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Archive for December, 2011

Gougères

Posted in Appetizers, tagged , , , , on December 29, 2011| 10 Comments »

New Years Eve!  It’s that time of year when I get ready to open a bottle of champagne, nuzzle into a warm blanket with my hubby by the  fireplace, and watch people on television shiver in Times Square.  What?  Alright, I admit that we used to go out and tear it up, but for the last several years I’ve preferred the comfort of home and family to fighting the crowds and weather.  Now that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a few nice glasses of bubbly and good food on New Year’s Eve.  Honestly, if I could only choose one alcoholic beverage for the rest of my life, I would choose champagne EVERY TIME.  And every time I drink it, I make these incredible little gougères.

Gougères are little rich, perfect French pastries.  And since they’re French, they’re loaded with butter and cheese.  Basically they are  savory cream puffs.  They are crusty and golden on the outside and tender and eggy on the inside.  Pairing food with wine can be challenging, but matching these gougères with champagne is a no-brainer.  The cheese lends a wonderful saltiness, and the buttery richness of the pastry works so well with a good sparkler.  I’m telling you, the combination is divine.  If you can’t get your hands on a gruyere cheese, a nicely aged white cheddar is a good substitute.

As an added bonus, making them is almost fool-proof.  And it doesn’t take very long from start-to-finish to be nibbling on these little morsels.  Even better, you can make them ahead of time if you’re entertaining.  After the dough is made, drop them by a tablespoon onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet– no need to space them far apart– and freeze.  Once they are frozen, throw them all into a freezer bag and keep until you’re ready to bake.  Use them directly from the freezer, no need to thaw.  They will require a bit longer to bake this way, but they’re very convenient.  These are wonderful to keep on hand if you happen to want to have a glass at night with your spouse, after your children go to sleep (ahem).

The Recipe: Gougères

(makes about 2 1/2 dozen)

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

5 larges eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the butter, milk, water, and salt to a rapid boil.  Once it is boiling, add the flour all at once and vigorously stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Lower heat to medium-low.  It should form a ball quite quickly.  Once the ball has formed, continue to “dry out” the mixture for another minute over the heat.  A slight crust should have formed on the bottom of the pan.  Remove dough from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.

Add the dough to a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a wooden spoon).  Begin to add the eggs one by one, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another.  The dough will look as though it has separated, but rest assured that after the last egg is added, it will come together.  Lastly, mix in the shredded cheese.

Using a tablespoon, drop the dough onto the lined baking sheet.  Leaving about 2 inches between each of them.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the gougers are firm, beautiful golden brown, and have a wonderful smell to them.  If making them from the freezer, you will need to bake them a bit longer.  Enjoy these beauties warm or at room temperature and most definitely with a glass of champagne.

Source:  Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table

Thanks for stopping by today — may you all have a safe and wonderful New Year’s!

Laurie

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Double-Dark Chocolate Thumbprints

Posted in Dessert, tagged , , , on December 21, 2011| 6 Comments »

I intended to get this to-die-for cookie recipe to you earlier this week, but I’ve been (more than) a bit under the weather with a cold.  In any case, you still have a time to whip out a batch of these little treats.  Trust me here– they will not be passed over on the cookie platter.  The inspiration for these double-dark chocolate thumbprint cookies is chocolate mousse.  Is there anything better than chocolate mousse?  Anything?  I’ve tried to capture how light and airy they are in this picture of the batter.

The cookies crisp-up around the edges, yet stay soft and tender in the middle.  They’re almost like biting into a little pillow of chocolate.  And of course I’m a sucker for ganache, so these little gems are right in my wheel house.  My family and friends love these cookies, and I think you will too.

I’ll be on the road for the next few days, since we’re packing up the presents and the kids and traveling back to North Dakota to be with our families for the holidays.  I’m so excited!  Even the prospect of facing a nine-hour drive each way with a three and five-year-old can’t dampen my spirit– at least not yet.  The weather looks good, with no blizzards in the forecast.  Fingers crossed.   Happy holidays to all of you!

The Recipe:  Double-Dark Chocolate Thumbprints

(Yields about 2 1/2 dozen)

For the cookies:

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Sea salt, for sprinkling

For the chocolate filling:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, (1/2 cup)

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until blended after each addition, about 30 seconds, add the vanilla along with the last egg.  Continue mixing on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.  Add the cooled, melted chocolate and mix until just blended, about 30 seconds.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute.

Using a mini-scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Do not flatten.  Bake until the cookies are puffed and the tops are cracked and look dry, 10-11 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately make a small, deep well in the center of each of them using the end of a thick handled spoon or the back of a measuring spoon.  Sprinkle with sea salt while they are warm.  Let sit on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Meanwhile,  melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave.  Stir every 20 seconds until melted and smooth.  Let cool and thicken a bit.

