Getting Festive: Caramelized Onion and Cranberry Focaccia

 This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated financially, all opinions are my own. 

I’m back with more Spanish Sweet Onion love, and this recipe is so perfect for the upcoming holiday season. I mean, just look at it! This is the sort of thing I want to nibble on while the furnace is purring and the windows are frosting up. It’s decidedly winter here, with the massive dump of snow from last weekend putting us firmly in place. Literally. I ventured out on the roadways for the first time in a week and only got stuck once, which is rather successful I think. It was nice to come home and relax with a slice of this savoury onion and cranberry focaccia. There’s enough sweetness from the onions to play with the tart cranberries, and that sprinkle of flaky salt brings everything together. It was a big hit in my house!

Best of Yule: Holiday Favourites

So two months is too long to not have popped in here to say hi.  Let's just say October and November were off the charts busy, but now I'm finding a quiet moment on a Mid-December afternoon to say hi.  I've got a little Baileys in my coffee (because it's December), and a gingerbread cookie (or two)  keeping the coffee company.  My old grey cat is curled up in a ball by my feet and when the furnace cuts out I can hear her purring.  It's cozy, to say the least.  The last few days have been particularly awesome around here.  I received my first royalty cheque in the mail (!!!) - and it was a pretty darn good feeling to tuck it away into my savings account.  Huge thanks to everyone who has purchased my cookbooks far this year.  I wish I could hug you all!  And!  I found out that All the Sweet Things won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award!  My cookbook won the national competition in the Best First Book category and will go on to represent Canada at the Gourmand Awards Ceremony in China May 2018.  Exciting stuff!  No, I won't be going to China to cheer it on - but my heart and spirit will definitely be there.  What a wonderful early Christmas present!

Twinkle, Twinkle: Sparkling Cranberries

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, 

everything is softer and more beautiful." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas Eve is upon us.  Are you ready?  I'm not quite there, but I want to spare just a few minutes to wish you the sweetest of holiday greetings.  And to share these lovely sparkling cranberries.  I've made them as a garnish for cakes, and luckily they've lasted long enough to be dropped into glasses of prosecco tonight.  It's time to put our feet up, tuck into the cheeseball, have somewhat competitive (not combative) games of Yahtzee, and more than one viewing of Christmas Vacation.  My whole entire family is gathering together - the first time in five years - and I'm looking forward to seeing the twinkling eyes of the young and not so young.  I hope the magic of Christmas surrounds you and yours.  Renée xoxo

Rise & Shine: Bacon & Egg Breakfast Tart

Bacon and eggs are classic.  They were made for lazy Sunday mornings, when you crawl out of bed late only because the cats have jumped on your head telling you it's time for food.  Theirs, not yours.  If you have kids instead of cats, it's probably the same deal.  After I crank up the heat, (because my house is freezing), and feed the fur babies, (because they are starving), I make tea and think about what I want to eat.  What will make me rise and shine today?   Either hot and healthy, or fancy and fatty, breakfast is what I like best about Sundays.  At least until Downton Abbey returns.  Seriously.  Who else is counting down? 

Warm & Fuzzy: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Molasses Sauce

 

Is it too soon?  Is it too soon to think about making something so decidedly decadent like this sticky toffee pudding?  Most of us probably spent the week removing the clothes from our treadmills and banishing butter from the diet.  Heck I only ate bacon once this week, which is really saying something.  Ah yes, January.  The time to put diet and fitness goals into focus.  Does it count if I ate big, yummy salads everyday, if only to combat the fact that I was also consuming sticky toffee pudding for dessert and sometimes breakfast?  I should feel guilty, but I don't.  Instead, this dessert makes me all warm and fuzzy, like my favourite sweater I reach for on cold Winter mornings.

