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Chamomile Cookies
With hints of floral sweetness, chamomile tea is just as tasty in these delicate cookies as it is made by the cup. The light herbal flavor calls to mind a specialty shop treat, but this recipe comes together beautifully right at home. Simply open the tea bags to measure the dried chamomile and add it to the flour mix while you bake. These are the cookies that taste just like spring to me. Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour2 ½ tablespoons dried chamomile from high quality chamomile tea bags½ teaspoon baking powder¼ teaspoon salt12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter¾ cup granulated sugar1 egg¾ teaspoon vanilla extract Yields 3 ½ dozen…
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Cozy Winter
Whether winter brings to mind the peace of a snowy woodland or pine branches brought inside as festive decoration, this is the season of coziness. A walk through the woods is an opportunity to bundle up with chunky mittens and knits. There may be no better time to wear a fluffy pom-pom. Inside there is coziness to be found in a cup of rich hot chocolate and, for a while, the garlands and ornaments that surround us. I’ve always loved winter for the way it calls us to be a little more still, more warm, perhaps even more thoughtful about things we might take for granted in other seasons. Heading…
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Berry Iced Tea
When you’re headed for the road (beach trip!) or it’s too early in the day for cocktails, you still need something summery in hand. Drinks should be fresh and festive even when they are non-alcoholic. Long, scorching days signal access to ripe berries, making this the perfect time of year for an iced white tea with juicy raspberries and blueberries. White teas have a delicate sweetness that marries well with their flavors. Harvested when the tea leaves are still young, white varieties also are lighter and often more refreshing than green and black teas. I recommend selecting one with fruity notes for this recipe. Grab your muddler and read on.…
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Earl Grey Cocoa Pecans
Lately I have been combining chocolate with earthy ingredients like smoked salt. While enjoying some chocolate covered pretzels I had sprinkled with an applewood variety, I had a craving for a strong cup of Earl Grey. Later that night I found myself coming up with these delicious cocoa pecans. As a poet, I love delving into the meaning of words and the connection between strings of words. Playing with ingredients and their qualities is a process that can be similar to the act of writing. Understand and test the limits of individual parts. Combine them. Take them apart. Often poets and novelists will say they have to write – that…
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Spicy Summer: Thai Iced Tea
As we head into summer, most of us are craving beach time, outdoor markets, and clean, fresh food. There is a certain crispness to this time of year – the tartness of a ripening berry, the sting of the first sunburn of the season. With my shoulders the color of a strawberry stain, I am guilty of the latter. I have to admit it feels a little indulgent – the mark of a weekend well-spent. Amidst all of the pre-summer revelry, though, I sometimes crave a spicy apple cider or a slice of buttery, toasty pecan pie. Thai iced tea strikes the perfect balance between summer and fall. Star anise…
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