Last night my family and I celebrated Passover.

Latkes are not necessarily a traditional Passover food, but it is a staple for the holiday in my home.

But for some reason, yesterday I just did not feel like making them.

And man oh man did I regret.

My lack of latkes was met with great resistance.

But, after I served these tasty cookies all was forgiven.

I was so confident in these cookies that I took them to work to try and win over my new coworkers with goodies.

Not sure if they love me or not, but they loved these treats. The tin was empty by the end of the day.

You will need…

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time. Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. 

Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Hamentashen

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time.

Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

All right. Before you go poo-pooing this recipe, thinking it’s all weird, lets talk about this logically.

Think of all the weird combinations of things that are totally awesome.

I bet people totally thought the first person to put peanut butter and jelly together was a total goofball.

Chicken and waffles with maples syrup I a pretty crazy idea, but people go great distances to get their hands on it.

If you haven’t had chocolate and bacon together, you are majorly missing out.

In the food world, weird works.

And this interesting salad totally entertains.

You will need…

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

 Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.