Almond Crackle Cookies

Only three ingredients!  That's it!  This is a recipe to keep forever because of its ease of preparation, simple ingredient list, and crunch-a-li-cious cookie with remarkable looks and taste.  For welterweight ingredients, the end result is a KO!  End of discussion.

Repeat after me, "Sliced almonds, granulated sugar, and an egg."  That is all you need to know.

Notes

1.  I used a rounded teaspoon of batter for each cookie.

2.  Since the batter separates, I re-stirred before scooping for the next cookie.

3.  I used two baking sheets.  After I was finished placing the batter on one, I immediately placed it into the preheated oven.  Then I started to prepare the second cookie sheet and slid it into the oven.

4.  When the timer went off for the first baking sheet, I reset it for the couple of minutes still necessary for the second sheet to finish.

Almond Crackle Cookies
(mentor recipe)
yield: approximately 20 2-inch cookies

1 large egg
6 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams)
1 and 1/4 cups sliced almonds (125 grams)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (or a combination).

2.  Have ready your cookie scoop or a teaspoon for measuring consistency.

3.  Whisk the sugar and egg together in a medium bowl until well mixed and thickening.

4.  Add the almonds and continue to mix until the almonds are coated.

5.  Scoop up a teaspoon of the batter and place on parchment, giving the almonds a bit of a pat to flatten a wee bit.  

6.  This batter separates as it stands, so you will need to work quickly.  Or, you will need to re-stir the mixture a little as you are preparing to scoop for the next cookie.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotating pans midway through the baking.

8.  The cookies will look toasty, dry, and crackly on top when they are ready to be removed from the oven.

9.  Let the cookie sheets cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

10. Use a spatula to remove the cookies, or peel the parchment away from the bottoms.

11. My leftovers (I know...can you believe it?) were stored in an airtight container and were fine the next day.

Chewy Trail Bars

Lest you think I am the bearer of alternate realities, let me start by begging for your pardon as I begin writing this post.  After I just finished telling you about my near loathing of dried fruit (last month's post), I return to share a wonderful recipe that features...wait...ready???  Dried Fruit!!  I re-thought featuring this recipe since you would deduce that I am not to be believed; however, perhaps it's on me to figure out exactly when I engage with dried fruit?  Apparently I engage more than I thought.  I think it has something to do with whether or not the fruit loses its soft, gooey chew and individual characteristics and unifies with the cookie/bar to the point where it provides moisture and fruity tang, but not its distinct id.  But perhaps I need to chew on this a bit more...

Kitchenality's goal is to share recipes that reflect great flavor, reliability and relative ease of production.  Yes, I feature my favorites with a heavy hand on the sweet parts.  I hope that this posting and its revisit to dried fruits illustrates that I am not as narrow-minded as I thought 😀

Notes

1.  This recipe is slightly time consuming on the front end due to necessary chopping of many of the ingredients.  Mindfulness will help...

2.  I used salted butter even though the mentor recipe used unsalted.  And I used the extra salt as specified in the recipe.  You decide what your adventure will be.

3.  The package of coconut that I use most often is called desiccated coconut.  The difference is in particle size.  Desiccated is smaller-sized than shredded.  For this post, I used a bit of both since that's what I had on hand.

4.  Nope!  I haven't misspelled desiccated 😀

5.  I resisted chopping whole almonds and use sliced almonds instead.  Do it.

6.  I used a small bit of vegetable spray on the baking pan before inserting the parchment paper so that it would stick.

7.  These bars are delightfully chewy, sweet, tangy, and a bit sticky, and could serve as a snack between meals, a dessert, or alongside your morning yogurt for a more complete meal.  They fit many needs.

Chewy Trail Bars
(yield: 16 bars of 2"x 2" size or tailor to your needs)

2 cups quick cooking oats
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter (I used salted)
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2.  Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.  Allow for some length to overhang two opposite sides.

3.  In a large bowl, combine everything from the oats to the coconut and set to the side.

4.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the corn syrup, honey, vanilla, melted butter, and water together until combined.

5.  Pour wet ingredients over oat mixture.  Using a spoon or your hands mix the ingredients until well combined.

6.  Press into the square baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula or an offset spatula.

7.  Place into the oven and bake about 30 minutes until the edges are golden.

8.  Remove to a rack and allow to cool completely.

9.  Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the mixture from the pan, and cut into bars.

