"Perhaps the most impressive of all the cookbook blogs are the three devoted to the 2004 edition of Gourmet magazine's "The Gourmet Cookbook" -- all 5¼ pounds and 1,300-odd recipes of it. Befitting this culinary Everest, all three writers are overachievers in their professional lives."

--Lee Gomes, The Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2008
"I should have told you before how much I've been enjoying reading your thoughts. You seem like such a great cook."

--Ruth Reichl, Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine, June 8 2008, comment on "Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream".

Friday, March 27, 2009

Stained Glass Teardrops & Melissa Gets Wounded in the Line of Duty




OK, so they're more like circles, not teardrops, but aren't those hearts pretty? I baked these on the same day that I baked the below-mentioned Swedish Ginger Thins, and if you're thinking I was doing a lot of rolling, cutting and baking for a single 12-hour shift, you're right. But I'm almost at the end of the cookies chapter, and I get kind of task-oriented in these moments. I'm just trying to figure out how on earth I can justify baking Gingerbread Snowflakes this time of year. Can I? I don't think so.

Stained Glass Teardrops are basically a sugar cookie with crushed candy sprinkled in the middle, which melts during the baking process. If you're a gingerbread house baker, you will recognize this technique--I've used it for the past three years with lemon drops to create windows with a warm glow (if you put a light inside your gingerbread house).



How does they taste? Well, like a sugar cookie + hard, fruit-flavored candy, but that's not the point. The point is that they're purty, and will make people ooh and aah. Isn't that all you need sometimes?

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Think this cooking business is all fun and games, do you? All nibbling on cookies, eating challah slathered with butter, and licking out the batter bowl?

Well, it is, but cooking has its hazards too--you've got hot things, and sharp things, and you work with all this stuff on a daily basis.

So last Sunday (early in the morning) I was making French Pea Soup, and wrestling with the very sturdily packaged Cascadian Farms Frozen Organic Peas and when I tried to slice the bag open I damn near sliced off the tip of my finger.



I only mention this because it's such a pain in the tukus to TYPE and I've been making a gazillion spelling errors because I'm typing with only four fingers on my left hand. See how much I love you? I'd like my Martyr Badge now.

6 comments:

Ryan said...

ACK! I hope they gave you some serious pain medication! The cookies look fantastic. I'm glad you led the update with those and not your poor finger.

Georgia said...

Wow! That cuts looks serious! Quite the badge of honor. Ditto Ryan's comment.

Another FYI: http://tylerflorencefridays.blogspot.com/.

Adam said...

Melissa, I hope your finger is healing nicely. The cookies look great. I'm saving this cookie recipe for my church's Christmas bake sale. If they come out as nice as yours, they'll be a big hit.

Annie Gustely said...

I always check to see what recipe you are working with before I set out to plan for my own. You are years ahead of me!
The cookies are "purty" but the finger "ouch"! Hope you heal quickly.

Liz T. said...

Gah! Been there, had the stitches. Hope it's past the sore stage. That's usually when I end up banging it on every hard surface in the house.

Melissa Bach Palladino said...

Thanks for your kind wishes, everybody! It's still ugly as hell but it's gotten past the tender stage. And I think it will stick. :-)