Chia Seed Smoothie

Chia Seed Smoothie

Ingredients
1 cup (140 grams) frozen raspberries
1 cup (140 grams) frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon (15 grams) chia seeds
1 tablespoon (16 grams) peanut butter
1 tablespoon (20 grams) raspberry jam

1 cup (237 ml) cold water

Directions
Place all ingredients into the jar of a blender.
Blend on high speed until perfectly smooth.
Pour into a glass and serve right away.

Notes
A generous amount of frozen fruit forms the base of this delicious smoothie. Here I've used frozen raspberries and frozen strawberries, but you can actually make this smoothie with any combination of frozen fruits that you like.

I love using a little bit of natural peanut butter for flavor, creaminess, and staying power. If PB doesn't work for you for any reason, you can: substitute another nut or seed butter, use two tablespoons of raw oats or cooked oatmeal, or substitute a rich plant-based milk like soy milk for the water.

When making smoothies with tart berries like raspberries, I typically add a tablespoon of jam to take the edge off and layer in a touch of additional sweetness. You can leave it out if you prefer, with no further changes to the recipe. If using different fruits, you can match the jam flavor if you like. I almost always keep a jar of raspberry jam and a jar or apricot preserves in the fridge for various culinary applications. One or the other is usually a good fit in a smoothie.

It's up to you whether to soak chia seeds before using them. Like all seeds, nuts, and legumes, chia seeds contain phytic acid, which can bind with some nutrients and make them less bioavailable. Soaking the seeds in the fridge for 24 hours before consuming helps remove it. But you absolutely don't have to, and I typically don't. From a culinary perspective, the seeds will do just fine in your smoothie as-is.A high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec makes so many kitchen tasks easier and better, but you absolutely don't need one to make a basic smoothie like this one.

If you're using a regular blender, you may want to blend in two steps. You can add the water and chia seeds first and blend until the seed are incorporated to your satisfaction. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

All smoothies are at their best shortly after blending, and here, the chia seeds will continue to absorb liquid and thicken the smoothie over time. But if you need to make yours in advance, you've got a couple of options. Store it in a regular cup in the freezer for up to an hour or in an insulated, lidded cup in the fridge overnight.

Lamington Balls

Lamington Balls

Lamingtons—cake squares coated in chocolate and coconut, sometimes layered with jam—are a down-under classic. This recipe is my spin on the treat I fell in love with during a year spent living in New Zealand and Australia. They’re a bite-sized nostalgic sweet that’s perfect for sharing. Keep a batch on hand for teatime, lunchboxes or everyday snacking.   Makes 35 to 40 cake balls 

Ingredients:

Cake Balls
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) 2% or whole milk, divided
3 eggs
1 package (375 g) vanilla cake mix such as Betty Crocker
2/3 cup (150 mL) good-quality raspberry jam

Chocolate Coconut Coating
2 cups (500 mL) unsweetened shredded desiccated coconut
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
1 cup (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (125 mL) 2% or whole milk, at room temperature
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp (1 mL) coconut extract

Directions;

For the cake balls, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk butter, 1 cup (250 mL) milk and eggs until combined. Add cake mix and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake, according to package directions, until cake is golden brown. Remove from oven, place on 

a wire rack and cool completely.

Remove cooled cake from pan and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, break down cake so it looks slightly thicker than coarse sand. Add remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk and jam. Mix until milk is absorbed and some small streaks of jam remain—dough should come together when squished.

Using a 1-oz ice-cream scoop, scoop the dough into 35 to 40 2-tbsp (30-mL) balls. Roll balls neatly in your hands and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze cake balls until solid, at least 

3 hours.

For the coating, place coconut in a medium-size bowl and set aside.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, heat butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally, until melted. Whisk in milk, icing sugar and coconut extract until combined. It should be smooth and runny, but still a bit viscous. Remove bowl from water bath.

Working 5 to 6 at a time, pierce frozen cake balls with toothpicks 

and dip into chocolate sauce, letting excess drip off. Set them in coconut to set partially, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove toothpicks and 

roll balls in coconut. Transfer coated balls to a cooling rack to set fully.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or
refrigerate up to 1 week.

Makes 35 to 40 cake balls

The Harmione Granger Cocktail

The Harmione Granger Cocktail

Prep Time 5 minutes 
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 255 kcal

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh or frozen raspberries
1-2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
Juice from half of a lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
2 ounces vodka
sparkling water for topping
2 fresh or frozen cherries, for topping(optional)
Lemon Rose Sugar (optional)

Directions:
To make the lemon sugar. Combine the lemon zest, sugar, and rose petals on a shallow plate. Rim your glasses in the sugar mix, then fill with ice.

