For Thanksgiving I chose to make a ham for my family dinner. After the holiday, however, I was craving some turkey, so I thought I would try a fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast. This was the first time I had ever bought turkey as a small piece rather than the usual 15-pound-plus bird. To be honest, I was a bit leery about how this was going to turn out. My concern was overcooking it, resulting in a dry piece of poultry, so I was vigilant when it was roasting. It turned out wonderful! Letting the meat rest for 15 minutes after removing from the oven is the secret to a juicy and delicious turkey meal.
A second new recipe I recently tried was from a book I received as a gift from my daughter. She knew I was a Downton Abbey fan, so picked out “Edwardian Cooking: 80 Recipes Inspired by Downton Abbey’s Elegant Meals” by Larry Edwards. I chose a tea cookie called “Dainty Ladies”, specifically to serve to the ladies of my reading club. The author explained that these rich, buttery cookies would have been served at High Tea. They were created specifically to accentuate the taste of the tea. One ingredient was coconut, which would have been expensive and imported. He noted that if an abbey had coconut, it would have been stored in a locked cupboard with the butler the only person to have a key!
When these dainty treats were being served, the footman would announce this to the guests. The ladies would then remove their right glove to retrieve a cookie. This prevented the gloves from being soiled by the butter in the cookies.
Most of us agreed that the first bite of these cookies was underwhelming. They were a bit bland. However, once you sipped some tea along with the cookie, it was quite enjoyable. These cookies did enhance the tea flavour. Enjoy!
Roasted Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Place meat in an 8” x 8” baking pan. Using paper towels pat dry the turkey breast.
- Mix all the spices together. Rub over the entire breast. Lightly brush the melted butter over the meat.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then check internal temperature. May require 5 to 10 minutes more, but check temperature frequently to prevent overcooking. Once 165°F is reached, remove from the oven.
- Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
Dainty Ladies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, rolled oats, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter into the corn syrup and water. Once butter melted, stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Let the dough sit 5 minutes for the oats to soak up the butter mixture.
- Remove walnut-size portions of the mixture and roll into a ball. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place cookies on wire rack to cool. Makes 32 cookies.
