead, place the cover on leaving a small gap and place a thick dishtowel over the top while blending.
5. Reheat if necessary.  Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.  Traditional accompaniments include fresh herbs and creme fraiche.
6. Alternatively, place the leeks, potatoes, garlic, broth and seasoning in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 60-75 minutes until potatoes are tender to the point of falling apart.  Continue from Step 2. 

Musings and Meringues

I am very fortunate to have a child who is not only a great eater and who doesn't have any food allergies. Well, unless you count fish. It's not an allergy per se but a deep and utter HATRED of all things from the sea other than canned tuna (mercury be damned), fried calamari or New England clam chowder. Let's not discuss that she used to gobble up my soy glazed salmon until one day she realized it was salmon and "not chicken!!!!????" and proceeded to spit it out, despite having eaten most of her portion that evening and at countless dinners in the past.

Where was I? Allergies. Right.

Now that I have a school-aged child I have been introduced to the confusing world of childhood food allergies. In 2 1/2 years of school we have encountered allergies to: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, shellfish, pineapple, strawberries and a few I am probably forgetting. I really feel for parents who have to confront these issues and fear for their child's health on a daily basis. I couldn't imagine...

The reason I bring up the allergies is that I had originally planned on making heart shaped cut outs and icing them in varying shades of red and pink for a kindergarten Valentine's Day party (recipe). But I then discovered a student in our class had both a wheat and dairy allergy. So I decided to come up with a treat he and everyone else could have at the party since someone else was supplying cupcakes (which he wouldn't be able to eat).

Fortunately I was with my friend Sarah (a walking font of culinary knowledge) when I found out about the allergies. What on earth could I make? "Simple," said Sarah. "You can make meringues." Freakin' brilliant. A quick e-mail to the child's mother revealed that eggs were indeed OK and pink meringue cookies were on the agenda.

I usually bake meringues a few times a year. Every time I make them I'm reminded of how unbelievably simple they are to make. Plus, they're fat free. And, they're great for Passover because they contain no dairy (no worries about kosher dietary rules) and no flour. They also pair really well with lemon curd (a great use for the yolks since this recipe calls only for egg whites). That of course negates the whole fat free and kosher thing due to the addition of copious amounts of butter. But that's another blog entry. Why get ahead of myself?

If you can, avoid making meringues on damp and rainy days. The moisture in the air will be absorbed by the sugar and it will effect the consistency of the end result.

Meringue Cookies

Yields approximately 7 dozen 1 1/2 inch kisses


4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring (optional)

• Preheat your oven to 200 F.
• Combine the egg whites and sugar in a glass or metal bowl (the bowl of a standing mixer is preferable).
• Place the egg and sugar mixture over a lightly simmering pot of water but do not allow the bowl to come in contact with the water or your eggs will cook. Pieces of cooked egg white are not all that tasty in meringues.
• Whisk the mixture together until the sugar is dissolved; 3-5 minutes. Add in the vanilla.
• Using either a standing mixer with the whisk attachment or an electric hand beater being whipping the egg whites on low speed. Add in a few drops of food coloring at this point if you want. I prefer the gels to the liquid.
  
• Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites are shiny and form stiff peaks. Tip: when you stop your mixer and pull up on the top the egg whites that were attached to the attachment should remain standing in the bowl and not flop over.
• Using a small dollop of the meringue affix sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil to your baking sheets (you'll need 2). Some recipes call for masking tape here. Use the meringue - I learned the tip working in a bakery.
• Using either a spoon or a pastry bag drop dollops or pipe kisses onto the sheet leaving about an inch in between each cookie.
• Bake for about 2 hours in the 200 degree oven. Check periodically to make sure the meringues aren't browning. If they are, lower the temperature to 175 F. You're not baking these as much as allowing them to dry out.
• After 2 hours turn off the oven and DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Allow the meringues to remain in the oven for at least another hour. They will continue to dry out in the residual heat of the oven. I usually leave mine in overnight as I like my meringues to be very light and crispy on the inside.