When cookies are somewhat cool, fill them with the chocolate filling using a teaspoon.  If the filling becomes too thick, just microwave it for a few seconds longer.  The chocolate will completely set in the cookies within an hour.  They keep well in an airtight container for days.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from Fine Cooking Dec/Jan 2011

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It today!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with much happiness.  See you next week.

Laurie

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Stollen

Posted in Breakfast, tagged , , , , , , on December 14, 2011| 3 Comments »

Apparently this is the month I make treats that I’ve had in mind for years, but never gotten around to.  First it was this amazing chocolate mint cake that I thought about for a decade, now it’s a gorgeous stollen.  Hey, I’ve only lusted after this fantastic bread for 9 years.  I know many of you plan to entertain family and friends for the holidays, so put this one on your list.  It really stands out from the crowd.  This stollen is not only beautifully interesting, it’s absolutely delicious.  It’s loaded with good things like dried fruit, almonds, lemon and orange zest; and great things like…cognac!

The sweetness is very subtle, mostly coming through the dried fruits, though the icing is there just to make you want to keep coming back for another bite.  Though there’s a real heft, somehow the the bread stays so tender and almost delicate.  Don’t let the thought of dealing with yeast deter you here, either.  This bread may look or even seem a bit daunting, but it’s not.  The recipe is simple.  I used a stand mixer, though the entire recipe can be made in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.  It’ll take a little muscle power, but not much.  One of the reasons this bread turns out so brilliantly is due to not overworking the dough.

One final perk is that the stollen keeps well.  Of course I had a slice of it when it was still warm– because really, there was no stopping me.  It was incredible.  But here’s the thing, it was still incredible the next day and the day after that.   To store it, I simply applied plastic wrap around the cut ends and kept it in a air-tight container.  If you are busy and don’t want to deal with breakfast, this works perfectly.  Serve it along with juicy clementines and maybe even a mimosa.  Your guests will love you even more than they already do.

The Recipe:  Stollen

(makes one large wreath-shaped loaf)

5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for work surface

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup milk, warmed

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted plus 2 more melted tablespoons for brushing, plus more for bowl

1 1/2 ounces (2 envelopes) active dry yeast or 1 ounce fresh cake yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups currants soaked in 1/4 cup cognac or brandy

1 cup golden raisins and 1/4 cup dried cherries soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice

1 1/4 cups blanched almonds, chopped (see note)

3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

Zest of 2 oranges

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3-4 tablespoons orange juice

Note:  To blanch almonds place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Let sit for a minute.  Then begin to “slip” the peelings off of them with your fingers.  Don’t let them sit in the water too long, or they will become soggy.  It’s best to blanch the almonds in advance, so they have time to dry before being mixed into the dough.

In two small bowls — soak the raisins and cherries with the orange juice and the currants with the cognac.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan with the heat on medium, combine the butter and milk until melted.  Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, mace, and nutmeg into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  With the mixer on low, add the milk and butter.  Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.   Detach the paddle attachment and put on the dough hook.  On top of the dough, sprinkle the currants, raisins, and cherries along with their soaking liquids.  Add the orange zest, lemon zest, apricots, and almonds.  Turn on the mixer and “knead”  until everything looks combined, roughly 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to overwork the dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead by hand for a few seconds, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky.  Form a ball and place into a large buttered bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Punch down the dough.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a 16 x 24 rectangle and 1/4 – inch thick.  Starting with the long side,  roll the dough tightly into a long, thin cylinder.  Carefully transfer dough to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Form a wreath shape and join the ends together by pinching with fingers to make it stick.

Using a sharp kitchen shears, make cuts along the outside of the circle, in 1- inch intervals, cutting 2/3 of the way through the dough.  Twist each segment outward, forming a wreath shape.

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour. The dough all not rise all that much. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  Bake until golden brown and crusty, about 35-45 minutes.  Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.

Mix the confectioners’ sugar with the orange juice.  Drizzle over the stollen.  Serve warm, if desired.  Keeps very well in an airtight container and plastic wrap snug around the cut ends.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Holiday Baking Special Issue, 2002

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It today!

Laurie

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Triple Chocolate and Peppermint Cake

Posted in Dessert, tagged , , , , , on December 12, 2011| 3 Comments »

How does one measure patience?  As the mother of small children, mine (and to be fair, theirs) is tested daily.  But that’s not really what I’m talking about today.  I’m talking more about the ability to delay gratification, or to be patient enough to wait until the time for something is right.  Heck, maybe I’m not talking about that at all, but the point is, I’ve been patiently waiting to make this cake for a very long time.  I’ve  drooled over admired this recipe for a decade.  Seriously.  I’ve always known I was going to make it, and this year I finally decided the timing was right.  No more delayed gratification here– that’s the sort of patience I’m talking about.

