Linzer Cookies for Easter

What's Going on Today: Visiting a friend in upstate New York, major arts and crafts projects with kids!

Naptime Goals: Relaxing with good friends while the kids nap, making cookie dough to prepare for decorating Linzer cookies.

Tonight's Menu: Baked Chicken, Creamy Polenta, Carrot Souffle, Easter Linzer cookies.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Sleepovers are so much fun, no matter how old you get!

This year we won't have a big Easter celebration since we'll just have returned from traveling, but that hasn't deterred us from undertaking a few holiday related projects this month. When we were visiting our friends in upstate New York last week the other Mom and I decided it would be fun to bake some cookies with the girls. Ever the fans of baking projects - any chance to eat cookie dough (!) - the girls completely agreed.

Since they both still nap in the afternoon it was easy for us to set up the project. We simply prepared the dough in mid-afternoon and cut out the shapes with the cookie cutters. Then, we set out some fun sprinkles and let them go to town decorating when they woke up. You should have seen the mess on the kitchen floor! After the cookies had baked and cooled they finishing them by spreading the jam on - rather sloppily - and placing the cut-out cookie on top.

To play up the Easter theme we used a mini bunny cookie cutter instead of the usual smaller circle. It was a cute way to give our favorite jam cookies a holiday twist. Needless to say, holding the girls back from eating more than one before dinner was quite tough. However, in typical kid fashion, the cookies were the perfect incentive to get them to clean their plates!

Best wishes to everyone for a fun, family holiday this weekend!

Linzer Cookies for Easter

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

3/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar

1 t. good quality vanilla extract

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 

1 t. lemon zest (use Meyer if possible)

1/2 t. Kosher salt

3/4 c. Raspberry preserves or any homemade jam

Confectioners' sugar or Sprinkles, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2. Sift together flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a mix cream the butter and sugar until totally combined. Then, add the vanilla and lemon zest, mix again. With the mixer on low, add in the flour/salt mixture until the dough comes together. Do not overbeat. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds in a 3 inch round cookie cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut out a smaller shape - like an easter bunny or similar. Use extra dough to form a few more cookies. Place all cookies on the cookies sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes.

5. Allow cookies to cool to room temperature. Then, spread raspberry preserves on the bottom cookie and place the cut-out cookie on top. Dust the top of cookies with confectioners' sugar.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas: Instead of confectioners' sugar the kids love decorating with sprinkles, feel free to do the same. Also, instead of lemon zest you could use orange zest, and feel free to use another flavored jam if you prefer.

Naptime Stopwatch: Making the dough takes about 10 minutes, then baking and assembling the cookies takes around 30 minutes (or longer with kids!)

Naptime Reviews: Jam sandwich cookies are fantastic for families or serving at more formal teas. I think I might try my homemade Apricot Jam in these this summer.

Napping with Easter Cake

I am a dessert person through and through. I have a sweet tooth that would make Willy Wonka's head spin, and the grocery bill, denoting bags and bags of Domino sugar, to prove it. Since a young age I have been a firm believer that the end goal of every meal is dessert. As a child I was known to speed-eat my way through many family dinners, so I could get to whatever sugary treats my mom had on hand, as soon as possible. Naturally, being a dessert lover, I would then spend several minutes eating one single cookie or brownie, taking my time to savor every crumb. The pace of my eating - spending a minute on a large plate of food and several minutes on one bite of cookie - greatly perplexed my parents. But, since I never got cavities or indigestion, they let me have my sweets after dinner, not wanting to pick a fight they could never win. The love of all sweet things has never left me, I proudly carried my sweet tooth straight through high school, college and into the present day. I will always be a dessert lover and, now that I have my own kitchen, I can bake sweet treats just about any time I want.


When I plan my meals, for holidays or otherwise, I always make sure I plan for a decadent dessert to cap off the meal. I like to make things that are scrumptious and tasty, calories be damned, the kind of sweet dish that sticks in your memory as being out of this world. I know I've achieved my goal when someone can't quite recall the whole dinner menu, but can describe what was served for dessert in great detail. I have to say I've made a few extraordinary desserts in my life, most of which I've been able to duplicate. And, thankfully, in making these beautiful things I have been good about keeping a record of most of them, stashing them in my recipe box with a flag that the recipe is definitely worth making again. The cake I made this Easter is one of those recipes that has stood the test of time. After all, chocolate cake is a classic dessert, there is nothing fussy, trendy or frilly about it. I've made this cake many times before and have never once been disappointed. Judging by the way my friend's often ask me to make it, I don't think they have been disappointed, either.