In a cocktail shaker or glass jar, muddle the raspberries, rosemary, and lemon juice, squashing everything to release the juices. Add the apple cider vinegar, jam, and vodka. Fill with ice and shake until combined.

Strain into your prepared glass. Top off with sparkling water, then gently stir to combine. Finish with a cherry on top. Enjoy.

Notes
If You Don't Have Jam: use an additional 2 tablespoons raspberries and add 1-2 tablespoons sugar to sweeten to your taste. 

If You Don't like Vodka: use tequila! 

To Make a Mocktail: omit the the vodka and add 1 additional tablespoon lemon juice and 1 additional teaspoon apple cider vinegar.

Apricot And Mulberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Apricot and Mulberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Serves: About 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS
½ cup jam (apricot, mulberry, or your favorite)
2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. 

Beat in the cream cheese, egg, flower water, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Reduce mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture just until combined.

Roll the dough into balls between the palms of your hands, about 1 ½ teaspoons of dough per ball. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ½ inches apart. Use your thumb, moisted in water to prevent sticking, to indent the center of each cookie.

Bake until the cookies are just beginning to set, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and, working quickly, reshape the indentation using the rounded bottom of a teaspoon. Use a small spoon to carefully fill the indentations with jam.

Return the cookies to the oven and bake until light golden, 12 to 14 minutes.

Cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons

Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons

These cookies are less sweet and chewier than many traditional nut macaroons. The recipe is from Eileen Dangoor Khalastchy, an 86-year-old cook and baker.  Ms. Khalastchy has tinkered with the recipe, substituting walnuts for some of the almonds and adding an egg yolk to the traditional whites.

                                         *

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups blanched almonds 

1 ½ cups walnuts 

1 scant cup sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1 large egg 

2 egg whites 

1 cup of rose water, optional 

½ cup good quality raspberry jam, or 1/2 cup 

   shelled pistachios

                                        *

Directions:

Put the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mostly powdered with a few crunchy bits remaining, about 15 pulses. 

Transfer to a large bowl. Put the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until mostly powdered. Add the walnuts to the almonds. 

Add the sugar, cardamom, egg and egg whites to the bowl and, using one hand, mix to combine. Cover with a towel and let the mixture sit for at least 8 hours or overnight to dry out a bit.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour rose water or 1 cup of water in a small shallow bowl. Dampen your hands with the rose water and scoop up about a tablespoon of the dough at a time, pressing it into walnut-size balls. Place the macaroons on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten them slightly. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the middle of each. 

Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove and put either 1/4 teaspoon of the raspberry jam or a pistachio in each thumbprint. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden and firm. Cool to room temperature on the baking sheets and serve or freeze.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Lemony Linzer Cookies

Lemony Linzer Cookies

Makes 24 cookies
Nut flours are common ingredients in Central and Eastern European cookies such as this Austrian favorite.
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
4 oz. Earth Balance margarine, cut into cubes (1 stick)
2 Tbs. agave nectar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 ½ tsp. egg replacer powder, such as Ener-G
½ tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup raspberry jam or preserves, seeds preferred

*

Directions:

1. Combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, and confectioners’ sugar in bowl. Add margarine, and mix with electric mixer on low until mixture is crumbly.

2. Whisk together agave nectar, lemon zest, egg replacer, and 2 Tbs. water in small bowl. Stir in almond extract and vanilla extract. Add agave mixture to flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape dough into smooth disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 10 days.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.

4. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness on well-floured work surface. Cut dough into 48 hearts using 2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Transfer hearts to baking sheets. Cut heart-shaped holes in centers of 24 cookies using 1-inch heart-shaped cutter. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown around edges. (Cookies with holes will cook faster.) Cool on baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack with spatula to cool.

5. Return cookies with holes to baking sheet, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

6. Line up remaining cookies on work surface. Spoon 1 tsp. raspberry jam on top of each solid cookie. Place confectioners’ sugar-dusted cookies on top.

Linzer Cookies

Linzer Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts, ground medium fine
1/2 cup seedless raspberry or cherry jam

*

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and zest. Add to butter mixture; beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Form dough into 3/4-inch balls, and roll in ground hazelnuts. Place balls on ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies begin to set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Working quickly, make a slight indentation in each cookie with your thumb. Return to oven, and bake about 8 minutes more. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Melt jam in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of jam in each indentation. Cool completely.
Recipe of Martha Stewart