crispy shallot dip

a much better alternative to onion dip made from a packet.

2/3 c. olive oil
2 lbs. shallots, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pint sour cream, room temp.
salt and freshly ground pepper
potato chips for serving



In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the shallots and stir in the thyme. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots are brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain. Discard thyme sprigs if used.



In a medium bowl, mash together the cream cheese and sour cream with a wooden spoon. Stir in the shallots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (the recipe can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate)



Food & Wine

Matcha Sesame Shortbread Cookies

I was inspired by Foodgal's Ghoulish Green Cookies, which were chubby squares dusted with powdered sugar, but sounded so very interesting. I did a little online research and thought these cookies actually looked the best, but I wasn't about to make two different cookie doughs! I ended up adapting this recipe from the famous Lovescool blog.

Ingredients

Yield (2” round cookies): Approx 25
3/4 cup (2.25 oz) Confectioners sugar

5 oz Unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1- 3/4 cup (8.5 oz) All-purpose flour

3 Large egg yolks

2 TBS Matcha (powdered green tea)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds

1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating) I used sugar in the raw

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
Add the flour and mix until well combined.
Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).



Roll the dough out to ½” thickness.
Cut the dough with a cookie cutter (you can use a juice glass if you want).
Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.

Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

You can purchase Matcha (powdered green tea) from Asian grocery stores or specialty tea shops. Ito-En or you can order baking grade matcha online. The higher quality matcha you use, the brighter green the cookies will be. Store the cookies in a tin or other container that blocks out sunlight to preserve the color because the green color will fade. I used koichi that was so expensive that I was loathe to drink it and instead decided to enjoy it in these delicious cookies...