Sesame Honey Lace Cookies

Sesame Honey Lace Cookies

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and despite being a mother for 4.5 years now, I still always pause for a moment when Marc asks me what I would like to do for the day.  You see, I still think of my mother and my mother-in-law when Mother’s Day rolls around.  I forget that I am part of the celebration now too.

The short list of ingredients

So to celebrate moms everywhere, here is a recipe for a light, deliciously sweet cookie that is a perfect pairing for afternoon tea.  These cookies are thin, crisp, and have a delicate, lacy structure.  They are a pretty golden color and taste of honey.

Lots and lots of sesame seeds

Make sure to use an excellent quality honey as it is the predominant flavor in these cookies.  When you place them on the cookie sheets, make sure to space them wider than you think you need to.  They spread a lot.

Cookies ready for the oven

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sesame Honey Lace Cookies

From The Gourmet Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tbls unsalted butter

3 tbls honey

2 tbls water

1 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup flour

Pinch of salt

To Make:

In a 1 1/2 quart heavy sauce pan over moderately high heat, combine the confectioners sugar, butter, honey, and water and bring to a boil.  Stir and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds, flour, and salt.  Let cool to room temperature.

Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.  Set the oven to 350F and allow to preheat.  Have ready two large baking sheets, lined with parchment paper.

Scope out level 1/2 teaspoons of dough, roll each scoop into a ball.  Place each ball about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  The cookies will spread a lot so better to space them further apart. Bake until the cookies are flat and golden, rotating the baking sheets half way through, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the cookie sheet and let cool.  The cookies will crisp as they cool.

To Serve:

Serve at room temperature, as a complement to afternoon tea.

Serve room temperature.  Cookies will keep, kept in an air tight container, for 3-5 days.

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Korean-Style Vegetable Pancakes

Korean-Style Vegetable Pancakes

There is a Korean restaurant near where we live that we visit whenever we get the chance.  They make a kimchi pancake that is fantastic; even the small Things love it.  The only problem is that when we get takeout, the kimchi pancake is cold and slightly soggy by the time we get it home.  The idea of my beloved kimchi pancake cold and soggy makes me sad… so we decided to try our hand at a home version.

Ingredients

These vegetable pancakes make a pretty nice substitute.  They have the flavor of the different vegetables and the use of rice flour makes them nice and light.  Even better, the batter comes together very quickly so you can have these on the table in less than 20 minutes.  They make an excellent side to Korean-style ramen noodle soup or to some beef and broccoli.

Pancake batter

If you wanted to make these more like traditional kimchi pancakes, you could increase the kimchi to two cups, substitute 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup liquid from the kimchi, and omit the carrot, scallion, and cilantro.  You could also add some cooked and shredded pork to make these more hearty.

Cooking the cake

Korean-Style Vegetable Pancakes

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rice flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbls neutral oil, such as peanut or canola

5 scallions, green parts only, finely diced

1 tbls fresh ginger, finely chopped

1/4 cup of cilantro

1 large carrot

1 cup kimchi

To Make:

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, eggs, 1 tbls oil and 1-1/2 cups water until a smooth batter is formed.  Let the batter rest while the veggies are prepped.

To prep the vegetables, coarsely grate the carrot and finely chop the scallions and kimchi.  Chop the cilantro.  Once the vegetables and cilantro are ready, add them to the batter and stir gently until just combined.  The batter will be thick, like pancake batter.

Heat a griddle or large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.  When hot, ladle a quarter cup of batter and spread it out into a circle.  Cook until the bottom is browned (turn down the heat to medium if needed).  Flip and cook the second side until it is lightly browned, about another 5 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

As the pancakes finish, remove them and, if necessary, store on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven until you are ready to serve.

To Serve:

Serve warm, cut into triangles.  Dip in a sauce made with soy, rice vinegar, and a bit of sesame oil