This cake is much lighter and sweeter than the one I shared with you in February. I prefer to serve it for spring and summer events, the light flavor and color seems more appropriate for the seasons then something dark and dense. And, as with all my favorite baked goods, it is a cinch to prepare during naptime. Combining the ingredients takes very little time and, because it is so light, the baking time is quite short. The lightness of this cake comes from the generous heap of whipped egg whites that are folded into the batter before baking. When it is in the oven they cause the whole cake to rise up in a great poof, which slowly collapses as it cools. The end result, when the cake is fully cooled, is that a shallow crater, about one inch deep, forms on the top. Some might find this ugly and unappetizing, but don't let the imperfection deceive you - this cake is delicious. To add to the lightness of the cake I like to drop dollops of whipped cream into the crater, along with a scattering of chocolate candies. To me it looks like a cloud of sweet vanilla has landed on top of my rich chocolate pillow. Whenever I eat this cake, which is often, I am always struck by the wonderful rich chocolate taste and light texture. It is really a wonderful standby for someone like me with my sweet tooth. In fact, the details from Easter Dinner last Sunday are already slipping away, but I can still tell you about the cake.


Chocolate Easter Cake with Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream
cake recipe adapted slightly from Feast by Nigella Lawson
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 t. pure vanilla extract
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1/3 c. sugar for the egg yolk mixture
1/2 c. sugar for the egg whites mixture

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Do NOT grease the sides.
2. In a large bowl, break the chocolate up into squares and melt it with the butter in a double-boiler or the microwave.
3. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment whip the four egg whites until firm, then add the sugar as you whisk, until the white hold their shape and are shiny white. Do not let them get too stiff.
4. In a separate bowl add the two whole eggs and four egg yolks. To this add the 1/3 c. sugar and vanilla extract. Stir the ingredients together until completely combined.
5. Add this egg yolk mixture into the melted butter and chocolate. Stir until completely combined.
6. Finally, fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture, careful not the beat it too much, you don't want to deflate the egg whites.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. You will know it is done with the center has risen and cracked a little bit.
8. Cool the pan on a wire rack. As it cools the top will collapse into a shallow crater. When it is completely cool remove the sides of the springform pan carefully.
9. Fill the crater with whipped cream and serve.

Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream
2 c. heavy cream
4 t. confectioner sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract

1. Whip all three ingredients together in an electric mixer. Do not make whipped cream ahead of time, or, if you do, put it in the fridge, covered for no more than 4 hours before you use it.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This cake is unfailingly simple and delicious. It works well at almost any table and for almost every holiday. At Christmas I've scattered the top with red and green candies, and last summer I filled it with cinnamon whipped cream for a friend's baby shower. Have fun with the look of it, the taste is so delicious you could top it with just about anything.
Naptime Stopwatch: The preparation for this cake is quite easy, just be careful when folding in the egg whites not to overbeat the batter and deflate it. The batter takes about 15 minutes to prepare and then baking is about 40 minutes. It is easy to make it during naptime, then let it cool during the afternoon and serve it at dinner.
Naptime Reviews: I have never met one person who does not love this cake. The chocolate flavor is rich, but not overpowering. Also, we think the flavor improves after a day or two, so feel free to make the cake ahead of time and add the whipped cream right before serving it.

Napping on Easter: Sunday Dinner Series #3

My family holidays can be divided into two categories: 1) holidays I will always remember, or 2) holidays I can't wait to forget. Of course, I can only place a holiday experience into the appropriate category after it is over, since it is only on rare occasions that I can anticipate what the holiday will be like before it takes place. Usually it is upon the first sign of good news - a college acceptance letter, a pregnancy announcement, a new family pet - that I am able to breathe a sigh of relief and put a notch in the "holiday to remember" column. Or, sometimes holidays head straight downhill from the moment they begin, like when I got the flu on Christmas Eve, or my grandmother broke her hip on Thanksgiving morning. This is when I chalk up the occasion to be a total loss and vow to start suppressing the memories as soon as possible. However, despite the fact that sometimes I really do want to forget a holiday, I always come back for more. After all, holidays occur yearly, thus, each new year is a chance for redemption.


Easter 2008 was a holiday to forget. My daughter, who was so young she could barely sit up, came down with her first, teeny tiny cold. Little did I know that a tiny cold meant I would lose entire nights worth of sleep, bringing on such strong sleep deprivation that I actually considered buying my first ever six-pack of Red Bull. All in all the holiday wasn't much fun and passed quickly in a blur of saline nose drops, humidifiers and dirty burp clothes. I think I took one photo and put the camera away for the remainder of Easter Sunday, not wanting to document the unfortunate scene taking place in our household. Yet, despite this terrible memory, I was excited for Easter this year. My daughter is a whole year older and beginning to appreciate holiday celebrations, especially when there are presents and sweets involved. This year's Easter began with a fun family morning, watching her open her plastic eggs to find graham cracker bunnies tucked inside, followed by the consumption of far too many sweet treats before lunchtime. Then, when she finally went down for her afternoon nap, it was my turn to have some holiday fun.


