Han Solo Carbonite Cookies

May 25: Release date of the first Han Solo movie trilogy (2018)

Han Solo got a solo spin-off story in a “Star Wars” movie! The film, officially released today, features the origins of the space smuggler turned general in the Rebel Alliance/New Republic.

His character, portrayed by actor Harrison Ford, made his first appearance in 1977 in “Star Wars: A New Hope” (Episode IV) and was killed off in 2015 in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Episode VII). In 2018, actor Alden Ehrenreich portrays the young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and may reprise his role in two more forthcoming films.

Han Solo is immortalized in pop culture history, much like his iconic scene in 1981’s “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back “ (Episode V) when he was frozen in carbonite. To celebrate the release of the new Han Solo movies, we made carbonite cookies à la LU Biscuits’ Le Petit écolier (“The Little Schoolboy”) cookies. The sugar cookie base is topped with a chocolate impression of Han Solo in his classic frozen state and finished with a shiny metallic silver glaze.

Make these classic cookies for the movie’s release and for a Star Wars themed celebration.

Recipe

(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

For the sugar cookie base

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until a dough is formed. Roll the dough into a large ball, divide in thirds, cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Roll out dough ¼-inch thick. Cut out rectangular shapes 1.5 inches wide by 2.75 inches tall. Place on a lightly greased baking pan. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to firm up the dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely and become crisp.

For the chocolate “carbonite”

• Chocolate or confectioner’s candy (such as Ghirardelli melting wafers or Wilton dark chocolate candy melts)
• Silver edible powder, non-toxic
• Alcohol base (Everclear or almond/lemon/orange extract)

Directions

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into the Han Solo ice cube tray no thicker than ¼ inch. Tap the tray lightly to level out the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm. Carefully unmold the chocolate onto a paper towel.

pread a little melted chocolate on a rectangular cookie and press a Han Solo chocolate piece on top. Repeat to complete the rest of the cookies. In a small dish, put a little silver powder. Put an eyedropper or two of clear alcoholic liquid to make a thin paste. Paint over the Han Solo chocolates, being careful to avoid the cookie base. Let the cookies dry. Store covered in single layer.

Notes

• Han Solo ice cube tray is available from Amazon.com.
• For a cheaper “chocolate”, use Wilton candy melts.
• Search our blog for other Star Wars-inspired recipes.

Lemon Elderflower Cake

May 19, 2018: The Royal Wedding Day of HRH Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle

Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day! Ever since Kensington Palace announced that Chef Claire Ptak would make their wedding cake, we have been curious about the recipe for lemon elderflower cake. According to the official announcement, the cake would “incorporate the bright flavors of spring…(and)…be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.”

There are many recipe versions of lemon elderflower cake but we tried the one published in People magazine. Their version is heavy and dense, unlike the light and fluffy cakes that we are used to. It is both rich and refreshing, which is befitting for a royal dessert. We also thinned down the basic buttercream recipe with elderflower liqueur but the floral flavor is faint.  We could not find fresh elderflowers to decorate the cake, so we used silk spring flowers with yellow centers instead to indicate the lemon flavor with this color. Lastly we topped our simple, rustic-style cake with a tiara to add some “Markle sparkle”.

Make a mini lemon elderflower wedding cake to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan. Best wishes to them and to all the other couples getting married today!

Recipe

(Adapted from People magazine)

For the lemon cake

• 4 cups flour (all purpose)
• 3 teapoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• zest of 2 lemons
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups sour cream, room temperature
• ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed (about 3 lemons)

Directions

Line two 6- and 8-inch round cake pans with waxed paper. Mist the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy.

Gradually add the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then add half of the sour cream. Continue to alternate the flour and sour cream mixture until well combined and the cake batter is smooth.

Mix in the lemon juice. Divide the batter into the prepared pans, filling them halfway. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Brush away any crumbs.

For the elderflower buttercream frosting

• 8 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar
• ½ cup (+/-) elderflower liqueur

Directions

In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar.  Thin to a spreadable consistency with elderflower liqueur. Spread a little frosting onto a cake board to act as a “glue” for the bottom layer of the cake.

 For the lemon elderflower liquid

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• ¼ cup elderflower liqueur

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolved the sugar in lemon juice and elderflower liqueur. Stir well. Brush this liquid onto the cut layers of the cooled cakes before icing them with elderflower buttercream frosting.

Continue with each cake layer, brushing with lemon elderflower liquid and then frosting it with the elderflower buttercream. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

Decorate as desired. Top with a tiara and add spring flowers. Place on a cake pedestal. Serve and celebrate!

Notes

• We used two 10-inch round pans for this recipe and sliced the layers in half. The People magazine recipe uses 6- and 8-inch rounds. For our final food photo above, the latter are cake dummies with the bottom 10-inch cake being the real one. Many couples use cake dummies to add height to their wedding cake, cut a real one for photos and serve sheet cakes from the back kitchen to save money.
• Fruitcake is traditionally served at British weddings. This lemon elderflower cake is a contemporary confection honoring American bride Meghan Markle.
• Search our blog for more royal-inspired recipes.

Hummus

May 13/21: International Hummus Day

We like to snack on chips and dips, such as tortillas y salsa or potato crisps and creamy cheese spreads. But lately we have been eating baked pita chips with hummus as it is heartier and healthier.

Made with mashed chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and flavored with a few other simple ingredients, this Middle Eastern staple can be found pre-packaged at many grocery stores. But it is very easy to make at home and tastes much better and fresher than store-bought brands. Some creative cooks even make hummus with other ingredients, such as pinto beans, zucchini and roasted red pepper.

We stuck to the classic recipe for our blog post today in observance of Hummus Day, which can be celebrated either on May 13 or May 21.

Recipe

(Adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ¼ cup tahini/sesame paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• paprika (optional)

Directions

Drain the cans of chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid. Remove and discard any of the remaining skins on the chickpeas.

Place the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and garlic in a blender or food process. Pulse until smooth. While running the motor, slowly pour in the olive oil. Puree until smooth. Season with salt. Add 2 tablespoons at a time of the chickpea liquid and blend to the desired consistency. Transfer to a small bowl. Sprinkle paprika, a little olive oil and a few whole chickpeas on top for garnish. Serve with pita bread or chips.

Notes

• Read about the health benefits of eating hummus on Dr. Axe’s website.