These sugar cookies have more of a buttery shortbread flavor and texture than traditional sugar cookies. They are easy to make and hold their shape well when baking. Because these cookies don’t puff up much while baking, I recommend them if you are using an intricate cookie cutter.
Make an assortment of mini hamburgers for a party or a fun family meal. Lay out a smorgasbord of toppings and let everyone build their own slider. Serve the mini burgers with fruit salad, potato salad, french fries or sweet potato fries.
This recipe comes from my good friend, Milena, in Germany. Similar to crêpes, German pancakes are large and thin and can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. When I made these recently for breakfast, I made the sweeter version and added grated apples and blueberries to some of the pancakes.
Hot Cross Buns were traditionally made on Good Friday but they have become a typical breakfast treat during the entire Easter season. The following recipe is the one that my mom still makes every Easter.
Deviled eggs make me think of Easter brunch but they make a great appetizer at any party or picnic. And they are the perfect dish for using up your Easter eggs.
Last summer I wanted to make habañero cornbread with the habañeros from our garden. The cornbread itself is moist and cake-like. The garden-fresh habañeros were flavorful and surprisingly not too spicy. Because not everyone likes spicy food, I have included jalapeño peppers in the following recipe. But feel free to substitute canned chiles if you want to tame it down. Or add habañero peppers if you think you are up for the spicy challenge!
Chili con carne (Chili) is Spanish for “chile peppers with meat.” Traditionally, chili is a simple stew made of chile peppers, meat, cumin, garlic and onions. In my variation of chili, I include tomato paste to get the flavor of tomatoes in the broth without the chunks of tomato. I also use pinto and black beans for extra lean protein and fiber. Serve it with warm corn bread and honey.
Appreciate the vivid colors and natural beauty of fruits, vegetables and spices: dye your Easter eggs with everyday foods rather than boxes of chemical colorings. This is a great family project and learning experience. Though it will take a little more planning than your basic Easter egg dye kit, I think you will find the extra time well worth it. Even though I’m a “grown-up,” I felt a child-like excitement watching the eggs turn colors in bowls of cabbage, spinach, blueberries and more!
One of my favorite candies is Andes Chocolate Mints. With this recipe, you can leave the mint frosting white but I like to color it green so that it looks like Andes mints. (And the touch of green gets you out of being pinched on St. Paddy’s Day!)
With St. Patrick’s Day still on my mind, I decided to make Irish Soda Bread. Irish Soda Bread is considered a quick bread because there is no yeast and therefore it doesn’t need time to rise. Simply mix the ingredients together and bake it in a greased pan. The result is a large mounded loaf of bread with a golden, crusty exterior and a dense, scone-like interior.
Monday, April 26, 2010
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