My housekeeper and dear friend, Emma; my daughter, Julie; and I have been busy bees in the kitchen. My apron is covered in flour, there’s onion juice in my eyes, my feet are swollen, my knuckles are bruised, my leather ballet flats appear to be ruined and there is likely chocolate swirled into my blond curls, but I simply couldn’t care less. My son, Jeff, will soon be home for the summer!
Emma, Julie and I have been up to “mischief” in the kitchen, concocting our favorite family dinner: my personal recipe of angel hair pasta with a sauce of roasted tomato, carrot and basil; Emma’s ever-popular Irish soda bread rolls; and our favorite dessert from when my children were little, moon pies. Moon pies were once a full moon treat in our house but have turned into a family tradition perfect for any day of the month.
I have the fondest memories of assembling moon pies with my late grandmother. She and I would discuss the power of the moon and its ominous phases while dipping freshly baked sugar cookies in chocolate ganache. I use to gobble up the marshmallow fluff before it was time to stuff the cookies. Grandma would always insist on dusting the final chocolate rounds with sparkling sugar “for a touch of stardust.” Of course, I had to recreate these memories with my children. We would make moon pies together every other full moon. After my divorce, I was so busy working on my degree, time spent in the kitchen with my children was exceedingly precious. My palate has grown to crave more delicate treats, with less sugar and more complex flavors, but I don’t think I could ever pass up a homemade moon pie.
We always return to the traditional moon pie recipe, such as this one from the Brown Eyed Baker, but there are plenty of variations to choose from. Perhaps a more sophisticated moon pie is in your trajectory, such as this recipe for a Chocolate-Oatmeal Moon Pie from Bon Appétit magazine courtesy of Chef Stephen Stryjewski. I only wish I hadn’t accidentally stumbled upon the calorie count. You have been warned. Yet I urge you to indulge!
I’m curious how you choose to indulge. Whether you grab an extra cookie from the cookie jar or splurge on silk pillowcases, I want to know. Don’t forgot to leave a comment.
Image courtesy of nongpimmy / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About the author