Lime Meltaways

I genuinely thought weather forecasters would not utter the words 'polar vortex' again until at least January, and if we were really lucky, those dreaded words wouldn't be heard at all next winter. Well I was wrong. It is mid-July and here in the midwest we are being told to brace ourselves for a 'polar vortex' in the week ahead. Seriously? When did temperatures with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s become labeled as a summer 'polar vortex'? Back in the day we used to simply call it 'unseasonably chilly weather' (a bit non-meteoroloigcally technical but fairly descriptive). Growing up in a house without air-conditioning, 'unseasonably chilly weather' meant nights of great sleeping, just like those experienced on Wisconsin family summer vacations.

If a 'polar vortex' is coming, all I can say is 'bring it on'. The thought of being able to sleep with the windows open and turning on the oven to bake without feeling guilty or worrying about 'heating' up the house (oh, the things that stay with us from our childhood) are enough to make me feel downright giddy. And having finally found the Lime Meltaway Cookie recipe I was searching for, I am barely able to contain the excitement at the thought of using the oven to my heart's content during an 'unseasonably chilly week' in July. Just keeping my fingers crossed the forecasted weather actually happens. Beyond baking cookies, my growing list of 'want to make sooner than later' recipes includes a portobello mushroom tart, a new baked bean recipe, and a cherry clafoutis.

The search for a lime meltaway cookie recipe actually began years ago. Having bought a small (and on the almost hard to justify ridiculously expensive side) bag of lime meltaway cookies, it was a cookie I had to make. They were different, refreshing and delicious. Only I couldn't find one. Or I should say I couldn't find one that tasted like the ones I remembered. Martha Stewart published a Lime Meltaway Cookie but (dare I say) wouldn't have a chance of winning a throwdown if matched up to the memory of those beautiful pillowy bites of deliciousness I had spent a relatively small, but oh so justifiably worthy, fortune on.

And then one day about a year ago I discovered a recipe that not only lived up to my memory of a citrusy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie, it managed to exceed it. It came from Kathleen King, creator and owner of the famed Tate's Bake Shop. She shared a Lime Sugar Cookie recipe in her Baking for Friends cookbook, one that was alone worth the cost of the cookbook.

What makes these Lime Meltaways different in flavor than the relatively limited number of lime cookie recipes out there are two ingredients: white rice flour and lime oil (yes, lime oil, not lime extract). The white rice flour adds a 'lightness' to the cookie while the lime extract adds a 'boldness' but not a bitterness. When combined with the lime juice and zest, the lime oil further contributes to the citrusy flavor of these cookies.

White rice flour is readily available in the grocery stores these days however, the lime oil is an ingredient you may only find in a specialty store (my Lime oil came from Sur La Table). I know, I know, recipes with ingredients not easily accessible at the grocery store can be a deal breaker for some. But this is one cookie worth the extra bit of upfront ingredient shopping effort. Who knows, you might someday find yourself in a Lime Meltaway throwdown with either Martha Stewart herself or any of the M.S. clones you know (don't' laugh, we all have them in our lives).

This is one of the easiest cookie doughs to make. Neither sifting nor getting out the standing mixer is required. A whisk to mix the all-purpose flour, white rice flour and salt and a handheld mixer to blend the dough together is all you need. You won't even break a sweat making them.

The cookie dough is divided in half, rolled into logs, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for two hours (if you refrigerate any longer you may need to let it sit out at least ten minutes so it is workable). Kathleen King's recipe indicated it made 42 cookies. I managed to get 37 cookies from the dough, but could easily see the number of cookies range from 36 to 38 (or less if you are eating the dough as you make them).

The dough is rolled in small balls and placed on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (spaced only about 1 1/2 inches apart).

Baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 17-18 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned, the cookies get their first sprinkle of confectionary sugar while still hot out of the oven and cooling on the cookie sheet. I wouldn't say the tops of my cookies were golden rather they were a very light brown. To test for doneness, the bottoms of the cookies should be beautifully browned.

Once cooled, the cookies receive another coating of confectionary sugar. With the remaining confectionary sugar, either toss them in a paper bag or gently roll them in a small bowl. Both options work.

