The Delightful Aroma of Cinnamon Flavored Piggies Perfumes the Air!

Right before Christmas, Allison sent me an inquiry as to whether we carried Canela, Mexican Cinnamon (aka Ceylon Cinnamon). Delighted to hear from my dear old friend, Yes, was the answer!

As it turns out, Allison was on the hunt for the ingredients to a Mexican cookie, called Piggies.

A real Mexican treat, a well made Piggie is practically impossible to find anywhere in the US, outside of LA.  With this prospect in mind, Allison thought…whipping-up a batch would make a great holiday surprise her husband. (How nice is that?)

Heaven- Piggies & Glass of Milk

As we can see, the cookies were a major hit!  Who knew, heaven would be discovered in New Jersey!

One of the cool things about this recipe is the use of ingredients: Mexican cane sugar, Piloncillo and Ceylon Cinnamon.
The rich dark cane sugar lends the recipe depth while the  perfumed lighter taste of the cinnamon lends a touch of polish.
Aromatic, chewy and sweet, this cookie is perfect with a tall cold glass of leche or a nice hot cup of coffee.

As we were walking through the recipe and chatting about food, Allison and I got to talking about cooking and painting.

          “In my studio, we tend to use cooking analogies when we paint”

Allison's portrait of her daughter

As Allison and I were chatting, we realized there was a lot of overlap with how we created “things”.

Both cooking and painting are sensory experiences that seem to have a lot in common. As, Allison pointed-out
“paint can be gooey and buttery”, so it feels a lot like cooking when you work with it.

Gorgeous, Sensuous, Stuff

Or, who hasn’t felt just a tad artsy when a pretty plate of nicely dressed summer vegetables comes together?

For example, we both use layering: the painter to achieve color and effect the cook  to accent, contrast or build nuanced flavor.

We both used specific techniques to achieve a particular effect:  for Allison careful preparation of the canvas is critical to creating the right surface for the paint. For spice blends, codifying “order of addition” of a blend’s ingredients can be a major determinate of the flavor profile.

After a few minutes, it was pretty clear that in either expression: panting or cooking, a clear grasp of technique, a systematic approach to problem solving and a commitment to one’s point of view liberates the work to stand on its own.

Texture, Color, Aroma

As real friends are apt to do,we realized our approach to our craft came from a similar mind set. In order to improve, you really need to keep an open mind, experiment and welcome new ideas. Plus, there’s that other element of practice, which is the joy of doing something you love!

Thanks Allison for a nice set of photos and an interesting conversation!
AND… my apologies for taking an age and a half to post your interview.

Our Palette to Palate Category is an interview series with artists who cook. If you would to contact Allison, please send your email to kf@julietmae.com and we will be happy to  it send along.

PIGGIES  (as sourced from Pati’s Mexican Table )
Makes 30 medium sized cookies (with aprox 4″ cookie cutter)

Cute & Oven Ready3/4 cup water

INGREDIENTS

12 oz piloncillo, chopped or grated, or substitute for 1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 true or Ceylon cinnamon stick, 2″ to 3″ length.
2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour, may need a bit more
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
Butter to grease cookie/baking sheet
2 to 3 tablespoons all purpose flour, a bit more or less, to roll out the dough
1 egg, lightly beaten to be used as glaze
Confectioner’s sugar to sprinkle on top, optional

TO PREPARE
In a saucepan, combine the grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar with the water and cinnamon.
Heat over medium heat.

Once it simmers, adjust and lower heat to keep it at a low-medium simmer for about 15 minutes,

Cinnamon & Sugar On The Boil

or until it thickens to a light syrup consistency. Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick.
You should have now about 1 1/4 cups piloncillo liquid. Add the butter and the honey into the
hot liquid, and stir until it dissolves.

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a whole in the center and pour
the piloncillo mixture. With a spatula mix it all together in a circular motion until it is well incorporated.
Lightly beat 2 eggs and incorporate them into the dough. The dough will be sticky and gooey.

Place enough plastic wrap in the bottom of a mixing bowl to have wings on the sides. With a spatula,
push the dough onto the plastic wrap, wrap the dough, and refrigerate anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.

When ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a couple cookie/baking sheets with
butter. If using one sheet you may need to do a couple batches.

Remove dough from the refrigerator. On a counter top, sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour.

Chilled Dough Ready to Go

Rub a bit of flour on the rolling pin as well. Roll dough until you have about 1/4″ thickness.
Using a piggie cookie cutters (or other shapes,but then you may need to change the name!),
press down on dough,moving a bit on the counter top, to make it easier to lift the shaped dough.

Place Piggies on the baking sheet as you shape them along. Gently brush cookie tops with the lightly beat egg.
Roll the extra already used dough, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before
using again, or it will be too soft and sticky. Repeat to make remaining cookies.
Bake cookies in the middle rack of the oven anywhere from 7 to 9 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. You may sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top.
Keep them covered so they remain soft. Great with a tall glass of milk or hot cup of coffee.

Sweet, Hot, Yum!

 

 

 

A Blast of Sweet Nutty Heaven!