10. Wrap uneaten bars and store in airtight container.  Chilling in refrigerator is fine; however, allow bars to come to room temperature before eating.

Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies

Yep.  You see that I've written the F-word, and I can tell you that I have spoken that word over the last month on numerous occasions.  And lastly, I have eaten a lot of those F-word cookies too, and I've got to tell you that they're darn good!  So what's my beef with fruitcake?  Dried fruit is not a go-to food item for me...not by a long shot. Too sweet?  Too stick-to-my-teeth chewy?  Yes and yes.  So, my preference is to eat fresh fruit.

My experiences with dried fruit are limited to the occasional salad sprinkle, singular addition to chocolate chip cookies (talking to you, raisin) or final bonus to a slow baked granola, etc.  But the thought of many dried fruits along with candied cherries foregrounded in a cake has never appealed to me.  In addition, what do you make of Holiday Fruitcake's reputation as the gift that's never eaten but given to someone else in a year?  Fake news? Would you endorse cake with this background?

My avoidance of fruitcake has childhood roots (which have fossilized), explaining why it is likely we will never be friends.  I'm okay with this.

And yet I recently mixed a boatload of dried figs, apricots, cranberries, raisins, and candied cherries with a buttery shortbread dough and the beauty and taste were remarkable: Bejeweled Rounds!  I share the recipe for these cookies in the hopes that you will try them for yourself before too long.  Valentine's Day might be just the time 💖

Notes

1.  You will need to start this recipe a day or two in advance because there is a bit of time needed to chop the dried fruits and then let them hang out together.  But once all that is done, the process moves quickly.

2.  I weighed all fruit and nut ingredients, but if you don't have a scale, just read package weights.

3.  When I looked at all the chopped fruit, I thought it was too much for the dough.  So I kept out a cup of it for other uses (more about that later).

4.  I used salted butter, eliminating kosher salt from the mentor recipe.

5.  I used granulated sugar instead of super fine sugar as suggested in the mentor recipe.

6.  The taste is not too sweet, mellowed with the fruity mix, and rich as only shortbreads are... yum!

7.  If you believe that you eat first with your eyes, these will not disappoint.  They are gorgeous.

8.  Next time I might sprinkle them with a little sanding sugar before going into the oven, or dust with a bit of 10x sugar after they come out.

9.  Kudos to Ina Garten for the mentor recipe!  These cookies are keepers 😘

Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
Yield: 6 dozen (with about a cup of leftover dried fruit mix)

1/2 pound dried figs
1/4 pound raisins
2 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
2 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 ounces chopped pecans
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 extra-large egg
2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1.  Snip off stems of figs and coarsely chop and place in a medium bowl.
2.  Into that bowl, add the raisins, chopped cherries, chopped apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, and chopped pecans.  Mix until all is combined.

3.  Cover the bowl of fruit and nuts with a piece of plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.

4.  The next day, prepare your electric mixer with the paddle attachment.  Cream the butter, cloves, and sugars (white and brown) on medium speed until smooth.

5.  Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

6.  Add the flour slowly while mixer is on low so that you don't have flour everywhere.  I often tent my mixer with a towel to keep the flour where it belongs.  Don't overmix.

7.  Finally, add in the fruit, nuts, and any liquid in the bowl from the overnight togetherness. (SEE note above regarding the amount of fruit I used.)

8.  If your mixer strains to combine the fruit with the shortbread, you may need to mix the fruit in with a heavy-duty spatula.

9.  Divide the dough in half.  Place each half on a piece of parchment paper measuring 12" x 18" with the long side close to you.  Roll each half into a log about 18 inches long and 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter.  I used a bit of flour to keep the log from sticking (you will see the flour on the log below).  And then roll the parchment paper around the log, fully covering it.

10.  I then wrapped each parchment paper log with plastic wrap and placed them into the refrigerator for several hours.

11.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

12.  Take out one log and unwrap fully.

13.  With a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/2-inch thick pieces and place the rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet or on a piece of parchment.  I used the same parchment that the round was wrapped in.

14.  Cookies should be about 1/2" apart as they do not spread much.

15.  Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

16.  Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from baking sheet.  