Maybe because they look like little snowballs or maybe its their citrusy, buttery flavor, literally melt in your mouth texture that makes them a refreshing summer or hot weather climate cookie. Not only would they would be a perfect finishing touch to a seafood or Mexican inspired dinner. they are one of those perfect for snacking cookies served with or without a cup of 'hot' coffee. These Lime Meltaway Cookies are so good I can never justify buying one of those pricey packages of lime cookies ever again, even if they are on sale. And neither should you.

Recipe
Lime Meltaways (inspired by Kathleen King's Lime Sugar Cookie recipe shared in her cookbook Baking for Friends)
Makes 36-40 cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white rice flour (or can substitute brown rice flour)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or can use Kosher salt)
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectionary sugar, divided 
Grated zest from two limes
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon lime oil

Directions
1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, rice flour and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium-large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup of the confectionary sugar until well blended (about one minute of mixing time).
3. At low speed, mix in the lime zest, lime juice and lime oil until incorporated.
4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until well combined.
5. Place dough plastic wrap and roll into a log (or divide dough in half and make two logs).
6. Chill dough until firm, approximately 2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Cut dough into 36-38 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
9. Bake cookies for 17-18 minutes or until the tops of cookies are golden and bottoms are lightly browned.
10. Sift some of the remaining 1/2 cup confectionary sugar over the hot cookies. Allow to cool to room temperature on the baking sheet.
11. Put all of remaining confectionary sugar in a small brown paper bag. Place two or three cookies in the bag at a time and shake until thoroughly coated with the confectionary sugar. Or sift remaining confectionary sugar over cooled cookies.
12. Store at room temperature in a covered container.
Note: If you are fan of white chocolate, omit using the remaining confectionary sugar. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature, then dip in melted white chocolate. 

As much as I loved my short Montana vacation, it took me a week to get back into my workout routine (was a slacker and worked out only three days last week). My excuse was that I needed to recuperate from all the physical and emotional energy expended hiking up the Mount Sentinel Trail in Missoula. A trail with eleven switchbacks, a round trip distance of 1.6 miles, an elevation gain of 1,934 ft. on the way up, an average slope of +23% and a maximum slope of +51%. In other words, my definition of a grueling trail. The visual reward for going on this taxing, on a 90 degree day in the middle of the afternoon, hike was the incredible view of the town of Missoula. The personal reward for having the endurance to make it up and down the trail was one I almost didn't get. In spite of my workout regimen for the past five months, the elevation gain, slope and sun the trail almost got the best of me. Actually if were not for the encouragement and patience of my nephew, this was one mountain trail hike I am not certain I would have finished on my own.

After the first two switchbacks I must have said (out loud) 'I can't do this' at least a dozen times. I thought it wise to keep all of my other thoughts to myself as the 'I want to give up' words were annoying enough. In spite of my can't do spirit, another part of me wanted to complete the hike for three reasons: the personal satisfaction one gets from successfully completing a physical challenge (at my age); the desire to create a symbolic lesson for my nephew (i.e., sometimes life is hard, sometimes we have to dig deeper to overcome obstacles); and, I didn't want my much younger sister to call me a 'wimptress' when she heard the story. Even with those compelling reasons, I still kept thinking 'I can't' and my nephew still kept saying 'you can'. It was mostly because of him that 'I did'. 

As it turns out I may have been the one to walk way from this adventure with the most significant takeaways. Those being reminded of what is possible when you surround yourself with people who believe in and encourage you (particularly in times when you are filled with self-doubt); the reaffirmation of the impact those that love and care about you can have on you (even when you are not at your best and bordering on being hard to take); and, lastly, life sometimes really is hard but 'can' gives you a better chance of fully experiencing it than 'can't'. 

Lemon Meringue Tart

My plan was to make a Lemon Meringue Pie. My relatively recent success with making a pie crust has had me obsessing about making pies. Not wanting to be a one pie crust making wonder, the more practice I have the better the chances are that I can be a multiple pie crust making wonder. But I had taken some butter out to make cookies (using a recipe I wasn't able to find but really need to) and rather than have the butter go to waste I thought 'why not make a Lemon Meringue Tart instead', one with a shortbread crust. The pie making would just have to be temporarily delayed along with any gratification I might get from making a pie with a really great crust. 

