Hard peaches for hard times
In the food section of the NYT’s last week Mellisa Clark had an intriguing recipe for chicken thighs roasted with hard peaches. You know, the kind that you buy at the grocery store and are obviously not local, not tree ripened, and not good for anything but cooking. But that’s the point. Those somewhat odious peaches do cook up quite nicely and because they are not tree-ripened they aren’t as loaded with sugar so that they do actually make the perfect accompaniment to the beloved chicken thigh.
No actual recipe is necessary since it’s so very simple and quick. Take a pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and slice them into strip about 1 inch wide. Peel a pound of hard peaches and slice them into comparable slices. Mince a few cloves of garlic, an inch of fresh ginger and toss the whole mess together with just a squeeze of lemon juice and some olive oil. Arrange it all on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes (or until the chicken is golden brown) at at 375 degree oven. Take from the oven, toss in a handful of freshly chiffonaded basil and serve with some rice.
The flavors are delicate and light. The addition of the basil at the end provides a vibrant note and the ginger and garlic play so nicely with the peaches. For those of you that prefer chicken breasts over thighs I think you too will be happy with this preparation. I can’t help but imagine this with mangoes…I think that could be stunning.
Hermit cookies
I think we’re about two weeks out from Thanksgiving, about 5 weeks from the Christmas season, and about 31 business days from the end of the year. All of which indicates that it’s time to bake cookies. I’m going to bake cookies this year and I’m going to bake cookies I’ve never baked before.
I’m starting off with the hermit cookie because as I read through the recipe it was obvious that they would offer an incredible spicy flavor and a chewy texture; the combination of the two promises a comforting sweet treat that is perfect for these dark, late fall days.
Naturally I substituted dried cranberries for the traditional raisins and I tossed in some pecans because it seemed like the right thing to do. The finished product is deeply and intensely spicy with a texture that is addictive. I especially like the brown sugar frosting that gives away with a bit of crunch an instant before your teeth sink into the dense ginger interior. If you like ginger then these easy-peasy bar cookies are for you.
Hermit Cookies
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4 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, rough chopped
Brown Sugar Icing
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
Preheat oven to 350º. Line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and butter the sides.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cloves and set aside.
Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix just long enough to combine thoroughly. Dump in the cranberries and pecans and whirl about for 30 seconds or so…juest enough to get good distribution.
Now comes the hard part…this recipe is much more suited to a drop cookie because of its denseness…but it excels as a bar cookie …so dump the cookie dough into 4 piles on the baking sheet and slowly and methodically spread it out until it cover the entire sheet. Patience will pay off here. Bake for about 15 minutes and then cool on a rack.
For the icing you’ll cook the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. If icing is too thick to drizzle, stir in more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thin, stir in more confectioners’ sugar, a teaspoon at a time. Let cool slightly.
Drizzle bars with icing. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting into bars.
