Aunt Molly Cookies (Popadelli)

Aunt Molly was tall, that I remember. We went to her home on a few occasions, but she visited us only once to my recollection, but what a visit. She prowled around our woods one afternoon and brought in these leafy plants, they resembled a rhubarb, but weren't red. I know now they are in the thistle family, and called cardoons. She stripped the leaves and trimmed the woody stems, sort of like you would trim celery, peeling the stringy outsides off. Then she cut them into 4" pieces and dipped them in egg, then flour and fried them. They were wonderful. I don't think I ever had them again. I tried unsuccessfully to plant thistle here in Memphis, but to no avail. Cardoons are just a memory.
However, on that same visit, Aunt Molly baked cookies. I didn't watch her do this, but remember the sweet crunch of these cookies. They were unlike anything I had ever eaten. They were a little complicated for me as a 12 year old, but my mom would make them pretty often, and we fondly called them Aunt Molly Cookies. Many years later when I was a student in Boulder, I walked into this small shop and there was a huge jar on the counter filled with Aunt Molly Cookies. I couldn't believe it. They called them Biscotti, I had never heard them referred to as that. So I shelled out $2 for nothing but disappointment. When my weekly phone call home rolled around I told my mom about them, what they were called and how awful they were.
So here we are many years later, and I am baking Aunt Molly Cookies. The aged recipe is written in her handwriting which is as tall and perfect as she was. I do it a few times a year, and this time I decided to try a few changes. The original recipe follows, with my little changes. I tried both batches with the addition of rice flour. King Arthur has a biscotti cookie mix that Lori sent me and it is so good, I tried to figure out how to make them ourselves. The only odd ingredient was rice flour and I assumed it was to make the crumb a little more delicate and crunchy. I like the taste of Aunt Molly's, but I had a hard time getting that crunch. I also used the grocery brand of Anise extract and used a half teaspoon. It wasn't enough for that pronounced flavor I love. The traditional needed a full teaspoon on anise extract.
I have in the past used Pure Anise Oil, in which case a little dab will do ya. It is way too potent, and one drop too much is like mouthwash. I have seen recipes that use Sambucca for that anise flavor, but I think the extract works well.
The second batch I made I substituted the white sugar and added brown sugar. There is a cookie called Biscoff, if you fly Delta you know what I'm talking about. I decided brown sugar is what gives those little jewels their crunch and flavor, so I skipped the anise and added vanilla. Both results were delicious. The biscotti made with only brown sugar looked no different than the originals, but perhaps a little sweeter.
I have slowly started replacing my insulated cookie sheets that I have used for 12 years. The traditional sheets I bought cook much faster and the bottoms get brown very quickly on lower racks. So I have a little relearning to do. I think I would like the first baking on the insulated sheet, and the second baking on the traditional sheets so they brown nicely. This same recipe runs on Epicurious.com, but has twice the amount of butter which would make them more of a cookie designed for the American palate.
Aunt Molly Cookies
1/4 lb. butter
3/4 cup sugar (brown sugar tastes great too)
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. white flour
3/4 c. rice flour (you may use all white flour)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon anise extract (use vanilla for a more subtle cookie)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream butter, add sugar and then eggs. Add sifted dry ingredients.
Roll dough into 2 long logs and bake at 370 until light brown. About 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool on rack about 10 minutes and then slice into 1/4" slices on the diagonal and bake about 5 minutes on each side to crisp them.

That Tangy Zip...

