Cookie Swappin'

This past weekend I channelled my inner 1950's housewife and hosted my annual holiday cookie swap party. There were many delicious treats, including Susan's jam-filled thumbprint cookies. She graciously agreed to share the recipe (and also some thoughts on mid-century cookbooks). Her musings, and recipe, follow.

The recipe is super-easy. Embarrassingly-so. You should give the 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook the real credit. You've got to see this thing. My mother-in-law found it when she was cleaning out my husband's grandmother's house. Ugh! There is a section at the front, explaining basics of cooking.

One part is titled: "If You Are a Good Mathematician You May Safely .. ."
And then underneath, there are two columns explaining how you can REDUCE RECIPES or INCREASE RECIPES. The first line:
"To double a recipe, use exactly twice the amount of each ingredient." Yes, the italics are in the original.

Well, the men behind Betty Crocker circa 1950 may think women are idiots, but they make a mean cookie. Here you go:

Thumbprint Cookies

Cream together 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites in a small bowl), 1 tsp of vanilla, and I like to add 1/2 tsp of almond extract.

Sift (they are adamant that it be sifted!) 2 cups of flour. Mix well.

Roll into balls. (My first batch were too small; they work better when they are about 1.5 inches). Dip the top in egg white, and then in some chopped nuts. (I use pecans.) The recipe says it should be an ungreased cookie sheet, but mine all had some mild sticking, requiring a bit of prodding to remove. So I defer that. . . Place nut-side-up, and bake at 375 for 5 min. Take them out at 5 min, and gently make indentations in each one. Put them back in the oven for 7-8 more min, depending on your oven.

Fill with whatever jam, jelly, or pie filling you have around. I then sprinkle with the powdered sugar for decoration, but that isn't in the original recipe.

Carbo Loading with a Side of Spinach (for strength)

I'm off to work the overnight this evening. In addition to lots (and lots) of caffeine, I need a hearty dinner to start off the night. Tonight it was a pile of whole-wheat spaghetti with some sauteed spinach on the side.

Spaghetti al Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper, a traditional Roman dish) for one

1/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
Salt for the pasta water
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Salt the water and bring it to the boil. Instead of putting the lid on the pot, place your pasta bowl on top to warm the bowl. Careful when removing it; it will be hot.

Cook the pasta to al dente. Put the olive oil in the pasta bowl. Drain the pasta and place it in the bowl. Put the cheese and pepper on top of the pasta. Toss with two forks. Add sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

Spinach with Pine Nuts, Garlic, and Lemon for one

1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c. baby spinach
Juice of 1/4 lemon

Warm a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently. When they begin to brown and turn fragrant, remove them from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan and let it warm for a moment. Add the garlic and cook for about twenty seconds, until it begins to brown and turn fragrant (sound familiar?). Add the spinach to the pan, tossing it frequently with tongs, until it wilts. Add the lemon juice, and remove from the heat. Toss with the pine nuts.