Grandma Gert’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

My late Grandmother was one of the finest cooks I’ve ever known.  Everything she made just sparkled with good, homely goodness.  She made excellent pickles, pies, salads, lefse, rommegrot, and cookies.   I sometimes feel a little sad that I won’t ever be able to eat her food anymore.  No one has been able to replicate the quality of food that she created. 

These cookies are good representation of her style.  They are a solidly good cookie that just feels so comforting in your mouth.  There’s a bit of tang from the sour cream as well.  These are the type of cookies that I think, if made for your kids, would be remembered by them as something that symbolized their childhood.   

Here’s the recipe.  The recipe is written as my grandmother hand wrote it to my family.  My additions are in brackets.

Grandma Gert’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

Cream good.

Add 3 eggs.

Stir good.

Add 1/2 cup sour cream.

Stir good.

Add 4 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

[Mix all dry ingredients together first and then add to the butter/egg mixture in 3 additions.  Mix the vanilla into the butter/egg mixture before the dry goods are added.]

Let stand a couple hours [at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap].

Make in balls, press with sugar coated glass, press down good.  [Dust with more sugar; for a festive look, use dyed sugar.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet for 11 minutes or until they are just done.  They will not necessarily have brown around the edges.  In fact, if they do, you probably overcooked them.  Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.]

And here’s a picture of my grandmother with her husband Bill, my parents, and my nephew. 

Dinner at the Black Forest Inn

It’s no secret that I like German food.  It’s hearty, it’s comforting, and it is undeniably meaty.  What’s not to like?  It’s like comfort food on crack.  So I never shy away from eating at a German restaurant.  Where else are you going to get schnitzels, spaetzle, and potato pancakes? 

The danger with German food, of course, is that when made poorly, the food is rather unrefined and just plain heavy.  It’s like French Fries.  Made properly, they are light and crisp and not the least bit greasy.  Made poorly, and they are limp and greasy bits of potato that have no character.  That latter description is how I feel about the Black Forest Inn.  The food was just sort of bad.  I ordered a special for the holidays: a sausage plate with a bratwurst, a “Christmas” sausage, and a chicken curry sausage.  It came with your choice of side (I chose a potato pancake) and rye bread.  For dessert, I had an apfelstrudel.  I’ll address each of those items in turn.

But before I get to my entree, let me explain the bread service at the Black Forest Inn.  Prior to the entrees, the table is (free of charge) given a basket of bread-rye and some small white bread rolls.  The bread was fine but nothing to write home about.  But what frosted me was the fact that I got rye bread for free while I was paying for it as part of my entree!  I think it very bad form to offer something for free but keep it part of something you have to pay for.  It’s either free or it isn’t.  Restaurants shouldn’t blur the issue. 

My entree itself was passable.  The sausages were fine but not memorable.  Apparently, there is a sausage master who makes the sausages in house.  Maybe I just don’t know enough about sausages but they seemed so ordinary.  I just expect more from a master German sausage maker.  Plus, the menu said to ask for a side of mustard, so I did.  The server proceeds to bring out two mustards: a house mustard (which was a pleasant sweet/hot combination) and Grey Poupon.  Why would a German restaurant serve a French mustard?  It just doesn’t make sense.  Perhaps if it was requested, it could even be present on the table but to bring it out as a matter of course is simply silly.  Quite disappointing, really.  The potato pancake was just plain weird.  It was obviously deep-fried instead of sauteed or pan fried.  And the inside was so dense that it was more like a potato cake than a pancake.  It wasn’t bad but it was just strange. 

And the apfelstrudel was just the same.  The flavors were fine but the puff pastry was just awful.  There wasn’t a hint of crispness or flakiness to it.  It was just heavy and doughy, especially in the middle of it. 

I’ll just say dinner was fine but considering the price, I can’t really say it was worth the money.  Here’s some pictures:

Roast Kosher Chicken

Luckily for me, I received a real roasting pan for Christmas.  I mean a heavy gauge, stainless steel model with serious handles and a sturdy rack.  It’s really a beautiful thing.  Why did I want it?  Well, to roast meat and be able to make delicious sauces afterwards, why else? 