We are a house divided. Mayonnaise (me and Christina) or Miracle Whip (Scott and Nic). Never the 2 shall meet. I say the Whip is too sweet, the boys say mayo is too creamy. Let's face it, it is rare for anyone to cross that line. But I have Miracle Whip on the shopping list for a new reason. The Miracle Whip facial!
There's nothing new about using kitchen ingredients for beauty. I have rinsed my hair in vinegar many times,tried the egg white facial mask, olive oil hand conditioner, mayonnaise as a hair conditioner, even brushed my teeth with strawberries once. You have to throw away the toothbrush because of all those little seeds, I don't even remember why I did it. Anyway, this week I came across a news bit in a magazine praising the benefits of the Miracle Whip facial. So naturally, I googled it and found some really interesting posts. The best is here. The original post was put up March 2006, and the most recent comment (mine) is Feb. 8, 2009.
So here's the deal, slather Miracle Whip all over your face, avoiding the eye area. Some readers also put it on their lips, most mayo eaters will opt out of that. Relax for 20 minutes, do not breathe deeply, because it stinks like Grandma's macaroni salad. After 20 minutes, wipe gently with a dry washcloth and then rinse and wipe your face clean with warm water. People were amazed at the dead skin coming off their face. I didn't have layers of skin come off, but after drying my face, there was a little "zingy" feeling, probably from the vinegar, but my skin was as smooth and soft as a babies. Amazingly smooth. Really. So I'm doing it again tonight, and every night for a week. I can't wait to see what happens. I'll either look like a 21 year old, or my face will be covered in pimples. I'm also thinking of putting it on my extremely dry feet, I'll let you know how miraculous that is.
Post Script: January 2010. I kept up the facial for a solid week. I never really got accustomed to the stink, but every night my face was so smooth, crazy smooth. Toward the end of the week however, my skin was a little sensitive which is one adjective I never use to describe my hide. I think the best way to do this is maybe every other night, and then just maintenance. Sounds rather invigorating now, 11 months later, I just may raid the fridge tonight. Happy New Year!

Mama Mia Meatballs!

There's nothing like a cold snap to get the soup simmering. At Thanksgiving I made The Barefoot Contessa's Italian Wedding Soup, and it was delish. So I decided to go for it again, with a few changes, of course.

Tonight, I made the meatballs. Now I appreciate what goes in to making these recipes user friendly, but when it calls for 3/4 lb. ground chicken and I buy it in a prepackaged 1lb. package, you have to make some changes. So the recipe that follows is my version. It's just a little easier to use up what you buy, right? The meatballs are kinda dangerous though. They smell fabulous, cook quickly and you can pop 'em in your mouth without even really thinking about it. Which is why I always fight my weight, I never think about those things!
T
he chicken sausage I use is links from the Fresh Market, they are yummy, and easy to slip the casings off. And the recipe calls for 2 kinds of cheese. I buy my Parmesan Reggiano by the 5# wedge, so why would I deviate from that? I also like to shred it with the bigger holes of the grater rather than the fine powdery grate. I want to taste the most expensive ingredient after all! So combine the mixture and use a small 1" scoop so your meatballs are uniform and line your baking sheets with parchment so clean up is a snap! The original recipe says it makes 40, my version which really isn't a double makes 90. So plenty for the soup, and a few to freeze for a quick pasta. Also, after a day in the fridge, you'll find the tortellini soak up a good amount of the broth, so have extra on hand to keep the soup, well,soupy!
Of course no soup should be without something to mop up the sauce. So I went back to the bread recipes and did some tweaking. Watch for the next post on the bread success and failures.

Italian Wedding Soup
adapted from Back to Basics Barefoot Contessa
1# ground chicken
1# chicken sausage (4links)
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 c. fresh Parmesan, shredded
6 T milk
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Combine and drop. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. You better eat one to make sure they are done. Cool and chill until you are ready to make soup. They also freeze beautifully.

Soup
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrot
3/4 c. chopped celery
2T olive oil
10 cups chicken broth
1/2 c. white wine
7 oz, bag dried tortellini
2 T. chopped fresh dill
Meatballs
Fresh Spinach
Fresh ground pepper

At least a half hour before dinner, start the soup. You begin with the aromatics. Celery, carrots and onions sauteed in a little olive oil. You don't want to brown them, but sweat them so they release their flavors. You then add the stock and white wine. I usually do this step early and let the broth simmer with the veggies for a few hours. The broth will reduce, and I then pop the lid on after an hour. The veggies get soft and the flavors really marry. Bring the soup to a boil before you add the tortellini, and when they have cooked, add the dill and meatballs. I like more spinach than the rest of my family, so I generally put a handful in the bottom of my bowl, and then ladle the soup over it. Wonderful! I never season my soup with salt if I use canned broth, and I prefer my pepper fresh ground on the top. A glass of wine, a hunk of bread, dinner is served. Healthy, light, delicious.