Christmas Cakes 2024

Candy Cane Christmas Cake from Curly Girl Kitchen

Gold and Green Christmas Tree Cake from Curly Girl Kitchen

Sugared Cranberry Orange Rosemary Cake from Must Love Herbs

Orange Pistachio Cookies

My husband is quite a good baker. I am hoping these cookies might be in my future...ahem...

Orange Pistachio Cookies

PREP TIME
15 minutes
SERVINGS
27 cookies

Ingredients
For the Cookies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Orange Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup chopped pistachios

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, add granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers, until fragrant.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat
in egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
5. Slowly beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended. Drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten dough with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to cooking
racks. Cool completely.
6. While the cookies are cooling, make the orange glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest. Dip each cookie top into the orange glaze. Sprinkle
pistachios on top of each cookie. Let cookies sit until glaze has set.
Note-cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/orange-pistachio-cookies/

"Orange"

In honor of National Poetry Month, I have posted work by myself each Friday; for this final Friday, here is "Orange," a piece from a recent series of color poems.

Orange

Because we were in high school and he was a friend of a friend,

Because his name was Martin and he was a drummer in a punk band and drove a beat up orange 1971 Ford Bronco that belonged to his dad since it was the only car they had that was large enough to fit his drum kit,

Because I invited him to my house that night when the harvest moon was full and orange, and the evening was still warm from the sweltering day,

Because he was nervous, smiling, darting eyes, in a ripped tee shirt and leather jacket, with a new buzz cut he wanted me to see,

Because Ray Bradbury’s book THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES had just been made into a television miniseries and because there was a free-from stucco apartment complex nearby that looked like the set of the film,

Because I suggested we take a walk there among the orange glow of the bug lights at every front door that made the open air walkways seem alien,

Because I started to sing—teasing at first but then softly-- “Are you lonesome tonight?” by Elvis Presley and because Pete Farndon from The Pretenders had Elvis hair and a leather jacket,

Because he let me touch his hand, his arm, his neck while he held his breath,

Because I could feel his heart beating and he didn’t say anything,

Because his eyes showed me he wanted to but he couldn’t bring himself to do it,

Because we got back to my house and he said, “Well, I gotta go, bye,” his eyes confused, reluctant, already departing,

Because we could have, should have kissed that night and because we saw each other many times after with friends but never had that chance again,

And for no other reason.

©JEF

Orange, Mostly

Another meditation on a color (previously red and blue).