Dinner At Sheila's

When I was growing up throughout my junior high and high school years the week after Christmas I would go over to my best friend’s house to see her beautifully decorated tree, and get a first hand look at her many Christmas gifts.

I will admit now that as a Jewish girl who looked forward to lighting a menorah, eating latkes, getting a new pair of pj’s and some chocolate “gelt” (awful tasting chocolate wrapped in gold foil to look like coins) for Hanukkah, I found our festivities more than paled by comparison.

At some point during my visit my girlfriend’s mother would enter the living room from the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly baked cookies…these were Mrs. Snyder’s Sand Tarts, and so delicious!

Whatever feelings of envy I was battling inside, one crispy cinnamon sugary sand tart after another after another and yet another always seemed to make me feel much better.

My girlfriend and I have remained in touch over the years, even if only by annual holiday cards updating each other on our family’s news.  We both moved away from the town we grew up in, married our high school sweethearts (in fact, out husbands played on the same recreational basketball team in high school), and raised families. 

Recently we connected through facebook and last January my friend sent me her mom’s recipe for those treasured Sand Tarts.

I made them this morning, and it’s true what they say…foods from your past can transport you back with just one bite.

I don’t know that these are as good as Mrs. Snyder’s, but I do know this is a Christmas tradition that even a Jewish girl like me can look forward to each year.

Mrs. Snyder’s Sand Tarts

1 and 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 egg, well-beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

egg white

sugar

cinnamon

nuts

Sift flour; measure, add baking powder and salt; sift again

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until light.

Add egg and orange rind.

Combine dry ingredients and creamed mixture. Chill.

Roll thin on lightly floured board and cut in fancy shapes.

Place on greased baking sheet.  Brush with egg white diluted with water.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or colored sugars.  Add nut pieces for eyes if you like, etc.

Bake in moderate oven (325 degrees) for 8-10 minutes.

It wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies, cookies, and more cookies!  These festive, chewy biscotti, with their jewel like seasonal colors, are not only delicious, but are a lovely addition to the holiday table.

This recipe I adapted from the December 2003 issue of Bon Appetit. I made several changes to the original recipe. I substituted dried cherries for half of the dried cranberries. I used the white chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s instead of the more expensive imported chocolate (Perugina or Lindt) called for. If you have the time to locate the finer chocolate, and don’t mind spending a little more, by all means do. I also used the dry roasted unsalted pistachios instead of the natural unsalted.  Either would work, but I like the flavor of the dry roasted.

The recipe below can easily be doubled if you want to make a larger quantity.

Holiday Biscotti With Cranberries, Dried Cherries, And Pistachios                  (adapted from BonAppetit, December, 2003)

(makes about 3 and 1/2 dozen) 

2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspooon whole aniseed

1 /2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup shelled natural or dry roasted unsalted pistachios

6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to mix well.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed.  Beat in flour mixture just until blended.

Stir in cranberries, dried cherries, and pistachios (dough will be sticky).  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Gather dough together.

Divide dough into halves, or quarters if you have doubled the recipe.

Roll each piece into a 15-inch long log (about 1 and 1/4 inches wide.)  Carefully transfer logs to a prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until almost firm to the touch but still pale, about 28 minutes.  Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board.  Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Place slices, 1 cut side down, on prepared sheets. 

Bake until firm and golden, about 9 minutes per side.  Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper.  Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth.  Remove from over water.  Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate.

Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.  (Can be made 5 days ahead.  Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)