This was my family's dessert on New Year's Day.  My sister was visiting with her girls, so we had a quiet dinner of Thai take-out after rousing sessions of finger painting and play-dough-plaooza.  I'm not sure who was having more fun - the two and three year-olds, or someone somewhat (okay, considerably) older...I think I need more play dough in my life.  That is all.  My sweet niece Olivia was very excited about assembling the puddings - she was the one that sauced them up for us that night.  I didn't think the kids would go crazy for the pudding and molasses sauce, but hells yeah, they tucked right into it.  Proud Aunty, I was.  But really, I think it was all about the whipped cream on top. 

Sticky toffee pudding is really a moist date cake, (built with a little butter, sugar, flour, an egg and loads of dates) and an incredible toffee sauce.   While considered a modern British classic dessert, you'll find it on  menus everywhere these days.  And I'm not complaining, because I loooove it so.  The cake is a great one - moist and flavourful, and easy to assemble - but the real shining star in this dessert is the toffee sauce, of course. Using molasses rather than golden syrup creates an exquisite, earthy, creamy sauce I now want to pour over everything.

If you don't like dates, don't give up on this recipe - you won't even really notice them.  Promise.  You'll be too busy cooing over the sauce.  Yeah, that's me, still in my flannel jams.  I was on holidays, y'all.

 Butter 8 250 ml (8oz)  ramekins, or butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

Spoon in the batter.

Bake them for about 50 minutes.  Done.

When they are cool enough to remove, plate them up with heaps of sauce and whipped cream. Yum and yum.

In a month when reality looms large, with a mailbox full of bills, and an inbox that requires replies, this may be exactly what you need.  There's always salad tomorrow.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Molasses Sauce

1/2 cup (125ml) butter (I like salted)
1 cup (250ml) brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250ml) all purpose flour
1 tsp (5ml) baking soda
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
2 cups (500ml) pitted dates, finely minced
1 1/4 cups (300ml) boiling water
1/4 cup (50ml) blackstrap molasses

Sauce
1 cup (250ml) brown sugar
1/4 cup (50ml) molasses, or treacle
1/2 cup (125ml) cold butter, cubed
2 cups (500ml) whipping cream

Whipped cream for garnish.

To make puddings, in a medium bowl, pour boiling water over chopped dates and 1/4 cup molasses.  Let stand until cool.  Meanwhile, butter 8 oven-proof 250ml (8oz) ramekins or an 8 inch square baking dish.

Cream butter until fluffy.  Add brown sugar and beat until well combined.  In another bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla.  In another bowl, combine flour with baking soda and baking powder.  To the butter mixture, alternately add flour mixture and egg mixture, beating well after each addition.  Stir the cool dates into batter.  Scrape bowl well.  Divide batter evenly into your ramekins, about 2/3 full, or into your baking dish.  Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 300*F and bake another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, combine brown sugar and molasses or treacle in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, then whisk in butter, a few cubes a time.  Add cream and boil until sauce is reduced and thickened, about 7-8 minutes.  You should have 2 cups (500 ml) of sauce.

Remove puddings from oven and cool slightly on a rack.  Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen pudding and invert onto plates.  Serve warm, with the toffee sauce and sweetened whipped cream.  Serves 8.  Adapted from Cinda Chavich's book High Plains.

NOTE:  The sauce make a lot, like almost twice as much as I needed.  So feel free to cut the sauce recipe in half and you should have enough for your puddings.  Or just keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  I'm sure you'll think of something to pour it over - like waffles or pancakes or gingerbread cake.  Yum!

Sweet Tidings!

 

With just a couple of sleeps left before Santa makes his big appearance, I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry (and Bright!) Christmas and an absolutely lovely Holiday.  I hope you get to enjoy plenty of time with your loved ones, soaking in the JOY and WONDER that is all around.  Be gentle and excellent to each other.  xoxo Renee

And now, a few photos of what Christmas looks like around my house...

Vintage porcelaine tree...it even plays Silver Bells.  Got it for a steal a few years ago.

I love the mix of vintage and new ornaments.  And I sort of have a thing for birds/feathers!

Dragonfly!

A sweet Grandma knit those skates. 

I love my snow globe!  

Vintage Angel

Milk Glass collection, all glammed up.


May your hearts be light!

