Between this weekend’s blustery storm, the washed up sea creatures (a humpback whale and a Kemp’s Ridley turtle), and the 4 p.m. sunsets, there was no mistaking we’re on an Island — and that it’s winter. Me, I’m compensating for the dearth of daylight with strings of tiny white lights (inside, not out), candles on the dinner table (not just two, but six), and a fire when possible.
And I’m comforting my soul by baking more holiday cookies. I’m a complete sucker for tradition, but I also like to try new cookies. So I tinkered around in the kitchen this week to create my own versions of a couple classics, and I reached out to friends for recipes, too.
I’m really happy with the way my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie came out. It took me two rounds to get just the right consistency, but the good news is that the first round made a perfect ice cream sandwich wrapper! (I've included both sets of ingredients, just in case...)
Next I needed an Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie (doesn’t everyone?) so I worked on that. Okay, “work” is debatable, but the visible results are not. Chewy, a bit salty, and sweetly delicious.
Then I went to the pros. I asked my friend Ann DeWitt, who has her own cookie business here on the Vineyard (Sweet Annabelle’s), to share her (Ag Fair-blue-ribbon-winning) Gingerbread Cutout Cookie recipe with us – and to show us a jaunty way to decorate them without getting fussy or having mad decorating skills. The results are so beautiful and cheerful. Have fun with these!
While I was talking with Ann about cookies, she mentioned she had a great oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie — and then brought me a sample. Turns out hers is moist and tender, a lot like an oatmeal cookie you’d get at a good bakeshop. (Plus it can take shredded coconut or dried cranberries, so it’s versatile.) I nabbed her recipe, so now we have a second oatmeal option – Bakeshop Oatmeal Cookies with Add-Ins. Make both and let us know which you liked best!
Lastly, I begged my friend Cathy Barrow, author of Pie Squared and When Pies Fly, to share her rugelach recipe, which she was only too glad to do. The recipe lets you choose a combo of jam and nuts for the filling; I made a batch yesterday with raspberry jam and pecans. They were so good they’re almost gone. Eating one is like eating a little slice of pie. We're making another batch this weekend.
Speaking of holidays, Hanukkah begins tomorrow night, giving me an excellent excuse to remind you about Noah Asimow’s delicious latke recipe, named for his dad Larry. If you're far from your family this holiday, read Passing the Latke Torch.
What else to eat during the holiday? I was thinking these Braised Short Ribs with Ginger, Coriander and Apricots would be nice. Or Braised Lamb Shanks Hunter’s Style.
Hanukkah or not, veggies should be robust this week. I’ve got a new take on roasted root veggies that I think you’ll like: Roasted Roots with Ginger Batons. I cut carrots, turnips, parsnips, and celery root into small chunks and crowd them into a roasting pan so that they steam and soften a bit in the first half of cooking. Then I douse them with maple-balsamic butter and a flurry of julienned ginger to help the browning and flavor along to the finish. You could eat these with just about anything, or on their own.
Tonight you’re invited to The Fifth Annual Readable Feast’s virtual cookbook awards at 5 p.m. (more below). We’ll see you there – or on Instagram!
Join The Readable Feast Cookbook Awards
This year, The Fifth Annual Readable Feast Festival will hold its cookbook awards ceremony virtually, on Wednesday, Dec. 9. from 5 to 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to register for the free event, and to vote on The People’s Choice award.
The culinary festival is designed to bring attention to our talented pool of New England food writers.
Vineyard cookbook author Catherine Walthers is one of the Readable Feast judges and will provide us with an insider peek at some of the winning cookbooks in next week’s Cook the Vineyard newsletter.
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