My Most Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe, Ever- Is Now Yours!

In the old days, this is the kind of special thing, a family heirloom if you will,  that might creep into the trousseau
of a Marquise or the safe of  a New England Brahmin. Now, this little secret of Christmas happiness is all yours -from
“Kris Kringle” to one and all!

Snowballs are a glorious explosion of nutty,delectable deliciousness that are highly addictive.
Eat just one- not likely. For an after diner desert you may want to double the recipe.
Yep. They are that good! Note: this recipe is adapted from one I found on Simply Recipes.com
last year- thank you Elise!

Ingredients:
1          Cup of all Purpose Flour
1.5       Cups of Walnuts, pieces— there is a reason for this- do not chop.
2.5       Tablespoons of Cane Sugar
1          Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract  or ½ of an Madagascan Vanilla Bean
1/4       Pound of cold unsalted butter, chopped ( 1 stick)
Take it right out of fridge=no waiting!
Colder=flakier consistency-(smart,lazy-you be the judge.)

Pinch of Salt
Powdered Sugar to coat- really needs this item or there’s no snow in the snowball.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients into a mix master bowl.
3. Use the paddle attachment
4. Run on a low speed until the ingredients are mixed into the consistency of coarse meal.
Note: this step is key….the nuts will get broken into the mixture and pushed through into the batter.*
5. Form into small balls; place on a parchment covered cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
6.  Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or so. When they are  a little warm( not hot) roll these lovelies in powdered sugar.
7. Set aside and let cool completely.
8. Finish with a dusting of white powdered sugar and let the sharing begin.

Yum, yum and yum….Don’t ya just love the holidays!

Notes:
*Most recipes call for:

• chopping up the nuts;
• mixing the dry ingredients;
• adding the vanilla;
• mix;
• add the room temperature butter;
• mix.

In my opinion, a lot of unnecessary steps with a missed opportunity…. the nuts.
Soft cooked walnuts will literally explode in your mouth if they are a certain size.
Rather than chopping them, let the mix master do the work. The soft walnut pieces
will get broken up and incorporated nicely into the batter. The irregular sizes,
when cooked will break apart when you eat them- voila a flavor explosion.
That’s what makes this cookie so fun!

Hey There Christmas Bakers, I’ve got just the thing to break you out of the super sweet cookie mold!
GINGER BREAD AND COOKIES.

This post  was inspired by watching the Ace of Cakes on TV last night.* (I love that show. The cakes are very cleverly composed and the cake decorators that populate the show exude a kind of calming charm that can only come from “playing nicely with others”. ) It made me realize there there are only 3, yes THREE weekends before Christmas.  So. for all us seasonal bakers, this weekend is the one to brush off those holiday recipes, reach for those special ingredients and start baking.

If you need cinnamon, allspice or any other spice, please send over an email to kf@julietmae.com and we make arrangements for you to get those goodies asap.

The recipes below use our savory and rich Quatre Epices. You may have seen this spice called for in old French pate recipes, but surprisingly the combination of ginger and black pepper adds a nice zip to baked goods.

This spice creates cookies that are both spicy and sweet. They hold up well to a nice cup of  Cappuccino; depending on your mood and decorating talents they can take on a fancy or fun look.

Diana and I started  to use  Quarte Epices in stead of plain ginger in a number of recipes. I am happy to report that our test recipes for Spicy Gingerbread and those German  spice cookies, Pffefernusse received a definite a thumbs up from our esteemed panel of judges. So without further ado- the recipes.

Spicy Gingerbread

Easy Pfefernusse Cookies

The Simple Answer ?

It’s just a matter of time until the day arrives when some unpleasantness propels
you into a dark mood.

Maybe, the cat barfed on your new ipad. You had a really madding day at work.
Or you find yourself staring at the last straw to hit the camel’s back.

Do yourself a favor. Don’t cook.

Of course if your work in a restaurant, this may be difficult to pull off. But on the other hand, you probably have access to sharp objects and an extensive vocabulary of extremely rude sayings. In that case, your training and five minutes in the walk-in frig will save you. As for the rest of us “civilians”:  Don’t cook.

Why in the world would, would the unofficial champion of home cooking, promote such an idea?

It’s simple. Cooking is all about the joy of giving and sharing. To prepare an enjoyable meal, you have to give some consideration to season, time of day, the preferences of the your dining companions and thought as to its preparation.

A bad mood tends to cloud ones thinking. In short order, the simple act of chopping an onion can turn into a dash to the medicine cabinet.

Or you may find yourself overcooking the rice or forget that Sasha loathes garlic.  In other words, a bad mood and its attendant fuzzy thinking can be a liability in a place where boiling, dicing and slicing are the norm.

When you cook, you express yourself through the quality of the food you make. While well intended, a meal prepared under duress will never taste quite that good. The degree to which this shows up is a function of your adeptness in the kitchen, but you will notice and so will your dining companions.

So give yourself a break. Make the most dead simple thing you can, like a pbj sandwich. It might just transport you to a simpler time, a happier place.

Pizza Gets a Wake-Up Call From Juliet Mae

For the last month or so, Bill has been into making pizza.

