Taking Mouser's bait: I'm a long-time
magna cum lurker DC fan.
Two off-the-beaten-path recipes. First, from my long-departed Russian grandmother...
ALMOND COOKIES
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup shelled almonds, with skins
3 1/2 cups unsifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
Beat eggs, mix well with sugar. Add vanilla and almonds; gradually add flour mixed with baking powder. Form dough into four rolls and flatten slightly with fork.
Put rolls on greased cookie sheet, bake in 325 degree oven 25-30 minutes. While rolls are still warm, slice diagonally in 3/4" slices. [
Note: this takes a sharp knife and some skill, so the nuts slice and don't just smoosh into the cookie.] Put the cookies on a cooling rack, and return to (turned-off) oven for 20-30 minutes to dry out.
They should end up the consistency of paving stones, like fossilized biscotti, and are designed to be dunked in tea (or coffee or cocoa), where they'll soften but won't collapse. Warn your guests, without the dunking you could break a tooth.
And, just in time for Thanksgiving
...
SUSAN STAMBERG'S CRANBERRY RELISH
[Susan Stamberg gave this recipe on NPR many years ago, saying it was her mother's. In fact it was invented by Craig Claiborne in the 1960s. A wonderful sharp alternative to the standard sticky-sweet cranberry sauce that makes me gag, and fabulous later on cold turkey. People either love it or hate it, by my survey roughly 20% / 80%; you've been warned.]
Chop or grind together 2 cups raw cranberries, one small/med onion. Add a scant 1/2 cup sugar (or less, to taste), 3 Tbsp. strong horseradish, 1/2 cup sour cream (or drained yogurt). That's all there is to it, it's that simple. Let it sit for a day then stir, it's better that way.
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