Christmas in July

I love how my house smells today.  It's because my younger two boys like to bake. 

Lego Boy wanted Pfeffernusse and Hot Dog wanted Pizzelles.   These are traditional Christmas cookies around here, but I think our recent trip made them crave comfort food.  I had chemo yesterday so I said they could have them if they made them themselves.  Hot Dog needed a little support ("I'm best at taste testing and timing, Mom") but he managed to do everything himself except putting the batter on the iron.

So, for your own Christmas in July, here are two of our favorite Christmas Cookies.

 Pfeffernusse
(Little Pepper Nuts)

Pfeffernusse is a traditional Danish cookie, something my grandmother would make every year using her own mother's recipe.  It's a spicy crunchy little cookie.   Born in Denmark, Great Grandma's recipe began with "Use plenty big kettle".  This recipe is modified from the Betty Crocker Cookie Book, and doesn't require boiling molasses syrup.  It also doesn't risk breaking your teeth, like my old family recipe.  ;-)

1/2 cup shorting (butter, margarine, or oil)
1 1/2 cup molasses  OR 1 cup molasses + 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 drops anise oil + 1 Tbls hot water
3 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice OR ginger

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, molasses (and sugar if using it) and anise.
Mix in dry ingredients.

Make into bite size pieces and bake on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.  If using a convection oven bake at 325.  Remove while still hot.  They will get crunchy as they cool.


Notes and modifications:

If dough is to soft to handle, chill it for a bit.

You can vary the ratio of spices if you like.  Personally I prefer a little more pepper and a little less clove, so feel free to play with it.

These cookies may be made in to small bite size balls by hand, rolled out thick and cut with a pastry cutter, or if you're feeling up to it you can roll it and use tiny cookie cutters to make pretty bite size cookies.  Did you catch that they must be small and bite size?  They're very crunchy and you want to get it all in one bite.

These are a sturdy little cookie and store well in any container.

Some heathens dip these in powdered sugar when they're done.  I don't get it, but you can if you want.

Pizzelles
From "The New Book of Waffles and Pizzelles"

3 eggs
1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter  1/4 cup oil)
2 Tbls anise extract
1 Tbls ground anise seed
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour)

Beat butter (and oil, if using) with sugar, extract and anise seeds.   Beat in eggs.  Add baking powder and flour.

Bake according to your pizzelle maker's manufacturer's instructions.


Notes and modifications:

This is the traditional Italian version that I love.  If anise isn't your thing (you weirdo, you) there are many other variations.  The most basic of which is to just substitute vanilla for the anise.  Oooh, but using orange extract is really nice too.

These are very delicate cookies.  If you use half oil, they are a little sturdier.

To store I like the round cookie tins you can find at the thrift stores.  That protects them a bit more than a cookie jar.

If you make the vanilla ones you can also roll them around a form while they're still hot to make homemade ice cream cones, or around a rod for a cannoli shell.

If you want to be really fancy you can drizzle some dark chocolate on the pizzell.  They're yummy and pretty that way, but harder to store.

Rosemary Focaccia

My madrigal group hosted a benefit called "Appetizers A Capella" last weekend. My contributions were pizzelles and this Focaccia bread. I didn't realize until it was already a done deal that I had an Italian theme going.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread
(modified from Bread Machine Baking)

2 tsp yeast
3 cups whole white wheat flour
3 tbs gluten
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbs fresh rosemary or 1 tbs dried rosemary

Throw it all in the bread machine on the dough cycle, or mix and knead as with any bread. Should be a smooth soft ball of dough, add water during kneading if necessary. Allow to rise until almost double.

After first rising: Preheat oven to 425 (F) or 400 (F) for a convection oven
Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal. Knead and pat dough into a flat 1 inch thick disk. Let rise for about 30 minutes (may need longer depending on temperature)
Poke dimples with your finger all over the disk dough.
Pour over the top 1/4 cup olive oil, then sprinkle 2 tsp course salt

Bake at 425 F (or 400 F convection ) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 (F) (or 325 (f) for convection) for another 12 to 15 minutes. Top should be golden brown.

Serve warm or cool, sliced in wedges with bread dip


Notes and modifications:

This can be made with white flour, but regular whole wheat is a bit much
If you use white flour you don't need the gluten
If there is any left over you can cut it horizontally and make some nice grilled sandwiches out of it.