As you may have guessed, my handsome husband loves to play in the kitchen too!

Last December, I was casting around for a cool Christmas present; I somehow managed to wonder onto the kitchen gadget section of Amazon.

There it was: a white Mix-Master. It positively shouted “buy me”.

One week later, Bill was opening up a very large box. It was love at first sight.

A shiny new toy just for Christmas, what could be better?

In the several months that have passed, Bill has developed a flair for baking.

Recently, this new hobby has focused on all things PIZZA. While he modestly will opine that his crust isn’t quite there yet and that the sauce is just okay, most of his efforts are quite good!

The other day I noticed we had 2 tomatillos in the frig along with  freshly made pizza dough.

I thought, what if….

Several hours later, we had a lovely bright sauce, with a slightly sour tang. We spooned it onto the pizza with mild black olives.

Sour, citrus notes give tomatillo a flavor punch!

By adding toppings like mild olive and onion, we had created a spin on a classic Puttanesca Recipe with tomitillos standing in for the capers, kosher salt in lieu of the anchovy and the tobacco/currant flavor of Isot Chili instead of the traditional red chili flake.

When you think about it, this recipe is a nice example of how you can reinvent an ordinary dish by swopping out traditional elements for new ones. As you can see trying out new ideas in the kitchen can be a lot of fun. All is takes is a little imagination and cough, cough some interesting spices!

Confession: This is a brand new recipe ( made yesterday) I would love to hear any comments you may have!

Tangy Pizza Sauce Recipe
1 Can of San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes (28 ounces)
6 Garlic Cloves: peeled and roughly chopped ( see the notes section below)
2 Tomatillos, roughly chopped
1 large yellow Onion
1 large pinch of about 1 tablespoon of Juliet Mae Italian Seasoning
1 pinch or about 2 teaspoons of Isot Chili
Kosher Salt to Taste
A good splash of Every Day California Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( Two ounces or 2 tablespoons)
A pat of butter

Optional:
If you want to freshen the sauce, you can add a small sprinkling of fresh parsley onto the sauce once it is spooned out it onto the pizza.

The final sauce should be a little chunky.

Directions:
Place a large pan onto medium heat.
Cut up the onions, chop the garlic and tomatillos.
Roughly chop a small amount of parsley and set aside.
Place the Every Day EVOO into a large pot with a pat of butter and heat.
Heat until the butter has melted into the oil.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and tomatillos and cook until softened, about  8 minutes.
It is important to not over cook, as the garlic can get bitter if it turns brown.
Add the Italian Seasoning to the cooking vegetables.
Stir the seasoning around with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomatoes and juice.
Let the tomatoes cook for five minutes, allowing the tomatoes to settle in with the vegetables.
Smash down the tomatoes with spoon or you can cut them into two or three pieces
Add the Isot Chili, sprinkle evenly.
Let cook for another five minutes, then add the salt.
Cover and cook for about 1.5 hours over low-medium.
( # 3 on an electric stove)
The sauce should have a very soft boil to it.
Uncover the pan and cook down the sauce another 45 minutes to thicken.
Let the sauce rest. Remove from the heat and leave uncovered for half an hour.
Use a wand blender or food processor and puree until you have a thick sauce.
This recipe will make enough sauce to cover several pizzas.
Or try it as a topping for pasta with a finish a cheese.

Notes:
When seasoning sauces, you want to allow the spices or salt to incorporate.  Therefore, take your time and add each element separately. This allows the flavor to penetrate the key elements (in this recipes the tomatoes). While this may seem fussy,  layering in the flavors, develops a richer sauce.

Do not add flour or bread to thicken the sauce. This will disrupt the flavor balance.
The flavor in this sauce comes from continuous soft cooking of the tomatoes and seasonings.

On Friday, April 14,  Bill was cruising Huff Post and saw this post, ” Many Imported Oils fail Quality Tests”.

Naturally, I flipped when I saw this.

As many of you know from reading our web sites or talking to us at the market, I spent the better part of last 18 months tasting and cooking with Olive Oils to find one that I thought would offer our customers great quality at a good price, Juliet Mae’s  Every Day Olive Oil

At the end of the day, we didn’t have to go to far, as Northern California Olive Oil growers produce some of the best oils in the world. We are blessed in this area with growers, processors and merchants who want to create and present the very best products they can.

I think many of us truly believe quality will always win out. When Bill and I first started Juliet Mae, we went ten rounds on who would create our products. I finally convinced him, no one would take the care to do as good a job as we would. Years later, he has become as picky, maybe even pickier than I am about our products. We hand make everything. It’s real quality you can smell, see and taste.

Making  a food product is a kind of trust. You have to make every batch so good you could serve it to your dearest family member with pride, knowing that you nourished them.  If you are a food grower, manufacturer or chef your have a unique opportunity to provide for your customers. If your any good at all, you want to do your best because it is the right thing to do.

Honestly, we probably won’t get rich and its a ton of work. But, every night when Bill and I turn the lights off for the evening, we know we kept our promise and did our best to create a great product for you. And that is what it’s all about: craftsmanship.