Rosemary, Walnut and Fleur de Sel Bread Rolls

Receiving my KitchenAid stand mixer in the mail was the closest thing to Christmas in the middle of the summer. I opened the package like an excited child and gazed at its beautiful light pink tint — it was just perfect.

I was looking forward to using the stand mixer for bread because one of the three attachments that comes standard with the mixer is a dough hook. The dough hook attachment is amazing for kneading dough, a part of bread-making that has traditionally been a point of frustration for home bakers.

This bread recipe was a little time-consuming, but the spectacular results made it well worthwhile. Because it is a basic recipe, it can be used in a myriad of ways. Try adding some cooked diced pancetta, some coarsely chopped olives, sundried tomatoes or some grated parmesan — the possibilities really are endless.

I flavored these rolls with generous amounts of chopped walnuts and fresh rosemary, then lightly brushed the rolls with olive oil right before baking them. The finishing touch was sprinkling them with a little fleur de sel.

Rosemary, Walnut and Fleur de Sel Bread Rolls
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Lime Meltaway Cookies

With Autumn in fall swing, all I want to do is bury myself under a warm blanket with a warm cup of tea. This vision might be very grandmother-y, but that's always the way I feel when the weather starts to change and the leaves start to turn. Montreal has this wonderful way of welcoming you to fall. In anticipation of many weeks of winter to come, the trees lend themselves to a spectacle of oranges, burgundy and browns. Our new apartment has a great view on the montain, and every morning it seems like a new tree has decided to rid itself of its greens. Every year I wonder which tree has mounted the necessary courage to change colors first without fear of ridicule...and like every great trend, its neighbhours then follow one by one.

These cookies fit my mood this weekend. They were easy to make and as promised did meltaway in your mouth leaving behind a lovely taste of sweet lime.

Recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup of confectioners' sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt

Put the butter and 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes). Add the lime zest, juice and vanilla and mix until fluffy.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the buttery mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Place each piece of dough on an 8 by 12 inch sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to form a log. The dough will be a little sticky folding the dough in the parchment and rolling through the paper will help to form an even log. The log should be about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Pressing a ruler along the edge of the parchment at each turn will help to make the log as round as possible. Once the log is formed and wrapped in the parchment, chill for at least an hour. Do the same with the other piece of dough. If you can chill the dough for 2 or 3 hours, it will make it that much easier to slice.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Remove the parchment, and cut each log into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes rotating the sheet half way through. Once the cookies are cooked, transfer to wire racks and leave them to cool for about 10 minutes. While they are still warm, toss them in the remaining 2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.