My first foray into this roasting thing involved something I have never cooked before, a kosher chicken.  I am not Jewish and I do not pretend to understand anything about koshering food.  All I can say is that I’m pretty confident that chicken was salted in some way before I got it.  I thought that was the case so I rinsed it before I put in in my roaster and stuffed it with a lemon, rosemary, lavender, and garlic.  I salted it a bit too, I just couldn’t help myself.

I then roasted it using a technique from the Joy of Cooking.  You lay the chicken on it’s side and then turn it after awhile and then eventually cook it breast side up.  I have to admit, it made for a pretty juicy and tasty bird.  The white meat of the breast was not dried out at all but since I was using a new kind of chicken and a new roasting method, I can’t say for sure what made the chicken stay moist and juicy.  Most likely, it was both. 

After the chicken came out, I took it out of the roaster, and then started on the pan sauce.  First, I deglazed the pan with sherry (real sherry, not that hideous supermarket kind) and then reduced chicken broth in it.  It made a really tasty, if just a bit salty, au jus type sauce.  As you’ll see in the picture, it was a bit loose and I could have reduced it longer.  But, I have some really delicious bread from the Turtle Bread Company and I wanted a lot of juice to sop up. 

Anyway, dinner was delicious.  I accompanied the chicken with Green Beans with Citrus Zest.  Here’s some pictures.  The first is the roasted chicken in the roasting pan and the second is the plated dish. 

And here’s the recipe:

Roast Kosher Chicken

1 4 lb kosher chicken

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 lemon, quartered

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs lavender

Olive oil

1/4 cup sherry

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub with a bit of olive oil.  Stuff cavity with garlic, lemon, rosemary, and lavender.  Truss the chicken if necessary.  Place the chicken on it’s side on the roasting rack and place in the oven for 25 minutes.  Then, flip the chicken over so it is resting on the other side and roast for another 25 minutes.  Then place the chicken breast side up and roast until the internal temperature of the deepest part of the thigh is 160 degrees.  (If you insist on well-done chicken, cook it to 170). 

Remove the chicken from then oven and let it rest on a cutting board, tented with foil.  Place your roasting pan over two burners set at medium high heat.  Pour the sherry (carefully, please) into the pan and let it reduce to a glaze while scraping up all those brown bits in the pan with a wooden spoon.  Then add the chicken broth and reduce to your desired consistency.  Cut the chicken up and pour the sauce over it and serve. 

Vikings Defeat Bears

I went to the Monday Night Football game a few nights ago.  It featured my favorite NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, battling the much-maligned Chicago Bears.  Of course, when I bought the tickets for the game, I very much expected that the Bears would be the superior team and the Vikings would have had, at most, 3 wins.  Needless to say, I had a very pessimistic view the Vikings prior to and during most of this season. 

Despite my lack of faith, however, the Vikings have won five games in a row.  I find this to be the second most amazing fact about this NFL season (the first is that the Patriots are 14-0, only the second team in NFL history to have such a record).  After considering the facts that they cannot stop the pass, rush the quarterback, or field a seasoned NFL quarterback, it is quite an accomplishment that the Vikings have managed to win five straight.  Sure they can run the ball and stop the run but that is no guarantor of NFL success.  Just look at the Vikings last year.  But with the woefully green Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, there was absolutely no expectation of success. 

Somehow, however, Jackson has managed to turn himself into an average NFL quarterback.  Of course, that is quite an improvement from the “deer in the headlights” quarterback that he was for much of this season.  And with the improved quarterback play, the Vikings won the four previous games before playing the Bears on Monday night. 

