Sansa Stark’s Lemon Cakes #GoT

Is anyone else out there completely addicted to Game of Thrones? For me, it started by reading the books–it took me an entire year to get through them all, and like many of you, I’m sure, I’m terrified that G.R.R.M will die before he finishes the series.

In the mean time, we have the television series to keep us happy, and happy it does make us! It’s beautifully shot, the acting is great, and the storytelling is immensely well done.

One of the presents I got this year for my birthday (given to me by someone well-armed with this knowledge) was A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook. I’ve been busy reviewing other cookbooks that were sent to me for that purpose, so this one kinda got back-burnered.

I recently had a chance to leaf through it, and it’s a pretty cool cookbook. Many of the recipes (not created by G.R.R.M., who admits to being a better writer than a cook), give the traditional medieval recipe, and then a modern take on it, as well.

There is, to be fair, some pretty exotic fare in here. Dornish Rattlesnake, for example. I don’t even know where I could purchase rattlesnake, even if I wanted to.

The book breaks down the recipes into regions, so you can eat what Jon Snow may have had for breakfast on The Wall, and then have Bowls of Brown from Flea Bottom for dinner.

The recipe I was most interested to try was for Lemon Cakes. You’ll remember how much Sansa Stark (in the earlier part of the books) loved them. They were her favourite treat.

The name is misleading. This is much more of a cookie than a cake. But, in my opinion, they deserve Sansa’s affection. They are bright with lemon flavour, and the texture is halfway between a macaron and a sugar cookie–slightly chewy, but in a wonderful way.

It’s worth noting that I made these in a very un-mediaeval way, employing both my food processor and my citrus zester, tools that obviously did not exist in that time.  But that’s okay. Technology is here to be our friend, and ingredient-wise, it’s an incredibly simple recipe.

This recipe is a winner, hands down. And… Winter is coming.

Lemon Cakes

(from A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• grated zest from 2 lemons
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp milk

Method:

• In a food processor (you could also do this by hand), mix together the flour and sugar. With the motor running, add the butter, slowly, one small chunk at a time, until it starts to look coarse.
• Turn the mixture out into a large bowl, and mix in the lemon zest. In a small bowl, beat the egg together with the egg yolks, and then add it to the dry mixture. When mixed, the cookie dough should be on the wet side, but not stick to your hands when you pick it up. If it does, you can add more flour to thicken it.
• Roll into 1 1/2″ balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 355 degree oven for 15 minutes. The tops and edges should just be golden, but they should still be quite light in colour. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

1. Mix together the icing sugar with the milk, substituting out some of the milk for lemon juice, if you’d like to give your cookies and extra lemon hit. Place the wire rack with the cookies on it, on top of a cookie sheet. Drizzle the icing mixture all over the cookies, then serve.