The turning of the new year is a time for renewal, self-improvement, and un-attainable goals. I should be making New Years resolutions…but instead I’m making dessert.
I enter the new year a little nervous, but hopeful for all that it may hold. I can already tell my measuring cups won’t be neatly leveled off, and my tablespoons may be a bit over-filled, but I’ll gladly take that over the alternative.
And so without further ado, I’d like to introduce the first “Measure-less” Monday. Cooking in the style of life. I invite you to trust your instincts, throw most of your care to the wind, and just cook. Measure-less Mondays won’t happen every Monday–or every other Monday, for that matter…that is not in their nature. They will be sporadic, and improvised, with a little wiggle room for your own interpretation.
The first Measure-less Monday “recipe” comes from A Platter of Figs by David Tanis, and embodies everything I hope for you and I in 2011. Honest ingredients like walnuts and honey…celebratory and a little indulgent with butter and sugar, and of course, made complex with a couple surprise ingredients, just like life.
- 2 cups shelled walnuts, toasted if desired
- Sugar
- Melted butter (about 2 sticks), use vegan butter to make dairy-free
- Orange flower water
- Almond extract
- cinnamon
- Phyllo dough from a package, thawed**
- Honey
- Shelled pistachios, chopped (I used salted pistachios and was pleasantly surprised)
- Make the Filling: Chop the walnuts. Add sugar to taste, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle with orange flower water (start with a small amount, taste, and adjust), a few drops of almond extract, and some cinnamon. Add a splash of cold water (a few tablespoons) and stir.
- Roll the Cigars: For each cigar, brush a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise, then brush with butter again. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons walnuts (or more) in a strip along the short end of the phyllo. Roll the phyllo around the walnuts (like an eggroll, see photos above). Place on a buttered baking sheet, side by side but not touching. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Thanks Jen! It looks wonderful!
Love,
Dad
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Now I don’t need to store-bought mine.
Those look marvelous….like less-sticky baklava. 🙂
These look great! Kind of like baklava (which I LOVE!) I just got David Tanis’s 2nd book as a gift and am super excited to cook from it! I should really check out a Platter of Figs.
Yes, it tastes very similar to baklava (one of my faves too!). I have Heart of the Artichoke checked out from the library right now–it’s a beautiful book!
Those look fabulous- so nutty and delicious!
“Measure-Less” Mondays! I love that idea. Trusting your instincts, cares to the wind, and just cooking…what a lovely and exciting idea! I will have to incorporate a few MLM’s into my life!