Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Pioneer Woman


A woman returns to her roots after years of living in one of the United State’s major regions. She meets the man of her dreams, falls in love, and lives a life that is both unexpected and full of joy. Then she decides to blog about it.

It happened to Ree Drummond, too.

I discovered The Pioneer Woman about the time I made my move from almost two decades in New England back to the Midwest. I identified with her transition from a metropolitan life in Los Angeles to her family home in Oklahoma. Her love story of how she met her husband, a rancher she calls The Marlboro Man, and her new life among the cattle gave me hope that my new life would bring happiness, adventure, and, perhaps, love.

It did. (Does that make me The Prairie Woman?)

So I was excited when Ree’s turn came on Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game-Changers in the food world that I and a number of fellow food bloggers are paying tribute to by posting a recipe from each on Fridays. My sweetheart, Michael, and I enjoy a number of her recipes. Like her Marlboro Man, my love likes simple, straight-forward food that isn’t fussy or exotic. We are fans of her chicken fried steak, and her pot roast recipe is a Sunday staple.

For this week’s post, I decided to try one of her sweet recipes—Citrus Butter Cookies. I changed it a little. First, I was short on the zest—I ran out of fruit! My grater didn’t seem to get as much zest from each lemon, lime and orange as I expected. (A microplane is on my Christmas list.) That meant I didn’t sprinkle any zest on the top. And I didn’t use the egg white in the glaze frosting. I forgot. It happens. I was having one of “those days.”

The cookies taste wonderful—dense, moist, and buttery, with just a hint of citrus flavor. I think these will be this year’s Christmas cookie-of-choice, perhaps topped with red and green sugar crystals.

Another Pioneer Woman recipe to add to my list of favorites!


Citrus Butter Cookies
From Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

2 cups (4 sticks) salted butter, softened
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 whole large eggs, separated
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons orange, lemon, and lime zest (approx 1 tablespoon each)
2 tablespoons orange, lemon, and/or lime juice (2 tablespoons total)

Icing 
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons orange, lemon, and lime zest
Juice of 1/2 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash of salt
Extra zest, for decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until combined. Add egg yolks and mix until combined (set whites aside for the icing.) Add the zest and the flour and mix until just combined, then add juice and mix until combined.

Scoop out heaping teaspoons of dough, then roll them into balls between your hands. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep on the cookie sheet for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a spatula and allow to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, combine 1 egg white with the rest of the icing ingredients. Whisk thoroughly until combined, adding either more powdered sugar or more juice until it reaches a pourable but still thick consistency.

Drizzle the icing across the cookies in several lines, then do it again in the other direction. Sprinkle with extra zest before the icing sets.
Posted by Ree on October 9 2011
Here are my fellow food bloggers. Be sure to check them out!

Nancy - Picadillo
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits

9 comments:

  1. I can really see these in the Christmas cookie lineup, they'd be so refreshing. I think you should consider using your new moniker 'The Prairie Woman', hey, it worked for Ree!

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  2. LOL Sue, I actually considered using The Prairie Woman when I started this blog, but then decided it was too close to her Pioneer Woman to work.

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  3. I was looking forward to seeing this recipe, I think they sound absolutely wonderful. Love the citrus blast.

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  4. These sound delicious and I love how your life parallels that of Ree Drummond. Your recipe choice is wonderful. The cookies look really, really good. I'm so glad you joined our group. You bring much to the table I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  5. These cookies are wonderful with a lovely balance between the richness of the butter and the citrus tang.
    Mary, thank you! I'm glad I joined the group, too. It's fun!

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  6. Your cookies look fabulous and I love that they have a touch of citrus in them. I have to bookmark them so that I can give them a try...great choice!

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  7. This is definitely a straightforward and unfussy cookie, just like Ree Drummond. Nice choice for this week's event.

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  8. How sweet that you have your own Marlboro Man, and are livng in the good life on the prairies. As you mentioned these would be perfect for the holidays!

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  9. Love your similarities with Ree Drummond - thanks for sharing the cookies.

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