satsuma + rosemary pignoli nut cookies /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's about time i share a holiday cookie recipe.  and this one is a family favorite - a recipe that my mom and i make each year, and eat more than i'd like to admit.  when i was younger, a few days before christmas my dad would take me and my brother down to arthur avenue in the bronx, an old italian neighborhood that my dad grew up in.  we would visit some of the same butcher shops, grocers, and bakeries my dad frequented as a child, and we would purchase items for our christmas eve feast.  the ravioli came from borgatti's where mrs. borgatti, her husband, and grandchildren would roll fresh pasta and ravioli right in front of us.  then, it was off to mike's deli to pick up italian sausage (something i never ever ate), where i remember standing eye-to-eye with a case holding beef tongue, and pig snout, and being totally intrigued, while simultaneously being disgusted.  on our last stop, we would visit delallo's bakery and pick up a couple pounds of pignoli nut cookies and quaresimali (a super crunchy and chunky biscotti) because they were my parents' favorites.  

we stopped going to arthur avenue mostly because we just didn't eat the same way we used to. but my mom missed her pignoli nut cookies dearly, so we started baking them a few years back, along with some other favorite christmas cookies.  and as we did, they became a total favorite of mine as well.  this recipe is naturally gluten, grain and dairy-free, just by nature of how a traditional pignoli nut cookie is made.  the base consists of either almond and granulated sugar, or almond paste.  it's mixed with egg whites and confectioners' sugar, and topped with pignoli nuts (pine nuts).  they're crunchy, chewy, sweet, nutty, aromatic, and zesty all at the same time!  and they're a super easy to put together during this busy time of year.  

happy hanukkah!  and happy holiday season! xo

satsuma + rosemary pignoli nut cookies (gluten + dairy free)

| makes 64 bite size cookies or 32 large cookies |

recipe slightly adapted from Saveur

  • 2 cups blanched almonds
  • 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon satsuma zest (any citrus zest will work though)
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (depending on how strong you want it)
  • 1 cup organic confectioners' sugar, more for dusting
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup pignoli nuts

instructions

  • preheat oven to 300° and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside.
  • in  a food processor fitted with a metal S-blade, combine almonds and granulated sugar; pulse together for a couple of minutes until you have a fine almond meal.  add the zest, rosemary, egg whites, and confectioners' sugar and pulse until dough comes together.  transfer cookie dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round nozzle, (alternatively, you can use a large ziploc bag with a snipped corner) and pipe dough out making 1 or 2-inch cookies.  for bite size cookies, press 6-7 pine nuts into cookie; for large cookies press 10-12 pine nuts into cookies
  • bake, rotating cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back, halfway through cooking, until lightly golden, about 25 minutes (*note: if making bite size cookies, check them after 20 minutes for doneness.)
  • transfer to a rack, and let cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar and serving
  • cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days

enjoy!

holiday butternut bundt cake w/ crushed cranberries + apples /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we woke up to our first snowfall the other morning, albeit a dusting; our plump christmas tree is up, decorated with ornaments we've collected throughout the years; lit with strands of twinkling lights, its base hidden under a burlap tree skirt i made years ago (a craft projects gone right!).  our winter vista is now official, as the trees across the way have lost the last of their leaves,  and we can squeak out a view of the top quarter of the empire state building once more.  the holidays are officially here, and even though it's felt like a merry season for the past few weeks, it's now in close sight.    

sometimes it feels like i don't know where to start with holiday dessert though, do i go with cake, make sheets and sheets of cookies, chocolate bars, peppermint bark..? (i know, really tough decisions here.)  this year i decided to settle on a simple bundt cake - one that incorporates a number of things i love about the idea of a typical fruitcake, but without the heavy glug of it.  in that spirit, i decided to go with a tried and true cake my nana would always make: her 1,2,3,4 bundt cake.  it was her no-fail, all-occasion cake that could be made plain or jazzed up with fruit, nuts, zest, etc. so, when i thought of the holidays, of love, of memories, of baking, i knew an updated version of my nana's cake in the form of a butternut bundt was in order.  it's flecked with crushed cranberries to cut through the sweetness, the batter mixed with grated ginger, chopped apples and toasted nuts for a subtle crunch, and topped with some powdered sugar for good (holiday) measure.   