For the Movies: Caramel Popcorn with Roasted Nuts

I see it.  The light at the end of the tunnel.  Just two days left of work then I'm home free.  I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to my holiday vacay.  The past few months have roared on by and I need me some down time.  Big time.  Not that I'm planning anything wild and crazy.  No tropical vacations or skiing holidays (I've only been downhill skiing once and nearly died, so I've vowed never to do that again.  Okay, I didn't nearly die, but when you are 13 and roaring down a bunny hill mountain and can't stop and end up crashing into a snow bank while your cute instructor stands by, it does feel like you are dying.)  Given my lack of coordination at any sporty, and fear of sharp things on my feet propelling me forward - you should see me skate - the only calorie burning activity I'll be up to is a long hike through the beautiful river valley here in Saskatoon.  But lookout!  I may strap on a snow shoe or two and really do it up.  Lord knows after eating this ridiculously delicious caramel popcorn, something will have to be done.

No, I'm not going too far at all over the holidays.  And I like it like that.  For so many years I'd pack up the car and the evil fur beasts cats (if you've ever traveled a great distance with 2 cats in a car, you know of which sweet hell I speak) and drive the 600km to come home for Christmas, then leave after a few days and make the long drive back to Edmonton.  It was what it was, but I'm so happy that these days I just have to go a few blocks to my Mom's house and everyone is there.  My brothers and sisters and all of the little ones running around with rosy cheeks and runny noses.  We eat until it's slightly uncomfortable, because everything is just so. good.  This year the main attraction will be Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding - because after cooking roughly 350 pounds of turkey in December, it's pretty much the last thing I want to eat right now.  So we are switching up the menu and I'm super stoked; if only because I'm already envisioning the gravy soaking into the Yorkshires.  Can't wait.

 

When I'm not hiking, or eating too much or colouring with the kiddies, I will be watching movies.  You know how much I love movies right? The is the prime season for all of the great ones.  Oscar contenders are being released weekly, and I'm super excited to plant my behind in a comfy seat and watch The Descendants, and Young Adult and The Iron Lady, and My Week With Marilyn.  How fabulous does Michelle Williams look as Marilyn?  Oh yes.  There will be movie watching.  On the small screen too, because what is Christmas without watching my boyfriend Colin Firth in Love Actually?  Or watching the March sisters in Little Women?  Or Mr. Bean stick his head up the turkey? All classics, which require curling up on the couch with a blankie and a hot beverage and a bowl of popcorn.  But just not any popcorn.  And now I get to the really good part.

For years and years my Mom would make this caramel popcorn.  Package it up in pretty tins for her kids, she did.  Hell, it was worth the car ride of wailing of cats, it was.  And then she stopped.  Not sure why.  We kind of don't talk about it in my family.  So this year I was like "Mom do you still have that recipe for that caramel popcorn you USED to make and we all loved and then stopped making it for some reason?"  And she said yes, I still have it.  Hooray!  This is the best popcorn to munch on while Colin Firth dives into the water to fetch his manuscript.  It's buttery, oh god, it is buttery and caramely and laden with roasted nuts.  But so. damn. good.

You think popping popcorn is fool proof, right?  But clearly not Renee proof.  I don't have a popcorn maker, so I just made it on the stove top.  But my favourite pot for doing so is without a lid because I threw it over the small fire back when there was that kitchen incident.  So I had to use this other crappy pot and burnt the popcorn.  So then I had to use a smaller pot, and make two batches of popcorn.  All in all it took much longer than it should have.  My dear friend Stacy says I need the STIR CRAZY by West Bend, which apparently makes the best popcorn in the world.  If Santa hasn't packed his sleigh yet, Renee would like very much.   Making the caramel goo is a bit of a science project, hence no photos of that because I was quite transfixed with all of the bubbling sugar action, and I've never been that great at science so this required all of my attention.  It's crazy, all of that bubbling, but I let it go for about 5 minutes, like Ma said, and it was fine.  Even dropped a little of the caramel in a glass of water to see if it formed a ball.  It did and it was done.  Adding the baking soda and booze in the end makes it go wild again, but don't be afraid.  Just carefully pour it over the roasted nuts and popcorn and stir stir stir.  Press it into a greased bake sheet, let it cool, then break it off into pieces to eat right away or package it up in airtight containers and freeze for later.  Just let it thaw for an hour before breaking it apart and munching.  Don't want any of you to lose a tooth over the holidays! Whether you are sneaking this contraband popcorn into the theatre like me (shhhhhh! don't tell!) or munching on it while you are all curled up with your favourite peeps and furry friends, this popcorn will make your movie watching all that more enjoyable.  Just go on a little hike afterwards okay?  Or if you dare, don the skates.  You just won't see me at a rink near you anytime soon.

