Mom's Christmas Cookies

This is a recipe handed down from my mother.  The origins are a mystery, but may have come from a cookbook.  I've been eating every Christmas for over 50 years.  They are cakey, and a little brown at the edges when done right.

Cookies:

Mix thoroughly: 

• 1/3 cup sugar (preferably caster sugar)
• 1/2 cup soft shortening (substitute butter if desired.  Yes, it's desired)
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup honey

Sift Together and add:

• 2 3/4 cups pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

1. Leave the shortening or butter out of the refrigerator for at least an hour.  In a bowl, add sugar, shortening or butter, egg, and honey.  Mix until combined.  

   

   Whip it Good!

2. In a different bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt with a wire whip until combined.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until there are no lumps.  Do not over-mix.  Working the dough any more than necessary will make the cookies harder. 

   

   Mix it Good!

3. Chill dough for at least an hour.  Then, on a floured surface, roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutters.  

   

   Cuttin' 'em Out

4. Place cookies 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no finger imprint remains when touched lightly.  When cool, Ice
5. You have to adjust time and temperature according to your oven.

Icing (royal):

• 3 egg whites (extra large or jumbo)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

1. Using the mixer of your choice, combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy.  Slowly add the powdered sugar, and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, and the mixture is shiny.  Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks,  approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

   

   Mixing in the Powdered Sugar

Substitutions:

1/3 cup Raw sugar (not the coarse kind) for the sugar.  The Impatient Chef prefers the hit of molasses from a good raw sugar.  

1/3 cup soft butter for the shortening (because, well, butter.  Need I say more?).

2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour for the pastry flour (you may have to adjust the consistency with more honey).  Find a whole white wheat flour.  Bob's Red Mill is a good source.  

The Impatient Chef: A Very Fried Thanksgiving

Update:  Do not try this at home.  This recipe is not ready for Prime Time.  The Impatient Chef leaves it on the internet entirely to make fun of it in newer posts.  

When Thanksgiving approaches every year, I find myself searching for a way to subvert the turkey paradigm.  Sometimes I give in, and just make the bird that I’m expected to bake, but this year, as the days grew shorter, and the upcoming cooking marathon began to weigh on my expectations, I found myself searching for a way to pop the culinary balloon.  In the immortal words of The Grinch, “But, how?”

There is a grocery store in Hood River, Oregon called Roseaur’s.  It’s ye olde basic mass of shelves and aisles where the big name brands make a play for domination of stomachs everywhere.  However, it is set apart by three things: 1. It’s in the town where the Pacific Northwest and Paradise meet; 2. it has a decent natural foods section; and 3. an honest to goodness meat counter.  It was at that meat counter that the inspiration hit me.

“Do you have any duck?”

Next thing you know…

“Congratulations, Mr. Impatient Chef, it’s a duck.”

Now, what to do with it. One can’t just bake it, or...

FRY IT! Of course!

I opted for steaming it prior to frying, on the suggestion of my wife, based on Alton Brown’s buffalo wing’s technique. This would render the meat less fatty after frying.

You will need the following things:

• A fryer.  A dutch oven will suffice.
• Oil.  Preferably peanut oil
• A duck (but I mentioned that before)
• Breading (I used panko)
• 1 tbsp Thyme
• 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp Rosemary, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup corn flour
• 1 cup panko (spicy if you dare).

First, dismember the bird. Save all of the parts that aren’t breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings for the broth. Second, place the pieces to be fried into a steamer kettle. Steam for about 15 minutes, removing the smaller pieces after 10 minutes. Reserve the steaming water in the pot.

Place the steamed duck on a sheet pan, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Put all of the remaining duck parts in the steaming water. Cover with more water, and simmer, covered. This will become gravy later. Meanwhile, prepare the breading. Lay out three bowls.

I added a tbsp locally-made seasoning to the Panko. You can add what you desire, or just use it as is.

  

Remove the skin from the duck pieces. It’s difficult to get it off of the wings, so you can skip that.  

Remove the bones from the breasts. Cover the duck pieces in the flour mixture, then the egg, and then roll them in the panko. Place them on a sheet pan. let them sit for at least 20 minutes.

Now would be a good time to start heating the oil. I heat it to 350 degrees.

Give the simmering duck trimmings as long as you can, but you will need at least 20 minutes to reduce it, more it you have time. Prepare mashed potatoes, a veg or two, or whatever else you want to eat with the duck.

Strain the duck broth, let it sit for a few minutes, and strain the fat off of the top. Add it back to the pan, and boil to reduce.

Fry the duck.

Okay, I added a couple mushrooms.

When the duck has an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees, remove it from the oil. Cover with a paper towel.

       Serve.