A Lovely Shade of Spring

Can you believe that it's almost April?  We're just over a week into Spring, Passover began three nights ago, and now Easter is this coming Sunday.  Baskets full of fake grass overflowing with chocolate bunnies, jellybeans, and marshmallow Peeps in bright pink and purple will be in homes soon.

Then there are the eggs.  Despite the fact that I was not a fan of hard-boiled eggs (I would only eat the whites, and that's only if they were heavily coated in salt), dyeing and decorating Easter eggs was something I looked forward to every year when I was young.  There was the obligatory box of Paas tablets, along with the wax crayon, little hexagonal wire egg holder, and the rub-on transfers of rabbits, lambs, flowers, and other signs of Spring.  We used the same melamine coffee mugs year after year.  They were large enough to dunk and swirl an egg in.  (I'd bet money those mugs are still in my parents' basement.)

I loved building up the shades, dipping an egg into two different colours, carefully balancing it on the wire.  I would write my name on an egg, drawing a flower, or a band, or dots, dipping it back into the dye and watching the colour bloom, leaving smudgy, waxy designs in the dye's wake. 

Thirty-some years later, I decided to bypass the Paas tablets in lieu of colours little more natural, and found in the kitchen or pantry.  This is nothing new.  Martha  Stewart did this a few years ago, as I'm sure thousands of families have done before her.  You can watch Martha here.  I love hearing her East Coast inflection in 'water,' something you might catch me saying if I don't think about what I say before I open my mouth!

My measurements weren't quite as precise as Martha's, except for using 2 tablespoons of vinegar in each colour.  Whatever bowl or pot or measuring cup I was using is the amount of water I filled it with.  Not everything worked out well.  I originally started with a blood orange in a pot of water, and when I wasn't getting   the pale orange I envisioned in my head, I added a carrot...when that didn't work, I added paprika.  But even that didn't work out, so down the drain went that pot of water and it became a pot of coffee.  I also brewed a very dark and strong measuring cup of Earl Grey tea, which made two very pretty tea-stained eggs.  Tumeric does indeed become a beautiful warm gold and the liquid from a jar of pickled blueberries made a pale, pale violet that I darkened by actually mashing a tablespoon of the pickled blueberries into the bowl and rubbed onto the eggshell.

I only got fancy-schancy on two eggs...wrapping one in twine before dipping it into the tumeric water and putting smiley face stickers on another egg looking to get a polka dot effect.  I've got a couple more days of egg salad on the menu, but it was worth it.  

Happy Easter!

The non-cooperative orange dye

Tumeric and tea results with blueberries and coffee in the background

When Is a Cookie Not a Cookie?

You have a cookie, you decide to grind it into a cream (think peanut butter), and then you spread it onto bread and eat it.  Sounds a little odd, doesn't it?  Over the past couple of months, I had been coming across mentions of this Biscoff spread on other food blogs.  Yes, it piqued my curiosity.  Lotus Bakeries (those crazy Belgians!) took their Biscoff cookie, speculoos, and turned it into a creamy spread.  They certainly don't have a monopoly on speculoos, but they did take it that extra step.  I filed this bit of information in my brain and went along my merry way.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago.  It's a glorious Saturday afternoon, I'm on the errand run and while my focus should be heading to Petco to find sustenance for the felines, I take a detour into Cost Plus (Hey, I can't help that they're right next to each other!).  This is dangerous territory for me as it is one of my favourite stores.  I am a kid in a candy store here, with their soaps, kitchen gadgets, fancy notebooks, and most importantly, their food and drink section.  They carry foods from all over the world and have a great wine and beer section.  I used to not be able to get out of a Cost Plus without spending at least $50, but I've reined myself in considerably over the past couple of years.  So I'm innocently walking down the aisles in the food section, looking at imported pastas, olives, cookies, and jams...and guess what I spot?  Yes, Biscoff spread.  I snatched that baby up and didn't even debate on whether it was a necessity or indulgence.  I had to try it.  I am also happy to report that I got out of the store only spending $13.00.  Biscoff spread, Italian dry salame, and violet gum...that's a good haul!

No time was wasted once I got home and took a spoon to that jar of Biscoff.  It doesn't look any different than peanut butter, but the taste, well, that is something else.  Caramelly with brown sugar, overtones of ginger and cinnamon...I get it!  I also had to stop myself from eating it by the spoonfuls.  Biscoff on the no-knead bread I'm obsessed with baking??  Wow.  Limiting myself to one slice?  Not easy.  I screwed the lid back on and hid it away before I really ate the whole jar in one sitting.  But it has not been out of my mind.  I really wanted to bake with it.  I had seen recipes for Biscoff cupcakes, frostings, and cakes.  It was earlier this week while at work that I thought 'banana' and 'Biscoff!'

Well, you know what happened on my day off.  Yes, Biscoff and Banana cookies.  I ate four.  I took most of them into work the next day because I would easily eat all of them myself.  They were gone in no time thanks to my co-workers.  Know what I had for breakfast today?  Yep, cookies.  I will unabashedly tell you that I love these cookies.  They are a very cakey cookie.  Soft and dense with a nice balance of caramelly brown sugar and banana.  With a cup of strong coffee they are fantastic.  I don't see it as a tea cookie, but I guess it could be.  I love tea, but to me it's dainty.  This is not a dainty cookie, it's a hearty cookie.

Seek out Biscoff.  I also found out that Trader Joe's makes a version called 'Cookie Butter.'  I will be looking into that too.  Lotus Bakeries makes it easy to purchase online, as does Amazon.com.

Banana Biscoff Cookies
(Adapted from King Arthur Flour's Basic Drop Cookie)
Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch cookies


1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Biscoff spread
1 medium ripe banana


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder until creamy.  Add the egg and mix until fluffy.  Add flour, Biscoff, and banana (break up with fingers).  Mix until batter is well-combined and smooth.  Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheet about 1 1/2 inch apart.   Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.