A husband who cooks

I'm part Italian, my husband is not. Ironically he's the one who makes this dish at our house. No matter how I try to doctor it up, his is better, so here it is.


Steve's Chicken Marsala

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 lb mushrooms, slices
3 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs olive oil + 2 Tbs butter
1/4 + cup Marsala wine
1/2 + cup chicken broth
dash of thyme
salt to taste

Slice chicken into cutlets and pound flat.
Mix flour, pepper and salt together in a pie plate.
Saute onions and garlic in 1 Tsp olive oil, remove.
Add 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs olive oil to skillet.
Dredge chicken in flour mixture and brown in oil and butter, remove.
Saute mushrooms in remaining oil, remove.
Add Marsala to skillet, scraping skillet.
Add broth and cook a couple of minutes.
Return onions and mushrooms and cook 1-2 minutes.
Return chicken, add thyme and salt and cook until sauce thickens.

Serve over pasta

Notes and modifications:

This recipe can be successfully doubled or tripled. To do so I use a casserole dish placed in a warm oven to collect all the bits as they are removed, and thicken the whole lot in the oven.

If you like extra sauce for the pasta, use extra chicken broth and marsala.

No one has ever complained if I add extra garlic.

When we lived on a boat and had limited supplies we successfully made this using a turkey breast, dehydrated mushrooms, and chicken bullion. It probably didn't taste as good as the regular recipe, but was damn good boat food.

Fagosa Bread

Here's another recipe from the Italian side of my family. This recipe came from an uncle via a cousin. (Although I can't vouch for how traditional it is. What the heck does Fagosa mean?)

This is good for an appetizer or a hostess gift. It looks like a high rising loaded foccacia bread.

Fagosa Bread

Mix:
1 Tbs yeast in 1/2 cup warm water

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
1 cup milk
3-4 cups flour

Let rise for 1 1/2 hr

Mix in yummy stuff - (here are some ideas, but don't limit yourself!)
celery
cheese (swiss, mozzarella, cheddar, ?)
sliced onions
sliced mushrooms
sliced olives
ham
sliced bell peppers
roasted bell peppers
dried tomatoes

Let rise 1/2 hr

Cover with cheese and bake at 375F for ~30 min.

Notes and modifications:

I made the base dough in the bread machine using 100% whole white wheat (+1 Tbs gluten/cup flour). When it was done rising I kneaded in olives, onions, peppers and sun-dried tomatoes by hand, topping it with mozzarella cheese and more sliced onions. It was pretty good, but I only got one slice before it was gone, so I'll have to make it again to be sure. Maybe next time I'll do cheddar, broccoli, onions, and ham.

When my cousin makes this she makes it into rolls, then freezes what doesn't make it through the first day - instant breakfast or lunch roll, brilliant!

PaPa's Bread

When I was a little girl, for the 3 yrs my parents were married for the second time, I got to spend some time with the Italian side of my family. Those times were great fun, and great eating. I hope to share with you some of the food I discovered through that side of the family.

This recipe is from my Italian great-grandfather. It's wonderfully crisp and chewy. It can be made into rolls, or used for pizza dough. Thanks to my lovely cousin for this recipe.

PaPa's Bread

6-7 cups unbleached white flour
1 pk quick dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/2 Tbs salt
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls sugar

Put yeast in water wait ~1min
Put in flour, salt, sugar and oil
Using bread hook mix on low for 15 min (or by hand until you're exhausted)
Let rise 1 1/2 hr.
Cut into rolls, or roll out for pizza dough
Let rise 30 min
Bake @ 375F 15 min.


Notes and modifications:

I have successfully halved this and made it with the dough cycle of the bread machine. For half a recipe, 1/2 package of yeast=1 1/8 tsp yeast.


I have made this with 100% whole white wheat instead of refined unbleached white flour. Using 100% whole white wheat makes a very heavy roll, but a fine pizza crust.

For healthier rolls try mixing in half whole white wheat. It's a decent compromise between amazing and healthy. Whole white wheat needs a little extra gluten, for every 1 cup of whole white wheat add 1 Tbs gluten. Remember that whole wheat can benefit from a little extra time to rise.

To make it as good as "PaPa", use the unbleached white flour, and eat healthy another day.