2015's Xmas cookies

This year's cookies are pretty much the same as last year's--windmills, pandan-flavored spritz from Betty Crocker, cinnamon roll cookies, and the best-ever pfeffernüsse from The Spice Cookbook. I intended to make some halvah cookies too, but couldn't find any halvah on such short notice (I had to do all my baking on the 23rd). I was resigned to only making four kinds of cookies when I noticed, on the page right next to the pfeffernüsse recipe, spiced pecanettes! They're just like Mexican wedding cookies with pecans for the nuts and a very subtle addition of spice. They were a hit with Annie and Rachael, and pretty quick and easy to make.

long-delayed lemon bar recipe

I first made these low-starch, vegan lemon bars for Rachael's birthday (she had a Harry Potter themed dessert party, which they didn't quite fit into). I wanted to write down the recipe for you all right away, but had trouble with the formatting of my blog post and eventually abandoned the idea. Yesterday's mango sorbet post--done entirely in my phone--turned out so well that I decided to try again. Here goes: 

The crust is an adaptation from this recipe, while the filling is from Veganomicon, one of my favorite cookbooks. 

Crust:

     3/4C (60g) dessicated coconut (the unsweetened kind in little shreds)

     2 1/4C (185g) almond meal

     pinch of salt

     3T maple syrup

     3T coconut oil

Whiz everyting together in a food processor till it begins to look like dough. Scrape out into a greased 10"x10" pan, press in with your fingers till it's nice and flat with no holes and goes up a little at the sides, then bake for 14-16 minutes at 350F°. Let cool while you make the filling.

Filling:

     1 1/3C water

     1T agar powder (You can get it from Amazon or in Chinatown. I usually get Telephone Brand or Gold Cup Brand, 99¢/25g) 

     1 1/4C (245g) sugar

     1/8t turmeric

     2/3C lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons, depending on their size and juiciness)

     finely grated zest from two of  the lemons

     3T arrowroot

     1/4 milk of your choice. (In the photo below I used almond milk, while in the one above I used hemp milk. Maybe that's why it's a funny greenish color? 

Boil the water, agar, sugar, and turmeric together till everything's dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, turn the heat down, and simmer, stirring constantly, till it's nicely thickened--about five minutes. 

Pour the filling over the crust and let cool off for a while till it stops steaming, then put it in the fridge for at least an hour. These keep their texture best when chilled.

yummy, yummy mango sorbet

There are bargain boxes of mangoes at the Viet Wah lately, so Annie and I keep winding up with 14 mangoes to get through in a hurry. An easy way to use up five or six is to make a batch of mango sorbet. Here's my recipe:

To make a little more than a quart, peel, deseed, and roughly chop 1500g ripe mangoes. Thoroughly whiz in your blender along with 150g sugar (white sugar will look prettiest; palm sugar will taste nice but detract from the bright, clear mango orange), the juice of two lines, and a tablespoon of tequila or rum (I've tried it with both and think I like the rum a little better). Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill. Once it's really cold, run it through your ice cream making machine. Transfer to tupperwares to harden up a little in the freezer. So yum!