Holiday Tea Time

Although the Nord Kitchen is mostly dominated by those of Swedish decent, occasionally some fractional heritages peek through and we bow to other traditions. One favorite tradition from our English-early-American descendants is the serving of tea. Tea time can be an elaborate occasion in The Nord Kitchen ranging from a simple afternoon tea party to the elaborate High Tea affair. We are fortunate that we live in an area with a number of historical places which serve wonderful traditional afternoon teas, such as The Colonial Inn in Concord, MA. But our favorite tradition is to set our own table with a variety of teas, heavily laden with sweets and sandwiches then wait and see who decides to sit for a chat.

One of these impromptu teas occurred this past week when I was again experimenting with Mesquite flour. In previous blogs I have mentioned using this unique flour with chocolate chip cookies. The distinctive mocha flavor makes for a very rich cookie when combined with chocolate chips, so I was delighted when Casa de Fruta contacted me with some new recipes to try. Just like early explorers in search of spices, I found some new flavor combinations to add to the tea table.

Mesquite Meringue Cookies

3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mesquite flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Mix the sugar and mesquite flour together, set aside. In a chilled bowl, begin beating egg whites with electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar and flour mix. Add the salt and lemon juice. Continue beating until batter is stiff and firm and does not slip from bowl when inverted. Be patient. Once desired consistency is reached, immediately, drop mixture by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a very low temperature oven (210 - 225 degrees F) for about an hour. Be careful not to let cookies brown.

Mesquite Lemon Bars
For pastry dough:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup mesquite flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

For lemon topping:
1 jar (10 oz.) Lemon Curd
2 tablespoons mesquite flour

Mix first 8 ingredients together to form a soft dough. Spread dough in a cookie sheet which has already been greased and floured. Make sure dough is evenly spread.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix lemon curd and flour together until smooth.

Remove pan from oven and spread over the partially baked dough the lemon topping. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes or until edges are nicely brown. Cut into squares.

Ginger Cookies, Pepparkakor and The Wish Cookie

With the uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving, now completed we enter into a new season of holidays. Holidays celebrated by families of all backgrounds and creeds each with a set of their own special traditions.

For the Nord Kitchen, it starts with the search for the perfect ginger cookie. Crisp versus chewy, topped with sugar or not. The Handbook of Swedish Traditions, first published by the American Swedish Institute in 1980, lists 10 different recipes for ginger cookies... also known as Pepparkakor. An authentic Pepparkakor recipe should result in a thin, crisp wafer-like ginger cookie laced with just a hint of orange peel.


Swedish custom says that you should place a Pepparkakor in the palm of your hand. Then, make a wish. Using the index finger or thumb of your free hand, tap the cookie in the middle. Swedish tradition states that if the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces, your wish will come true. If the Pepparkakor does not break into three pieces, well, you'll just have to enjoy eating the cookie in smaller pieces.



For a very thin and very crisp Pepparkakor, I find that the ones imported from Sweden in the holiday tins are wonderful. Although Anna's from Tyreso, Sweden are a family favorite we recently discovered a great tin of cookies imported by Ikea from Gille.

What if you crave a moist, chewy ginger cookie? The American Swedish Institute cookbook does have a recipe for that type also, but I've come to rely on another side of the family for a traditional early American ginger cookie. This recipe has been in my family for many generations and I'm not sure where it originated.

Gramie's Ginger - Sugar Cookies
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cups dark molasses
1 egg

Sift flour with soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl add 1 cup sugar to butter, cream until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg.
At low speed beat in flour mixture just until well mixed, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula.
Refrigerate dough for one hour.
After an hour, pinch off pieces of dough, shape into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in remaining sugar.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool. Will be crinkled. Store in air tight container to keep moist and chewy.
Makes about 4 dozen.

Unusual Ingredients

If you can bake a batch of chocolate chips cookies you will never be without friends. Or, at least that's my motto.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies. Although I have my favorite recipes, I always seem to be drawn to new ones. My signature cookies are "Busy-Bee Chippers" from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookies and Candies cookbook. I still have my copy, a 1966 edition, where I wrote, many years ago, advice for future batches...."watch timimg, burn very easily...Good, easy too, you can taste the honey alot, and boys luv um."
You can probably guess how old I was when I first starting baking. Above that recipe on the same page is another for Oatmeal Chip Cookies which I gave a Very Good rating. But somehow, I identified more with the Busy-Bee Chippers. I remember thinking how unique it was to use honey instead of granulated white cane sugar. Even as a suburban kid in the 60's I understood the increasing importance for more healthful ingredients.

In her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson introduces a number of interesting ingredients which can transform the most standard of food items. In reading her book it quickly became clear that I could not embark on her recipes in my usual manner. No substitutions to use whatever I had on hand. The fun of her book is finding the ingredients she recommends. What a reward I received when I followed her chocolate chip cookie recipe, exactly as stated...even using whole-wheat pastry flour. But the big secret? Mesquite flour. She writes in her book: "Chances are you're new to mesquite flour, a wonderful, fragrant flour made from the ground-up pods of the mesquite tree." Trust me, it is worth searching for this unique flour and making her Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies. Everyone will love these...not just the boys!!!