Robin’s Random Recipes

3 medium ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½ inch pieces.
½ tsp lemon juice
pinch salt
1 c plus 6 tbs sugar, divided
1 ¼ c whole milk
1 1/3 c heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs vodka

Stir peaches, lemon juice, salt, and ½ c sugar in non-reactive saucepan to combine; let stand until a pool of syrupy liquid accumulates and peaches soften slightly, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Position sieve over medium bowl set in an ice water bath; set aside

Heat milk, cream, and ½ c sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam appears, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat.

Whisk yolks and remaining 6 tbs sugar until pale yellow. Stir half the warmed milk mixture into the yolk mixture until just blended. Return milk-yolk mixture to saucepan of remaining milk,. Heat milk-yolk mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon unti steam appears foam subsides, and mixture just begins to thicken, 180F. Do not boil or eggs will curdle. Remove from heat and immediately strain custard into prepared bowl. Cool custard to room temperature, stir in vanilla, then cover and refrigerate to 40F, at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

Meanwhile, heat softened peaches and their liquid, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until peaches are tender and flesh has broken down, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in vodka, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 and up to 24 hours. Strain chilled peaches, reserving liquid. Stir reserved liquid into chilled custard; pour into ice cream machine and churn, 25 to 30 minutes. Add peaches; continue to churn until combined, about 30 seconds.

Simply the best margaritas. We no longer bother getting them out because they never measure up.

4 tsp lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar
pinch salt
2 cups crushed ice
1 cup 100% agave tequila, preferably reposado
1 cup Triple Sec

Combine zests, juices, sugar, and salt, cover, refrigerate 4 to 24 hours (or longer)
Add alcohol & half the ice, shake well to combine.
Salt the glass rims
Serve over more ice.

I often use regular granulated sugar instead of superfine, it just needs more mixing. Giving it a whir in the food processor would work too.

I generally make up the mix (using a lot of long strips of zest–easier to strain out) and then make up margaritas as desired using equal portions of mix, tequila, and triple sec.

The sour mix freezes well in ice cube trays, then turn out into a zip-top bag. Combine equal portions mix, tequila, and triple sec and shake until the sour mix melts. Then add ice and continue as per above.

This is my most-coveted Christmas cookie. Amounts following ingredients are for a double batch, which is all I make.

1.75 cups (8 3/4 oz) flour (1 lb 1 1/2 oz)
.25 cups (1 3/8 oz) rice flour (2 5/8 oz)
.67 cups (4 3/4 oz) superfine sugar (9 1/2 oz)
.25 t. salt (1/5 tsp)
16 Tbs (8 oz) cold, unsalted butter (16 oz)

1 tsp sugar for sprinkling (2 tsp)

Preheat oven to 425F. Line ungreased 9-inch round cake pan with parchment of wax paper; set aside

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flours, sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Cut butter into .5″ cubes with .25 cup flour mixture on a sheet of parchment paper. Add butter and any remaining flour on parchment to bowl with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until dough is pale yellow and resembles damp crumbs, about 4 minutes.

Press dough into pan. (With my pans, a single batch is 2 lb 3 oz–useful info for splitting the double batch.) Unmold onto cookie sheet, use 2″ cookie cutter to remove center and set aside on cookie sheet. Replace cookie cutter. Place shortbread in oven, immediately reducing temperature to 300F.

Bake 20 minutes, remove from oven, score into 16 wedges and poke design with skewer. Bake an additional 40 minutes until pale golden. Cut on score marks, slide shortbread onto rack and cool thoroughly.

These are my favorite Christmas cookie. They don’t ship as well as some of the others but I love them so my cookie recipients get a ziplock of crumbs every year. 🙂

2 cups whole pecans or walnuts, 1 cup chopped fine, one cup ground until the texture of coarse cornmeal
2 cups flour
.75 tsp salt
16 Tbs (8 oz) softened unsalted butter
.33 cup superfine sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 325F

Mix nuts, flour, and salt, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar on medium until light and creamy, about 1.5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and bat at low speed until dough just comes together. Working with one tablespoon (I use a #70 disher) at a time, form dough into rounds.

Bake 17 to 19 minutes until the tops are pale golden

Once cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Another favorite Christmas cookie. This recipe leaves a lot of edge trimmings which are unsuitable for company and must be disposed of…somehow.

1 recipe Sugar Cookie dough
12.5 oz (1.75 c.) sugar
1.5 oz (2 Tbs) corn syrup
.75 c water
7 oz. (14 Tbs) unsalted butter
8.5 oz (0.75) cup honey
1 cup heavy cream
17 oz. toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350F

Roll out dough, line half sheet pan, chill until firm. Bake with foil & pie weights 20 min., remove foil & weights, bake an additional 10 minutes until completely set. Cool completely.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture becomes amber, 350F, remove from heat. Carefully add butter and honey, return to heat, stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture back to a boil and carefully add cream. Boil the mixture until it reaches 250F. Quickly combine nuts & caramel, spread in cookie crust. Bake 20 min. or until the topping begins to bubble.

Once cool, cut by turning upside down onto cutting board, scoring through the crust, then cutting through the caramel with a chef’s knife.

These are delicious on their own, even better as the crust for caramel nut bars.

14 oz. (28 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1.5 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
5 3/4 oz (.75 cup) sugar
.5 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
21 oz (1 lb 5 oz, 4.67 cups) flour

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine butter, zest, sugar, and salt, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat it in well. Add vanilla. Stir in the flour until blended. Spread the dough out, about an inch thick, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm.

Roll dough, cut with cookie cutters, and bake for 15 to 20 min until the edges turn golden.