Zandkoekjes are Dutch ‘sand’ cookies, named as such because of their crumbly texture that reminds us of sand. A real pantry standby, these cookies are delicious to be eaten just like that, but you can also dress these cookies up or down: shower with some sugar before baking, or decorate with nuts, colorful icing sugar or sprinkles, or keep them plain and sandwich them together with some store-bought strawberry jam just before serving.

The recipe yields 20 double cookies.

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cup cake flour (300 g)
2 eggs
1 heaped cup powdered sugar (150 g)
1 tbsp vanilla sugar (or an 8 g sachet)
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup butter (150 g)
Strawberry preserve/jam

Preparation:

Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and break an egg into the well. Add the yolk of a second egg and keep back the egg white for later. Now add the powdered sugar, vanilla sugar and the salt.

Chop the butter into small pieces and add to the dry mix. Working quickly, knead the ingredients together until it forms a dough ball (you can also use a mixer with a dough hook attachment). Add a few drops of milk if the mixture is too crumbly.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 347 degrees F (175 degrees C). When your dough has rested, open up the plastic wrap flat on the counter, cover the dough ball with another large layer of plastic and press flat with your hands. You can now use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough between the two plastic sheets. You can, of course, also roll the dough out on a floured surface. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick (1/2 cm).

Using a heart or circle shaped cookie cutter, cut out your cookies (and decorate, if desired). Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet, brush with egg white and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack and store in a cookie jar or airtight container.

For the strawberry jam version: Just before serving, smear the underside of the cookies with some store-bought strawberry jam and press two cookies together.

Another delicacy from Spain, Estofado de Pollo is Spanish chicken stew. This flavorful dish is typical of stews eaten in the region of Castilla, where the winters are chilly and food warms you from the inside out. Serve with home-fried potatoes and warm, crusty French bread and a simple green salad for a filling, delicious meal. Invest 15 minutes for preparation and 1 hour for cooking, and get you and your family a hearty meal with exotic Mediterranean taste.

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer, cut into pieces or 8-10 pieces of chicken
1/4 cup virgin Spanish olive oil
2 cups of white mushrooms, sliced
4-5 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper
2 peeled carrots, cut into large pieces
1 – 16 oz. can green peas, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Remove excess fat and skin from chicken, rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a large, deep frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil and brown chicken for 5-7 minutes on medium high heat.

Add mushrooms, garlic, onion, carrots and sweet red pepper to pan and sauté until mushrooms are softened and onion is translucent, approximately 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add white wine to skillet and turn heat to high until broth boils, then reduce and simmer until chicken is cooked thoroughly and liquid is reduced a bit and thickens, 20-30 minutes. Check the pan while chicken is cooking and add more broth or water if necessary.

Just before serving, add green peas to pan and stir well. Serve with home-fried potatoes.

Tips:

Do not waste the sauce. Spaniards like to use their wonderful, crusty French-style bread to “mop up” the sauce. Do the same thing with French bread, whole wheat bread, black bread, or any other bread that you got.

Tajine is a popular Moroccan farmer stew made with meat or fish and vegetables, and flavored with spices, dried fruits and/or preserved lemons. Its name comes from the special glazed terracotta pot in which it is cooked. The tajine’s conical lid allows the dish to steam and stew simultaneously, optimally preserving natural flavors. This dish is another flavorful North African delight with exotic combination between lamb and apricot.

Invest about 20 minutes for preparation and 75 minutes for cooking. The recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 orange
1 cup dried apricots (150 g)
1 large onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2.2 lb lamb shoulder (1 kg)
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 bunch fresh coriander

Preparation:

Wash the orange under running water. Using a sharp knife, thinly pare the orange peel into strips. Now squeeze the orange. Cut the apricots in half and allow to steep in the orange juice.

Peel the onion and cut into thin rings. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.

Cut the meat into chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the saucepan, along with the caraway seeds and the cinnamon. Allow the meat to brown for five minutes, while stirring. Add the apricots, along with the orange juice, the pared orange peel, the ground almonds and 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) water. Cover the saucepan and stew over a medium heat until bubbling. Now turn the heat low and continue to cook, while stirring every now and then.

Roast sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until golden brown.

Stew the lamb for approximately 40 minutes. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and coriander leaves on top. Serve with couscous.

Spain is the intersection of culinary crossroads, making the Spanish cuisine rich in flavor. Moorish food, like this lamb recipe is flavorful and surprising, combining lamb and onions with almonds and raisins; truly a delicious and simple main course for any time of year. It takes little time to make (about 1 hour and 40 minutes for preparation and cooking), but the result will not make you regret about the whole efforts.

The recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

2-3 lb lamb shoulder or leg (boneless) or 5-6 lb if bone in
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions
2 cloves garlic
3-5 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup sherry
2 Tbsp almonds

Preparation:

Remove lamb from packaging and pat dry. Combine cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture on all sides of lamb. Set aside.

Peel and chop onions and garlic. Pour olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed frying pan and heat on medium. When oil is hot, sauté the onions and garlic until onions are translucent.

Place lamb in pan and brown on both sides. Once meat is browned, add 2-3 cups of stock to cover meat. Cover pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 to 1.5 hours. Check every 15 minutes or so, adding more liquid as necessary. When you have done, the meat should be cooked through and tender.

While lamb is cooking, pour sherry into a short glass or small bowl and soak the raisins. Coarsely grind the almonds.

About 15 minutes before cooking is complete, add the sherry, raisins and almonds to the pan. When the lamb is ready, slice and serve it with sauce and white rice or couscous.

These traditional Spanish crumble cakes or “mantecados” crumble very easily. In fact, they are so soft, they will literally melt in your mouth. Light and with a delicate anise flavor, words will not do them justice. You will have to make them to see why they are a Spanish favorite and why no Spanish home is without “mantecados” at Christmas!

The crumble cakes are easy to make, only requuires 25 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking time. This recipe yields 7 dozens of 2.5 inch cookies.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
2 shot glasses of anise (see note below for substitute)
1 lemon peel, grated
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
7 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg white, beaten for glaze

Preparation:

In a very large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the vegetable shortening with the oil. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Add the egg yolks, anise, lemon peel, juice and cinnamon and mix together. Add flour and baking soda to mixture, a cup at a time. Be sure to mix well. Dough should be very smooth and soft.

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a dollop of dough. Form balls about the size of walnuts, using your hands. If dough is too sticky to roll into balls, mix in additional flour (from 1/4 to 1/2 cup). Place balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press down on each ball to flatten slightly. Using the beaten egg white, brush on the top of each cookie. Bake cookies until they begin to turn light brown on the bottom edges – about 15-20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet, as they are very delicate.

Tips:

Anise-flavored liqueur can be purchased at most liquor stores and some gourmet supermarkets. If you cannot find it in your area, substitute 2 shot glasses of vodka and 1 1/2 tsp of anise extract.

Tajine is a popular Moroccan farmer stew made with meat or fish and vegetables, and flavored with spices, dried fruits and/or preserved lemons. Its name comes from the special glazed terracotta pot in which it is cooked. The tajine’s conical lid allows the dish to steam and stew simultaneously, optimally preserving natural flavors. With relatively short time for preparation and cooking (15 minutes each), this dish makes nutritious, wonderful lunch or dinner meal with a fresh, exotic touch of Middle-Eastern taste.

This recipe has been translated from the original Dutch in De Keuken van Marokko and has been printed with the permission of the publisher.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 onion
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 lb ground beef with at least 15% fat (500 g)
Salt
1 tbsp paprika powder
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp tomato sauce
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp tomato puree
6 eggs

Preparation:

Peel the onion and finely grate. Wash the parsley and snip into pieces. Flavor the ground beef with the onion, parsley, salt and half of both the paprika powder and the caraway seeds. Now knead the meat mixture and roll meatballs the size of walnuts between the palms of your hands. Set the meatballs aside.

Add the oil and tomato sauce to the tajine, and add salt, pepper and the rest of the paprika powder and the caraway seeds. On a high heat, fry for 2 minutes. Now add the tomato puree and 2 tbsp of water.

Wait until the mixture boils and then add the meatballs, stirring carefully while frying them on all sides. Turn the heat down low. Add the eggs one by one. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the eggs are cooked.

Wait until the sauce reduces a little, and then serve.

Magdalenas are small sweet cakes that are rich-tasting, but light and fluffy. The Spanish traditionally eat them at breakfast with “café con leche,” and they are said to have originated in Aragón. “Magdalenas” are not often prepared in homes today, but are sold in supermarkets and bakeries everywhere. These little cakes would be a great addition to any breakfast or brunch time. They are also very easy to make, only require 10 minutes of preparation time and 20 minutes of cooking time.

The recipe yields 18 cakes.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 4 oz. stick unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
Zest from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp milk

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Centigrade). Measure 1/4 cup sugar into small bowl and set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the eggs with 3/4 cup sugar. Beat until the mixture is light.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter on medium on the stove top. Or, melt it in the microwave. Make sure that the butter cools slightly and is not bubbling. As you continue to beat the egg mixture, slowly pour in the melted butter, making sure to mix thoroughly. Stir in the lemon zest and milk.

Measure out the flour into a separate bowl. Add the baking powder to the flour and mix thoroughly.

While stirring the egg mixture, add in the flour mixture. Continue to stir until all ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be very thick.

Place paper liners in to cupcake pan. Use a large serving spoon to spoon batter into pan, filling each one half full. The batter will be more than double in size when baked. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle each Magdalena with a bit of the reserved sugar.

Place pans on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until magdalenas have turned a golden color. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking out of the pan to cool further.

These coffee lava stone cookies have an irresistible touch of warm cinnamon. These special little cookies are light and crunchy with rich coffee flavor and snappy toasted hazelnuts. The airy, crisp texture comes courtesy of incorporating beaten egg whites and a pinch of baker’s ammonia into the batter. The preparation time for this recipe takes about 2 hours, but only about 12 minutes to bake the cookies. Serve these cookies with your afternoon tea, coffee or espresso.

Ingredients:

2 cups shelled, toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (no substitute)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
3 egg whites

Preparation:

Using a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they have a very coarse pebbly-sandy texture. Using the pulse setting, mix in 1/4 cup sugar, espresso powder, flour, baker’s ammonia, and cinnamon just until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Beat the egg whites on high until they turn frothy. Continue beating them and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, one teaspoon at a time, to the egg whites. Continue beating the egg whites and sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Gently fold the coffee-nut mixture into the egg whites. Loosely cover the batter, without touching it, and refrigerate it for 2-4 hours. Do not skip this step.

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop scant teaspoonfuls of batter 1 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until they puff up and turn very light golden brown. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.

This coffee lava stones recipe makes approximately 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

This shrimp etouffee recipe is an easy home-style version of the Creole classic. Etouffee recipes are usually served over rice, and can be made with all types of shellfish. Also, the heat in this etouffee recipe is simple to adjust to your tastes. Requires 15 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking time, this recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

2 pounds peeled and deveined raw shrimp
Cajun or Creole spice to taste (1 tsp to 2 tbsp depending on desired spiciness – more can be added at the end)
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp of flour
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 cups shrimp, vegetable, or chicken stock
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
8 cups cooked white rice

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl combine the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning, and stir to mix well. Refrigerate until needed. In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and cook over low heat until it foams. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes to make a roux. The roux should stay golden in color and not get too brown.

Add the onions, celery, green bell pepper, salt and fresh ground black pepper; cook in the roux for 5 minutes, or until they vegetables start to soften. Whisk in the stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce; turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the shrimp, green onions, and hot sauce; simmer for 3-7 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. When the shrimp are cooked, taste for salt and pepper, and serve with rice.

Shortbread bars are easy to be made with different range of ingredients, from dark chocolate to creamy cheese, crunchy nuts, and fresh or exotic fruits. In this recipe, a buttery shortbread crust serves as the base for refreshing pineapple and delightful cream cheese filling, then enriched with the topping of coconut and pecans. This combination makes a great dessert for a special occasion, tea-time, or party treats. Feel free to substitute the pecans with different kinds of nuts, such as macadamia or almonds.

Ingredients for the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), slightly softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Dash salt
Ingredients for the filling
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1 large can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained
Ingredients for the topping:
1 1/3 cup (3 1/2 ounces) flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking pan or spray with baking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and dash of salt. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the 12 tablespoons of butter until crumbly. Spread evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan and press with hands to form a crust layer. Bake for 12 minutes.
Drain pineapple well in a colander; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and eggs; beat until smooth. Spread evenly over the baked crust, then sprinkle the drained crushed pineapple evenly over the top.

In another bowl, combine the coconut, pecans, and 4 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle evenly over the pineapple and cream cheese layer. Bake the dough for 20 to 25 minutes, or until coconut is browned and the filling is set. Chill thoroughly before cutting it into squares.