Caramel Popcorn with Roasted Nuts

3 cups nuts (I used whole pecans and almonds)
2 cups of butter (I used salted)
18 cups popped popcorn
2 2/3 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup of Rogers Golden Syrup or corn syrup if you can't find Rogers
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp rum

Heat oven to 300*F.  Spread nuts on cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eyeball on them.  Let them cool and mix with your popped corn in a VERY large bowl, or two not so large bowls.

Combine sugar, butter, syrup and cream of tartar in a sauce pan.  Cook until it forms a ball when dropped into a glass of water, or for about 5 minutes.  It's tricky, I know, but trust me, it will be okay.  Just stir, stir, stir.  Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda and rum.  Bubbles!  Then pour over the nuts and popcorn.  Stir really well, and divide it amongst two greased cookie sheets (I used butter, of course) and press it into the pans.  Let it cool, then tear it into pieces to devour immediately, or pack it into airtight containers.  If you want to freeze it, go ahead, just let it thaw for an hour before digging in.  Makes a rather large batch.

Merry & Bright: Rosemary Oatmeal Shortbread

 

Baking (and eating!) shortbread at Christmastime is absolutely mandatory.  As is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, enjoying Baileys in hot chocolate, and singing along to Christmas Elvis.  Is it me or is he damn hot especially handsome in this video?  I was never a super huge Elvis fan, but out of all the Elvises I like Christmas Elvis the best.  He's way smokin'.  Fun Fact:  Blue Christmas was a cover...someone else (Doye O'Dell) recorded it first in 1948, but Elvis' version in 1957 made it internationally famoso. It's listed #7 on a Rolling Stone Reader's Poll of the Best Christmas songs, and it ranks right up there with me, too.  I'm a little bit drawn to the sadder Christmas songs, not that I'm a particulary sad person, quite the opposite, really.  I just like mixing a little maudlin with my merry - just a touch seems to make the merry shine that much brighter. 

Don't be freaking that there is rosemary in my shortbread, okay?  You'll be down with the woodsy/savory/ sweet/buttery concoction of goodness after one bite, promise.
These cookies taste like Christmas.

My first taste was well over 10 years ago, when a pastry chef I was working with made a batch.  This is her Grandma's recipe and she was gracious enough to share with me back then.  'Tis the season of sharing after all, so think of this as my little prezzie to you.  These cookies will flatter any dessert platter and will gather rave reviews and recipe requests, even from people who were at first scared of the rosemary.  Trust me.  Don't be freaking about the 2 cups of butter either...this makes a massive batch of about 75 cookies.  And because there's oatmeal in them they are practically health food.  No bubble bursting, please!

 

I rather like rolling the dough out and cutting it into various shapes.  Stars are always good.  I don't see why you couldn't roll the dough into logs, chill, then slice and bake too.  That would probably save time, if you are lacking in that department (who isn't, really?).  One of the best things is the smell emanating from the oven while you bake these babies off...rosemary...butter...sugar. Keep an eyeball on them so they don't burn - once they start to brown around the edges I take them out, because over-browned shortbread does nothing for me.  A light dusting of icing sugar and you'll have the prettiest cookies in town.  Elvis would definitely approve.

