If you are like 99.9% of the country and have been baking now more than ever, then this post is definitely for you. Much like you, my family and I took up more baking this quarantine season. We have done sandwich bread, cinnamon rolls , banana bread, danishes, carrot cake.... well, you name it, we’ve tried it.

These cookies though have been the quarantine winner thus far. Not only are they super easy to make, but the icing is quite literally the icing on the cake (or, should I say, cookie). “Decorating” has been by far my son’s favorite part of making these cookies and gives us an opportunity to bond in the kitchen. Have fun experimenting w different cookies cutters, we are using these super cute skull ones this season, because well it is October after all.

Hope you love them as much as we do here in the Maytorena household!

INGREDIENTS

For cookies:

200 gr flour

10 gr sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 Egg

130 gr butter, cold

20ml cold water

For Icing:

200gr Confectioners Sugar

4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line sheet pan w parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add cold butter and mix with your hands until butter has dissolved into pea size bits. Mix in the egg until incorporated into the dough. Incorporate the water slowly and mix until the dough comes together. It should be moist, but not wet. Turn dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Turn dough on a lightly flat floured surface. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Roll dough with a rolling pin until it has flatten to be 1/4 inch thick.

Cut the dough using the cookie stamp/cutter of your choice. Lay cookies out on sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While cookies are baking, make the icing. Sift the sugar into a bowl. Slowly add the lemon juice and whisk until mixture has reached a medium consistency - firm enough so it doesn’t flow out of the piping bag. Divide icing into 3-4 different bowls and add a few drops of food coloring of your choice to each. Transfer each into a piping bag.

Once the cookies have cooled down, have fun decorating!

Cookware featured on post:

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Bricia Lopez.

I posted about my heavy consumption of atoles and caldos during my postpartum journey on my IG stories the other day. The question I got asked the most was about the atole de arroz I’ve been chugging down like crazy. I drink about 2-3 cups a day in between meals and I think its been helping tremendously with my milk supply. As you all know, I am basing my diet around the principles in the book The First Forty Days, which promotes healing, and nourishment for the new mom. The recipes listed on the book inspired me to come up with my own following her basic nutrition principles. In the book, the author shared a basic Chinese congee recipe that led my brain to think of a warm cup of atole de arroz (not sure why, but it just did, I think it was the picture). I can’t guarantee that this will work for everyone, but I will say that I can see a difference in my milk supply between the days I drink it and the days I forget and skip it.

This is a dairy-free, less sweet version of a traditional atole recipe since it only calls for rice, water, coconut milk, cinnamon and sugar.

Also, goes without saying but one does not need to be pregnant to enjoy a warm cup of this atole. It Makes a terrific dessert or night time drink before bedtime. Hope you all make and enjoy!

Atole de Arroz Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 cups water

1/3 cup white jasmine rice

1/2 cinnamon stick

1/2 can coconut milk (about 7oz)

2-3 tbs sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add water, rice and cinnamon stick in a pot. Cook uncovered in medium heat until rice has softened and fully cooked, about 20 minutes. When rice has fully cooked, gently smash the rice with a wooden spoon to break up the rice grains. Add coconut milk, and sugar. Stir and allow to come to a boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Bricia Lopez.

My baby girl is here! Augustina Bricia Maytorena was born on July 15th, 2020 at 12:15pm. She arrived 4 weeks early, weighting at 5.8lbs. Thankfully she was 100% healthy and her and I were able to come home 2 days after her birth. I always knew she would arrive early, but damn… homegirl was REALLY early! A lot of you had so many questions about my birth experience and asked how different this experience was from my fist born. I will say that once it came to the main event (active labor), it went fast! I mean, like really fast. I was induced Tuesday night and on Wednesday I went from being 5cm dilated at 10:30am to her being born at 12:15pm.

I have to admit that when I heard I was going to be induced, I was super scared. I have heard nothing but horror stories when it came to Pitocin. Since my amniotic flood was measuring lower and lower I really had no choice but to go with the Doctor’s plan. Thankfully both me and baby girl are healthy and is now time to take care and nourish our bodies.

During my pregnancy, I read the book The First Forty days by Heng Ou and it really shifted my priorities. I realized that instead of worrying about having ‘the perfect labor’ I needed to focus on making sure I was taken care of during the fourth trimester. I realized that every blog, book or article I read focused on pregnancy, baby and birth. No one really seems to speak on the importance of the first 40 days after baby arrives. I think those first 40 days are the most challenging on your body. mind and spirit. I learned so much after reading this book, and if you or someone you know is expecting, I suggest you gift them this book.

In this book, the author speaks on the importance of keeping your body warm and nourished with broths and soft foods. I automatically knew that the best meal I could ask for was my moms Caldo de Res. I craved it immediately after I gave brith and it was my first meal after I gave birth to Augustina. I accompanied it with a warm cup of atole de arroz (recipe coming soon!) and I automatically felt nourished and back to life. My body thanked me and felt that this nourishment really attributed to my vast milk supply.

Whether you are postpartum or not, there is nothing like a great caldo to nourish the soul. This recipe it is an excerpt from my book, OAXACA, Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico where you can find an entire section on Caldos. I hope you all love and recreate it, if you do, don’t forget to tag me on the gram! @bricialopez

Thank you all again for your wonderful wishes, baby girl and I are beyond grateful… love from us both!

CALDO DE RES

serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of bone-in short ribs, sliced by your butcher

2 pounds of beef shank, sliced by your butcher

1 gallon of water

2 1/4 cups of carrot, chopped

4 cups of potatoes, sliced

2 cups of chayote, sliced

2 cups green beans, trimmed

4 1/3 cups of cabbage, sliced

2-5 guajillo chiles, seeded, stems removed + 2 cups (480 ml) of hot water to rehydrate chiles (it using recipe for postpartum, I suggest you only use 2 chiles)

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 small white onion, quartered

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon of black peppercorns, freshly ground

2 cloves, freshly ground

1/2 cup of tomatillos, husked, rinsed

1/2 cup of cilantro

1 sprig of mint

2 tablespoons of sea salt

Garnishes:

Onion, minced

Serrano or jalapeño, minced

Limes, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil and add salt and beef. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 90 minutes. Skim any impurities that rise to the top of the broth.

After 90 minutes, add carrots, potato, chayote. Simmer for 20 minutes.

After those 20 minutes, add green beans and cabbage.

Bring the two cups of water to rehydrate chiles to a boil. Turn off heat then add chiles.

After 10 minutes, add softened chiles to a blender, along with onion, garlic, and tomatillos. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and add to simmering broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.

After those 5 minutes, add cilantro and mint. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve with onion, jalapeño, and lime.

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Bricia Lopez.