Confronting Your Fears or Baking with Yeast (a recipe for Jennifer)

I fancy myself a good cook and baker. But for years I was terrified of yeast. I don't know why, really. It's hardly all that frightening. You can get it in teeny envelopes in the grocery store - how scary is that? Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I never baked anything that called for yeast.

Then I went to culinary school.

The first time I made my own brioche was a revelation. Yeast was amazing. Magical. POWERFUL. And, frankly, not all that scary. Melissa: 1, Yeast: 0.

I went on a yeast-fest: homemade cinnamon buns, bagels, pretzels, pizza dough. Then I had a baby.

Fast-forward three years later and I'm up to my eyeballs in dough, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and boiling water with baking soda making bagels with a bunch of pre-schoolers. It was the most fun I'd had in years.

Apparently many people share my former fear. NPR recently published a piece on it with some interesting recipes - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100164536&ft=1&f=1053 - and an old friend from high school just admitted her fear, too.

Here's an easy recipe that will banish that fear in a few hours. Once you eat homemade pizza made with crust formed by your own hands you'll never go back to Boboli or Pillsbury again.


Simple Pizza Dough
Yields enough for 1 large pie, 2 medium pies or 3 "personal" sized pies

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or one envelope of commercially packaged yeast)
1 cup warm water (between 100-110 degrees F - any hotter and you'll kill your yeast and who wants to do that?)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour plus a little extra for kneading
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal plus a little extra for the pan
1 tsp salt
2 TBS olive oil plus a little extra for oiling the bowl later

• In a mixing bowl combine yeast and warm water and allow yeast to dissolve and get fizzy.
• Add in the flour, cornmeal, salt and olive oil and stir to combine into a soft dough.
• Remove from bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and uniform in texture - should take about 5 minutes. You can also do this in the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook. (ed. If you find the dough is too sticky sprinkle on some more flour. This recipe can handle up to another 1/3 cup if necessary).
  
• Lightly grease the mixing bowl (no need to clean it) with some olive oil and place the dough in the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm and draft-free place until it doubles in size (approximately 30-45 mins).
• Punch the dough down (kids love this) and divide into portions if you will be making more than one pie. If you want you can divide the dough and freeze it for later use at this point.
• Cover the dough with a dish towel (not terry-cloth) and allow to rise again for 10 minutes.

Options for the actual pizza:
1. Pat dough into a large lightly oiled pan. Cover with toppings of your choice (see suggestions below). Bake 20-30 minutes until done at 400 F.
2. Stretch the dough and place on an overturned cookie sheet after coating the sheet with a significant amount of corn meal. Slide the crust around. If it doesn't wiggle easily toss some more corn meal under it. Cover with toppings of your choice (see suggestions below). Bake 20-30 minutes until done at 400 F.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 450 F with pizza stone inside. Complete step #2. Once oven is hot, carefully slide the pizza onto the stone. This will yield the crispiest crust hands-down and is the method favored at Chez Marks-Shih. This version bakes up in about 10 minutes.

Toppings we love: thinly sliced fresh vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms), olives, meatballs, ground beef, sausage, pepperoni (cut it into slivers for best results), artichokes, well drained thawed frozen spinach, feta cheese, sauteed garlic and onions

Go lighter on the toppings and cheese than you think you'll need. Too much and the pizza will be weighed down. You'll wind up with soggy pizza that's hard to move. And no one likes a soggy pizza.

On Cold Days, Being Sick and Hot Soup

If you're my friend on Facebook or "follow" me on twitter you'll know I have been sick a lot this winter. Sick more than I care to mention. Really sick. And I have to say, I'm quite sick of being sick.

It has also been damn cold this winter. I know I really shouldn't complain (but if you know me in real life you know I'm a champion complainer). My mystery illness paired with bad weather are hardly great calamities in the grand scheme of things. And, I managed to make lemonade with the lemons I was given. How unlike me.

