Quarantine Kitchen
By March 1st, we had traveled approximately 5,866 miles in 2020—with plans to travel thousands more. Just two weeks later, like much of the rest of the world, all of our traveled stopped. We went from traveling to a new destination almost every week, to hardly leaving the house.
So, hello from Quarantine!
Kevin and I have been working from home together for the past 3 (4?) weeks. And yes, while I normally work from home on a daily basis, this definitely feels different. I work from home to have more flexibility and freedom to choose where I want to work—not because I don’t like leaving the house. Being told not to leave the house somehow changes the whole dynamic of working from home.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had to find new ways to fill my time. In between work and re-organizing the apartment every other day, I’ve started baking again.
While I may not know what day of the week it is, I do know that my little pink mixer has been running on over-drive for the majority of our stay-at-home stint.
In the past few weeks, I have made:
8 loaves of bread
8 dozen cookies
2 dozen carrot cake cupcakes
2.5 dozen Baileys brownie bars
1 dozen espresso chip muffins
It’s not often that I bake in such large quantities, but I’ve really liked the challenge. Once a week we’ve put together small “Quarantine Care Packages” for all of our friends. Every Sunday, we drop off a bag (or basket) filled with a mixture of homemade treats and some other miscellaneous goodies at their doorsteps.
I really look forward to my weekly “delivery routes.” Not only has this given me something to do during the week, but it’s also been a great way to spread some socially-distanced cheer.
This past weekend, in preparation for Easter. I decided to make some of my all-time favorite cookies. Greek Easter Cookies (Koulourakia) pair perfectly with your morning coffee and are a great mid-afternoon treat too!
Greek Easter Cookies (Koulourakia)
(makes approx. 6 dozen cookies)
Ingredients:
1½ cups butter softened
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons orange juice
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
5¼ cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
Add in 2 eggs, orange juice, vanilla until incorporated.
Add in baking powder and baking soda.
One cup at a time, slowly add in the flour and mix on low speed until flour is incorporated.
Cover and refrigerate until dough is easy to handle (approx 45 minutes).
Roll dough into 1¼ in. balls. Shape each ball into a 6 in. rope; fold in half and twist twice.
Place on ungreased, parchment covered cookie sheet, about 2 in. apart.
In a small bowl, beat the remaining eggs and brush over the dough twists.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Happy baking!
