Sunday of Lesley: Kitchen

Pizelles and Peppermints!

The newest addition to the Sunday of Lesley kitchen is a very cool contraption that makes pizelles! Have you ever had those? In Sweden they're called Krumkake. I remember them from Christmases as a kid, and they're quite scrumptious! They're big, flat, very thin cookies that you cook on a waffle-iron kind of thing. You can either leave them flat and dust them with powdered sugar, or roll them around a stick and make them into little cones. They're too small and cookie-like for ice cream, but you can fill them with whipped cream and berries. Very delicious!

I brought some peppermint bark into the office today. People are so darn picky about free food; have you noticed? "This would be better if it didn't have the crunchy stuff on top." (You mean the...uh...peppermints?) "Couldn't you make this nonfat? You know I'm trying to lose weight." "This isn't supposed to have dark chocolate on it. Crate and Barrel's doesn't have dark chocolate on it."

Ah well, it disappeared quickly, just the same!

Baking In A Boo Way!

Halloween...what a great time to think about treats!

Here are some things that might be especially good for kids - or to bring out the kid in yourself.

You can always do decorated sugar cookies...but...yawn. Why not make caramel apples? It's very easy and you can have all sorts of toppings (nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, sprinkles, etc.).

Candied nuts are excellent, and it keeps a child or house guest occupied with stirring for about half an hour!

Peanut brittle is very Halloweeny and my mom used to make it with us when we were little (again, lots of stirring).

Popcorn balls! How come those aren't popular anymore?

Another clever little activity is making a pan of brownies, but lining the pan with tin foil so you can lift it right out when they're cooked. Then take a bat cookie cutter and cut out brownie bats! You can decorate them, but they're already black so all they really need are eyes and a smile (or fangs?).

Who says gingerbread houses are just for Christmas? You can make an awesome haunted house, mortuary, or whatever your creepy little heart desires.

Give your kids the gooey task of taking the pumpkin seeds out of their carved pumpkins. Once they're cleaned (the pumpkin seeds, but definitely the kids too, after that job!), you can salt and roast them. Yum! And a bit better for you than candy.

Enjoy the treats of the season...sugar and spice and everything nice!