sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord, let ever ever praise Thee
noël, noël

merry christmas!

Recipe Redux: Curried Eggplant and Chickpea Soup

this month for the recipe redux we've been challenged to prepare a recipe with legumes that would be a festive crowd pleaser.

december has been a great month. so far it has included the perfect amount of holiday parties and entertainment, a little bit of travel and a smidge of relaxing. (actually, i'm hoping some serious down-time can come as christmas day nears.)

whether it's for a christmas party or a night in by a warm fire, this soup is flavorful, cozy and comforting. roasting the vegetables and chickpeas brings out a delightful, complex flavor that i love.

Curried Eggplant and Chickpea Soup

1     (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

5     carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2  onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

7     cloves garlic, peeled

4     tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2     tomatoes, halved

1     (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

4     cups vegetable broth

2     teaspoons curry powder

1     teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon pepper
garnish: basil leaves

Preheat oven to 425°. Place eggplant, carrots, onion and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place tomatoes and chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast both trays of vegetables at 425° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove and discard tomato skins; place tomatoes in the container of a blender. Place remaining vegetables in a large saucepan. Add broth, curry powder, salt and pepper. Transfer half of mixture to blender container; process until smooth. Return mixture to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook 3 minutes or until heated throughout, stirring frequently. Garnish with basil, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings

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click on the photo links below to check out the other delicious legume recipes for this month...

Chocolate-Peppermint Biscotti

the holidays are in full swing. 

it seems unseasonably warm here in virginia, which is not a complaint from this texas girl. we're not bred for cold. but it's just cold enough to enjoy the holidays... a little christmas music, lights strung throughout the house, the elf of the shelf, and the smells of freshly baked christmas goodies wafting through the air.

last year i baked about a dozen batches of biscotti for my parents to give as gifts. this year, considering my full plate of busy-ness (including finishing my manuscript, which i turned in today - yay!), my mom showed much kindness and resisted asking for a round two of christmas biscotti-a-thon. but i can't really let the season slip by without at least a batch or two. since the favorites last year were the gingerbread and the chocolate-peppermint versions, i eeny-meeny-miny-moe'd and landed on these beauties...

which i may have rigged just a bit, because i totally have a thing for the mint-chocolate combination. there is just something so refreshing about those two together (which would also explain the ever-present bag of peppermint patties in my freezer). not to mention the happy candy stripes that top these cookies... they're just so christmas and a great way to use extra candy canes or peppermints. i'm also kinda addicted to those white chocolate-peppermint kisses that only come out this time of year. the little sugary beads of peppermint-y-ness and the smooth white chocolate are just the right little bite at the end of the day. i've never before used them in these biscotti, but decided i might as well share the delicious wealth so i chopped them up and threw them in. the flavor they added to my basic chocolate biscotti was exactly what i was looking for. 

Chocolate-Peppermint Biscotti

2            teaspoons ground golden flax
4            teaspoons very hot water
280        grams (about 2 cups) kumquat all-purpose flour

1            cup sugar
1/4         cup cocoa (i used dark chocolate cocoa)
1            teaspoon baking soda
1            teaspoon baking powder
1/8         teaspoon salt
1            large egg
2            large egg whites
1            teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2         cup chopped peppermint-white chocolate kisses
Cooking spray
white chocolate candy coating
crushed peppermints

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the ground flax and hot water in a small bowl; stir until a thick slurry forms. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir until combined. Combine egg, egg whites and vanilla in a small bowl. Add egg mixture and flax slurry to flour mixture; stir well (mixture will be very crumbly). Add chopped peppermint-white chocolate kisses.

Pour mixture out onto a clean surface. Work mixture into a dough and knead until well blended. Shape into a 14- x 4-inch log on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Remove log to a cutting board and slice into 3/4-inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Return slices to baking sheet; bake 5 minutes. Flip cookies and bake an additional 5 minutes; cool on wire racks.

Melt candy morsels in an 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Dip long side of each biscotti cookie in melted chocolate, spreading with a spoon if needed. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Allow to dry. 

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen.

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The Gluten Free Scallywag Online Christmas Magazine

i am so very humbled and honored to have been included in this lovely online christmas magazine by jas at the gluten free scallywag in melbourne. she is a talented and kind soul, who regularly posts beautiful photos and mouth-watering recipes on her blog.

treat yourself to a look at this gorgeous and impressive masterpiece full of gluten-free holiday recipes. just click on the image below to open the magazine.

