The Longest Night
December 21, 2020
“I still believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and true love. Don’t even try to tell me different.”
~ Dolly Parton
Happy Winter Solstice!
It’s officially winter, the quiet season. In spite of the vaccine beginning to roll out, we are in the middle of a peak in this pandemic, so harmonizing with the hibernating theme of winter feels appropriate, although somewhat of a challenge with Christmas and the New Year approaching.
Like Dolly Parton declares in the quote above, I always was and still am a firm believer in Santa Claus. Even as a young child I was curious about how things big and small worked. To my mother’s relief, I often answered my own questions about the probable physics or metaphysics of how Santa delivered gifts to children around the world in one night (albeit one of the longest nights). I hypothesized that his reindeer and sleigh somehow flew faster than the speed of light, therefore traveling through time (after all, Einstein had proved this was possible). Our house did not have a chimney, but I informed my mom that Santa had obviously mastered a technology similar to the Star Trek transporter, in order to beam himself from the rooftop into our living room.
I also decided that there must be a “Cataclaws” and (my kitties having been mostly good all year) I would put out stockings for my cats, a tradition that continues to this day in my house.
This year, kids have very 2020 questions about Santa. During a recent Sesame Street Town Hall, a 6-year-old asked Dr. Anthony Fauci (Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984) if Santa would be able to visit all of our homes, given the pandemic restrictions. Dr. Fauci replied:
“I have to say, I took care of that for you because I was worried you would all be upset. So what I did a little while ago, I took a trip up there to the North Pole. I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney; he can leave presents; he can leave, and you have nothing to worry about. Santa Claus is good to go.”
I am assuming that Cataclaws is good to go as well.
Meowy Christmas everyone! And Happy Mew Year!
Since we are all doing things just a little bit differently this year, here are two unique recipes for absolutely delicious cookies to leave Santa Claus: one sweet and one savory. Both Avocado Orange Cookies and Savory Basil Pesto Cookies would be welcome treats for a dessert, un apertivo, a snack and to leave for Santa.
The Sweet One:
Avocado Orange Cookies
Avocado replaces most of the fat in this recipe, making for a softer cookie with a hint of winter orange flavor and the bonus of avocado’s heart-healthy fat. You want a fully ripe, creamy type of avocado, such as Haas for this recipe. Substitute lemon zest for the orange zest to make Avocado Lemon Cookies. Recipe is easily doubled.
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium, ripe avocado (you will need 1/2 cup smashed pulp)
Zest of 1/2 an orange
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or sunflower seed oil
1 & 1/8 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Generous dash of ground allspice
Optional:
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°F
In a medium bowl, beat egg with sugar until lightened. Stir in vanilla.
In a separate bowl or on a plate, mash avocado until completely creamy. Add to egg and sugar mixture. Add zest and oil. Stir to mix well.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda salt and allspice. Mix well with a fork.
Add dry ingredients to bowl with wet ingredients and mix well.
Mix in chocolate chips (optional), if using.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop dough by rounded tablespoons, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Let stand 2 minutes and move to a wire rack to cool completely (or eat one or two warm, if you can’t wait).
Makes 18 to 20 cookies
Savory Basil Pesto Cookies
(Biscotti salati al pesto di basilico)
These savory cookies are perfect to accompany soups, salads or as a little something-something for a snack or apertivo. The avocado replaces the butter in this shortbread-type recipe, making for a digestion-friendly but flavorful treat. You want a fully ripe, creamy type of avocado, such as Haas for this recipe. You can use Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for the cheese here, but I usually use Pecorino for its tangier flavor.
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 medium, ripe avocado (you will need 1/2 cup smashed pulp)
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
1 & 1/8 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Optional:
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375°F
In a medium bowl, beat egg with cheese.
In a separate bowl or on a plate, mash avocado until completely creamy. Add to egg and cheese mixture. Stir in lemon zest and pesto. Mix well and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix flour with baking soda and add to bowl with wet ingredients.
Stir in nuts, if using.
Mix with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly).
Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop dough by rounded tablespoons. I used a 1 & 1/2 tablespoon measure exact, but if you don’t have that size, a rounded tablespoon works fine. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. Use a fork, pressing down gently into a criss-cross pattern, to flatten slightly.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown.
Let stand 2 minutes and move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 18 to 20 savory cookies
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