17.  Continue the same process with the second log, using the same baking sheet and same piece of parchment.

18.  A truly enjoyable cookie to look at and eat.  Share with your friends and family.  Extras can be frozen in zip-lock bags for future desserts.

19.  I used the extra dried fruit bits as ingredients in a green salad and as a topping for carrot soup below.

Happy New Year!  Thank you for sticking with me for three years 👍  Have a wonderful 2017!

Season's Greetings!!

🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄🎄

Waldorf Wheat Berry Salad

The classic Waldorf Salad recipe is very, very old... I would like to live this long :)  Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC, is credited with the creation of this dish in the late 1800s.  Born in Switzerland, Tschirky moved to the United States while still a teen.  He began his  career as a busboy, and though had no culinary training, his passion for food is evidenced in where he chose to work, the recipes he collected, and the restaurant dishes he inspired.

Though there are many variations, one of which you will discover with today's post, the classic Waldorf uses apples, grapes, and walnuts, dressed with mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce.  The Hellman's Mayonnaise website adds the option of raisins.

I have never been a big fan of Waldorf Salad, mainly because mayonnaise is not a spread that I like/use that often.  So for this riff, I substituted sour cream as the base for the dressing.  In addition, using wheat berries added a protein and dietary fiber load that makes this side a winner.  Finally, this is a salad that  accommodates easily to other grains, vegetables, and dried and fresh fruits, so feel free to make your own kind of Waldorf Salad.  Mr. Tschirky would be impressed with your creation!

Waldorf Wheatberry Salad
Yield: Serves 4 as a small side

1/2 cup dry wheat berries
1 rib celery, diced small with leaves
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of that 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
1/2 cup apple, chopped small
1/4 cup sour cream (fat content is your choice)

Directions

1.  Cook the wheat berries according to package directions, until softened but still chewy.  Drain if necessary.
2.  Place wheat berries into a medium-sized bowl.

3.  Add all other ingredients, mixing until sour cream is totally combined.

4.  Serve alongside your protein source (i.e., poached fish, chicken, or veggie burger)
5.  Cover and chill any leftovers.

DIY Vegetarian Chili

Once in a while, I pull out a 'recipe' that's no-fail, nourishing and guest-worthy, and whose only requirement is to get creative.  Do you have some of those?  They are golden on stressful days or when your head's not in the game.  You don't have to dig deep...they're right there within you and for you...waiting for these very moments.

This is such a simple recipe.  For one, much of the time it is cooking away in a large covered pot, dutch oven, or even a slow cooker.  Secondly, it needs ingredients that you likely have hanging around.  And it's okay that those same ingredients have seen better days (head nod to the limp and blanched-out celery and dried-out carrots in your refrig crisper) or have yet to make an appearance in your culinary adventures (always wondered what I was going to do with that can of Little Pink Beans I got at Shoprite's Can Can Sale).

Spotlight your imaginative side as you put this recipe together.  After gathering your vegetable medley, showcase your knife skills as you chop!  Then it's everything-into-the-pot: veggies, spices, beans, tomatoes, and broth.  In less than an hour you will have a splendidly thickened stew we call chili. Yes!  Topped with sour cream, sliced avocado, or shredded cheese, this is one riffed recipe that you can repeat again and again and it will never be quite the same.  Yay! That's your good news for today :)

Notes

1.  I used a Dutch oven but any large pot with a lid will do.

2.  Use what you have around for the vegetable medley:  Fennel, zucchini, yellow squash, frying peppers, on-their-way-out-tomatoes, etc.  Throw some chopped spinach in at the end!

3.  The blend of spices and herbs is your decision.  Hot and spicy demands more smoked paprika or maybe some chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes.  Are you a cilantro fan?  Go ahead, add a bit :)  If your taste profile is more bland, dial down the spice amounts.

4.  I used a can of Black beans and a can of Little Pink beans.  Use what you have.

DIY Vegetarian Chili
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 4 substantial servings

Ingredients and Directions

One or two carrots
One or two celery ribs,
One bell pepper (your color)
One onion (any kind or color; or a couple scallions, shallots, big bunch of chives)

Set the burner heat to medium.  Chop above ingredients into small pieces and with a swirl of olive oil (or coconut oil) in a dutch oven or large pot (with a lid), add these pieces.  Stir to combine, adding a bit of salt to taste, if you'd like.  Continue cooking with an occasional stir until the vegetables are fragrant and slightly softened, about 10 minutes.  Turn down heat if ingredients are charring.

