Sudden need for shortbread, today, and since it's hot and the ac is on it's not too wild to bake. So after studying my Big Australian Baking Book, and Martha Stewart's Cookies, and noting the lengths both go to to make a simple project into an olympic feat, I fell back on the old simple Sunset book. Same results, basically, with many fewer fiddly steps. I added some lemon zest into the mix, like that subtle taste.
So the beloved castiron baking pan came into play, and afternoon tea included a couple of squares of shortbread, plain, unpretentious. Next time Handsome Son shows up for a cup of tea, there will be a little something for him to go with it. He loves shortbread. Well, he dives into any food I offer him, but some items he likes more than others.
And my blanket project, knitting sections for Warm Up America, has now been swept into the successor to the Pussyhat Project, the Welcome Blanket project to be exhibited then donated to incoming refugees, as a token of welcome and warmth. Some knitters are getting into this with significant icons and colors, and I'm mainly knitting my stash.
There will be a pocket containing a note of welcome, though. And I'm using acrylic, so as not to add to the burden of people coming through such an ordeal. Acrylic washes easily, no worries. No hand washing, nor blocking. So I refrained from using my handspun.
I knitted one section today, and I think I can do one a day without busting up my hands. They're hoping to start receiving in July, blankets, not people, that is. I'm heartened by the number of refugees who have been quietly welcomed throughout all the blustering of politicians trying to stop them, and would like to add my bit. I will be doing my own joining up, though, not just sending a stack of sections.
And I got a reward this afternoon, when I looked up and saw a hummingbird browsing busily among the lantana, flying between the stems, backwards, too.
So after a great morning at the farmer's market, with buys of local food from four different farms, and a steel band concert going, then a cooking demo, which involved being given a very nice shopping bag, I came home to the usual frenzy of prep and freezing.
Then since the giant plum cake is finally finished, I thought, hm, self, you need a little something to go with a cup of tea. And leafed through a couple of books, then found a Martha recipe for citrus shortbread I've been meaning to try for ages.
There's an agenda here, too, since tomorrow's the reception for my solo exhibit at Plainsboro Library Gallery, and I'm putting up some very simple snack things, but it seemed nice to see if I can add in a dish of homebaked cookies, so this was the one. I don't like a lot of food in the close neighborhood of textile art, so the items are small, manageable and not likely to give me palpitations if they get near the artworks.
I never did one of those recipes where you roll the dough up and cool it then slice it. Sounded like fun. And this is one of them. So now I've done it. I've also found that half of the recipe made plenty of cookies to take in tomorrow, nearly three dozen, what do they want of my life, so the other log is now in the freezer ready to bake whenever the insanity of baking in 90 degree weather hits again.
I tested one, cook's privilege, and it seems okay to give to people. Well, actually, really good. I used lime zest rather than the orange Martha likes, being allergic to orange, but other than that I actually followed instructions. And since I needed an airtight tin for them, and didn't have one, I recycled the spice container tin my Indian friend gave me,and it works a treat.
So if you are local and planning on coming to the reception, and to hear me chat on about my work, you may get one of these little shortbreads. And you can review my art and my baking at one time!
