Brownsugar Shortbread

I am a firm believer in simplicity. If you start with quality ingredients, you shouldn't need to add much to create an amazing finished dish. Take my recipe for shortbread cookies. 4 ingredients, one bowl, and melt-in-your-mouth cookies at the end. These are kid friendly, budget friendly, and if used to garnish a frozen dessert, dinner party friendly.

Combine 1 pound of light brown sugar and 4 cups all purpose flour in a large bowl. Chop 1 pound of unsalted butter into small cubes and crumble into the sugar/flour mix. Rub the butter bits into the dry ingredients until you have pea-sized pieces. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or your favorite flavoring and continue to blend until the dough can be formed into one large clump. This can also be done in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a non-convection oven to 375. Roll the dough as thick or as thin as you like. The thinner the dough, the crispier the finished cookie. If you plan to use these as garnish, roll 1/4 inch thick. If using as a stand alone dessert, roll 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the dough using a knife or your favorite cookie cutters. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until golden brown using the following guidelines.
For thin, small cookies, rotate after 5 minutes and checking after another 3.
For thicker cookies, rotate after 7 minutes and check after another 6.

Dust with confectioners' sugar and allow the cookies to cool. These are fantastic with vanilla ice cream.

Restaurant Review: Ana Beall's Tea Room, Westfield

What makes a great restaurant? Is it the food? The service? The atmosphere? Or, could it be an establishment's ability to be what you need in the present moment?

Take for example a wonderful new restaurant in Westfield, Ana Beall's Tea Room just off South Ave. For years, literally, years, a dear friend and I have been searching for a respectable Sunday brunch location. We really aren't that picky. High quality, semi-healthy food, good hot beverages, a relaxed atmosphere, decent service, and please, no overpriced buffet. We had tried diners, upscale chains, and cheap-eats pig outs, yet nothing seemed to be what we were looking for. Finally, though, I think we have a place where we'll happily become bi-monthly regulars.

Ana Beall's is in an unassuming Victorian house not far from downtown Westfield. The bright yellow interior is as welcoming as the cheerful staff. After reading a favorable article on the tea room in The Star Ledger, I had called ahead to secure reservations. As I was led to a table on the restaurant's second floor, I was certainly happy I had. Ana Beall's was packed!

Like any busy restaurant, service was a little slow. Our poor waitress seemed to be taking care of the entire second floor by herself! The slight wait gave my friend and me some time to chat and notice the acoustics. While the atmosphere of the tea room is clean and tailored, the hardwood floors and general lack of sound-controlling fabrics made initial conversation difficult. After getting acclimated to talking at a slightly higher volume, though, we were able to continue our chat.

The teas at Ana's did not disappoint. My Versailles Lavender Earl Grey was fantastic. Lavender can be a difficult flavor to master; too much and the drink turns into eau de Bath and Body Works. Here, though, the floral notes were balanced with the savory bergamot. My friend greatly enjoyed her jasmine with flowers tea, calling it one of the best jasmine teas she's ever had.

Our entrees arrived soon after our tea. My vegetarian quiche of the day was light and flavorful. Goat cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and spinach were mingled with perfectly cooked eggs in a tender pastry crust. The side of pesto was a pleasant garnish. I do wish that the side of out of season melon had been omitted. My friend ordered the arugula and artichoke salad. The huge mound of arugula was tossed with a savory Parmesan vinaigrette and garnished with cranberries, red onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I have honestly never seen such a mammoth salad serving, but my friend cheerfully gobbled it up. Ana Beall's certainly gets an A in the semi-healthy category!

If you choose to go, do not miss the house made muffins and breads. The pastry chef is an alum of Gotham Bar and Grill, one of New York City's most celebrated restaurants. The bran muffins were hearty, crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside. A real winner in the bread basket is the apple loaf. Lightly toasted and amazingly cake-like, this quick bread is a great accompaniment for tea.

Ana Beall's might be the perfect spot for a relaxing morning. As for me, I considered this Sunday morning to be a highly productive one; I found my new brunch spot.

http://www.anabeallstearoom.com/

Slave to the Smell

One of the reasons I love cooking, baking, food in general is the way all of the senses are used. From the way a plate looks, to the feel flour and butter getting worked into pie crust dough, to the crackle of a fatty duck breast rendering as it hits a hot pan, the creation of a meal entices all of the senses. There's the obvious sense of taste being used, but my favorite is smell.
For as long as I can remember, I've had an acute sense of smell. I love the way my station fills with the aromas of yeast and sugar when I bake bread. Cold weather spices like nutmeg and cinnamon linger on the air like old friends, yet summer's lemon and berry aromas arrive in a burst and leave just as quickly. Even when I am about to enjoy a meal, I usually deeply inhale before sampling the first bite. Pause before your first bite of a ginger snap, juicy roasted chicken, or even that morning coffee and see how much more you are aware of the flavors before they ever hit your tongue.
My sense of smell, though, has gotten me into trouble. Like an overly enthusiastic Lab puppy not yet grown into his paws, my sense of smell sometimes runs me into doors. Take last week. Recently, I had received a coupon for a free Dunkacchino from Dunkin Donuts and decided to see if the drink lived up to the hype. The coupon proclaimed, "It's back!", leaving me to believe that many Dunkin regulars were clamoring for the return of this beverage. If people are clamoring, surely it must be worth trying.
After getting my free beverage, I continued my commute. Years of being a hot coffee consumer have taught me to wait a few moments before that first sip. As I let my drink cool, my car filled with the most enticing aromas. There was chocolate, reminiscent of childhood vacations to Hershey Park. There was sugar, warm like holiday baking. There was a slight undertone of coffee, welcoming like an easy Sunday morning. I kept inhaling, eagerly awaking the first sip of this concoction that was filling my car with joy.
I clasped the styrofoam cup in my hands and took a tentative taste, wondering if this would be one of those drinks to be savored slowly. But, something was wrong. There was no chocolate and there was certainly no coffee. All I tasted was watered down immitation vanilla flavoring with an overly sweet aftertaste! I took another sip, larger this time, thinking the first must have been a fluke. Nothing changed. If anything, this sip was more disappointing than the first.
I put the cup slowly back in my cup holder, wondering what had gone so wrong. My car was filled with the most enticing aromas that evoked happy memories, yet all I had to taste was a sham of a drink. I stared down the styrofoam cup as it continued to taunt my sense of smell.
Yes, sense of taste, you were let down with this one. Sense of smell? I hope you enjoyed the free air freshener.