...have yourself a merry little christmas!

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally: Classic Sugar Cookies

the last month of 2011 is here. and this month we celebrate cookies.

to me, christmas would not be complete without home-made, hand-decorated sugar cookies. some of my favorite holiday memories are of cutting and decorating cookies with my mom and sister at christmas-time. ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you that cookie decorating is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. i think that creative joy came from all of those very days preparing christmas cookies with my family.

after several gluten-free years of sugar cookie-less christmases, it warms my heart to say that they're back in my holiday kitchen. i have finally made a gluten-free version and they are all that i ever dreamed they'd be. slightly almond scented, thick and tender, buttery-sweet sugar cookies. like many gluten-free products, the cookies are tender, but they are not too fragile to handle. i've iced and decorated these with royal icing, which gives them even more structural support.

ruhlman's ratio for a sugar cookie is 1.5 parts flour / 1 part sugar / 1 part butter.
the ratio i used was close enough. it came out to 1.8 parts flour / 1 part sugar / 1 part butter.

Classic Sugar Cookies

1 teaspoon golden flaxmeal

2 teaspoons very hot water

420 grams (about 3 cups) kumquat's all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine flaxmeal and hot water in a small bowl. Mix well until a slurry forms; set aside. Combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer, or with a handheld electric mixer, for 5 minutes or until pale. Add flax slurry, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; beat until combined. Stir in flour mixture until dough forms.

Transfer dough to a large sheet of wax paper. Top dough with another sheet of wax paper. Roll dough to 3/8-inch thickness. Place wax paper covered dough onto a baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove dough from freezer; peel top layer of wax paper off of dough and place back on dough. Turn dough over; peel layer of wax paper off of dough and discard paper. Cut cookies with desired cookie cutter shapes. Re-roll all excess dough and cut cookies (no need to re-chill).

Place cut cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges are barely golden and middles look tender.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies.

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Royal Icing

16 ounces powdered sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder

5-6 tablespoons warm water

1 teaspoon corn syrup

Combine ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Color with gluten-free food colorings, if desired.

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a big, ol' thanks to my sweet friend and neighbor, kelly of one creative cookie, for generously letting me use her beautiful and exciting sprinkles and sugars. if you do eat wheat or have friends who do, her cookies are to die for. my family says they're delicious. i know that they're gorgeous!

and thanks also to caroline for hosting us and our cookies this month. now, time to drool over all of the other gluten-free holiday cookies...

amanda of gluten free maui made simple shortbread
amie of the healthy apple made grapefruit sugar cookies
brook of b & the boy made candy cane shortbread
 caleigh of gluten free[k] made mulled spice cookies
 caneel of mama me gluten free made cardamom date cookies
caroline of the g spot revolution made double chocolate chip peppermint cookies
charissa of zest bakery made coconut peanut butter chocolate cookies
claire of gluten freedom made chai latte cashew cookies
erin of the sensitive epicure made spritz cookies with jam
irvin of eat the love made apple brown butter bay leaf spice cookies
jean of gluten free doctor recipes made reindeer cookies
jenn of jenn cuisine made basler brunsli
jonathan of the canary files made salted oatmeal raisin cookies
karen of cooking gluten free made mexican wedding cakes
lisa of gluten free canteen made molasses rum raisin cookies

mary fran of frannycakes made pinwheel cookies
meaghan of the wicked good vegan made chocolate chip cookies
meredith of gluten free betty made chocolate peppermint cookies

mori of meals with morri made thumbprint cookies with apricot preserves
pete & kelli of no gluten, no problem made belgian speculaas cookies
rachel of the crispy cook made melomakarona
shauna of gluten-free girl made soft molasses cookies
silvana of silvana's kitchen made old-school italian jam-filled hazelnut cookies
tr of no one likes crumbley cookies made cinnamon lemon cookies
tara of a baking life made walnut shortbread

these cookies will also be a part of the gluten free scallywag's online gluten-free christmas magazine. please hop over to the gorgeous and amazing magazine and treat yourself to a look! thanks, jas, for the great honor of being a part of something so lovely and mouth-watering!