Vision Board

As the year winds to a close (and what a year it has been!), I have the rare pleasure of a few quiet days of reflection. This morning, I took some time to finish my vision board (in this case, a collage) which captures some of my thoughts, dreams and plans for the year ahead.

Creating a vision board is a great way to allow yourself to reflect upon your life and plan your next steps and longer term goals and dreams. It becomes a visual reminder of the things that matter to you in your quiet moments, and a beacon to pay attention to those parts of your heart and soul when life gets crazy. Pick any image for your meditation practice throughout the year and allow yourself to reconnect to yourself.

My friend, Patty, introduced me to her "prosperity chart" several years ago, and I've been creating my own ever since. Every January 1st, I spend a few hours charting out my path to prosperity for the coming year and beyond. Developing my vision board first has really inspired me to think differently about my goals for the coming year, which I'll reflect in writing in my 2010 prosperity chart.

I highly recommend these tools for keeping your life on track, under your own terms. They also become wonderful archives of the journey, the barriers faced and overcome, the dreams made into reality, and even the little tasks that amount to a lot over the course of a year.

Take some time to leaf through your magazine pile and look for inspiration on their pages. You might be surprised what new ideas and dreams are whispered to you!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Jam Thumbprint Cookies
(recipe by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa)

Our son adores these cookies. Just when I thought I might be nearly finished my Christmas baking, he called from university with a few requests, including these delicious little treats.

I watched Ina Garten make these on her show ("Barefoot Contessa") a few years ago, and they've been a regular in our home during the holidays ever since. These cookies pack really well in a cellophane bag tied with a beautiful ribbon. They make perfect hostess gifts and stocking stuffers.

You can probably use any kind of jam you like to fill the "thumbprints". I usually use seedless raspberry and apricot or mango. The cookies freeze well for a month and will last a couple of weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 lb (1 1/2 c.) butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
7 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot and/or mango jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until combined; add vanilla. Sift together salt and flour, and add slowly to butter mixture. Mix until dough comes together. Turn out on floured board and roll with hands into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

Roll dough in your hands into 1 1/4 inch balls (about 1 oz each). Dip each ball in the egg wash, then in coconut (press coconut a bit to help it stick to ball). Place ball on parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet. Press a small indentation at the top of each ball with finger, and fill with 1/4 tsp. jam. Bake 20-25 minutes, until coconut is golden brown and cookie is cooked through. Cool completely and store or serve.

Holiday Biscotti

Holiday Biscotti
(adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentis)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter (room temperature)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
3/4 c. pistachios or pecans, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. dried cranberries
1 c. white chocolate chips (to add to dough)
12 oz. white chocolate, melted (for dipping)
Coloured sugar crystals for decoration


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour and baking powder to blend. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Gently mix in cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips.

Form dough into a log about 12" long and 3" wide on the baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, place the log on a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, carefully cut into 1/2" to 3/4" thick slices. Place slices flat on baking sheet. Bake about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

Melt chocolate gently in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly. Dip half the biscotti in the chocolate, removing excess. Place on rack set over a baking sheet to catch the drips. Sprinkle with coloured sugar crystals. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month.

Enjoy with hot chocolate, tea or coffee.

Special Delivery

Special Delivery:

Warm Banana Bread & Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies

A dear client contacted me yesterday to request a special catering order for her friend who is recovering from heart surgery. A few years ago, when my client's father died, I arrived at her door with a similar package courtesy of my brother. She was hooked, and has ordered this special treat for friends in need ever since.

There's nothing quite like having warm, fresh baking delivered to your door. For me, seeing the delight on the faces of those receiving the gift is deeply rewarding.

To place an order, email me at jinjahcookie@sympatico.ca.

Lemon Almond Muffins

Lemon Almond Muffins

Continuing on the lemon theme from earlier this week, I pulled out a recipe I used to make quite often for Lemon Almond Muffins. I think Mom recorded this one while watching a cooking show many years ago.

