Friday, November 6, 2009

Nutella and Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies


I know it's not very chickenless of me to share two recipes from the same cookbook in one month. Believe me, I was just going to do Cook of the Week and post this sometime down the road.

As I write this, there's a gunman on the loose within a few blocks of my house. As of fifteen minutes ago, they had no suspects and were still attempting to secure the office building where it happened. I'm sure you'll all read about this in the news later, and by then what I just told you will be out of date. But right now, I'm scared and confused. What the hell is going on? First Fort Hood, now this... What's wrong with the world? If that sicko is prowling my neighborhood right now, looking for a place to lie low, if he just busts into my house right now, I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD. I may never know anyway. We may never be able to point to it. They may never prove that it's hormones in the water supply, or an undercurrent of political resentment on all sides that's finally built its way to this, or ANY ONE THING. As a human being, that makes me nervous. Human beings like to know things. They like to dissect incidents, to overcome hurdles. Puzzles with no answers are the essence of Jung's Shadow.

So if I'm so nervous, what am I doing here at my laptop, sitting on the floor so my head is below all the windows, writing about cookies? Because I may not know how to solve the tragedies of the world, but I do know cookies. Especially these cookies. I've baked them many times, and their sweet buttery perfection never fails to distract me. So at least for the short time that I'm blogging about them, I'll be the boss. Not some nutcase wandering around town with a gun. ME. I'm in charge.

And I say we're baking cookies, damn it.

We're baking Grandma Sylvia's Salt Butter Cookies on page 188 of America's Best Lost Recipes:


But we're baking them the Chickenless Kitchen way, which means that instead of the chocolate filling they tell you to use, we're using Nutella and lemon curd. And because there is currently no whiskey in the Chickenless Kitchen, we're using lemon juice instead.

Nutella and Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 sticks salted butter, softened; or 2 sticks unsalted butter plus 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. each Nutella and lemon curd


Directions

Heat the oven to 350.

Beat the yolks, vanilla, lemon juice, butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl.


Incorporate the flour (and salt if using).



Roll bits of dough between your palms to make balls about 3/4" across. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. You should end up with about 36 small cookie halves. Let these cool completely (both Nutella and lemon curd are lousy to work with at high temperatures).

Once the cookies have cooled, separate them into two groups of the same number. Spread a paper-thin layer of Nutella on one group, lemon curd on the other. Take one of each (it helps if they're approximately the same size) and marry them. Press firmly, or else the lemon curd side will slide off. Makes 1 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies. Store in the refrigerator.


Just checked the news again. Apparently they have ID'd the suspect, an ex-employee who was fired last year for "performance issues." They're saying it's too soon to pinpoint that as a motivation.

They haven't physically caught him, at least not as of three minutes ago. I can hear the noise of the police helicopters over my house starting to fade. Maybe that's a good sign. Just going to have to wait and see. In the meantime my heart goes out to the victims and their families, those poor people who can't just look at pictures of cookies and make this go away.


Beat the eggs. Whip the cream. Show no mercy.


18 comments:

Mae said...

Wow, these cookies will be all the sweeter given the circumstances the post was written under! A sad event, but I guess there is some solace in the "peaceful" capture.

Janis said...

I am sorry sweetie. I know how you feel. I had OJ going by my house (god I am old) and helicopters so low that the pictures fell off of the walls. Lets not even talk about Rodney King and the riots. It is scary and as you read this I know that time has passed and the wacko was apprehended.

Cookies look good!

Jhonny walker said...

as they say...these cookies will make all the stress go away ...nofret...by the time you go home..things will have returned to the peaceful way you love your neighbourhood to be...promise :)

kathy gori said...

I adore nutella! i strolled past a large stack of nutella the other day at Costco and wanted to buy it all! My neighbor( she's from France) makes crepes stuffed with nutella.

Tasty Trix said...

I am so sorry. I lived in NYC on 9/11 and I currently live in Bodymore, Murderland (that's Baltimore if you didn't watch the Wire) so let's just say I really feel you on the panic and confusion and anger. Thinking and writing about food at such a time makes total sense to me. Having the presence of mind to use nutella and lemon curd transcends escapism and enters the realm of pure genius.

Robin, David, Simon and Leo said...

Should I ask where all the whiskey went?

Tasty Eats At Home said...

Wow, there are times I wonder how the world went mad so suddenly. I'm glad they apprehended your scary guy. These cookies sound wonderful!

The Chickenless Chick said...

@Vegetable Matter... LOL, actually some friends just gave us some really classy whiskey last night. But there were only a few shots' worth, so I'm sure my husband would faint if he came home to discover I'd used it in cookies!

Cookin' Canuck said...

Nutella and lemon curd - I love them both. I think a couple of these might help me forget the disturbed gunman for a moment or two. What a tragic situation!

penny aka jeroxie said...

You are ok! that is important. And lovely cookies. I love nutella. This will go down a treat.

MaryMoh said...

everything looks mouth-watering here. Hope making them helps you to forget all the unpleasant happening and thoughts. I hope you are ok now.

whineaux (Dawn) said...

I didn't know we were neighbors! Lovely recipe. Glad you are safe now.

wasabi prime said...

What a terrifying day. I applaud your baking bravery during such a stressful time.

Redkathy said...

I'm a bit late. Was watching the breaking news that you experienced. Sometimes the world really sucks, but food seems to fix everything! Superb cookies, I'm a Nutella addict!

Jessie said...

awesome cookies, It would be hard for me to eat just one! cookies are always a great way to cheer yourself up

Anonymous said...

That is scary! The cookies are sure to make you feel better. Nutella and lemon curd sound delicious in the filling!

Copy Ranter said...

Oh sure, amp up the drama on the blog! These cookies sound delightful. I'm in favor of anything having anything to do with nutella or lemon curd. Oh! How about a recipe for homemade lemon curd?

The Chickenless Chick said...

Geez, there goes my chance at a Pulitzer ;)

Re. the lemon curd, that would be awesome. The one I used was from a local company called Big Wheel Provisions: http://bigwheelprovisions.com/home/ Chickenless Dude got it in a gift basket at work. Would love to learn how to make my own though!