Add in the following herbs and spices and stir until well combined:

a couple cloves of garlic (or use garlic powder)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Add in the following:

1 large can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes with juices
1 can (15 oz.) of black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) of another type of bean (red, kidney, cannellini, etc.), rinsed
1 bay leaf or two
2 cups or vegetable broth or water

Cook your chili over medium heat, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.  Adjust the heat, if necessary, so that the chili is simmering to allow the vegetables to soften and flavors to blend.
Remove chili from the heat.  Uncover and take out a heaping cup or so of the chili and transfer to a blender.  Blend until smooth and then return it to the pot.  This step gives the chili the texture you expect...that this recipe has been cooking all day long!  (Alternatively, use a potato masher right in the pot to achieve the same results.)  Add extra broth if necessary.

Serve garnished with cilantro, lime juice, or place over rice, or in my case, alongside roasted sweet potato rounds and avocado.

Voila!

ANZAC Puffs

Recently, my husband and I were on a getaway out west, and like many vacationers we look for learning experiences in unfamiliar areas that expand our understandings of the world.  Nowadays where upheaval and unrest seem to be the norm, where civility and positivity are overshadowed by name-calling and knee-jerk, it's a blessing to find a place, if only for a week, where peace and beauty prevail.  This vacation spot drew us in a few years back, and we return when we can to the small house that we built on an island in the Puget Sound.

In our new community, there is a Saturday Market during spring and summer where talented craftspeople display and sell what they've created, baked, sewn, hammered and nailed, written, thrown, painted, and grown.  Whether you come to socialize or to purchase, no one leaves the marketplace disappointed.  Whether you buy from the potter, chat up the weaver, or ogle the bakers' scrumptious layouts, it's a few hours of sharing updates, greeting newcomers, or browsing the many adorned tables, looking for a way to spend those few dollars you brought.

One of the vendors at this Saturday Market has been selling ANZAC cookies since 2009, and believe it or not, has sold over 30,000!  Imagine how organized and efficient his kitchen must be as he prepares for each Saturday's visitors.  In simple terms, he sells around 4000 cookies each market season.  Awesome!

His ANZAC (the acronym stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) cookies are a staple on Saturdays. They have an interesting backstory, are reliably delicious, and are coveted by many.  I have had this cookie on other occasions while at the market, and they always taste the same, look the same, and can shoulder the journey from west coast to east coast with little wear and tear.  The price tag is also reasonable...a quart ziplock bag with 7 ANZAC cookies for $5.00.  A good and yummy deal any way you look at it.

One historical claim shared by the Saturday Market vendor is that these cookies (or biscuits) were sent to ANZAC soldiers fighting in Europe during WWI.  They were travel-proof and had a long shelf life.  But another theory is that the biscuits were made and sold at public events 'Down Under' and the money used to support the soldiers abroad.  Today these biscuits are still popular and are used as a fundraising tool for various military-related groups.  ANZAC Day is observed each year on April 25, and is similar to the our Labor Day in that it honors those that have served Australia and New Zealand in all wars and peacekeeping efforts.

When we returned from our trip, I found a recipe for ANZAC cookies from an internet search.  The traditional recipe includes few ingredients (oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda, and boiling water) with an option to add desiccated coconut, and I'm so glad I did.  Desiccated coconut helps to bind the dough and provides an additional flavor layer.  Externally, the cookie is cracked and crunchy while inside it's soft and chewy.  The coconut bits provide a softening effect over time.  The puffs pack up and travel well, and even if bumped around a bit, they are still good-looking :)  This recipe does not require a mixer...only a bowl and small saucepan.  No wonder this is my new favorite cookie!!!

Notes

1.  I made these with all-purpose flour and baking soda and again with self-rising flour only.  You know what I'm going to say, right?  My preference is to use self-rising flour because it eliminates one step and frankly, there are times when the essence of baking soda lingers in the background of an otherwise fabulous recipe.  This is one of those times.

2.  Rather than flattening the dough, I rolled mine into balls.  The result was a bite-size ANZAC Puff!  So cute!

3.  The mentor recipe asked for caster sugar (super fine sugar).  Though it would be easy to just process white sugar to make it super fine, I used regular granulated sugar.  Lazy?  You decide.

