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" Jean’s Rosemary, Olive, and Parmesan Sablés Sablés aux Olives, Romarin, et Parmesan I have a real affection for the sandy-textured cookies called biscuits sablés. Here is the savory version that Jean brought to our neighborhood cinema evening. They are extremely easy to make, provided your butter really is at room temperature when you start. Serve them with a glass of white wine and some plump dates; I can’t think of a better beginning to an evening en plein air. 10½ tablespoons unsalted butter 1¼ cups flour 2 scant teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Black pepper 12 cured black olives, pitted and finely chopped An hour or two before you want to bake, take the butter out of the fridge. It needs to be really soft. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, rosemary, Parmesan, and a grinding of black pepper. Add the olives and the softened butter cut into three or four chunks. Knead the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed and a ball of dough has formed. Do not overwork the dough. Put the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Using a 2½-inch biscuit cutter (the top of a glass will do just fine), cut 16 rounds. Bake on a sheet of parchment paper until fragrant and highly colored, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container; they keep nicely for 2 to 3 days. Makes 16 cookies "
― Elizabeth Bard , Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes
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" Mendiants I predict this will soon be an annual holiday project at your house. Put them in glass mason jars, tie with a pretty ribbon, and give as hostess gifts. 1 pound best-quality dark chocolate (you can use milk chocolate if you like…) If you are being traditional, you’ll need a generous handful each of: Dried figs (cut into small pieces) Dark or golden raisins Blanched almonds Whole hazelnuts If you are feeling fancy (and don’t care much for monkish symbolism), you can swap in a handful of: Dried apricots, cut into small pieces Candied orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel Candied ginger Unsalted pistachios Macadamia nuts Walnuts Dried cranberries or cherries Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Gently melt the chocolate in the microwave oven or a double boiler. Place a teaspoonful of melted chocolate onto the sheet. Make sure the disks are about 1 inch apart. Make several at a time so that the chocolate does not have time to harden. Place a piece of fig, a raisin, an almond, and a hazelnut on each disk, and leave in a cool spot to harden. The mendiants are ready when the chocolate is solid and they peel off the parchment paper with ease. Makes about 50 chocolates "
― Elizabeth Bard , Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes
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" Jean’s Cherry Marmalade Marmelade de Cerises A decadent, old-school cherry sauce. Serve over hazelnut or vanilla ice cream, with whipped cream and a fresh cherry on top! 2¼ pounds fresh cherries 1 pound, 10 ounces sugar (I use half white, half raw cane or light brown
sugar) ½ cup of kirsch (cherry liqueur) Pit the cherries and cover with the sugar and the alcohol. Stir to combine; let the mixture sit for 12 hours or overnight. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fish out the cherries, set aside. Continue to simmer the syrup for 1 hour—a bit longer won’t hurt—until reduced by half. Distribute the cherries between 3 or 4 sterilized jars. Pour the boiling-hot cherry syrup over them, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Tightly close the jars and sterilize in a hot-water bath according to the manufacturer’s directions. If, like me, you haven’t mastered the intricacies of proper canning, the syrup keeps in the fridge for a week or two, or you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Makes 3 to 4 12-ounce jars "
― Elizabeth Bard , Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes