Almost a year ago, one of my good friends left the city and moved into a castle about an hour away. She still works in the city and comes out frequently for brunches so I see her plenty and haven’t been out to see the castle until this past weekend.
Okay, maybe it’s not a castle, so much as a really big house with a turret and a ballroom. And maybe it’s not a ballroom, so much as a really large, sparsely furnished dining room (there is no dining table). But you get the idea. It’s really an amazing house with a kitchen worthy of any cooking show.
For the last decade, my friend lived in cozy, single girl garden studios. Then more recently, a small downtown loft in a sketchy neighborhood with her husband. It’s just the two of them so furnishing the castle is slow going. Case in point: they have a stuffed animal room. Abby couldn’t stop twirling and leaping across the floor of the dining room/”ballroom”.
Speaking of those single girl garden studios, I have spent many lazy Sundays in them. Another friend and I would have marathon brunches (can you still call it brunch if it lasts until 7pm?) sitting at a little table by an open window, gauzy white curtains blowing in the breeze. Invariably, the menu consisted of cinnamon buns and bacon. A tray of each coming out of her tiny oven every few hours and accompanied by several pots of good strong coffee. We would munch and chat and laugh and scheme all day until sunset.
I wanted to bring something to our Saturday lunch that would remind us of those lazy Sundays. I found just the thing in this recipe for peanut butter and bacon cookies. Oh yes, I made peanut butter and bacon cookies and I think you should too. Oh the gluttony! Salty, sweet, crystallized and maple-y. I am still full but it was worth it. If you decide to make them, make sure you have good coffee and good friends to accompany them.
What gluttonous treats do you like to share with friends?
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those cookies sound fantastic! we like to make bacon oatmeal cookies to share with friends- they sound impressive and taste amazing 🙂
Krissy – omg those sound perfect! I will definitely try those next. Do you just sub out the raisins for bacon?
This vegetarian can appreciate the taste but that’s the most I’m going to do. A friend of mine just tasted chocolate covered bacon and he said it was good – oh dear. I think brunch can last as long as you desire, it’s more a state of mind. My pre gluten-free days were full of gluttonous mornings of crepes with Nutella and bananas or strawberries, or both. Now I just grab a jar and a spoon.
Your friend’s place sounds beautiful.
Dinner at my parent’s is always a marathon feast. They’ll usually have chicken, fried fish, some curry, something in a shell (last week it was crab and clams, separate dishes)…and those are just the ‘mains’! Forget the appetizers and side dishes and rice/breads…