Of Groundhogs, Stone Crabs, and Key Lime Pie
February forecast—smooth sailing ahead
We were not at Gobblers Knob this year, though friends who made the trek kept us updated on the prognostication. Somehow, the news that we are in for 6 more weeks of winter while shrugging off our coats and settling down around the pool did not seem so dire.
We are in Miami now with Al and his family, and John's work of snowblowing has been upgraded to hauling heavy crab pots sunk in Biscayne Bay. Our Groundhog Day arrival necessitated making G-hog Cookies at some point with CoCo, Mary, and Al, which we did after our company—my sister Mary and her husband Rolf—resumed their RV camper life.
CoCo had never made the cookies before, and he enjoyed rolling them out and carefully placing the “bean” (actually, a currant) on their head for an eye—or on their trunk for a “bellybutton,” which he thought was better placement. They both tasted great!
The counter was scraped clean after our baking session, and then it was crab time. In his second year as a stone crab harvester, Al has perfected the art. And Mary has perfected her sauce to pour on top of the cooked crabs—a mixture of butter, lots of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and parsley. After much groundhog cookie testing, a light supper of crab and salad was the perfect complement.
We went to the Pinecrest Farmers Market on Sunday; one of my favorites in South Florida. It’s shady, there are many prepared food vendors, the coffee is good, and the people-watching is superb. We stocked up on lots of dips and spreads for snacking and sampled arepas and vegan sandwiches while there.
It was our first crab feast; we hope for many more while here this week. If the crab pot hauler can keep up his strength, that is. It sure beats the snow blowing!
Elaine Light’s Groundhog Cookies
Makes 3 to 4 dozen small groundhog cookies or 12 to 15 large ones
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg yolk
1 egg, slightly beaten
Sift the flour, salt, soda, baking powder and spices together. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg yolk. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill for one hour or longer.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, or spraying them with cooking spray, or greasing them. Roll out a small amount at a time on saran wrap or a pastry cloth to a thickness if 1/8 inch. Cut out the cookies with a lightly floured cookie cutter, groundhog shaped, if possible. Place the cookies on prepared baking sheets. Brush with the lightly beaten egg. Decorate with a currant for an eye, buttons, etc. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet.
*Menu idea*
For a dessert in the spirit of the holiday, buy vanilla ice cream in a round quart container. Cut the container along the side and slice a round disk of ice cream and put it on a serving plate to suggest the frozen landscape at Gobbler’s Knob. Place a cookie on the ice cream and drizzle chocolate sauce behind it to suggest a shadow.
*Tip*
Don’t forget to brush the cookies with egg wash. The finished product has a wrinkled, furry appearance when you do this. If you forget, the cookies stay smooth and do not look as interesting. Experiment with leaving a couple unbrushed to see the difference.
Aw, sounds like perfection 🤤
Pretty close!