Cold weather + being sick + not really wanting to cook = a lot of soup

Super Easy Peas Soup with Bacon (sorry Mom!)
Yields approximately 2 quarts of soup (that's 8 cups for those of you not so quick on the cooking math)

4 slices bacon, chopped
2 leeks, mostly whites, cleaned and roughly chopped (you can just double up on the onions if you don't have any leeks - I just had a few in the fridge the first time I made this and now I love them in most vegetable based soups)
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, cleaned and roughly chopped (noticing a trend?)
1 large carrot or 4-5 "baby" carrots, yes, roughly chopped (it's all being pureed later so no need for nice even pieces, approximately the same size is just fine for all the "roughly chopped" items - that's why I love making pureed soups)
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of fresh dill (tied together with kitchen twine - dental floss will do just make sure it isn't waxed or mint flavored. While mint and fresh peas go very nicely together split peas and fake mint "flavoring" do not. Take my word on this. Ordinarily I wouldn't bother tying it but some people (by some people I mean 5 year old daughters) don't like dill floating around in their soup)
2 cups dried split peas (sort through to remove any small pebbles or other foreign objects)
7 cups water (or unsalted chicken or vegetable stock or a mixture of any of these liquids)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Render the bacon in a pot large enough to accommodate the entire recipe (at least 3 1/2 quarts).
• While the bacon is cooking, roughly chop all your vegetables if you haven't already.
• Once the bacon is brown and crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add in the leeks and onions to the bacon fat (lower the heat if it's too hot). You want to get a little color on the onions and leeks so they start to release their natural sugars.
• Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant (about one minute).
• Add in the carrots and celery and adjust seasoning.
• Add in the bay leaf and dill.
• Add in the peas and 7 cups of water/stock/whatever.
• Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning, cover and reduce to a simmer.
• Cook, at a simmer, for approximately one hour.
• Remove the dill and bay leaf.
• Puree the soup. I like to use an immersion blender directly in the pot - much easier than transferring the whole mess to a blender
• Garnish with the cooked bacon and some finely chopped fresh dill and some croutons if you'd like. I also like to drizzle on some lemon infused olive oil.

Serve with some crusty bread, good cheese and a mixed green salad. That's optional but it's what I do. And don't you want to do what I do?

You can't mess this soup up. I promise. No celery? Leave it out. Don't like dill? Leave it out. Basically you need some aromatics (onions and garlic are must-haves), salt, pepper, split peas and some sort of liquid. My 5 year old could make this if I let her use the stove by herself. Now - everybody into the kitchen and make some soup.

Plagiarizing Myself

I started out posting some recipes on my Facebook page and eventually decided to start this here blog. I still don't know what I'm doing here, really. But, if I must say so myself, I do know my way around the kitchen. Here's a recipe I created last Fall in an effort to use some things in the pantry (I stumbled upon a bag of organic pearl barley that I must have bought while in a daze because I honestly didn't remember purchasing it) and in desperation for a side-dish for dinner one night.

For me, side dishes (or main dishes) with a high fiber content are great - especially on Weight Watchers (note to self: now there's a source of blog posts!). Imagine my delight to learn that a cup of cooked pearl barley has only 193 calories, 1 gram of fat and 6 grams of fiber! It also delivers 12% of the RDA of iron and is a great source of Niacin, Manganese and Selenium.*

I scrounged around the fridge and came up with this recipe. It will work with any variety of vegetables and aromatics and is incredibly easy to make. Leftovers are delicious added to a leafy green salad.

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

Yields 4 very generous side servings

1 generous TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 or 6 large button mushrooms, halved then thinly sliced
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 3/4 cup chicken stock (preferably low sodium or sodium free so you can control the seasoning yourself)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

• Heat the oil over high heat in a pot large enough to accommodate the finished product (3 quarts is ample).
• Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and the onions are translucent - 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to release their liquid and shrink slightly in size.
• Add in the barley and stir to coat with the oil and allow the barley to toast for about a minute.
• Pour in the chicken stock, add in the bay leaf, and adjust seasoning. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer for 45 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff and top with the fresh chives.

*Thank you www.nutritiondata.com

Baby It's Cold Outside

My friend, Sarah, and I were recently having lunch on a typically cold and gray NYC day. We went to our local Mexican restaurant and decided to have the Chicken Lime Tortilla soup. It consisted of a passable chicken soup garnished with a lime wedge and tortilla strips. It really hit the spot on that frigid day but I felt it was missing something. So, of course, I decided to see if I could improve upon it myself. Because I'm always up for a challenge and what can go wrong with chicken soup?

Soon after that cold day, an e-mail from Sarah popped up in my in-box. It was a recipe for a variation of the tortilla soup that just happened to appear in The New York Times that day. I love coincidences. You can see it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/health/nutrition/04recipehealth.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y.

While I think this version sounds interesting, I really wanted one based on chicken soup. There's nothing like a good bowl of chicken soup (aka Jewish penicillin) when you're sick or missing your mommy or just damn cold. I tinkered around with my "traditional" soup recipe (generally reserved for Jewish holidays and bad bouts with the common cold) and came up with this version. Full disclosure - I did borrow the idea of nuking the tortillas instead of frying them since it cuts down on the fat and allows me to call this "healthy" too.

In keeping with my new favorite phrase the soup is definitely frugal and I think it's pretty freakin' fabulous. You can shred the chicken into the soup for a heartier meal. Or you can season it a little more and use it as a filling for quesedillas or the basis for a Mexican spiced chicken salad. Some of the guacamole from my previous entry makes a nice accompaniment with some chips, too.

I hope you like it. Oh, and have you guessed where I am yet?

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lime
Recipe is coming - I swear! Cut me some slack - I just got back from vacation. Make some guacamole or cupcakes while you wait.

It's a Green(Card) Christmas (now, with pictures)

My friends, Sid and Nancy (yes, you read that right), are having a holiday party tonight. Sid recently received his Green Card (hence the name of this post and their party theme) and to celebrate I decided to make some green food and bring it with us to the party. Although I recently learned that Green Cards are, in fact, no longer green. Thank you, Google.

What did we do before the Internet when we needed to know something IMMEDIATELY?

But I digress.

Most green foods are healthy and this was for a party. A holiday party. I wasn't going to bring grilled asparagus (although I did provide a recipe at the end of this post). I wanted to make something Festive. Fun. Delicious. Calorie-laden. So I made these:

These cupcakes are chocolate-y but not overpowering and, despite the two cups of sugar, not too sweet. They stand up nicely to almost any kind of icing - especially those that tend to be rich and/or sweet.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

Yields 24-28 standard sized cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Hershey's

For the cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

• Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line 2 twelve average capacity muffin tins with the liners of your choice.
• Stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl that will accommodate the entire recipe.
• Add in the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
• Stir in boiling water (the batter will be very thin - so thin you'll think you ruined it).
• Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way.
• Bake 22-25 minutes (it was exactly 22 minutes in my oven but times may vary).
• Allow to cool before icing.

For the frosting:
3/4 c unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 box (4 cups) confectioner's sugar
3-4 TBS milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Green food coloring - optional (unless of course these are for a party where the theme is GREEN)*
8 standard candy canes, crushed (place in a Ziploc bag, pound with a rolling pin and voila)

• Combine the butter and 1/2 of the sugar in a large bowl. Mix on medium to combine well.
• Add in the remaining sugar, milk and extracts and mix on medium until combined.
• Add in coloring if desired (or required)
  
• To beat out any bubbles that might appear in the icing and prevent a smooth finish (if you care for one) take a wooden spoon and sort of "mash" the icing until there are no more air bubbles visible.
• Icing keeps, covered in an air-tight container, 3-4 days.

To assemble:

• Ice each cupcake with the icing building up a slight rim or lip at the edge.
• Gently roll the edge in the crushed candy canes (spread them on a plate for easier access)

.

*Note: When it comes to food coloring I prefer the gels to the liquids. They are easier to deal with, more precise and produce more vivid colors (full disclosure - they're also more likely to stain as evidenced by my green fingernails -which are fine now). They are available in limited colors from Williams-Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com) or a variety of colors from Wilton (www.wilton.com).

As promised:

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan

Yields 4-6 portions as side dish

This recipe is a family favorite and a great "go-to" for a quick side-dish on a busy weeknight. It's also elegant enough to serve at a dinner party (I vaguely remember attending those in another lifetime) or holiday dinner.

