Christmas in April.

Easter week has come and gone. Easter is a time when Christian religions celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his torture, and death, at the hands of the Romans.  It is also a time when children, with baskets, run around backyards, fields and playgrounds seeking chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs to fill those baskets.  The bunnies and eggs are, in reality, Pagan symbols of fertility that have been incorporated into Easter traditions; and I suspect, nine months from now there will be bundles of joy born to many a couple.  “Why?”, you might ask.

As I gaze out the window, I cannot help but laugh, as Mother Nature has decided to trick us all.  It may well be April, a month in the season of spring, but covering the ground is not springtime flowers, but snow!  That is correct, a few inches of snow have fallen, making our little section of the world look more like a winter wonderland.  One could even imagine that it is Christmas time again, which is a perfect lead in to the novel I have just finished.

Ghostly Claus, of the Ghostly series, #4, by E.M. Leya, features main characters Lance and Angus, and a slew of quirky ghosts.  It is December, Christmas almost upon them, when a devastating event occurs; someone has murdered (insert shocked gasps), Santa Claus!  The ghost of the man, who was portraying Mr. Claus for years, and actually obsessed anything related to Santa Claus all year long, shows up at the morgue demanding justice for his death. 

If you remember, in the November 24, 2024 issue of the San Juan Record, I introduced you all to this series by E.M. Leya, a Utah resident, and Lemonade Chicken which appears in the first novel.  Lemonade Chicken is once again mentioned, as Lance’s brother, visiting while on leave from his tour of duty in Afghanistan, loves this meal.  Celeste, the ghost of the tv chef, who taught Lance how to make the chicken dish, also teaches him how to make Cinnamon Drop Cookies.

Like myself, many of you probably create many cookie types for the winter holidays, but this type of cookie was new to me.  Drop cookies?  Not a term I was familiar with.  What are drop cookies?  ``Drop cookies'' refer to cookies that are made by dropping the dough onto baking sheets, as opposed to rolling it out and cutting it into shapes. Since drop cookies skip the time-consuming steps of rolling and cutting, they are typically much quicker and easier than regular ``cut'' cookies.  Oooooh, drop cookies are scooped cookies, I get it now.

The cinnamon drop cookies are similar to spice cookies, but the only spice used is, of course, cinnamon.  The dough, when first made, has a very stiff and sticky texture, much like gingerbread.  After chilling though, it becomes softer and more pliable for easier scooping.  An ice cream scoop makes the dough into balls, so no manipulating by the hands; and they spread out during the baking process.  In the center of each cookie, a small cinnamon candy can be added, they are optional of course, or another type of candy (cinnamon chips or miniature M&Ms) can be used instead.  The candies are typically more available for the holidays of Christmas or Valentine’s, but can be purchased in the candy section under the name, “Red Hots”, manufactured by the Ferrara Candy Company.  Oh, oh, and now you will know I have quite a wicked mind, but place two cookies side by side, and I swear, they look like a pair of “titties”. (insert raucous laugh track)

When making these cookies, please remember to sift all the dry ingredients together; otherwise, the baking powder could gather, into lumps, inside the dough, and cause bitter spots in some of the cookies.  Talking from experience here.

Cinnamon has many health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels; lowering blood sugar and blood pressure numbers; improve cognitive function and overall digestive health.  These cookies, even with using two tablespoons of cinnamon, are not overly spicy in flavor; and who knows, you might want to add more!

Oh, remember that ridiculous “cinnamon eating challenge” a few years ago?  Yes, do NOT do this as ingesting raw cinnamon by mouth can cause one to gag, cough, choke, and have a burning sensation in the mouth, nose, and throat. If inhaled while choking or gagging on it, it can cause inflammation in the lungs, a thickening of lung tissue, and scarring.  Just because bored folks try idiotic challenges on Youtube or TikTok, does not mean you have to follow all the lemmings off the cliff edge too.

So, hoping your Easter was magical, even with the snow, and try out some cinnamon drop cookies for a tasty treat.  Heh, maybe warm some up, with ice cream on the side, oh my!

 

Cinnamon Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

2 cups white sugar (or equivalent of sugar substitute)

2 large eggs

2 tsp.  pure vanilla extract

4 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus ¼ cup for higher altitudes)

cinnamon candies 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F, place parchment paper on baking sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a mixer until frothy looking.  Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture; mix until smooth.

In a large bowl, sift together baking powder, cinnamon and flour.  Add half to the butter mixture, mix together; add second half of dry ingredients and mix until all incorporated together.

 

Chill cookie dough for 15 minutes.  Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough into one-inch sized balls; place on parchment lined baking sheets 2-inches apart.  In the center of each ball, lightly press in a cinnamon candy

   

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms lightly brown; let cook slightly on baking sheets before removing to baking rack.  Cookies can be stored in air tight container, or frozen for up to 3 months.  To reheat, preheat oven to 350F, place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 2-4 minutes, until centers are warm and outside becomes slightly crisp again.

Makes 5 and ½ dozen cookies.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

     

A Recipe Inspired by a Ghostly Chef.

Currently I am reading Ghostly Awakening, by E M Leya (a Salt Lake City, Utah resident), which is about assistant medical examiner, Lance who is involved in a near fatal car accident and receives a severe head injury.  Finally able to return to work, he suddenly starts seeing ghosts, and worries he is losing his mind.  However, many of the ghosts are those he does autopsies on, and they are able to provide information to help catch their murderers.  This is a huge help to homicide detective, Angus Young (his parents love AC/DC) whose mother has had the same ability, as Lance, since childhood.  Lance does see other ghosts, ones that have not made the decision to move on, as yet, and one of these is local tv chef, Celeste Dupont.  Lance and his brother loved her show, and one of their favorite recipes to try out was “Lemonade Chicken”. 

The description was enticing and knew I wanted to try it out myself.  Unfortunately, the recipe is not in the book, so off to Google I searched and found way too many recipes.  Many were simplified, only a few ingredients; some were complicated with long lists of ingredients.  So, I attempted to find the origin of the lemonade chicken recipe itself.

Supposedly, it was created in America’s southern states, but this is speculation and has not been confirmed.  I even asked our lovely Southern Belle, Melissa Gill, of the Monticello City Office, and she has never heard of such a “southern dish”.

Lemonade Chicken is simply an Americanized version of Lemon Chicken which has its roots in Chinese Cantonese, or Mediterranean cuisines, such as Italian and Greek.  Lemon juice is the main focal point of the marinade while garlic, soy sauce and a variety of herbs are flavorful additions, depending on the cuisine.

Personally, I have made Greek Chicken which has a simple marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme and marjoram.  A most yummy dish when served over slices of tomato, and garnished with black olives and Feta cheese.  As to the Chinese style lemon chicken, while I have not made it myself, I order it often at Chinese restaurants.

The recommended side dish is a baked potato topped with butter.  Any melted butter, oozing off the potato and touching the chicken, mixes well with the taste of the marinade, and the combination of butter and lemon juice is recognizable in Mediterranean cuisines.

 

Anyway, I decided to go with the simplest of recipes that appeared the most in my Google search; a three-ingredient marinade with cooking options for either boneless or bone-in chicken.

 

 

Lemonade Chicken 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or bone-in chicken thighs, skin and excess fat removed

6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

½ cup soy sauce (regular or low sodium)

1 tsp. garlic powder

Preparation:

 

In a small bowl, whisk together lemonade concentrate, soy sauce and garlic powder. Place chicken in a gallon sized, sealable, plastic bag; pour marinade over top. Work the marinade around the chicken pieces, and then gently press out air while sealing the bag.  Place bag in refrigerator, laid out flat, and let sit for 24 hours.

 

The chicken can be cooked by several methods: grilling, baking, pan frying or crock pot.

Grilling

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade.  Heat outdoor grill to medium-high heat, and remember to coat grill with olive oil, or non-stick cooking spray first. Grill chicken on each side, 5 minutes per side for small, thin chicken breasts or up to 10-12 minutes per side for larger, thick chicken breasts. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.  The grill lines and golden-brown coloring of the chicken will be a lovely presentation.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place chicken and marinade in a large baking dish; cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes if boneless; for bone-in, cook 30 minutes. Remove foil, spoon sauce over the chicken, and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. If you want your chicken to have some darker coloration place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Spoon sauce over the chicken before serving.

 

Ready for Oven

Done Baking

2 Minutes Under Broiler

 

Pan Frying

Preheat large skillet, on medium-high heat.  Place chicken and marinade into skillet, if boneless cook chicken 4-5 minutes per side if thin; if thick 9-10 minutes; if bone-in 20-25 minutes per side.  Internal temperature should be 165F.  Spoon sauce over chicken before serving.

 

Crock Pot

In a 4-quart crock pot, on low heat, add in chicken and marinade, cover and cook 4-6 hours depending on whether boneless or bone-in, and internal temperature of 165F is reached.

Notes:

Make sure to own a heavy-duty pair of kitchen scissors aka poultry shears.  I have two all metal that I purchased in the 1980s, and they are still working well.  I have tried several styles of the “more modern” plastic handled shears, and they lasted about three months before the handles snapped.

The shears come in handy when working with skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces.  For this recipe, remove the skin and as much fat as possible, and shears make this task easier to accomplish.  Why remove?  The skin and fat do not add any extra flavor, and will make the sauce a slimy, oily mess.

When working with an acidic marinade, many recipes have varying times that the chicken should be left in the refrigerator.  Personally, I have found that the marinade helps to break down the fibers, especially if using chicken or pork, and allow the flavors to infuse the poultry or meat all the way through, not just the top layer.  This is especially important if using a bone-in product.  The breaking up of fibers also allows for a quicker cooking time.

With this Lemonade Chicken recipe, I used 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast which I pan fried.  I also used 2 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs which were oven baked.  First, I wanted to see the results of both methods.  Secondly, since the recommended side is baked potatoes, the potatoes would bake in the same oven as the chicken thighs, and be ready at the same time for dining.  The results were definitely on the high side of the delicious scale.  Both cuts of chicken were moist, tender and flavorful, and the baked potatoes were a perfect accompaniment.

Mary Cokenour