4.  Each cookie ball had a mass of 20 grams (see photo below).

5.  Since the mentor recipe was British, the ingredients were listed in grams (g).  I have a food scale that could handle this.  Maybe you don't, so I have put the approximate U.S. equivalents in parentheses.  Remember that there is not a straightforward conversion for dry ingredients used in baking since different ingredients have different weights.  The US Standard of measuring dry ingredients relies on volume whereas the Metric System uses weight.  There are quite a few conversion charts that can assist.  Here's one.

6.  I used quick oats.

7.  No eggs are used in the preparation of these cookies, so they will last a while...but that'll never happen in my house :)

ANZAC Puffs
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 25 puffs

85 g quick oats (1 cup)
85 g desiccated coconut (1 cup)
100 g self-rising flour ( 3/4 cup)
100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
100 g butter (7 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon golden syrup (I used Lyle's brand)
2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F.  Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment (or use a silpat or grease the pan).

2.  Combine the oats, coconut, flour, and sugar into a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients.  Set aside.

3.  In a small pan, melt the butter.  Stir in the golden syrup and the boiling water.

4.  Pour the butter mixture into the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir until all ingredients are combined.

5.  Using a spoon, scoop out a small amount and roll into a ball with a diameter of about 1.5 inches.  See Notes above for more specifics.

6.  Place on baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each puff.

7.  Place the baking sheet into oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until tops are golden brown.

8.  Remove from oven to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes to allow puffs to crisp up.  Remove puffs from cookie sheet.

9.  Repeat steps #5-#8 if there is more cookie dough to bake.

10. These cookies are yummy out of the oven... and still yummy with a bit of

age!

Almond Joy Bites (with a chocolate foot)

In need of a gluten and dairy-free cookie?  Need it asap?  Don't have a lot of time for detail and fuss?  I have you covered!  These little almond-y tasting bites are sweet and tender, chewy and delicious.  They are a bit more exotic with a chocolate foot, sprinkled with a bit of hemp seed hearts <3  You know those "keeper recipes" that you bring out when you need some oohs and ahhs?  Trust me, this little cookie should be a part of that treasured collection.

August has been pretty busy for me (and you too, I'm guessing).  It's a pleasure to eat cleanly with so many fresh options, especially vegetables and fruit grown locally.  Whether you cook light (i.e., steaming, sauteing) or prepare raw, summer produce is out of this world.  Crispy salads or grain bowls with charred vegetables, colorful roasted fruits, lean protein, and a sweep of whatever herbs you are growing are my ideas of daily happiness.

"But what about dessert?" you ask.  Great question!  What is better than stone fruits over bowls of
oh-so refreshing sorbet or ice cream after a frazzled day?  And the crumbles, crisps, and shortbreads covering dark berries finished with whipped cream dollop?  So yummy!  See?  I do understand the resistance to turning on your oven, but maybe you can deal with a 300º F temperature for just 20 minutes?  If so, keep on reading.  Almond Joy Bites to the rescue.  They are perfect scoopers for that vanilla frozen yogurt that's on your mind and in your frig.

Notes

1.  Before rolling the cookie dough between my hands, I gave the edge of the dough a dip in confectioner's sugar.  The rolling is a breeze, and the sticky-factor gone.

2.  I have made these a few times this month and decided to add the chocolate foot.  I microwaved dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl in small intervals (10-15 seconds), stirring after each interval to melt.  When the chips were mostly melted, I just stirred to melt the rest of the chocolate.

3.  Holding onto each cookie, I dipped halfway into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off (helping it with a fork), and then placed it back on the baking tray to solidify.  If you need them sooner, place into the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Almond Joy Bites
(mentor recipe here)
Yield:  approx. 36

2 cups almond meal
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, milk, etc.)
Hemp seed hearts (or other chopped nuts) for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 300ºF.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
2.  Place the confectioner's sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, place the almond meal, sugar, and corn starch.
3.  In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until they are just shy of forming peaks but are quite foamy.  This took me less than 5 minutes.
4.  Whisk in the almond extract.
5.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything comes together.  Feel free to use your hands to knead the ingredients into a sticky dough.  Before proceeding, you may want to rinse your hands.
6.  With a spoon, grab about a tablespoon of the dough.  Before rolling into a ball, dip the edge into the confectioner's sugar.  Then start rolling.  Smooth and easy!
7.  Place rolled cookie onto tray and repeat with the rest of the dough.  I was able to make about 3 dozen and used only one large baking sheet.  They do not spread.

