Monthly Archives: January 2023

BEST OF SHOW LEMON COOKIES

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2023 got off to a sad start, with my neighbor Wesley passing away on January 1.  His battle with mesothelioma — a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos — was short but noble.


One of the interesting things about Wesley — and there are many — is that for more than 30 years he competed at the State Fair of Texas in various Creative Arts categories.  He amassed an impressive collection of ribbons for his baked goods and other creations, including three Best of Show for his legendary cobblers.

 

I will always remember how on the day he started chemotherapy he showed up on my doorstep at 8 a.m. with a cake that he’d been practicing for the 2022 State Fair — a delicious carrot cake.  It was a sweet and unexpected gesture of thanks for some meals I’d brought to his family.  He went to the State Fair that weekend and won more ribbons for his collection, and went the next weekend with his son Calvin who won several  ribbons in the junior division, including a best of show for that carrot cake reimagined as muffins.

After he passed, I called his wife to offer some ways in which I might help with his funeral.  She took me up on my offer to bake a favorite cookie of Wesley’s to share with friends at their house after the funeral, and sent me his prize-winning recipe for Lemon Cookies.  She wasn’t sure whether the cookies won first place or Best of Show, but everyone agreed they should be Best of Show, and I’m going with that.

I followed the recipe exactly, and they came out perfect.  I think Wesley would have been pleased.

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BEST OF SHOW LEMON COOKIES
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Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ½ cup varied colored sugars (I used a mix of yellow and white)
  • For the icing:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. Combine flour and cornstarch in separate bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture until it is mixed well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Shape into 1-3/4 inch diameter roll on parchment paper and roll in colored sugars. Refrigerate 2-3 hours until firm. Unwrap and cut into ¼ inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees 9-11 minutes, or until edges are slightly brown. Cool 3 minutes then remove to wire rack to completely cool.
  3. In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients. Spread over cookies.
  4. Yield: 28 cookies

Chilled log rolled in colored sugar

Sliced and ready to bake

Voila!  Delicious, tender lemon cookies

 

BIG THING IN BIG SPRING AND BANANA PUDDING

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You may remember My Big Fat Texas Hearing in the fall of 2021 (which we won).  This past fall, we had another big hearing in the same case (which we also won).  This time, my boss and I traveled to Big Spring, the county seat of Howard County, for the hearing.

Located about 40 miles from Mildand, Big Spring, population approximately 25,000, gets its name from a large spring in a small gorge between the base of Scenic Mountain and a nearby hill within the city limits.  I didn’t get to actually see the spring, but this artist’s rendition hung in our hotel:

Apparently, the spring was very important in the early days of Big Spring.  Even more important to the city’s development, however, was the discovery of oil in the area in the 1920s, which marked the beginning of the oil industry in the Permian Basin.

Big Spring is, if nothing else, pretty flat:

We stayed at the Hotel Settles, a historic hotel in Big Spring built in the 1930s.  The hotel has an interesting history, which you can read about here.

We were relieved to see the hotel was air conditioned:

The hotel’s grand lobby felt like something out of an old movie:

I loved my spacious room:

We had lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, Settles Grill (they are justifiably proud of their fried Brussels sprouts with bacon, bleu cheese, red peppers, and a honey-lime glaze), and spent the rest of the day going over materials for the hearing in the morning.  Dinner was cocktails and bar snacks at the hotel’s Pharmacy Bar.  Not a foodie trip.

Settles Grill

The next morning I got up bright and early to get ready for our 9:00 a.m. hearing, and watched the brilliant sunrise over the flat landscape:

After a quick breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant (definitely not a foodie trip), we headed to the courthouse.

Spying on opposing counsel at breakfast

Just as with our last hearing, the buzzards gathered as if in anticipation of what was to come:

There weren’t as many people as at the last hearing, but it was still big by hearing standards.  It lasted almost 3 hours (and for the record, one bathroom break was not enough), each side arguing passionately about matters that are of great importance to their clients.

When the hearing ended, we realized we could catch an earlier flight, and hightailed it to the airport.  Instead of a liesurely lunch with our client, it was a bag of Doritos and a Diet Coke at the airport (definitely not a foodie trip).  Not really sure how the judge would rule, but confident in our position, we were relieved when he ruled in our favor a week later.

So what happens now?  Normally, we’d proceed to trial to determine how much money all of the defendants owe our client.  Instead, the defendants are seeking an interlocutory appeal, in the hopes that the trial court got everything wrong and they can avoid a trial.  (No comment.)

While I wait for the appeal party to get started, I thought I’d share a recipe with a lot of appeal.  OK, bananas — but they have a peel, right?  No doubt, this recipe for banana pudding will appeal to your better judgment.  Some recipes for this Southern classic include a meringue topping, but we think whipped cream is so much better.  Pro tip — no one will complain if you add a tablespoon or so of bourbon to the pudding.

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BANANA PUDDING
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-3 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
  • 1 box vanilla wafers (there will be some left over)
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • For the topping:
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the whole egg and 3 yolks, and then stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes, being careful not to let the bottom burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and bourbon.
  2. Spread a thin layer of the pudding in a shallow 1-1/2-quart casserole dish. Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers on top of the pudding. Thinly slice the bananas crosswise and arrange a layer of banana slices over the wafers. Spread one-third of the remaining pudding over the bananas and continue layering wafers, bananas, and pudding, ending with pudding.
  3. To make the topping, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread decoratively over the top of the pudding. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Like an onion, so too, does banana pudding have many layers

Comfort dessert extraordinaire