"Help me with this recipe!"

[Katie Nell]

I have a recipe for Lemon Drop Wafers in a Martha Stewart cookbook, Desserts: Our Favorite Recipes for Every Season and Every Occasion I found it online here for your convenience: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...MSL&site=living

I've made it four times so far, and one time it turned out and looked like it was supposed to. The first time I made them, I followed the directions completely, and they made one large, really lacey cookie on the cookie sheet, with edges running over. So, the second time I made them, I froze the balls after I had formed them, and then didn't flatten them at all, baked from frozen, and they turned out perfectly! Just like the picture in the cookbook, looked light and fluffy, but were crispy and beautiful when you bit into them. The third and fourth times, I followed the same method in the second version, but they still spread out, while not as bad as the first time, still they look more like lace cookies or something. I'm very frustrated with this recipe, and my grandma loves them in any of their three forms, but I would like to conquer it! My first thought was maybe it depended on the brand of lemon drops, but I used the same kind in the second and third batches. My second thought was maybe my baking soda is too old, but the fourth time, I know the baking soda was brand new! Could I add more flour? Or use some kind of thickening agent? Oh, also, on the fourth batch, I lowered the baking temp., but alas, this did not help! Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated! I know a lot of people don't like Martha, but I've always had good luck with her recipes. I don't even like the little buggers, because I'm not a big lemon fan, but I want to make them for my grandma! Please help!

Edited December 27, 2005 by Katie Nell (log)

[Darcie B]

Edit to provide corrected link (I couldn't get the link in the original post to work):

Lemon Drop Wafers.

Looking at the recipe to me the biggest variable would be the candies. Are you using the small, powdered-sugar coated old-fashioned lemon drops? How finely are you crushing them? I was thinking maybe if they weren't crushed enough they would ooze and spread too much.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Darcie B (log)

[Katie Nell]

Edit to provide corrected link (I couldn't get the link in the original post to work):

Lemon Drop Wafers.

Looking at the recipe to me the biggest variable would be the candies. Are you using the small, powdered-sugar coated old-fashioned lemon drops?

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Sorry about the link... I didn't find the recipe earlier this week on her website, so I didn't even bother to look this time! That's the right one, and yes, I use the old-fashioned lemon drops.

[Wendy DeBord]

Hum.......it's a little confusing because the photo next to the recipe doesn't match the recipe. I think I'd ask over at Martha Stewart your questions and see what they say.

[Katie Nell]

Hum.......it's a little confusing because the photo next to the recipe doesn't match the recipe. I think I'd ask over at Martha Stewart your questions and see what they say.

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The lemon drop wafer cookies are in the background... the ones in the foreground are the lime curd cookies. I was confused the first time I made them too, because I thought the cookies in the foreground looked more like lemon than lime. I might have to shoot them an e-mail.

[Wendy DeBord]

Oops........I didn't notice there were cookies in the background, sorry.

[Katie Nell]

Oops........I didn't notice there were cookies in the background, sorry.

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Not a big deal! I was very confused the first time I made them!

[Kim Shook]

I am sick of ham sandwiches, boiled eggs and egg salad. I was thinking of doing roasted cauliflower tonight (I made a salad with it for Easter) which we LOVE (thanks to egullet for the introduction) and trying something with the ham and hard boiled eggs. How about a casserole with them and a sauce - a bechamel with some cheddar/swiss added??? A little hot sauce and dry mustard in the bechamel, maybe? What am I missing? Thanks, y'all!

[monavano]

How about ham croquettes, and throw the hard boiled eggs into a potato salad?

Add a nice bechamel over the croquettes.

Very retro!

[Sony]

Maybe som ethnic variations can help take care of some of those hard-boiled eggs....Indian curry? Filipino pancit?

Your casserole sounds tasty- might throw in something green, like some peas, asparagus, spinach.....

[ludja]

I made some Chinese fried rice with some of my ham last night.

I think I may try some ham croquettes for fun as well; I've never made them.

