Maureen Aboods Lavender And Orange Blossom Cookies Recipes

MAUREEN ABOOD'S LAVENDER AND ORANGE BLOSSOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Line two sheet pans (not dark metal) with parchment paper.
• In an electric mixer, beat the butter on high for about 6 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add 3/4 cup (92 grams) confectioners' sugar, lavender and salt and beat another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and with the mixer on low speed, add orange blossom water and mix to combine.
• Add flour to butter 1/2 cup (about 65 grams) at a time, until dough is crumbly and slightly dry but still able to hold together when squeezed, adding additional flour if necessary.
• Divide dough into quarters and press each into a long narrow log about 1 inch high and 1 inch wide. With a sharp knife, cut into log diagonally to make diamond-shaped cookies 1 to 2 inches long. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to sheet pans, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cookies should be golden brown at the edges.
• Sift remaining confectioners' sugar over baked cookies while still warm. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ORANGE BLOSSOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
• Add egg, 3 tablespoons orange juice, orange peel and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
• Reduce speed to low; add flour and salt. Beat until just combined.
• Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap; flatten slightly. Refrigerate until firm (2 hours).
• Heat oven to 375°F Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar and butter in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough orange juice for desired spreading consistency (2 to 3 minutes). Frost cooled cookies. Decorate with sugars, if desired. .

MAUREEN ABOOD'S EGGPLANT WITH LAMB, TOMATO AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
• Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep mahogany brown, turning once halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
• Adjust the oven to 375 degrees with rack positioned in the center.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground lamb or beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon. Season with remaining teaspoon salt, cinnamon and pepper. Sauté until meat is just cooked through. Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed.
• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pine nuts and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir nuts to coat them with butter and continue stirring constantly until nuts are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl while still warm and salt them lightly.
• Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay 1/3 of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, covering as much surface area of the bottom of the dish as possible. Spoon half the meat evenly over eggplant. Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce evenly over meat. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the pine nuts. Layer again with eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and pine nuts. Finish with a layer of eggplant and cover with more tomato sauce, sprinkling top with pine nuts.
• Pour 1 cup warm water around the perimeter of the baking dish. (Sauce will thicken as it bakes.) Cover pan with foil and bake for 90 minutes. Remove foil and top eggplant evenly with mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve eggplant warm, over rice.