if you missed last week's post, i'm guest blogging for Gardenista this month!  you can peep this holiday bundt cake recipe over on their site today!  and stay tuned, i've got two more posts coming up this month and i'm super pumped about them! 

i hope the holiday season is bringing you joy, love, and warmth. xo

roasted golden beet + shallot dip (+ a way better snacks giveaway!) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i don't know about you, but i have fond memories of sitting around my childhood living room table eating potato chips full of knorr's leek dip.  sometimes we would have this dip on special occasions, but always, always as an appetizer before our christmas meal.  this was a big deal in our house because on most days our cupboard was packed with no-name organic juice, unsweetened applesauce, or something like no salt tortilla chips.   so, between the presents and food, christmas day was the best thing in the world to a 10 year-old lindsey.  and just because i've got older and bit more responsible, it doesn't mean i've given up the christmas dip tradition.  

usually it's heidi's mung bean hummus; an old stand-by, one that i've made million times and one that everyone enjoys.  but when the awesome folks at Way Better Snacks asked me come up with a dip recipe i knew i had to switch up my dip game.  first, of all, i cannot explain my happiness when i received an email asking to partner in their 12 Days of Holiday Snacking project.  if you're not familiar with Way Better, they're a super lovely company that produces some of the best sprouted, snack-y products that are out there; all with a consciousness of simple ingredients, whole grains, and bonus, all of their tortilla chip products are certified gluten-free.  

with the idea of a whole grain tortilla chip in mind, i wanted a dip with some roasted, creamy veg, along with a good helping of roasted shallots - basically because i love the combination of the two.  what i love about this dip is that it's tahini-based, so it lends a thinner and creamier quality, as opposed to its cousin, hummus.  the beets add some sweetness and volume here along with a velvety texture  - super duper lush, y'all - while the shallots and cumin balance out the beets' earthiness.  so, basically this is what my holiday table will look like, tons of Way Betters and a heap of this dip!  hope your holiday season is off to a good start! xo

*to enter the giveaway!!! leave a comment sharing your favorite holiday food-tradition, either as a child, or currently.  this contest is only open to US residents only - sorry international pals :(  - and closes saturday, december 13th at 6pm.  the winner will be chosen at random and will receive a sample box full of Way Better Snacks! it's a good one, folks!

roasted golden beet and shallot dip (v + gf)

| makes roughly 2 cups |

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 golden beets, washed and ends trimmed
  • 4 shallots, tops trimmed 
  • 1 cup tahini paste
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
  • 1 teaspoon minced thyme
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup water
  • toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • chopped parsley, for garnish
  • 1 bag Way Better Snacks 

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400°.  place trimmed beets and shallots in a foil packet and drizzle with olive oil to coat.  cook in oven for 45-60 minutes, until tender (depending on the size of your shallots they may cook faster than the beets, check them after 40 minutes and remove if tender).  set aside to cool.   slip skins off of beets, and roughly chop and place in a food processor fitted with an s-blade.  squish the shallots out of their skins (similar to how you would with garlic) and add to the food processor 
  • add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, thyme, and pepper, pulse to combine.  drizzle water in a little at a time until you have reached a smooth consistency.  taste and adjust seasoning
  • transfer to a shallow serving bowl, cover and let dip rest in the fridge until ready to serve. (the dip develops more flavor after it rests in the refrigerator, so i would suggest making this the day before, or the morning of.)
  • remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving.  garnish with sesame seeds, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil; serve with your favorite flavor of Way Better Snacks! 

enjoy!