Happy Days are Here Again

I am happy to report that my bitterness toward sugar cookies is gone!  Obliterated by a great weekend of baking.  First up was banana bread because I had a bunch of overripe bananas and what else is there to do with them?  Come to think of it, perhaps it was just a big conspiracy between Lily and Jim.  If they don't eat the bananas all week, then I will have to make banana bread on the weekend.  Hmmmm....I'm on to them now!  I tried a different recipe that only included bananas, so I did not have to make any omissions or substitutions and voila!  A beautiful looking banana bread.  Jim used the words moist and  banana flavour to describe and as of this morning all that was left was a tiny sliver, so I call it a success.  Once again, I asked Lily the magical question...."Is it better than Auntie Ellen's?" She had that deer in the headlights look and told me that it was close.  I am not trying to be competitive...really I am not...but it's hard to resist. 

Here is a picture of a slice that Jim took ....ummm..when he was upside down!

Back to Martha now....

This next recipe really intrigued me.  Reading it over I found that it had very little sugar and NO BUTTER! With that, Ina Garten and Paula Deen declined my offer of tea, but no matter.

They are called Seville Olive Oil Wafers.  A thin, crispy wafer with just the right amount of savoury and sweet.  They are also made with anise seed and smell divine when they are baking.  One must be patient though, because you can only bake four at a time using two baking sheets.  Well worth the wait....

This picture does not do them justice in the least. You really have to try them.  I brought them into work yesterday and a number of my colleagues insisted that I give them the recipe.    I am going to reprint it here, because they are so easy and so delicious that I want to share them with the world!  Okay, maybe that's a just a little bit dramatic....but do try them and do let me know!

Seville Olive Oil Wafers

                                                            From: Martha Stewart’s Handbook of Baking

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup sesame seeds

3 tablespoons of sugar plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon of anise seeds

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of ice water

2 large egg whites beaten until foamy

Preheat oven to 400^o F. with racks in the upper and lower thirds.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (can also be made with a hand mixer) mix flour, sesame seeds, sugar, anise seeds baking powder and salt on low speed until just combined.  In a small bowl combine water and olive oil and add to flour mixture.  Beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Shape a 1 ½ tablespoon of dough into a ball.  Place two balls at a time on a piece of parchment paper, at least 5 inches apart, and cover with another piece of parchment.  Roll out into very thin 8-by-4-inch ovals.  Transfer dough and parchment to a baking sheet.  Lift off top piece of parchment.  Generously brush ovals with egg white and generously sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with two more balls of dough. 

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are brown around the edges and in spots on top, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining balls of dough.  Cookies can be kept stacked between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.