It's almost unfair to call these little babies "muffins", as they are more like little cakelets (is that a word? If not, I think it should be). Dense and moist, these are unusual muffins. You'll notice the batter is different from any muffin you've made, as it is very dense and looks almost like bread dough when it comes together. This could be because there are no eggs in this recipe, plus it calls for cream of tartar, so the texture is quite different. You'll also note there is no salt in the recipe, but I use salted butter and find it works well. Be sure to not overmix the batter as you'll end up with tough muffins (that made me giggle...).

You can use two teaspoons to put the batter in muffin tins, but I find the tops look a little prettier when you use a medium sized ice cream scoop.

This is a lovely recipe to prepare as company is about to arrive. The fragrance of warm lemon and almond will permeate your house and create a welcoming, comforting atmosphere...and a hungry group of guests!

Lemon Almond Muffins

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. milk
1/8 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c. slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease muffin pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, milk, almond extract, lemon juice and zest.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add liquid mixture, stirring gently with a fork until just moist. Do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups to about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with slivered almonds, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges turn brown and tops of muffins spring back when touched. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pans and place on rack to cool completely, or serve when still warm.

Ever Lovin' Lemon Loaf

Mom's Ever Lovin' Lemon Loaf

My brother recently picked up a bunch of lemons on sale, then called me to ask what he should do with them. He truly has begun to channel our Mom.

He was thinking of trying Mom's Lemon Custard, the inaugural recipe on this blog (http://jinjahcookie.blogspot.com/2009/09/lemon-custard.html). I also recommended that he make Mom's wonderful Lemon Loaf, the best recipe for this loaf I've found so far.

I've adapted many loaf recipes by replacing shortening with vegetable oil, to remove the saturated fat. I find it usually works quite well in loaves, but decided to test on this recipe to be sure. You'll notice in the photo below that the loaf made with vegetable oil (left) turned out to have a much nicer shape and a lighter texture than the loaf made with shortening (right).

Loaf made with vegetable oil (left) and shortening (right)

My husband and fellow taste-tester agreed that there was no difference in flavour between the two loaves. Plus - and this is a bonus - you'll save yourself about 40 calories per loaf and a whack of saturated fat if you choose the vegetable oil option.

EVER LOVIN' LEMON LOAF

Loaf Batter:

1/3 c. vegetable oil or shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Glaze:

1/4 c. white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

To prepare cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of a regular loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.

Beat together oil or shortening with sugar; add eggs one at a time, then add salt. Reduce mixer speed and add milk, mixing gently until combined. Add flour, baking powder and lemon rind all at once. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl with spatula. Do not overmix or cake will be tough.

Pour batter into loaf pan and let sit for 2 minutes, then place in oven and bake for 50 minutes or until done. Remove cake from oven.

To prepare glaze:

Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and strain seeds and pulp. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Spoon glaze over hot cake while still in loaf pan. Let glaze soak into loaf in pan for 30 minutes, then remove to a rack until completely cooled.

To store:

Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Serve cool or bring to room temperature.

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

This weekend has blessed us with warm, sunny days - a rare pleasure for early November. I somehow managed to keep myself inside long enough to develop this incredible soup - modified from a recipe from the Holiday 2008 issue of Food & Drink - and I must say, it is absolutely fabulous.

I'll admit that I'm not a fan of parsnips, so was a little unsure of how they'd taste in this recipe. Mom used to cook parsnips to accompany roasts, but I never ate them as I didn't find their strong aroma very appealing. However, the sweetness of the sweet potato and cinnamon in this soup seem to welcome the sharpness of the parsnip, resulting in a wonderful balance. The addition of the lentils adds a dense creaminess and a hearty dose of protein.

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 c. sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 c. Yukon Gold or red potato, peeled & chopped
1 1/2 c. parsnip, peeled & chopped
1 c. split red lentils
7-8 c. chicken or vegetable broth
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes; add garlic and spices (except bay leaf), stirring to toast for a minute.

Add sweet potato, potato and parsnip; stir. Add broth, lentils and bay leaf, stirring well. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft.

Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add more broth to loosen, if necessary. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Reheat gently; do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy.