And even as I type this, I'm trying as hard as I can to rationalize why I choose these activities over the others that I listed earlier. And I've got nothing. No reason. I just like to do fuddy-duddy, anti-social things, with the company of a few cats. God, I wish you were here so you could laugh at the fact that a Beach Boys song just started playing on my iTunes. Wait, no! I just found a way to rationalize (or at least subdue) my grandmothery ways: As I was quilting last night, I was listening to the music that all the kids listen to these days! I was listening to...102.7 KIIS FM and POWER 106! YEAH! Gotta get my Lil Wayne and Lady GaGa some how, right? Okay, good, so I do have one or two underlying qualities of an average young adult. Good.
Honey Florentines, though, seem like such an old lady cookie to me. I could be wrong--maybe their Beyonce's favorite cookie of all time (doubtful)--but I can only imagine a group of 80-year-old socialites playing Bridge, wearing pants up to their ears, and delicately nibbling on a few of these ultra thin and dainty cookies from a porcelain dish resting on top of a doily.
Unfortunately, these dignified old ladies would probably have turned their noses up at my feeble attempt of making these tea cookies, because in all honesty, mine weren't that great. They came out underbaked, and although I tried crisping them up a bit in the toaster oven, they always got stuck in my teeth after a few seconds of chewing. In all likelihood this was because I used a caramelized honey which had a totally different consistency than regular honey: it was far, far thicker and more viscous, which probably caused the cookies to bake up differently and be a lot less delicate after a few chews. Caramelized honey is totally delicious, however, so I highly recommend buying some to mix into your Metamucil or Benefiber.
But despite the lackluster batch that I produced, I really like the idea of these cookies. Maybe that's just my inner old lady speaking (her name is Agnes, by the way), but these cookies are just so pretty and delicate and lacey looking that they just really appeal to my tea-party-loving, doily-making sensibilities (yes, I crochet doilies too, and I'm not lying). So, if you're like me and relate more to people that are about half a century older than you, or perhaps you are one of these people, you should make these. Preferably with regular honey. And then you could dip them in some chocolate! Or stick them in a scoop or two of raspberry sorbet! Or have them with a tea cup full of Chamomile! With a side of homemade whipped cream and macerated berries! I could call Beyonce to see what she likes to eat with them, but I think she's busy today, you know, dancing or singing to the President or just looking super fly or something.
>>The recipe is not listed on the Martha Stewart website, so I'm not sure if it's kosher for me to copy it straight out of the book. Is that illegal? If you know anything about copyright, let me know! The last thing I want is to be sued by Mama M. Also, I'm too lazy to copy it by hand. Thanks for understanding folks.<<
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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 5/5
Tastiness: 3/5 (If you make the cookies with normal honey--as you should--this number should go up!)
Attractiveness: 4.5/5
Is it worth it?: If you're having a tea party, or really any sort of refined celebration, these should totally be on your list.
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 5/5
Tastiness: 3/5 (If you make the cookies with normal honey--as you should--this number should go up!)
Attractiveness: 4.5/5
Is it worth it?: If you're having a tea party, or really any sort of refined celebration, these should totally be on your list.
{Pairings}
Drink: Tea, tea, tea. Chamomile would be nice, but I'm not a huge fan, so maybe a nice herbal tea with rosehips?
Song: Video Phone -- Beyonce ft. Lady GaGa -or- Daydream -- Lovin' Spoonful (depending on how old you're feelin)
Activity: Playin' Bridge with the ladies, or shuffleboard if that's more your style.
Activity: Playin' Bridge with the ladies, or shuffleboard if that's more your style.
15 comments:
Hey! Just wanted to say that I really enjoy reading your blog! These florentines looked hard to make at first but I think I might give them a try now ;)
yeah, i do that too, you know.. staying at home baking cookies instead of go out partying or maybe just hang-out with good friends..
but i like baking and staying at home better than go out and partying.
frankly, i feel weird about that even my parents questioning about that. they feel weird too.
but for now i just go with my mood. when my mood tells me to bake, then baking is it or i'll just dress up and go out when my mood tells me to do that. :D
This post made me laugh a lot. Those craaaaazy parties are lame, anyway. That Videophone song is a riot.