What is not to love about the velvety, sweet, citrus flavor of a lemon custard (or curd) and a light, creamy, slightly burned, sweet meringue combined in one single confection? Hint: There is only one right, short answer to that question. If you said 'nothing' kudos to you for getting the right, short answer. If you paused and were feeling compelled to give a qualifying answer to the question (like 'nothing unless the lemon custard is just okay and the meringue doesn't have much taste'), kudos to you for getting the right, long answer. But after you make this Lemon Meringue Tart, you will never feel the need to give a long answer to that question again.

Lemon meringue has been a confection around since the 19th century. Some attribute the creation of combining lemon custard with meringue in a pie to Swiss baker Alexander Frehse while others claim Philadelphian chef Elizabeth Coane Goodfellow was responsible. Regardless of who may be the real lemon meringue creator (I shall remain neutral), it wasn't until the mid-20th century that lemon meringue pies/tarts began to take on a life of their own across the country. While I can't help but wonder what took so long for lemon meringue to catch on, I am just thankful I didn't live in that lemon meringue deprived 'beginning of the 19th century to the mid-20th century' time warp.

One of the great things about a Lemon Meringue Tart is that a single piece can be completely satisfying (except maybe for those of you who have an insatiable sweet tooth or an affinity bordering on addiction for lemon meringue). It is probably one of the only desserts on the planet whose sheer beauty cannot tempt me into over indulging (unlike other desserts that have the power to convince me to lose all self-control). If someone ever asked the rhetorical question 'What is enough for you?', my answer would simply be 'one piece of a Lemon Meringue Tart'.

The shortbread crust recipe came from Maury Rubin's Book of Tarts. The master recipe for the shortbread crust provided just the right amount of dough for a nine (9) inch tart pan.

All of the baking directions for the tarts in Rubin's book are for the smaller four (4) inch tarts, so I had to make some baking time decisions. The shortbread crust baked for 18-20 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. I had checked the tart shell midway through and noticed the sides had fallen slightly. Momentarily I thought maybe I should have made a pie, but after salvaging and tasting the tart shell any second thoughts I may have had quickly disappeared (this is one buttery, delicious shortbread crust). My shortbread crust making takeaway lesson is to decrease the baking temperature to 350 degrees and increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes or until the shell is lightly browned.

The average sized lemon yields approximately three (3) tablespoons of lemon juice. Store this little tidbit away in your memory as it may come in handy the day you find recipe that simply lists the juice of one, two or three lemons as one of the ingredients. My lemons were on the smaller size so I needed to use four of them to get a half-cup of lemon juice. And oh, always remember to zest your lemons before you juice them (another lesson learned after rushing through another recipe once a long time ago).

This lemon custard is perfect balance of creamy, velvety, sweet and tart. I am calling it a custard but it has some of the same qualities as a curd.

The cooked lemon custard is poured into the cooled tart shell. A piece of parchment paper or wax paper is placed on top of the custard and the entire tart is placed in the refrigerator while the meringue is assembled. It is important the custard has cooled before you finish with the meringue. Note: When you remove the wax paper/parchment paper it will pull up some of the custard. Not to worry, you want the top of the custard to be a little rough as it will help the meringue to adhere better.

I couldn't decide whether to make a Swiss meringue (the eggs and sugar are heated on top of double boiler until warm before they are whipped into stiff peaks in a mixer) or a regular meringue. I went with the regular meringue. To ensure my meringue would be smooth and not grainy I used superfine instead of granulated sugar. This meringue is simply whipped at medium-high speed until it is glossy and stiff peaks form.

If you are going for a bit of drama (in presentation), use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to decorate the top of the lemon custard. If you are going for a rustic, comfort food look, just spread the meringue on the custard using an offset spatula. Whichever meringue finishing decision you make, just make sure the meringue completely covers the lemon custard.

I have never been a fan of using the broiler to 'slightly brown and caramelize' a meringue. If you are, great, simply place the tart under the broiler for 20-60 seconds or until it is golden brown and caramelized in parts. Rather I am a fan of using a propane torch. If you haven't tried this yet, you should. You don't need to spend alot of money on the torches sold cooking stores, the torches they sell in the hardware store work just as well (if not better) and they are usually half the price. 