8.  Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are cracked and dry.  Remove from oven.
9.  Cool on baking sheet.

10. Remove from baking sheet and enjoy.  Store leftovers in an airtight container or in ziplock bags.
11. If adding a chocolate foot, see notes above.

12.  Layer leftovers in an airtight container between sheets of parchment.

13.  Now that's how to make a hot summer a bit more bearable :)

Tweed Bars

I know that it's scorching outside and you have every right to avert your eyes after you skim this posting and see that I've turned on my oven for this (boo).   I completely understand if you want to move onto a blog that posts a chilly, no-bake appetizer, dinner, and dessert.  I kinda want to do that too!

There's someone in my kitchen that continues to roast vegetables, cook grains, and bake.  There's someone here that tries mightily to use the oven for many recipes or parts thereof with just one turn-on.  This someone's efforts are to produce meals for a few days with minimal oven usage subsidizing with those easy throw-together crispy fruit and veggie salads, quick stovetop heating (if necessary), and microwave assistance.  We could go out to eat, you say?  Yes, but... I really like being in the kitchen and I do really resist overuse of the oven in summer's prime.

So in the crushing heat of the summer, I bake and roast at the same time.  I plan for this in the morning.  Cookies or bars, corn or beets, potatoes or eggplant, peppers or garlic. They.all.go.in.simultaneously.  Yes, the cookies likely come out first, and yes, the oven temperature might have to be adjusted for the veggies, but I think overall oven time is reduced.  Rest assured that this little number above was not alone, but nestled in with other oven food friends, providing parts of future meals yet to be assembled.

Why tweed???  Well, the bars have that speckled look that is a hallmark of some tweed fabric like this one.  The speckles are due to Heath Bar bits, but you could achieve a similar look using mini chocolate chips (or a combo of both).

So very easy to put together, this shortbread can be baked in a pie pan as you see above, an
8 X 8 square pan, or round cake pans. The key to serving shortbread is to score while still warm. Once cooled your portion shapes will abide by your wishes.  If you wait until the shortbread is completely cooled, your pieces may shatter and crumble into their own shapes.

Notes

1.  I usually cut the mentor recipe in half to yield only one tweed bar cake.

2.  Because of the look, I used a glass pie pan.  It travels well too.

3.  The photo below illustrates the light scoring of the warm shortbread.  The resulting triangular pieces were perfect.

4.  I cut the butter down to one-half stick for ease.

5.  How do I measure 3/8 cup sugar?  Measure 1/4 cup first, place it in with the butter, and then fill the 1/4 cup up halfway (as best you can).  That's 1/4 + 1/8 = 3/8 cups

6.  How do I measure 1 and 1/6 cup flour?  Well, measure the one cup, and fill your 1/3 cup up halfway.  That's 1 + 1/6 = 1 and 1/6 cups

7.  I used the Heath brand of toffee pieces.  They did not need any additional chopping.

8.  During the month of July, I made this recipe a few times.  On one occasion, I was short on toffee pieces and so modified with mini chocolate chips to accommodate.  You will see these chips in some photos.  Still good!

Tweed Bars
Yield from a pie pan: 12
Mentor recipe

4 Tablespoons salted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/6 cups ap flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
3/4 cups of chopped pieces of chocolate covered toffee

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 300ºF.  Grease your pan of choice (or line with parchment paper).

2.  In your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix.

3.  Add in the flour and salt, if using.  Mix until dough comes together.

4.  Add in toffee bits.  Mix.

5.  Pick up the dough from the bowl and press it into the pan, leveling and smoothing with your fingers.

6.  Using a fork and spoon, prick the dough and add visual touches.  For example, crimp the edge as if this were a pie, press the spoon's tip into the dough to make pretty indentations, or use your fingers to push the dough into small ridges.  You decide what looks nice!

7.  Bake the Tweed Bars for about 40 minutes until golden.

8.  Remove and set on a wire rack to cool.  After 5 minutes, lightly score your pieces with a knife.

9.  When completely cool, a sharp knife cutting through the scored lines will give you the pieces you want.

These were made with mini chocolate chips and toffee bits!