1 1/4 lb asparagus (a good sized bunch - think 5-6 stalks per person)
1-2 TBS olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
A few TBS of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Wash asparagus and dry thoroughly (any excess water will result in steaming and we don't want that).
• Trim off the tougher ends of the asparagus - you can either break them individually at the point where they bend or just line them up and chop off about an inch or so from the bottom (guess which method I use?).
• Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste (I like these salty but remember the Parmesan will add more salt at the end). This step is great for child involvement - they'll love the tactile experience of the oil.
• Place the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, leaving room between the stalks so the air can circulate.
• Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the asparagus starts to brown, shaking the pan once or twice during the process.
• Remove from oven, place into a serving dish and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese which will melt from the heat of the asparagus.
• Leftovers (if there are any) are great on their own, served cold, chopped into a salad, mixed into cous cous or quinoa, tossed with pasta, as an addition in a quiche...

Frugal but Fabulous*: Holiday Cookies (and random musings)

Those of you who know me well know that I am the biggest Christmas loving Jew you'll ever meet. Imagine my delight in marrying a man who was Christian and Chinese. For the last 12 years I have not only been able to maintain the tradition long established by my people (Chinese Food + Movies = Christmas) but I also get *presents*. Really, it's the perfect storm of holiday goodness.

And, we can't forget Chanukah. A holiday the celebrates the wonders of oil. Presents and fried food. We Jews know how to par-tay.

Aren't the holidays wonderful? Sigh.

In the spirit of the season I give you my favorite cut-out cookie recipe. These cookies are easy to make and kid friendly, cost very little and are a great way to get into the holiday mood. They also fall under the Frugal but Fabulous banner: they make excellent and festive holiday gifts (think co-workers, teachers, your friendly US postal employee, etc.) in these trying times.

Don't worry about how they look. Just enjoy the process of making them. And, if you're making these with children, just savor the time you spend together.

Next time I will take step by step pictures. Cut me some slack, please. I'm new to this!

Everyone into the kitchen: it's time to get baking!


Basic Cut Out Cookies
Yields approximately 4 dozen 3" cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened so they yield to the touch, not melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon (if using) and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar together until very pale yellow and fluffy.
• Add in egg and vanilla and mix to combine well.
• Add in dry ingredients in 3-4 additions, mixing well in between each.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead to bring the dough together - it should be smooth.
• Divide into 3 equal parts and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill for at least 1/2 hour before rolling and cutting out shapes. Can be frozen at this point and used at a later date. Just place the wrapped dough into an air-tight container.
• Roll out to between 1/8 and 1/4" (1/4" are sturdier and easier to transfer to baking sheets). Either roll on a surface you don't mind coating with flour or roll between two pieces of parchment paper (much easier!!). Scraps can be chilled and re-rolled but will be a little tougher the more they are rolled.
• Bake 8-10 minutes, on ungreased sheets or sheets lined with parchment, until lightly golden.
• Cool on a wire rack and decorate if desired.

To decorate:
Option 1 - mix 1 egg yolk with 1tsp water and food coloring and "paint" the cookies (using watercolor brushes) before baking
Option 2 - lightly dab cookies with water and sprinkle on colored sugar before baking
Option 3 - once cooled completely ice with royal icing (1 box confectioner's sugar, 3 TBS pasteurized dried egg whites ("Just Whites" brand is carried by most grocery stores in the baking aisle) 4-8 TBS milk and 1 tsp vanilla, lemon or almond extract. Combine dry ingredients and then, using only 4 TBS liquid to start, blend together. The icing should be slightly thicker than Elmer's glue). Icing can be piped on using a pastry bag and tips or by placing in a Ziploc bag and cutting off a very small piece of a corner. Icing will harden on the cookies if left to dry overnight. While icing is wet you can sprinkle on colored sugar which will also dry. Icing takes well to coloring.

Note: These bake up the best when they're very cold before going into the oven. I usually refrigerate them for 15 minutes after I have cut them out before baking. This way the edges are very neat and the cookies don't spread when baking.

*Shout out to Debby for the catchy name. Check out her cool website at: http://www.debbygansphotography.com/