Rosemary Oatmeal Shortbread 

2 cups of salted butter (if using unsalted, add about 1/2 tsp salt to batter)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 cups large flake oatmeal (not the small instant stuff, please)
icing sugar

In a mixer, cream the butter an sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the fresh rosemary.  On low, add the flour and oatmeal.  Mix until all is incorporated.
On a lightly floured surface, fold the dough into a ball, flatten and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Having a little flour on your rolling pin helps too. Cut into shapes and place cookies on parchment lined bake sheets.  In a preheated 350* oven, bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges start to turn brown.  Remove from oven and cool.  Repeat with  remaining dough.  Once all cookies are baked and have cooled down, dust with icing sugar.  Makes about 75 cookies.  They freeze rather well, too.  

 

And how cute do these look all packed up in a pretty tin?  Your loved ones will be overJOYed!

Sausage & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze

 

It's party time!  Excellent!
I know that's so 1989, but now that there are 200,000 channels on my television there's no getting away from Saturday Night Live.  But I love the SNL of yesteryear.  All of the sprockets and lunch ladies and Wayne & Garths.  When I run into one of those episodes, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or maybe it's just the wine or maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic; 'tis nostalgia's prime time though, no?  It seeps in from all sorts of crevices - like when you unpack your boxes of ornaments, and there's a Christmas card from 1999 tucked in, from an old friend you haven't seen in as long.  Or when you hear "River" and have to sit down because it gets you every time.  It doesn't take much these days to momentarily transport you back to another Christmas; another life.     

Stuffed mushrooms are pretty classic, and no doubt conjure up culinary nostalgia.  And after one bite of these babies, you won't forget them, that is for sure.  If you are running to and fro various parties this season, or hosting one of your own, I bring you another appetizer that will get rave reviews from other party people.  They will disappear in a flash, so bring lots!  I daresay this could be the best stuffed mushroom I've ever eaten.  There.  I just put that out there.  Let it sink in.  Good.  Now let me tell you how I made them.

Take some lovely, fresh super large white button mushrooms. Wipe them clean with a damp paper towel.  Mushrooms.  So photogenic.  We like!

Take the stems off the mushrooms and save for another use.  Toss the mushroom caps in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Salt and pepper too, please

Roast them for 30 minutes.  The best part?  Most of the liquid will be released during the first roasting, so you won't end up with soggy mushrooms.  Ick.  Who wants those?

Meanwhile, make your sausage filling.  Cook off Italian sausage with onions, garlic, rosemary and fennel.  Add cream cheese and Asiago. This is good stuff.  (I had extra filling leftover from this recipe, so I just put some on Naan bread and it made lovely pizza.  Just so you know.)  When mushrooms are done roasting flip them over to drain the juices, then flip again to stuff the cap.  I filled them so they were heaping. 

Then I topped them with more Asiago.  God, I love cheese. 

Then they baked for another 30-40 minutes until all golden and simply gorgeous.  Let them cool for a bit before tasting or you'll burn your tongue like I did.

I really loved the textures here:  the crunchy cheesy topping, into the creamy, spicy filling and meatiness of the mushroom.  Super fun to eat, and bursting with flavour.  The fennel and rosemary are perfect compliments to the spicy sausage - use the best quality you can find, it makes a difference.   Roasting mushrooms in balsamic vinegar first really adds a tart/sweet factor, and rids the mushroom of extra juices.  Brilliant, that.  This appetizer will no doubt rock your party of 1 or 21.  Nothing more to add except Party On, Dudes!  

 

Sausage & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze

20 large mushrooms, cleaned with damp paper towel, stem removed and saved for later use
2 links Italian sausage
1 tsp dried rosemary OR 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp dried fennel seed
1 onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces (120grams) cream cheese
3 ounces (90grams) Asiago cheese, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350* oven for about 30 min.  Stir once or twice.  Remove from oven.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium high heat, squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing  and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon.  You want it fairly crumbly and in small pieces.  Stir in onions and garlic and spices, and cook a few minutes longer, until onion is softened.  (If you find that your sausage filling is too greasy, drain it on paper towel first before adding the cheese.) Remove from heat and place into a bowl, along with the cheeses (save some of the Asiago for topping).  Stir well to combine.   Take a teaspoon and fill each mushroom cap.  Sprinkle with  remaining Asiago.  Bake at 375* for about 30-40 minutes, until golden.  Can easily be doubled if feeding a large crowd.  Recipe adapted from Food 52.