Refrigerate the Lemon Meringue Tart until ready to serve. This tart is best the day it is made, however, the leftovers (if you have any) are just as delicious the next day. While you may be like me and are only able to eat only one piece on the day you serve it, you might not be able to resist having another piece, even if it is just a sliver, the next day. 

Recipe

Lemon Meringue Tart (inspirations for shortbread crust from Maury Rubin's Book of Tarts and lemon custard filling from foodblogger Yossy Arefi)

Ingredients
Crust
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 13 pieces and softened slightly
1/3 cup confectionary sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Lemon Custard Filling
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup water
1 1//4 cups granulated sugar 
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 egg yolks, room temperature
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons lemon zest

Meringue
5 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup superfine or caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions
Crust
1. Place confectionary sugar in bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add butter and toss to coat.
2. Cream sugar and butter until sugar is completely blended into butter.
3. Add egg yolk and blend until completely incorporated.
4. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix in half of the flour until dough appears crumbly.
5. Add remaining flour and heavy cream and continue mixing until dough becomes a sticky mass.
6. Shape dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
7. Lightly flour a surface and roll out dough to fit the tart shell.
8. Transfer and fit dough into tart shell. Freeze for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tart shell is golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling is added.

Lemon Custard Filling
1. Whisk egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine and whisk cornstarch, water, lemon juice, sugar and salt together until no lumps remain in cornstarch.
3. Bring mixture to a boil (stirring frequently). At boiling point, continue to stir constantly for an additional 75 seconds. Mixture will be very thick.
4. Very, very slowly whisk in lemon mixture into egg mixture, stirring constantly (to prevent eggs from curdling). Return mixture to pan and continue to cook over low heat (stirring constantly) for 60 seconds. 
5. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and lemon zest.
6. Pour filling into cooled tart shell. Cover filling with wax paper or parchment paper (this will help meringue adhere later). 
7. Set in refrigerator while preparing meringue.

Meringue
1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, beat eggs until frothy. Slowly add sugar, salt and vanilla and continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
2. Put meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and create design of your choice onto meringue filling (or spread using an offset spatula).
3. Using a torch, carefully adjust flame over the meringue until it is golden brown and deeply caramelized in spots. Or place tart under the broiler and bake for 20 to 60 seconds until it is golden brown and deeply caramelized in spots.
4. Remove pie from oven and cool completely in refrigerator before slicing and serving.
Note: Can substitute this meringue with a Swiss Meringue.

Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread

Almost everyone has a favorite artichoke dip or spread recipe. For years my go to artichoke dip has been one made with parmesan cheese, goat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It is one of those delicious, rich and a little on the 'heavy' side hot spreads. But not everyone likes goat cheese. As an alternative I sometimes make the Roasted Artichoke Dip with Feta and Oregano, a spread that is much 'lighter', however, not everyone is a fan of Feta cheese. Then a few weeks back I was at a gathering and tasted an artichoke spread I was immediately addicted to. If it was socially appropriate, I would have just hovered over the dish and discouraged everyone else from trying it.

One bite and I immediately knew this was a recipe I had to have, keeping my fingers crossed the woman who brought the appetizer would be willing to share it. Upon learning who made this dish I went over and introduced myself. Once I stopped gushing over the artichoke dip, I learned she graduated from the same high school I did (she graduated four years before I did so our paths had not crossed way back when). I went to a medium sized high school (maybe there were 3,000 students at the height of its' enrollment), however, I rarely, if ever, meet anyone from the town I grew up in or the high school I attended. Unlike a friend of mine who meets someone from her high school everywhere and I mean everywhere she goes (when it happened in San Diego we were speechless).

But I need to get back to this Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread. The layers of flavor from the artichokes, lemon juice, shallots, and parmesan cheese make it one of the most refreshing (and addictive) artichoke dips/spreads I have ever tasted. And almost everyone likes parmesan cheese. Right?

You absolutely have to make this for your next gathering, even if that gathering includes only you and your significant other or you and a friend or you and a neighbor. Even on the hottest day or in the hottest climates, you will be glad you turned on the oven for twenty minutes. And so will everyone else, even if they are sweating for a little while until your house cools down.

