SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

My daughter cleaned out her closet recently, and knowing how much I love previously owned clothes, especially those from friends, I offered the clothes to friends of ours with two girls younger than Elise.
When delivering items, I always try to deliver a treat too. I made these Saffron Pistachio Shortbread Cookies to go along with the clothes, they had a delightfully crunchy texture, and the flavor of the saffron was as unique as my daughters style.

SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, scraped
zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios

Use a mortar and pestle to finely grind the saffron threads into a fine powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, orange zest, salt and ground saffron.
Mix in the powdered sugar and flour and stir until just combined. Form the cookie dough into a log, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least two hours.
Heat oven to 325F.
Roll the cookie dough log in the chopped pistachios (I let the cookie dough soften a little to allow the pistachios to adhere). Slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets, at least 1 inch apart, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Yossy Arefi, Apt. 2B Baking Co.
apt2bbakingco.blogspot.com/‎

SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS and ROSEMARY PISTACHIO COOKIES

My husband and I, along with many fabulous locals are featured in the beautiful, Local Flavor of Northwest Arkansas Cookbook.
I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition and am so proud of Rhonda and Maliah and the hard work these two incredible ladies did to make this cookbook happen. From an idea that was created when two friends came together to cook, to an actual tangible printed copy - hours and months of diligence that will benefit Feed Fayetteville and Life Source.
We recently attended the launch party, where we previewed the cookbook, tasted some of the delicious dishes featured in the cookbook, and I shared these Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars and Rosemary Pistachio Cookies.
The narrative, photographs and recipes are gorgeous and only 1000 copies are being printed - but you can pre-order your copy at http://localflavornwa.com

SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

FOR THE CRUST
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL
2 cups milk chocolate chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sea salt

Heat oven to 350F.
Make the crust: Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides, butter parchment, excluding overhang. Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and table salt, and beat until just combined.
Press dough evenly into pan, and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Make the chocolate caramel: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, washing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, cream, and table salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until smooth. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Stir to combine and let stand until cool, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture over crust. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. Run a knife around edges, lift parchment to remove whole bar from pan. Trim the edges and cut into bars.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com
www.marthastewart.com/949584/chocolate-caramel-cookie-bars

ROSEMARY PISTACHIO COOKIES

1 cup ghee (at room temperature)
(you could also use unsalted butter, but it is my belief that the ghee provided an incredible and unique flavor to these cookies)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups self-rising flour
1 cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

Heat oven to 375F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the ghee and brown sugar on high speed until smooth, lighter in color and a little fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Add the flour, pistachios, white chocolate chips and the rosemary, and mix on medium speed until thorougly incorporated.
Drop tablespoon sized balls of dough on the baking sheets.
Bake until lightly browned at the edges and spread flat, about 12 minutes. Let cool on the pans.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The 4-Hour Chef, Timothy Ferriss, 2012

ZUCCHINI CORN BREAD WITH SPICED NUTS and GOLDEN ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH APRICOTS AND RAISINS and ZUCCHINI OLIVE OIL AND PISTACHIO MADELEINES

This was some of the most delicious, moist corn bread I have ever had.

ZUCCHINI CORN BREAD WITH SPICED NUTS

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup spiced mixed nuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 (14.75 ounce) can of cream style corn
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Heat oven to 300F.
Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan, set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, nuts, sugar, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, and applesauce. Stir in the corn, zucchini, cheese and onion. Add butter mixture all at once to cornmeal mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, March 2012
www.bhg.com/recipes/

This cake was delicious - rich and moist - and filled with fruit and spice. The cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet and complimented the cake perfectly.
I stored the cake in the refrigerator, and it was even better the following day and even the one after that.

GOLDEN ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH APRICOTS AND RAISINS

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup finely diced dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini

Heat oven to 350F.
Spray an 8 by 8 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and baking powder. In a small bowl, stir together apricots, raisins and 1/4 cup of the flour mixture until fruit is well coated.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended. At low speed, slowly beat in flour mixture until blended, stir in apricot mixture and zucchini. Pour batter into pan, bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

FROSTING
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
dash salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese, butter and salt at medium speed until blended and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth and creamy.
Spread frosting over cooled cake.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Pleasures, August 2002
www.cookingclub.com/recipes.aspx

This was a fun and unique way to cook with zucchini.

ZUCCHINI OLIVE OIL AND PISTACHIO MADELEINES

1/2 cup grated zucchini

1/4 cup creme fraiche

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

1 egg

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup parmesan, grated

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Wrap grated zucchini in paper towels.

Heat oven to 375F.

In an electric mixer, beat creme fraiche, lemon zest, oil and egg on medium speed until uniform consistency is reached.

Sift flour, baking powder, pepper and salt together. Shift mixer to low speed and add dry ingredients to egg mixture, a third at a time, scraping bottom of the mixing bowl between each addition.

With mixer still on low speed, add parmesan and drained zucchini and mix until well incorporated.

Pipe batter into a madeleine mold and garnish with chopped pistachios. Bake until tops are golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Wall Street Journal, June 2012

www.wallstreetjournal.com/