Then, while playing the Bears, Jackson reverted to deerlike form and threw three interceptions.  I can only take heart that the Vikings still managed to win the game through some very stout defense (even if it was against Kyle Orton, who probably hadn’t played an NFL snap since the preseason).  Perhaps I can have just a bit of hope in the Vikings after all.  Here’s some pictures from the game:

Eggnog

 

It’s unfortunate, even cruel, that homemade Eggnog is so fat-laden to make it impracticable as an everyday beverage.  For I have rarely had as much pleasure as I had while drinking it last night while wrapping some presents.  It is frothy, rich, clean, and unbelievably light.  It’s like drinking the foam of the gods, if you will.  And it is nothing like those insipid grocery store varieties.  Those are sugar laden and chemically thickened monstrosities that have only a fraction of the flavor contained in this homemade recipe.  This is definitely something that is accessible to make at home and something that, if you’re going to have eggnog, should be made at home.  It’s that good.  Make it a new holiday tradition. 

My recipe is below.  It’s based on Alton Brown’s Eggnog recipe.  I made a few modifications but essentially, it’s the same recipe.  Here it is:

Eggnog

4 eggs, separated

1/3 cup plus 1 T sugar

2 cups half and half

3 oz (or more to taste) Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky

1 tsp grated nutmeg

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks until lightened in color with a hand mixer.  Slowly incorporate 1/3 cup sugar into the eggs beating constantly.  Add the half and half, bourbon, and nutmeg.  Beat until well combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or another bowl), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  (Note, if using your hand mixer, be sure to rinse your beaters between jobs.)  Add the remaining 1 T sugar and then beat until stiff peaks form.  Add the egg yolk mixture to the egg whites and mix until combined.  Drink immediately. 

1st Meatloaf Post at the Meatloaf Sandwich Club

You can see it here. 

Ribeye Steaks with Scottish Ale Reduction

Don’t have much to say about this recipe.  I had some Granite City Food and Brewery Scottish Ale beer in my fridge and a New York Strip steak and I wanted to use them together.  The steak was fine and the sauce was too, I suppose.  It had a nice sweetness from the beer but, and I rarely say this, it seemed a bit salty for my taste.  I almost think I would cut out the soy sauce the next time and perhpas add some beef broth for additional richness.  But, it really wasn’t bad at all.  Here’s the recipe:

Ribeye Steaks with Scottish Ale Reduction

1 rib eye steak (12 ounces)

4 ounces Scottish Ale style beer at room temperature

1 shallot, minced

1 ounce soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil

Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.  Heat a saute pan over medium high heat (cast iron would be fine).  Put about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and let it heat till it just begins to smoke.  Place the steak in the pan and cook until your desired doneness.  Only flip it once, however, and don’t move it around while cooking.  Meanwhile, mix beer, soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, and dijon mustard in a small bowl.  When done, remove the steak and tent with aluminum foil.  Place the shallots in the pan and let them cook for about a minute.  Add the beer mixture and let reduce until it is almost syrupy.  Spoon the sauce over the steak and serve. 

Magic Cookie Bars

 This recipe comes to me via Rebecca Celis.  This, along with the recipes for Buckeyes and Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, were, I thought, classic family recipes of the Rebecca’s family that had somehow been created by said family.  However, while transcribing the recipe for Magic Cookie Bars from the photocopy of a page from a cookbook I had helped to compile for her, I noticed a number of unique things about this recipe.  Foremost was the recipe’s insistence that I use Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk.  Odd, I thought, why the specificity in this recipe?  Such attention to this kind of detail is lacking in most (if not all) of the other family recipes I had encountered.  The second clue was the addition of measurements by weight for some of the ingredients.  Odd again, I thought, since Rebecca’s family are not bakers who use weight as way to measure ingredients. 

So my curiosity was piqued enough to where I needed to see where this recipe came from.  Unsurprisingly, the recipe comes straight from Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.  Here’s the link to the company recipe.  And alas, according to the Eagle company, it is The Eagle Brand best loved classic.  Well, I can see why.  These bars are rich, sweet, chewy, and delicious.  Here’s the recipe:

Magic Cookie Bars 

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) semi-sweet morsels

3 1/2 ounces (about 1 cup) flaked coconut

1 cup nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 13 x 9 pan, melt butter.  Sprinkle crumbs over butter.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.  Top evenly with remaining ingredients.  Press down gently.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool thoroughly before cutting.  Store loosely covered at room temperature. 

