Guest Post Wednesdays: Lenguas de Ube to Welcome a Friend by Elizabeth Q

Guest Post Wednesdays is my way of showcasing non-bloggers who are passionate about food.  However, when a fellow blogger, Elizabeth, told me that she'd write a guest post for me, how can I say no to the Queen?  Yes folks she's called the Mango Queen on Twitter and she has two blogs, one of which is called Queen's Notebook and the other is Asian in America.  Yes two blogs!  I don't know how she does it, but I guess when you are passionate about cooking and blogging, it's not enough to have just one.  And passion for food is one of my criteria for my Guest Posts.

I hope you check out her blogs and support her.  And you will definitely see how much love she puts in towards her posts.  So without much ado, folks let's welcome Elizabeth.

LENGUAS DE UBE : Butter-Ube Cookies to Welcome a Friend

When a new family moves in the neighborhood, I like to go welcome them. I know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block. It’s never easy to move and sometimes takes a while to make friends.

One of my good blogger friends, Malou moved from California to St. Louis,MO recently. From her tweets, she’s still unpacking and going through her stuff. Malou was so helpful to me in the past year, gave me great recipe ideas, tips and even introduced me to other foodie friends. Malou’s friendship and support was invaluable.  And if I lived closer to her, I’d lead the Welcome Wagon to say hello to Malou. As a gift, I’d bring her one of my signature baked goodies, too!

I’ve baked “Lenguas de Gato” (translated as Cat’s Tongues) for friends. I’ve baked them since I was in high school and gave them as gifts. The “Lenguas” are oval shaped thin slivers of butter cookies. They are tiny , but oh wow, are they packed with rich, buttery and creamy flavors.

My version for Malou is infused with “ube” or purple yam. It is a favorite flavor in Filipino desserts. Ube is a root crop, that’s pink on the inside, and belongs to the same family as the potato, but tastes sweeter. Predominantly found in the Philippines, India, and other Asian countries, the “ube” is often used as a main ingredient for desserts or snacks.

“Lenguas” are a cookie staple in Filipino groceries and bakeries. They are usually packaged in a round plastic jar, with its signature yellow cap. Its rich, buttery flavors appeal to many who love sweets.

To make these LENGUAS different, I added  ube flavors, while I folded the cookie batter. When they came out of the oven the aroma was so inviting….rich, butter-like, and the smell of sweet ube floated around the house.

So here are my LENGUAS DE UBE for Malou….I’m sure she’s unpacked her tea and cups and will definitely enjoy these buttery-ube treats. Welcome to your new home, Malou !

LENGUAS DE UBE

Makes 36-40 pieces

Ingredients:

6 eggwhites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 and ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 whole egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 tsps McCormick  Ube flavoring (from Asian grocery store)

2 drops purple food

1.      Using an electric mixer, at high speed beat the eggwhites with the cream of tartar, till soft peaks form. Set aside.
2.      In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3.      In another mixing bowl, using different mixer whisks, cream softened butter and sugar. Add one whole egg.

4.      Slowly blend in the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla. Then add the ube flavor and color.

5.      Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites by hand, till all ingredients are totally incorporated.

6.      Put the cookie batter in a pastry bag, and on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper, form 2-inch long, pencil-thin shapes.

7.      Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges turn slightly brown. Be careful they do not burn.

8.      Remove “LENGUAS de UBE” from tray, and cool on cookie rack. When they have cooled completely, store in air-tight containers to maintain crispness.

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Thank you so much Betty Ann for gracing my blog.  It was so sweet of you to think of me with the recent move that we made.  These cuties are like smiles that warm up my heart.  It's so comforting that you are there with me (albeit virtually) going through this process.  Now will I expect these lenguas in the mail then??? LOL! But kidding aside, I truly appreciate the kindness and the thoughtfulness this post brings.... Here's to blogging... Cheers!