[Kim Shook]

Hmmmmmmmmm. Croquettes? How about this:

Ham Croquettes

I think I have everything in the recipe. I could just do the eggs in a little cheesy bechamel casserole. I already made some slaw and with the cauliflower that might be great. Thanks!!

[jsolomon]

Take what you spoke of in your first post (ham, bechamel, cheese) make and sweat a mirepoix, cook some noodles and mix together. Top with crushed crackers and butter.

Bake at 350 for 20-40 minutes, or until heated through and the crackers start to brown. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut and serve.

[Jaymes]

I'll go along with the fried rice, and you can cut the eggs up into that as well.

Or you can make this, a standard at our house for using up leftover ham (and chop the eggs to toss into a mixed greens salad):

Ham & Potato Casserole

1/2 t salt

1 C chopped celery

1 1/2 C boiling water

1 1/2 C cubed potatoes

evaporated whole milk

1/4 C butter

1 C white or yellow onion, chopped

1/4 C flour

2 C cooked ham, cut into bite-sized pieces (or chicken or tuna)

2 T chopped parsley

1 C green peas, cooked and drained

1/2 C grated cheese, or more to taste (I use mild cheddar, but you can use whatever you like)

Add salt and celery to boiling water. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 15 minutes longer. Drain and measure liquid. Add enough milk to make 1 1/2 cups and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add flour and blend well. Stir until flour is bubbling and no longer 'raw.' Gradually add reserved liquid, stirring constantly, and cook until sauce thickens and boils for 1 minute. Add ham, parsley and vegetables. Spoon into buttered 1 quart casserole and top with grated cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Can refrigerate before baking. If you do, then add another 15 minutes to baking time.

Other salad thoughts -- Ham & eggs go into a chef's salad. Or you can make a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, adding the chopped eggs and some sweet onions. My personal favorite.

Edited April 21, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[Megan Blocker]

For your ham...caught this on a re-run of Sara's Secrets the other day: Piperade Basquaise.

[monavano]

Jaymes,

Scalloped potatoes and ham was one of my absolute favorites that my Mom made!

Takes me back...

Edited April 21, 2006 by monavano (log)

[jsolomon]

Jaymes,

Scalloped potatoes and ham was one of my absolute favorites that my Mom made!

Takes me back...

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Hmm... I'm going on a long bike ride tomorrow... that would be a great afterward meal.

Thanks for jogging the culinary mind!

[Kim Shook]

Well, the croquette mixture is in the fridge. I about tripled the ham because 1). I wanted to use up what I had and 2). I wanted ham croquettes not white sauce croquettes - when you add just the amount called for in the recipe, you can barely detect ham in the mixture. The mixture has to sit for 2 hours. So, a late dinner, I guess. Loved everyone's ideas - I will save them for later - its getting ready to be ham dinner season in my family (traditional summer Sunday meal) and they will come in handy. (I still have leftover gouda/garlic potatoes and they will go great with the croquettes, too).

[monavano]

Oh how comfort food, with the gouda mashed taters!

Let us know how it turns out.

[Toliver]

(I still have leftover gouda/garlic potatoes and they will go great with the croquettes, too).

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That sounds like it would make great potato pancakes, too.

[Abra]

If you have any left you can make this.

[Kim Shook]

Um...Mr. Kim came home wanting Mexican. So we went out. I'll cook it tomorrow and let you know. (I'm so embarrassed, after all that help and all and I go out for tamales ).

[monavano]

I'm sure they'll taste even better today.

Mmmmmmmmmm....tamales!

[Kim Shook]

Ok, report time! We finally had the Croquettes and the baked eggs. They were both very, very good. The croquettes were really different, but we liked them a lot. The eggs, I just cut in half and topped with a cheese sauce - a bechamel with a little cheddar, parmesan and fontina. Then I baked them until they were hot. I wasn't sure I'd like them, but they were great - rich and cheesy, but still eggy.

[lutefisk]

Hi there,

I'm making this key lime pie recipe and I'm little confused.

Are the ounces (graham crackers and butter) here weight measurements or volume? How can you tell?

Thanks!