Perfect tea-time almond cookies that melt in your mouth, the kind you love to keep in a jar or give as a holiday gift. Alongside them, a colorful bulgur salad bursting with textures and flavors, dried apricots, crunchy almond slivers, cranberries and fresh herbs that add flavor and color.
So how do these two recipes come together? The answer is Tu Bishvat, a wonderful holiday that reminds us of the richness of the land. These two dishes will be a celebration of flavor for the holiday and long after. Enjoy.
Melt-in-your-mouth almond cookies
Ingredients:
200 grams butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon high-quality vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds (almond flour)
Finely grated lemon zest
Preparation:
1. Place the butter and powdered sugar in a mixer bowl and beat with the paddle attachment on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stop midway if needed and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and lemon zest and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
4. Transfer the dough to a sandwich bag; it may require two bags, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. The dough can also be frozen for several weeks.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut pieces about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.5-2 inches) in size. Roll into balls and place on the tray, leaving about 1 centimeter between each cookie. The cookies will rise slightly.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes, checking after roughly 12 minutes. If the bottoms are lightly golden, remove from the oven.
8. Cool completely, transfer to a bowl and dust with powdered sugar using a sieve. Gently shake off excess and store in an airtight container.
Bulgur salad with dried fruit, almonds and chestnuts in tahini-orange dressing
You can swap the apricots and cranberries for any dried or fresh fruit you like, from dried pineapple and candied orange peel to figs or diced apples. The key is combining soft, sweet elements with crunchy, savory ones.
Ingredients:
1 cup coarse bulgur, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried blueberries
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1/3 cup raw pecans
5 scallions or 1/2 bunch chives
1/3 bunch cilantro leaves
1/4 bunch parsley leaves
10 mint leaves
1 package roasted and peeled chestnuts
For the dressing:
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons raw tahini
Salt and black pepper
Preparation:
1. Cook the bulgur with the salt and enough water to reach about 5 centimeters above the bulgur, until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain thoroughly in a strainer, as you would pasta.
2. Cut the apricots into small cubes. Thinly slice the scallions and finely chop the cilantro, parsley and mint. Coarsely chop the chestnuts.
3. Break the pecans slightly and place them in a pan with the almonds. Toast over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not leave unattended. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except the dressing. At this stage, the salad can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for up to two days or at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. Add the dressing just before serving.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth. For a thicker dressing, add a bit more tahini.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve at room temperature.