the very best thing to celebrate Hot and Spicy Food Day (really) … Chili Crisp

I’ve been reading up on “official food holidays”, days dedicated to a particular foodstuff put together by an interested trade organization or a public relations firm. For some reason, January is particularly heavy with these made up “holidays”, which is likely why I turn to them this month. They’ll full of kooky ideas. Last week I made tempura shrimp for “National Tempura Day”, because that’s a thing. Today is “Hot & Spicy Food Day”, because apparently that is also a thing. It also plays quite nicely into a new obsession of mine: Chili Crisp.

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as many as I want … Tempura Shrimp for National Tempura Day

I took a little break from ye ‘ol blog last week, mainly to recover from holiday cookie overload. Between the 12 Days of Cookies here, my own personal cookie baking and holiday cooking/entertaining in general, I needed a bit of time away from the kitchen. But then I read something quite wonderful over the weekend. Were you aware that yesterday was National Tempura Day? Yeah, so apparently, that’s a thing. In terms of strange, made up food holidays, I am on board with this one. I often think that if there is a professional (or even amateur) contest for eating shrimp tempura, I should enter. And win. I can really down some shrimp tempura. Maybe I can be the Joey Chestnut of Japanese fried shrimp. (leave it to YouTube to find one.) But what’s with the 2 shrimp per order thing? Grrrrrrrr. Japanese restaurants should take a cue from fried fish shacks and sell them by the pound. That would be a dream. A slightly greasy paper bag of hot, crispy tempura shrimp? Yes please. (Shrimp Tempura? Tempura Shrimp? Beats me.)

Day 12 … Classic Molasses Cookies

So this is it. Day 12. We did it. We now have a full 36 different cookies made from a single simple butter dough in our holiday – or anytime – repertoire. Nicely done folks! Today as the capper for the final day of the 12 Days of Cookies, a very simple, easy and rather Christmasy one too … Classic Molasses Cookies.

Day 11 … Espresso Crinkles

I tripped over all the crap in my entryway. Bags and bags of stuff – work stuff, Christmas stuff, wrapping stuff, stuff stuff. My home is officially a hazard course and I’ve have reached critical meltdown point. So it’s probably a good time for a shot of caffeine, right? How about getting that from a cookie? The sugar has got to help too. Put a pot of to brew, grab a handful of cookies and exhale. Today for Day 11 of the 12 Days of Cookies … Espresso Crinkles. And not a day too soon.

Day 10 … Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

I like to throw a curveball into the mix every once in a while and today, as we near the end of the 12 Days of Cookies, that is a floral flavor. Last year I included a really nice Cardamom Rose cookie in the mix, using dried rose petals and a hint of rose water. It was an interesting and rather pretty flavor to disrupt the expected holiday combinations of spice and fruit and it was lovely too. I was happy with the new addition so this year, I’ve got a lavender entry. Why not? For Day 10 of the 12 Days of Cookies, a.k.a. One Dough/Many Cookies, we have a Brown Sugar Wafer with Lemon Lavender Glaze.

Day 9 … Black Walnut Cookies with Maple Glaze

One week people. One week until Christmas Eve. I am nowhere near ready but that’s neither here nor there because we are officially ¾ of the way through this year’s 12 Days of Cookies and that is cause for celebration. To date, if you count previous years, we have 33 completely different cookies made from one basic cookie dough, and 33 is a very lucky number in my world. So huzzah to us all! Even better, today’s cookie has one of my favorite ingredients AND a glaze. I do so love a glaze. For Day 9 … Black Walnut Cookies with Maple Glaze.

Day 8 … Date Nut Swirls

Day 8 people. We’ve come around the bend and are heading home. Sure, there are five more to go but we’re making good time. Today, for Day 8 of the 12 Days of Cookies, we have another classic: Date Nut Swirls. It’s an old fashioned flavor with a new fangled twist.