For me, of course, holiday fun means cooking up a storm in the kitchen. For the past few weeks I have spent several hours pouring over cookbooks, perusing the offerings at the local gourmet stores, and writing new recipes to serve my family for Easter dinner. After several iterations over the course of two weeks I finally settled on the menu:

Greek Lamb with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Walnut Oil
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Warm Rolls with Butter
Easter Chocolate Cake with Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream

We centered our Easter menu around the main course, lamb. For some reason my family has always eaten lamb for Easter, I remember even my grandmother serving it to us, with a big dollop of mint jelly on the side. This year, while I was creating a new recipe, I was inspired by the flavors of Greece. Maybe it was because I had recently eaten out at a local Greek restaurant with friends, the taste was on my tongue and I wanted more. After consulting several cookbooks my husband and I settled on a basic, yet flavorful preparation involving several Greek influences. We began by marinating the lamb in red wine, always the best meat tenderizer, and a mixture of Greek herbs. After letting it marinate for several hours we removed the lamb, covered it in a mixture of bread crumbs, more Greek herbs and fresh thyme. Then we roasted the meat for about twenty minutes, and let it rest for about five minutes before serving. When we bit into it we were delighted with the delicious, juicy cut of meat, which was tender to the bite and bursting with flavor. To accompany the meat we whipped up a smooth mint yogurt sauce which was easily made by combining a few basic ingredients. The dip was cool and minty with a slight lemon aftertaste, perfect for dipping the lamb. I also think it would be wonderful for dipping vegetables, breads and even other cuts of meat.


The strong flavor and crisp texture of green beans were the perfect accompaniment to the dark, flavorful lamb. When making green beans I feel that it is helpful if they are jazzed up a bit, preferably by throwing in an unexpected ingredient, so I am always searching for ideas of what to add. For this particular preparation I was inspired by a recipe in one of my all-time favorite books, Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser. I loved the idea of adding a warm nutty flavor to the green beans through the addition of walnuts and walnut oil. The recipe did not disappoint, as we ate my husband and I agreed that the dish yielded excellent flavor along with a satisfying crunch. The dessert that followed our meal was a showstopper, which is why I plan to devote an entire post to it on Thursday, sorry for the wait. Until then I will leave you with the following two recipes, surefire winners in our book. I will definitely be making these for future holiday meals, and, as long as these are on our table, I am sure they will become holidays to remember, as well.


Naptime Easter Lamb with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
6 lamb chops
Red Wine
Greek herb mixture (found at most grocery stores)
1 T. bread crumbs
3 t. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 t. Kosher salt
1 t. fresh black pepper
Olive Oil
Serve 2 people, prepare more lamb chops if you would like to serve more people

Sauce:
1 cup plain, full fat, yogurt
1/2 c. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt to taste

1. Place lamb chops in a glass bowl or rectangular dish. Pour in red wine until the meat is just covered. Add 2 T. of Greek herbs to the mixture, swirl them around so the herbs and wine are fully incorporated. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix fresh thyme, bread crumbs, salt and black pepper. Add a splash of olive oil to form a paste. Do not add too much olive oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 400.
4. Remove lamb from red wine, place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub with bread crumb mixture.
5. Place lamb in the oven roast for 20-22 minutes.
6. For the Sauce: Put yogurt, lemon juice and garlic into a food processor. Puree until smooth. Slowly add mint, while pulsing the food processor, and a dash of salt to taste.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Walnut Oil
adapted from Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
1 lb. green beans (or haricot vert)
1 c. walnuts, freshly toasted and coarsley chopped
4 t. walnut oil, or good olive oil
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper

1. Cook green beans in boiling water until just tender. Test with a fork, when the fork pierces through the bean, but the bean is still firm, it is finished. Drain green beans and dunk them immediately in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking.
2. In a separate bowl combine toasted, chopped walnuts, walnut oil, salt and black pepper. Mix so that the walnuts are coated completely in the oil mixture.
3. Add the green beans to the oil and nuts, mix until fully incorporated and the oil coats the beans.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: These are both excellent, timeless recipes that would be delicious and welcome at any holiday table. Additionally, both dishes are "flexible" in terms of the ingredients, feel free to add or omit seasonings to your taste. For example, some people prefer lime juice instead of lemon in their yogurt dipping sauce, or, if you have fresh rosemary available add it to the bread crumb mixture for the lamb. The point is to have fun and enjoy making it.
Naptime Stopwatch: This is a part of the Sunday Dinner series because it takes a little longer than naptime to make them. However, a lot of the prep work can be done during naptime, saving you time later in the day. I recommend putting the lamb in the marinade during naptime, also, use this time to trim the green beans so they can just be tossed in the pot when you are ready to prepare them.
Naptime Reviews: The lamb was too tough for my daughter, but she enjoyed dipped her green beans into the yogurt sauce. She ate the green beans like they were french fries, enjoying the crunch and flavor of the walnuts.