So was it worth a 10-year wait?  Absolutely.  This beautiful cake is a stunner.  Not only does it look spectacular, it’s loaded with deep, rich chocolate flavor throughout.  The cake and glaze are primarily dark chocolate, while the center boasts creamy milk chocolate to vary the flavors.  It also perfectly combines refreshing mint– chocolate’s soul-mate during the holiday season.  The layering of the flavors is marvelous.  This decadent cake is the perfect ending to your holiday meal, so don’t wait a decade to make it.

The Recipe: Triple Chocolate and Peppermint Cake

(Serves 12)

Filling:

8 ounces good quality milk chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cake:

1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs,  room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped or miniature chocolate chips

Chocolate Glaze:

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet good quality chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

chopped peppermint candies for garnish

To make the Filling:  Place chocolate in a medium bowl.  Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Pour over the chocolate; add extract.  Let sit for one minute.  Whisk until smooth.  Let mixture sit at room temperature while cake is baking and cooling.

To make the Cake:  Position rack in the middle of oven.  Preheat to 350°F.  Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides by buttering, lining with parchment paper, buttering again, and dusting with flour.  Tap out excess flour.  Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl.   Set aside.  In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in both sugars, then vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.  Beat in the dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each.  Mix in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45- 50 minutes.  Be sure not to over bake.  Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes.  Turn out onto a rack.  Remove parchment paper.  Cool completely.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the filling until fluffy and lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Using a serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally in half.  Place 1 layer, cut side up, on rack set over baking sheet.  Spread filling over.  Top with second later, cut side down.  Chill for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze:  Stir chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted.  Mix in extract.  Cool glaze until just lukewarm but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup glaze over center of cake.  Spread over top and sides of cake.  Chill for 15 minutes.  Pour remaining glaze over the center of cake, then spread quickly over the tops and sides.  Sprinkle with peppermint candies.  Serve after the glaze has set and the cake is at room temperature.  Store at room temperature under a cake dome.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, December 2001

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Laurie

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Mexican Chicken and Hominy Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , on December 9, 2011| 3 Comments »

While we’re a few days closer to the holidays– and you’re probably expecting a sinfully decadent recipe– I’ve decided to shake things up a bit with this simple, wonderfully savory soup.  This winter warmer is one of my family’s favorites.  It’s modest, yet combines enough interesting flavors and textures to stand out.  For starters, can we talk about how fabulous smoked paprika is?!  I love the stuff.  And paired with the cumin in this soup, you get a real flavor explosion.  Add a little lime and cilantro, and you end up with a perfect, fresh complement to the spices.

The other key ingredient is hominy.  While I’ve been making this soup for a long time, I only recently switched from using the canned variety to dried hominy.  You’ve seen in previous posts that I always advocate using dried, rather than canned beans.  Well, I wondered if the same texture and flavor differences applied to hominy, so I had to give it a try.  Wow!  It really makes the soup that much better.  Dried hominy added a more ‘tooth-some’ (am I making up words again?) quality to the soup.  It’s firm (though not hard), and helps make the dish more substantial.  I won’t be going back to buying the canned version.

You may have to work to track down dried hominy.  I eventually found it in a local Mexican foods market.  The point is this– if you can find it, use it.  If not, the soup is still brilliant using canned hominy.  If you go the canned route, use about 3-4 cans, drained.  One thing to keep in mind, this soup will thicken more the day after it is made.  The hominy continues to soak up liquid, so you may want to add more broth on the following days if you have leftovers.  Make it– you’ll love it.  And as for those sweet recipes, I have a few up my sleeve for next week.  Have a great weekend!

The Recipe: Mexican Chicken and Hominy Soup

Serves about 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart canned crushed tomatoes

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

1  1/2 quarts chicken broth

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

juice of one lime

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the green bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeño in the olive oil until tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, hominy, chicken broth, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the hominy becomes tender, about 30-40 minutes.  In the last 10 minutes of cooking time, add the roasted chicken.  Doing so too early will cause the chicken to fall apart.  When the soup is done, stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.  Serve with tortilla chips and queso fresco, if desired.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Laurie

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Gingerbread with Cinnamon Icing

Posted in Dessert, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2011| 5 Comments »

Though chocolate is my favorite sweet, around this time of the year I love to bake with those warm, delicious holiday spices.  You know the ones I’m talking about– cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.  Along with their unique flavors, I love their warm, comforting aroma wafting through the house.   It wakes me up from the cold-weather coma that sets in in December and January.  Ok, that might be a bit dramatic, but I’m still trying to grapple with the fact that Winter is here.   This week Aria and I did our best to fight cold outside by staying in the kitchen to bake gingerbread with cinnamon icing.  It was perfect.