Play: Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing

 

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.  

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Nothing like a little Little House to get you in the Christmas mood, hey?  My love of reading stems from pouring over those books when I was a kid.  I especially loved the Christmas chapters; when the Ingalls are housebound by raging blizzards and old Mr. Edwards saves they day by bringing Laura, Mary and Carrie candy and oranges.  Love. It. So. Much.  Laura was right though.  Everyone becomes a kid again at Christmas.

I'm in full blown catering crazies, but happy to report no meltdowns and anxiety has been averted.  Touch wood!  Thanks, in part, to another set of hands peeling a million pounds of potatoes and dicing equal amounts of onion.  Poor guy will never want to touch either when he leaves our kitchen.  But just having those basic tasks done for me has meant the world.  And saved my sanity.  Give it up for Victor!  I've also decided I'm not going to let the stresses of the season bum me out.  My cortisol levels are staying relatively normal and I'm even having fun.  I keep getting invited to parties and I keep saying yes.  Good Lord, I'm tired, but this is the season to play, after all.

People think it's weird that after I cook all day at my real job, I would want to do anything in my own kitchen.  But honestly, it's not really mental to anyone who loves food like I do.  Rolling out gingerbread dough and cutting it into perfect tree shapes is playing.  And a reminder of a little girl with a blond head and a sweet tooth, by her Mom's side, eating the gingery dough behind her back and peeking through the glass door of the oven, watching the cookies rise into stars and trees and pigs.  I lived for those days before Christmas when the house smelled of butter and ginger and we got to decorate our cookies as we liked.  Icing! Sprinkles! Sugar!  The best part: biting off the limbs of the gingerbread man and saving head for last.  

Yes, me and cookie dough go waaaaay back - to days before everything was digital and my biggest worry was if my blue Club Monaco sweatshirt was washed so I could wear it to school the next day;  to days when my favourite song was "Eye of the Tiger" and I wanted to be Olivia Newton John when I grew up. Yeah, me and cookie making go way back.  If only my biggest "issue" these days could be whether or not I have clean laundry. Baking has always been a little therapy for this girl, and on more than one occasion it's saved me from holiday hell.  Sometimes the process of distraction is a magical thing.

This gingerbread is exactly what you want your house to smell like as you put that last star on the tree and as you finish addressing envelopes with the names of loved ones. The batter can be made the night before, so the next morning you just roll it out and cut into your favourite shapes.  They only need to bake for about 8 minutes if you like a softer cookie, or around 10 if you want your gingerbread to snap. The drizzle of lemon is a lovely compliment to the smooth bite of ginger.  Ginger + Lemon = Yummers.  Can't think of a better cookie to eat while I curl up on the couch to watch this, yet again.  It never gets old.

Gingerbread Tree with Lemon Icing

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled) plus a bit more for rolling
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cup icing sugar
coarse sugar, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk flour with rest of dry ingredients.  In a large bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium high until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as you need to. With  mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 350*F, with racks in upper and lower thirds.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness, and with cookie cutters, cut into your favourite shapes.  My Mom still uses the cutters from when we were kids and I love the pig!  Or you can use a sharp knife and cut into triangles.  Arrange cookies on parchment lined baking sheets, and bake until firm and golden, around 8 min for chewy, 10 min for snappy.  Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.  Store in airtight containers for up to one week, or freeze.
To make the lemon icing, combine lemon juice, icing sugar with a small whisk.  It takes a little while for it to come together.  Add more lemon if too thick.  I just put the icing in a small Ziploc bag and cut one corner to make a tip.  Drizzle onto cooled cookies and sprinkle with sugar.  The cookies freeze well for up to one month.  Makes about 50-60 cookies.