When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemon-Rosemary Buttons

There's something about rosemary and lemon together...a match made in garden heaven perhaps!

I found this recipe in the December issue of Sunset Magazine and the photos where what motivated me to make these cookies...and the lemons of course! These are rich, delightful treats, and something a little different to add to your baking reportoire...and they're beautiful, too. Enjoy!

Lemon Rosemary Buttons (from Sunset Magazine)

2 cups flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1.5 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
rosemary sprigs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Put flour, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until blended, add finely shredded zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, then increase to medium and mix until dough is no longer crumbly and just comes together. Form dough into a disk; chill 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough 1/2 in. thick. Cut dough into circles with a 1½-in. cookie cutter. Arrange cookies 1 in. apart on baking sheets and chill 15 minutes.

Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Mix 1½ cups powdered sugar with 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and the finely shredded zest of 1 lemon. Spoon 1/2 tsp. glaze over each cooled cookie, spreading with back of spoon, and press 1 rosemary sprig into glaze. Makes 32.

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Happy/Merry from the Siglers!

I hope you're spending this special day with someone you love...and eating something sweet!

Here's a peek at our holiday card.





This holiday, in thanksgiving for our family and friends, we bought a goat for a Rwandan household through www.goatsforgifts.org. In Rwanda, goats are a valuable resource for milk and fertilizer, they reproduce twice a year, and promote self-sufficient farming in the community.

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When Life Gives You Lemons... Make Lemon Jelly for your Friends

As you may have noticed, I love to make gifts. And as you also may have noticed, I have an excess of lemons. So...lemony gifts = lemon jelly! This was my first attempt at making jelly. After a few recipe trials and errors, and with the help my experienced mother-in-law and our Jack Lalanne power juicer I made lemon jelly!



I had a bit of extra fabric from Ikea from a table cloth I made, and it was perfect to top the jars. I designed a little label and attached it with rafia, and ta da, handmade and homemade Christmas gifts! And tasty, too.


Lemon Jelly
4 cups filtered lemon juice, or juice with an electric juicer that removes most of the pulp and seeds
7 cups sugar
2 (3 oz) pouches liquid pectin

In an 8-qt stainless steel pan, over medium high heat, heat the juice until warm. Add the sugar and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.(This is a slow process but necessary.) Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of both pectin pouches. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Quickly skim off any foam and immediately ladle the hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe there jar rims and threads and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200 degree water bath for 10 minutes, pint jars for 15 minutes.

Yield: 7 to 8 half-pint jars

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Because Baking is Creative: Thumbprint Cookies

Growing up, my mom made these cookies every Christmas (sometimes I'd get to help). So, these cookies have quite a nostalgic effect on me. This is the second Christmas I've made them, and I hope to carry on the "tradition."

These aren't just any old thumbprint cookies...the dough and the chocolate is super soft and tasty! You (and the friends you share them with) will definitely be back for more!

Enjoy, and thanks, Mom.

Childhood Thumbprint Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Chill.

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press thumb in each cookie leaving an indentation. Bake at 300 for 20 to 25 minutes; do not brown. Cool on wire racks. Place about ½ tsp. chocolate frosting in each cookie indentation. Yields: 3 ½ dozen.

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cocoa, and milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil 1 ½ to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Beat until mixture is of spreading consistency. (it also thickens as it cools, so you may have to work rapidly if it gets too thick, but don't use when too thin or it will be runny). Yield: 1 cup.

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Give: Cookie Spatula

I bought one of these "mini" silicon spatulas for myself a few years ago and when I bought it I had no idea how useful it would be. It's the perfect size for flipping cookies or scooping brownies out of a baking pan without damaging the surrounding cookies/brownies. I use it all the time. So, this year I found a few at Sur la Table and plan to give them as gifts (they'd make great stocking stuffers, too!)

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A Happy Card for Happy Holidays

Whew! What a holiday season! Here's a fun holiday card that I made recently. It's foldy and interactive and I hope it makes you smile.

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When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemon-Goat Cheese Cheesecake

Lemon. Goat cheese. Cheesecake. Enough said.

I made this delightful dessert for a potluck and it was quite a hit! The recipe comes from a--very appropriate--book that my parents gave me on their last visit to Santa Barbara. The amount of lemon and goat cheese is a perfect combination for a subtly sweet and tangy cheesecake. I tried it topped with a touch of honey and it was a great addition.



Happy Baking!

Leon-Goat Cheese Cheesecake (from Luscious Lemon Desserts, Lori Longbotham)

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
1.5 pounds soft, mild goat cheese
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large eggs

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Butter teh bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. Have ready a roasting pan. Put a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

2. Stir the crumbs and the butter together with a fork in a medium bowl until combined well. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of teh pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is set. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven to 325.

3. Process the sugar and the zest in a food processor until the zest is finely ground.

4. Beat the goat cheese and the cream cheese with an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beginning on low and increasing to med-high speed, until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium, add the sugar mixture and the lemon juice, and beat until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour filling into the pan and set in the roasting pan. Place it in the oven, and carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the side of the springform pan.

6. Bake for 1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes, until the center is almost set but still slightly jiggly. Do not overbake; the cheesecake will firm as it cools. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from the bath and let cool on a wire rack. Remove the foil. Refrigerate the cheesecake in its pan, loosely covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

7. Run a table knife around the inside edge of teh pan and remove the pan's side. Let the cheesecake stand at room temp. for 20 minutes before serving.

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It's About That Time...

Whoa! It's December! But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering the twinkling lights and festive red, white and green all over town and television that's been preparing me. Perhaps I should clear the fridge and make room for holiday cards (speaking of, stay tuned for some fun cards that L&L have created this season)!

To ring in December I'm sharing some very seasonal blank note cards that I get excited about creating every year. Each Christmas tree is a unique collage--and a delightful little piece of art. Sets of 4 cards and envelopes are available in our shop by clicking here.



And now that it's officially December, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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