Last night, rather than going to bed as I should have, I stayed up and baked Cornetti.
An old family recipe from Turin, it was featured in January 1989's issue of Gourmet, during the height of America's introductory love affair with Italian food. Made with ground almonds and cornmeal, these cookies acquire a coarse, gravelly texture. During the 2 day process, resting in the fridge overnight and then on parchment lined trays for 2 hours, the dough is permeated by chopped candied orange peel. These are my new favorite cookie. The texture lends interest and surprise, and the bright orange notes remind me of summery evenings during these blustery winter days.
As the weather gets colder, I look to just about anything to keep me warm. I've fallen in love over the course of the summer with Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. A small batch beer, aged for 18 months in bourbon barrels, the warm caramel and vanilla notes alongside the rich chocolaty stout deliciousness is my kryptonite. I find the bourbon characteristics to bring a fantastic warming quality to the palate. One of my responsibilities at work is to keep ice cream on hand, and my latest flavor is bourbon molasses. For the same reason that I love bourbon county stout, the bourbon in the ice cream adds such a warm feeling.
Lastly, I'm loving listening to Beach House lately, particularly the album Teen Dream. Victoria Legrand's voice is so rich and smokey. Add it to your collection for sure.
I've been awake since 3:30 this morning. I baked some beautiful bread, bought a Christmas tree and all the trimmings, had dinner with my little pieced-together family, and although I didn't get any cookies done, I hope tomorrow is more productive. Peace out, ya'll.
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