Dream Bars

Dream bars are quite possibly (with the exception of an exceptional lasagna recipe) my favorite recipe from the Joy of Cooking.  I am not surprised that the cookbook crows that many a copy of the the cookbook has been sold on the strength of that recipe alone.  These bars just simply rock.  They are chewy with a hint of crispiness and just sweet enough with a citrusy icing.  The middle layer is a perfect mix of crunchy nuts and chewy coconut.  They’re fabulous.  For some reason, though, I only make these bars at Christmas.  I should really consider making these year-round.  Here’s the recipe:

Dream Bars 

For crust:

4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 T sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 tsp vanilla

For topping:

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

1 cup flaked or shredded sweetened coconut

2 large eggs

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 T all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

For icing

2 T unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

Line an 11 x 7 inch or similar 2 quart rectangular baking pan with greased aluminum foil, allowing it to overhand the 2 narrow ends of the pan by about 2 inches. 

For the crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until very fluffy and well blended.  Stir in the flour and then knead the dough until it is well-blended and smooth.  Firmly press the dough into the pan to form a smooth even layer.  Bake for 10 minutes; set aside to cool slightly. 

For the topping:  Toast the nuts and coconut in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet until the coconut is very lightly browned, 7-10 minutes.  In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla on medium speed until well-combined.  Stir the nut mixture into the egg mixture.  Spread the mixture evenly over the baked layer.  Baked until the top is firm and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slihgtly wet, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove the pan to a rack to cool slightly.

For the icing:  While the bar is still warm, stir together the remaining ingredients.  If necessary, stir in some warm water to yield a spreadable consistency.  Spread the icing evenly over the top.  Let stand until completely cool and the icing is set.  Using the overhanging foil as handles, lift the bar to a cutting board.  Carefully peel off the foil Cut into bars. 

Buckeyes

Ah, the Christmas season is upon us and for a person like me that means food and a lot of it.  Holiday parties, Christmas Eve, and Christmas day all offer excellent opportunities for periods of extended debauchery and merriment.  I really am looking forward to the sheer hedonism of it all. 

An essential part to the holidays, however, are the Christmas cookies.  They have such an elemental, almost visceral, appeal to them that undoubtedly stems from those cherished childhood memories of sprinkling colored sugar atop sugar cookies.  My plan is to make about 5 or 6 varieties of cookies this year to share with my friends and family. 

This first recipe is richness itself.  It is chocolate and peanut butter and they’re wonderful.  They are called Buckeyes because they resemble the fruit of the Ohio Buckeye tree, which incidentally, is the state tree of Ohio.  Traditionally, the ball of the peanut butter filling is made and then dipped in chocolate so that it is completely covered except for a small round area.  This is the “eye” part of the confection.  I liked the look of that but when dipping the confections, one usually uses a toothpick stuck into the ball.  When removing the toothpick, however, after coating, there is a hole left in the candy.  At that point, you can leave it and have a “marred” candy or you can repair it by hand.  That last bit is a little too labor intensive for me so I came up with a third way: drizzling the leftover chocolate over the buckeyes for a lattice type effect.  Sure, not quite traditional, but I think they look rather nice.  Here’s a picture:

And here’s the recipe:

Buckeyes

recipe courtesy of Jenny and Frank Fullin of Ohio

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1 pound powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz chocolate (chips are fine)

2 T shortening or 1/2 bar parrafin wax

Work together peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  A stand mixer works very well for this.  Roll the dough into small balls.  Refrigerate overnight.

Melt the chocolate and shortening or parrafin over a double boiler or microwave.  use toothpicks to dip balls into chocolate and put on waxed or parchment paper.  If desired, drizzle remaining chocolate over the candies.  Refrigerate one hour or so before serving.