This spread is a reason to stock up on canned artichokes. One fourteen ounce can of artichokes (not packed on oil) are drained, chopped and set aside while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

I made two changes to the recipe (yes, to the recipe I was immediately addicted to, the recipe I would have been slightly beside myself if I wasn't able to get). The first was using finely chopped shallots instead of a finely chopped yellow onion. And the mild onion/garlic flavor of the shallots definitely increased this spread's addictiveness level.

Instead of freshly grating Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, I grated a parmesan cheese I had picked up at the farmer's market, one that was aged but on the milder side. This is not a spread that needs the more intensely flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but it is a spread that needs freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This spread could not be easier to assemble. Literally you can put it all together in less than 15 minutes (if you make it early in the day, just cover and refrigerate until ready to bake). In a medium sized bowl, the mayonnaise, shallots and cheese are mixed together. Once blended the chopped artichokes, freshly squeezed lemon juice and black pepper are mixed in. The entire mixture is than transferred to a shallow baking dish.

The second change I made was two-fold: Increasing the amount of topping and changing out the bread crumbs for Panko crumbs. Unless you are making your own bread crumbs, the texture you get from a topping made with  Panko crumbs always seems to work, always seems to taste better, and always has just the right amount of a crunch factor. I increased the amount of Panko crumbs because I wanted each bite of the spread to have both the creaminess of the spread and the crunch of the topping.

Six tablespoons of Panko crumbs are mixed with one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Once mixed they are spread evenly over the top of the artichoke mixture. The remaining one tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese is then sprinkled over the top before the dish goes into the oven to bake.

The Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread is baked in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the mixture is heated all the way through. Serve hot/warm with crackers or crostini. 

And hey, if you bring this spread to a gathering you might end up meeting someone new, maybe even someone whose life path had crossed earlier with yours. But no matter who is at this gathering I am pretty certain at least one person will seek you out to ask you for the recipe.

Recipe

Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread (inspired by a recipe given to me by Pat Polselli)

Ingredients
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 cup and 1 Tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1 cup mayonnaise
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons Panko crumbs
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together the chopped shallots, grated parmesan cheese and mayonnaise until blended.
3. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, lemon juice and black pepper.
4. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish.
5. Mix together the Panko crumbs and extra-virgin olive oil until all crumbs are coated.
6. Spread crumbs and one Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese evenly over top of artichoke mixture.
7. Bake for 20 minutes (crumbs will be golden brown).
8. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with crackers and/or crostini.

First a disclaimer. I am not a mystic, a spiritualist, or a parapsychology practitioner although I wish I was at least two of them. In spite of this, I have been known to sense a distinguishable aura to some of the places I have been. The kind of aura you feel immediately, one having a kind of 'take your breath away' feeling. For some unknown reason I can't always find the right words to describe the aura or adequately capture the qualities contributing to making these places uniquely distinctive (as hard as it is to believe there are actually moments when I find myself at a loss for words). Two of the places where I have felt significantly strong auras have been Nantucket and the Cotswolds. And last week I felt it in Missoula, Montana.

And like the other two places, I still haven't been able to find the right words to describe everything I felt the moment I set foot in Missoula. To say that it was beautiful, compelling, alive, or feeling as if it retained its' century's old energies might be a good place to start. But even those descriptions fall short. Between the river, mountains, lakes and the forests, Missoula draws you in. And already it is calling me back. 

Driving through (western) Montana you understand why it is called Big Sky country. The hues of blues in the sky are breathtaking, different than Colorado blues, Nantucket blues, and the midwestern blues I see every day. And as odd as it seems, the sky really does seem bigger in Montana. At one point on this trip I had stopped taking photos because I just wanted to take it all in (or maybe I was just giving myself an excuse, a reason to return). However, the one time I absolutely wished I had my camera with me was on the Clark Fork River at Alberton Gorge river raft trip. As anxious as I was to go on my first river raft trip (although the twenty minute safety talk had me rethinking it), I was never really afraid once we got onto the river. Maybe it was the aura, the one I can't seem to describe, that had me feeling a sense of calm (even when going through the rapids). Because nothing else can explain how my anxiousness could so magically disappear.