Tea on Tuesday

Last night was the start of Passover, and our Seder. These simple coconut macaroons are our favorite dessert, and will convert anyone to a coconut lover. They are very easy to make, too.

Coconut Chip Macaroons

You’ll never again eat a macaroon from a can once you’ve made them yourself. If you have a "cookie sized" ice cream scoop, these are fast and easy to make, and they can be made several days before serving.

12 ounces wide flaked un-sweetened coconut (Bob's Red Mill is perfect)
4 egg whites
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Mix all ingredients but the chocolate chips together in a large bowl. Divide the mixture, and add the chocolate chips to one-half. Scoop out 1 inch mounds, placed about 1 inch apart, on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until just turning brown. Cool on the parchment until firm. Store in a sealed container between sheets of waxed or parchment paper up to 4 days. Makes about 5 dozen macaroons.

Copyright 2000-2010 by Invisible Loom and Craft, Renee's Tea Party, all rights reserved. Personal use only.

Tea on Tuesday - on Thursday

The photo is of a little basket I loom knit last year for Tween Girl, with some of http://loomlady.blogspot.com loom knit eggs. Hard to believe it has already been a year. For your Spring table, a recipe for Tea Party Eggs. Enjoy!

Tea Party Eggs

A creamy filling and chive blossoms on top make these stuffed eggs pretty enough for a tea party. Prepare the eggs in the morning, the day of your party, and keep them chilled until served.

Six hard cooked eggs, cooled and peeled
3 TBSP. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. (kosher) salt
1 tsp. finely minced fresh tarragon leaves
Garnish: chive blossoms, thyme blossoms or rosemary blossoms

Carefully slice the eggs in half and remove the yolks with a spoon. Set aside the whites. Mash the yolks in a small bowl, and add the cream, Dijon, salt and tarragon leaves. Mix until smooth. Fill the whites with the egg cream filling, and top with chive blossoms or herb flowers of your choice. (The purple chive blossoms look lovely and have a slight onion flavor.)

Copyright 2000-2010 Invisible Loom and Craft, Renee's Tea Party, all rights reserved. Personal use only.

Simple Lace Wrap

As our weather begins to change to Spring, this simple lace wrap is perfect for your shoulders. The pattern for the wrap uses the simple lace pattern from the "Mr. Woodhouse' Afghan", but in a lighter and much daintier way. The lovely border stitch is from Helen Jacob-Grant (www.neat-and-pretty.livejournal.com).

Simple Lace Wrap $2.49 US

Simple Lace Wrap

Supplies:
4 skeins (200 grams, 360 yards) WW wool yarn (sample used Nashua Wooly Stripes in Berry & Vine coloration)

½ inch gauge loom with at least 42 pegs (sample used CinDwood Youth Loom with 51 pegs)

Loom tool

Crochet hook

Finished size is 12 inches wide, 58 inches long.

Copyright 2010 by Invisible Loom and Craft, all rights reserved. For personal use only.

Spring Holidays

In just a few weeks, the Spring holidays will begin. Below is a favorite family recipe for Orange Almond Macaroons that are both delicious and simple to make. They can be made for Passover, and will keep well if made ahead of time.

For holiday loomed decorations, Brenda at Loom Lore has her charming Jelly Bean Basket and loomed eggs. The eggs are very cute, and also a great way to learn Brenda's gathered cast-on, which is useful in many loom knitted projects. The Bunny Wabbit is also a great loomed toy, and you can read more about him below. The pattern is on Ravelry and at Provo Craft's website.

Orange Almond Macaroons

Soft and chewy, like a French macaroon, these can be made anytime for tea or dessert, and with the substitution of matzo flour, they can be made for Passover. These keep beautifully and are fast to make.

8 oz. almond paste
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. flour (or matzo cake flour)
2 large egg whites

In bowl of a mixer, break up the almond paste. Add the sugar, zest, extract, and flour, and mix together. Add the egg whites and beat until smooth. Scoop out into 1 inch balls (a melon ball scoop makes fast work of this) and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Bake at 325 degrees for 17 minutes, until lightly puffed and browned on bottom edges. Cool a minute or two on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a rack. Makes about 3 dozen.
Store between sheets of waxed paper or parchment in a sealed plastic container.
Copyright 2000-2010 by Invisible Loom and Craft, Renee's Tea Party, all rights reserved. Personal use only.

On and Off the Loom

The March 2010 Loom-a-Long on Ravelry is Helen Jacob-Grant's "Wavy Feather Lace Stole". This is a stunning loom pattern. Helen has done some very clever stitch pattern detective work to create a loomed feather wave. You can join the loom-a-long at Ravelry or in Helen's Yahoo group, Knifty Knitter Loom Knitting Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knifty_Knitter_Loom_Knitting_Group/

Tea on Tuesday

It is a rainy Tuesday here, perfect for a cup of tea and a little smackeral of something with honey.

Anise Honey Biscuits

These delightful, sweet biscuits were a big hit with my entire family. They were heavenly hot from the oven, drizzled with honey, but they also kept well and were good the next morning for breakfast and at lunch with a little cheese. I used anise seed from Penzeys.com, and it had a terrific flavor. The seeds soften during the baking process, and it smells like Springerle cookies when the biscuits are baking (but these are much faster to make!)

List of Ingredients
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. (kosher) salt
6 TBSP. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tsp. anise seed
3/4 cup (whole) milk
3 TBSP. wildflower or herb honey

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Stir in the anise seed. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk and honey. Stir to form a soft ball. Knead a few times on a floured board. Pat dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2 inch x 2 inch squares with a knife. Bake 10 - 12 minutes at 425 degrees, until golden brown.
Makes about 20 biscuits.

Copyright 2000-2010 Invisible Loom and Craft, Renee's Tea Party, all rights reserved. For personal use only.