The flavor of this dessert is exactly what I was looking for– the rich molasses and spices are sublime.  If you really like ginger, you can grate it and combine it with the minced crystallized form instead of using the ground variety.  If you do so, you’ll want about three tablespoons of each.  Another nice thing about this gingerbread recipe is that is works equally well in regular regular cake form or in mini-bundts, like I chose to do.  They are the perfect make ahead sweet snack, and they keep well for several days in an airtight container.  The moist, tender texture alone is a nice change of pace from all the holiday cookies that come flooding in over the next couple of weeks.  If you really want the full experience, make a hot chai latte and curl up on the couch with one of these.  It makes watching the falling snow and wind-whipped trees so much better.

The Recipe:  Gingerbread with Cinnamon Icing

(Makes 24 mini-bundts)

2 1/4 cups sifted (9 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk  (can be made by mixing 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar into 1/2 cup milk — let sit for 10 minutes)

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

Cinnamon Icing

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2-3 tablespoons milk (you may need a bit more or less)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Position an oven rack to the middle.  If making mini-bundts, spray them with cooking spray or butter them.   An 11 x 7-inch pan or a 9-inch square pan can also be used; butter the bottom and sides and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, molasses, sugar, buttermilk, milk, and egg on low speed.  Add the dry ingredients and beat on medium until smooth and thick, about 1 minute.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  As with all cakes, do not overmix.   Pour batter into selected pan.

Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan, 12-13 minutes for the mini bundts and about 40 minutes for the 11 x 7-inch pan.  Remove mini-bundts from pan immediately and cool on racks.

To make the icing: mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon together.  Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, until you get the desired constancy you want.  You will want it so you can easily dip each mini-bundt into the bowl.  Let icing harden before serving.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from The New Best Recipes Cookbook

Thanks for stopping by!

Laurie

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Preserved Lemons

Posted in Savory, tagged , , , , on December 5, 2011| 15 Comments »

Here’s a recipe to make now and set aside for a month or so.  It’ll be ready for you (and you for it, trust me) once the holidays have passed.  Chances are you won’t want to think of another heavy meal or of holiday sweets by then, so these preserved lemons are a perfect addition to lighter fare.  Preserved lemons have a wonderfully pickled flavor and silky texture.  While they’re often found in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking, they’re so versitile that you can use them in most anything.  Officially, these little gems should be ready to use in about four weeks (though, I usually never wait quite that long).  Even better, since preserved lemons cost a fair amount at the market, when you make these at home you’ll not only get better flavors, but you’ll save money.

The entire lemon is used– rind and all.  Here are a few ideas for using their wonderful zing to brighten up your typtical meals.  They are wonderful finely chopped and mixed into sautéed vegetables, like green beans.  Mix them into couscous or rice and create a wonderful side dish.  Or, add thin strips to meats that are braising during the last few minutes of cooking.  They also pair wonderfully with roasted chicken or chicken salad, and are amazing with steamed fish.  You can even put them on a pizza with chicken and arugula for a change of pace.

However you choose to use them, make sure to not over-salt the original dish as the lemons will add a fair amount.  You may see a white substance develop on the lemons, but don’t be concerned.  This film is normal, and should simply be rinsed off with cool water.  Another thing to keep in mind is to use kosher or sea salt– table salt can add a harsh chemical flavor.   While I have yet to try it, I’ve read that the liquid the lemons are preserved in makes wonderful cocktails.  Bloody Mary, anyone?  Plan ahead and make these lemons now– by mid-January with its Winter darkness, they’ll be ready to brighten your meals.

The Recipe: Preserved Lemons

(Makes 1 quart)

About 1 – 1  1/2 pounds of organic lemons (make sure your lemons are wax-free)

2-3  quarts water, plus 2 cups

3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 dried bay leaf

sprinkle of black peppercorns

sprinkle of coriander seeds

A few tablespoons of mild-flavored olive oil

Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add the lemons and simmer for about 4 minutes to soften the skin.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Pack tightly into a sterilized quart jar.  You may need to cut them into halves or quarter to fit them all in.

In a small saucepan, combine the 2 cups of water, salt, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, coriander, and bay leaf together and bring to a boil.  Cool slightly.

Pour brine over the lemons and cover completely.  You will probably have brine leftover.  Coat the surface with olive oil and screw on the lid.  Age the lemons for about 4 weeks in a cool, dark spot.  Always use clean tongs or a fork (not your fingers) to remove the citrus from the jar.  Taste a piece and rinse under cool water if it seems too salty.  Refrigerate after opening.  Preserved lemons can be kept for up to a year, or more.

Source:  Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

As always, I love your company.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Laurie

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