Not sure that Grandma would understand your video links, so you have a bit of youth left in you. Love from your Ma.
When my stepmother was pregnant (with my sister, who is 16 now) I loved staying home cross stitching little pretty things for the baby to come. And my friends would go out and get drunk and go dancing. You cannot imagine how much I relate to your post, sweetie!
These florentines are so delicate - and I love anything with honey!
i'm at uni too and also like doing old lady things
you're not alone lol
another 'you are not alone'
i'd like to think that i could relate to older people, but they just think i'm a weird kid. :(
LOL! I wouldn't worry about not going out and partying like a rock star, even though your just 20. I think quilting and baking cookies and rocking out to stuff on the radio is WAY cooler than going out to a smoky, crowded bar, and getting all partied up! I think its so amazingly COOL that you are doing the things you're doing, because those are things that have meaning, that take time and patience, and tht can be passed on to your kids, when you have them. I'm not quite 35 yet, but I have stepsons who are almost 21, 18, and 16, and a 9 yo daughter. They all love the fact that I can make all this yummy stuff in the kitchen and make all this cool stuff with my hands, and they are learning from me, too. I'd like to think that having someone around who does cooking, baking and sewing makes them feel more safe and secure, and they tell me I'm "cool" because I can do it! So, I don't think you're weird at all. I think you're just an "old soul" who knows what she wants out of life, and I think that makes you incredibly awesome! =)
I know exactly how you feel. Being a 24 year old, people expect certain things from me, but I can't help it if I like baking, knitting, sewing, and occasionally scrapbooking. But I guess there's more people out there like us, so we shouldn't worry. These cookies look great. I'm definitely going to try them some time!
I really had to laugh aloud at your post, especially the part about being 70 years inside :-)
It's snowing right now, so this picture of a mug of (hot) chocolate and florentines make me really yearn for one! Although, I'm not sure if I can get caramelized honey here in Holland...
I feel more respect for you then the people around the same age. It's "soooo coool" to drink every f*ing saturday, when I don't want to "awww come on you're so dumb". I like to either relax in the weekends (when I have a job...) or to catch up on cleaning, tidying and such, and then relax. If I don't have job, I don't feel like wasting so much money on alcohol. "aawww come on I don't have much money either, I still drink!" Then everyone asks me for a loan come end of the month... because I still have money..
A party is something that's so much more fun when there a better reason than "SATURDAY!" like birthdays and such. Then I drink and have fun. It's a few times a year, why not waste some money? But it's all or nothing today.. ."what! I thought you were a weirdo or a non-drinker or something, here you are wasted?" So then I am weird for being drunk only 3 times or something? Decide yourselves, what's more weird, not drinking often, or drinking a few times a year?
+ everyones got the same hobbies... partying, gaming.. I like to talk with people who do their own thing. That TOO is something I respect, not just the "not drinking every f*ing weekend"-attitude.
oh my GOD lizzie... oh my god. as in "Holy Cow! That's incredible!" and also "You are my god. Oh, you are my God"
Lizzie, I made these with regular honey and they ended up very chewy too, maybe that's the way they are supposed to be?
And here's a link about copywright in recipes: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html
Cheers,
Paula
new to the blog and loving it!! ive already bookmarked a dozen of your recipes.
in terms of copy right law, a recipe itself cannot be copy righted, so you can reprint free of worry. The TEXT that goes with the recipe, however, is copy righted, so you have to rewrite in your own words. I think this applies to internet recipes as well so i hope you are rewriting the text!!
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html
keep up the great work, i love the blog and your photos!!
Hi! Your cookies are lovely! I envy you, cuz... yesterday, and the day befor, I tried to make them. These very ones. But! Always the same problem: they get all stuck on the parchment paper and won't leave! Have you gone through this?
Laís
lais_marcolongo@hotmail.com
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