MINI MICE COOKIES

Ingredients For 24 Cookies

Preparation

1. MEASURE flour and salt into a small bowl and whisk together; set aside. In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter on medium-high until creamy, about 2 minutes.

2. ADD sugar, gradually, beating until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg, separately. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, one-third at a time, beating after each addition until well blended.

3. KNEAD or stir in chopped raisins. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, shape into flat disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.

4. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

5. SHAPE mice: For each one, shape 1 tablespoon dough into an oval ball and then use a skewer to make nose and eye sockets. Gently press a mini chocolate chip into each eye socket and press an almond slice into dough on either side behind eyes for ears. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

6. BAKE at 350°F until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool slightly.

7. ADD tails: Divide each licorice lace into 6 pieces, about 5 inches long. Then, with a skewer, make a hole about 1/2-inch deep into round end of each ball and insert piece of licorice lace for tails. Set aside to cool on rack. Store in airtight container.
 
Find more raisin recipes at CalRaisins.org.

Find more of our favorite cookie recipes in THE NIBBLE’s cookie section.

European (Ashkenazic) Jews have a feast that traditionally includes:

Tzimmes, a carrot-sweet potato dish. Photo courtesy Dole.com.

Tzimmes is is stewed or baked in a casserole. The result is a side dish that will appeal to all people with a sweet tooth.

Here, the classic recipe is dressed up by Dole with dried cranberries, in addition to the conventional chopped dates.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. HEAT a large saucepan of water to boiling; add sweet potatoes and carrots and reduce heat to medium. Cook 15 minutes or until slightly tender, drain in colander and set aside.

3. STIR together dates, cranberries and walnuts in large bowl. Add cooled sweet potato and carrots, orange juice, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, cumin and salt. Gently stir until evenly coated.

4. TRANSFER mixture to prepared dish; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, basting with pan juices half way through cooking.
  

Try creme honey. It’s in a semi-solid state and as spreadable as butter. In many countries around the world, it’s preferred to the liquid/syrup form of honey (see the different types of honey).

Creme honey—also known as churned honey, creamed honey, cremed honey, honey fondant, sugared honey, spun honey and whipped honey—is brought to market in a finely crystallized state. It can be made from any honey varietal or blend, and can also be flavored. (We particularly like the flavored creme honeys from Honey Ridge Farm, available in apricot and raspberry).

Enjoy it drip-free on:

Creme honey doesn’t drip. Photo by Elvira
Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

HOW CREME HONEY IS MADE

While all honey will crystallize over time, creme honey is intentionally crystallized via a controlled process so that, at room temperature, the honey can be spread like butter.

The method to produce creme honey was patented in 1935. Previously processed creamed honey is added to pasteurized liquid honey and rested at a controlled temperature for a week, until the entire batch crystallizes.

What’s the difference between creme and cream? Why is it creme honey instead of cream honey?

Crème, pronounced KREHM, is the French word for cream (the word for honey is miel, pronounced mee-EL).

In America, French recipes were served at the tables of the wealthy, many of whom knew how to pronounce French properly.

As these recipes entered the mainstream, people who did not know French began to pronounce crème as cream. Some people dispensed with the accent mark, to provide a mashup of French and English, and the industry has adopted crème or creme. If you were to write “cream honey,” you would not be incorrect.
September is National Honey Month. Celebrate with creme honey.

Check out our Honey Section for the history of honey, varietal honeys, food and honey pairings, recipes, trivia and everything you need for a honey education.

Fans of sushi, hummus and vegan cuisine will enjoy this fun fusion food: hummus sushi from Genji Sushi.

This sushi roll is not part of the regular menu: Different locations of Genji Sushi create their own limited-edition specialties. Here, Genji sushi chefs added hummus to salmon and tuna rolls as well as cucumber rolls, with or without fresh jalapeño slices.

So here are tips to make your own:

 
FOR SUSHI FUN, CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUSHI IN OUR
SUSHI GLOSSARY.
  

With the end of grilling season in sight, make every meal count. Here is an easy dessert favorite: grilled fruit with ice cream or sorbet.

The fun begins when you decide which fruit to pair with which flavor of ice cream or sorbet. So stroll through the market aisles and get your creative juices flowing.
 
 
RECIPE: ICE CREAM & GRILLED FRUIT

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Preparation

1. PEEL and slice fruit.

2. COMBINE lime juice and brown sugar in a shallow dish; mix well. Add fruit, stir to coat; cover, and marinate 30 minutes or longer. Meanwhile…

3. PREPARE indoor or outdoor grill by brushing the grill rack with oil and heating. Place fruit on grill rack, and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side.

4. DIVIDE fruit evenly among four plates; top with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce or other garnish, as desired.