Top Recipes of 2012

Two weeks ago I celebrated www.dish-away.com first year! Have been thinking for a while what to do for this occasion?

This past year was quite interesting. I started this blog as a hobby (it still is), and was overwhelmed by the encouragement and support I got from so many people! In 2012, I also succumbed  to the many requests I received for sharing my recipes in Arabic which resulted in opening my Arabic blog www.fattoush.me in April of 2012.

To mark the end of 2012, I would like to share with you the top 10 recipes. I’ve been thinking for a while how to determine the top recipes. Do I use the number of visits the recipe received? or how many times it was “Liked” or “Shared”? I finally decided to use the number of views as it is more straightforward and subjective.

So here begins the countdown, Hope you enjoy. 

Sugar Glaze Recipe

Cookies are delicious by themselves!!! So much so, that when you have one it is pretty difficult to keep it at that. Normally, I have difficulty keeping my hand at bay from grabbing the second even third cookie! This is for the average normal cookie, you can imagine what is the case when the cookie looks even better all glazed up!!!

Sugar glaze is that extra thing that transforms your cookies from super to superb!!  Sugar glaze is the make-up of cookies.  Cookies are great as they are, but with a little sugar glaze make-up they are WOW!!

What is great about this sugar glaze is how easy it is to make and apply!! These butter cookies above where glazed by my 9 and 14 year old daughters.  A fun activity that is sure to keep your little ones engaged.

Sugar glaze pairs perfectly with butter cookies! You can also use it with ginger cookies or any other cookie recipe you desire.

Butter Cookies Recipe

These butter cookies are a special request from a fan I feel so happy when I get a request for one of my favorite recipes… it gives me a good EXCUSE to prepare and indulge my sweet tooth, and these butter cookies are a perfect example. I love them!!! But given the calories involved, I try to only prepare these yummy butter cookies when there is an occasion, and getting a special request for these butter cookies is certainly a good enough occasion!

I noticed that some refer to these butter cookies as sugar cookies; I still haven’t figured out what is the different between butter cookies and sugar cookies?!? Is it the ratio of butter to sugar? Anyway, whichever name you choose to call them, these classic white cookies - that I call butter cookies - taste good and can be beautifully decorated into exotic small yummy goodies.

The beauty of these cut-out butter cookies is that they can be prepared for any occasion. During Christmas time use Christmas tree, bells, snowflakes, and stars cutout cookie shapes. During Easter use bunny, egg and chicks cutout cookie shapes. Hearts for valentines and birthdays. Stars and crescent for Eid. There is no limit to the shapes and forms you can make with this simple dough!

Ginger Cut-out Cookies with a Middle Eastern Twist Recipe

One of the things I like most about Christmas is ginger cookies!!! I enjoy their spicy flavor and chewy texture. So I was very happy when I received requests to post the recipe for these amazing ginger cookies. 

Ginger cookies prepared in this part of the world (Middle East) are quite different than the ones prepared in the U.S. and Europe. The texture and taste is different and I am sure you will love them! 

The main difference is the type of molasses used. In the West sugarcane molasses is used for preparing Ginger cookies, while here in the East we use pomegranate molasses. This may seem as a small difference but in fact this one ingredient has a major affect on the taste of these cookies as well as on their texture.

Pomegranate molasses has this tangy, soury taste that is very different than the taste of sugarcane molasses. I discovered this the hard way!! In my country when we call for molasses in recipes, it is usually assumed that it is pomegranate molasses. Many years ago I tried for the first time to bake Ginger Bread, and, needless to say, I used pomegranate molasses. the result you ask??? DISASTROUS!!!  The cake was a piece of solid rock, and when I did manage to break a small piece of it, it was sooooo sour that probably eating a lemon was easier!!  It took me some time to figure out what went wrong!!! 

These Ginger Cookies prepared the Middle Eastern way are delicious... I would even dare say much more than the ones prepared with sugarcane molasses. Pomegranate molasses pairs beautifully with the spices called for in the Ginger Cookies recipe. Also, the texture of the final Ginger Cookies is more textured while they still remain chewy.    

If you want to prepare these cookies with sugar cane molasses, you will need to adjust the four (increase it).

Sweet Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

I hate frying food! Just hate it! 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate eating fried food, for there are a few fried dishes that I just love (although they are pretty bad for my health), but I hate frying food in my kitchen!

One of my favorite fried dishes is buffalo wings, but whenever I crave it, I immediately start picturing the mess in my kitchen all the cleaning-up needed when I am done. So I end up either giving up having it, or if my craving is way too strong most often we end up going out and having it at a restaurant.

But I love preparing my own dishes, especially the ones I LOVE!!! So years ago, I started experimenting trying to come up with baked alternatives for my favorite fried dishes including the much savored buffalo wings. These experiments gave birth to these sweet baked chicken wings.

These Sweet Baked Chicken Wings are quite different from the crispy buffalo wings as that crispness you can only get with frying, but they are very delicious. These Sweet Baked Chicken Wings are soft, juicy and sweet with a hint of tanginess. They are a great party pleaser and a supper addition to your finger food menu.

And the best thing about these Sweet Baked Chicken Wings is how simple and easy they are to prepare and the minimum mess they leave in the kitchen... For there is no oily, greasy surfaces and pans to clean eeeeewwwweee!!!

If you are serving this dish to kids, keep the ingredients as is, but if it is an adult only occasion you can spice them up by additions additional hot sauce or some cayenne pepper.
Also, this is a large portion as I usually make these when I have gusts over, but you can easily half it for a smaller crowd.