a reCiPe For sunsHine

I came in to my office to edit my column, but the sun was shining.

The darkness and pressure of a cloud filled day were gone and all of a sudden I wanted to share something that I consider wonderful.

So, here it is, a recipe for cookies that I baked and gave to my daughter’s in-laws in Cazenovia for Christmas. It is simple but it does require one rather pricey ingredient, almond paste. It is available at Nojaim’s in Marcellus if you decide to make this “but better” sort of biscotti.

Give-away Biscotti

ingredients

For cookies

2 1/4 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup almond paste

3/4 cup of sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

For topping

1/2 cup jam

1 cup confectioners sugar

4 Tablespoons milk.

A ruler will be a help as will a wooden spoon. Prepare two baking sheets covered with parchment paper.

Directions

The original instructions call for the use of a food processor but you can use your stand mixer too.

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse almond paste and sugar until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse until dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap each in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 10 in-long log ( measure to be sure). Transfer the logs to 2 parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten each log to about 2 inches across. (Measure to be sure). Bake until just dry, about 12-15 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and with the handle of the wooden spoon, gently make a trench down the middle of each log. Spread 2 Tablespoons jam into each trench. Bake until golden brown,

leBron anD kareeM

Of course it was a skyhook. Of course it was a fadeaway jumper.

That long-ago evening in 1984 when Kareem Abdul-Jabaar passed Wilt Chamberlain and went to the top of the NBA points list, the two points were secured with Kareem’s signature move, singular and unstoppable.

Random Thoughts

Phil blackwell

Flash forward to 2023, and LeBron James, also donning Lakers gold and purple, tops that same record with Kareem in the building, the historic points on the exact same kind of shot that LeBron used to score his first two NBA points in Sacramento more than half a lifetime earlier.

Before, during and after the moment when 38,387 points was reached, much of the discussion involved a tried-and-true subject – namely, the two legends’ place in history. As usual, the GOAT acronym got tossed around.

Extensive as that argument could become, and regardless of the setting, it all misses the central point. Much more binds these two very different men than we would like to admit.

Start at this point – they both have 20 pro seasons in the books. That’s a whole lot of hours in the gym, hours on airplanes and in hotels, and thousands of nights working hard running up and down hardwood courts.

Somehow, they both stayed durable, rarely missing extended time due to injury. They took care of their bodies and, as much as possible, respected the game and appreciated its history.

As much as they accomplished in basketball, their interests have gone way beyond. Kareem embraced social activism in his college days and has authored several books. LeBron dedicated part of his fortune to film production but also founded a school in his hometown of Akron, giving at-risk kids a chance to change their lives through education.

They even share a movie bug. Kareem did Game of Death with Bruce Lee and, famously, mocked himself in Airplane! LeBron revived the Space Jam franchise and was very funny in Trainwreck playing…himself. Not a big stretch.

Both of them also saw their reputations hurt by the perception of others. Kareem was often portrayed as aloof, distant, not an ideal teammate, icy with the media. LeBron – well, there was that whole “Decision” thing that made him a villain for years.

Perhaps most of all, they share the trait of meeting insane expectations. Kareem grabbed three national titles at UCLA even as the NCAA banned the dunk to stop him, then was part of six NBA championships with the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

LeBron, on a Sports Illustrated cover as a high school senior, also won wherever he has played – two with the super team he helped form in Miami, one each in Cleveland and L.A.

Where they diverge, partially, is in their styles. As a 7-2 post player, Kareem didn’t really have a game outside the paint, but he didn’t have to in an era where centers retained domination, and the skyhook was all his own. Even though he reached the scoring record in fewer games, LeBron didn’t solely concern himself with buckets. He’s also fourth all-time in assists, a quick rebuttal to all those who have considered his intentions purely selfish.

Oh, and there’s also their signature NBA moments. In Kareem’s case, it involved overcoming questions about his age in 1985 to finally get the Lakers past their Celtics nemeses – not one play, but a series of games, brilliantly constructed.

With LeBron, it’s not even a game-winning shot. It’s a block – you know, “The Block”, when he ran down Andre Igoudala late in Game 7 in 2016 and keyed Cleveland’s long-awaited sports title redemption while also rallying from 3-1 down against the 73-win Golden State Warriors. Ultimately, game respects game. For a long time Kareem and LeBron were not close, more a result of their separate lives than any real animus.

So when point 38,388 was in the books, seeing these two all-time greats on the court, one handing the ball to the other – it was tough not to be moved, and sure enough, the tears flowed from LeBron’s cheeks.

Following sports, it’s easy to turn jaded, lament greed, lack of loyalty, and many other sins. What Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and LeBron James have shown, though, is that, sometimes, the faith of a fan is worth keeping.

Phil Blackwell is sports editor at Eagle News. He can be reached at pblackwell@ eaglenewsonline.com.

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8-10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let the logs cool on the parchment sheets on wire racks.

4. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the logs. Let glaze harden 20 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1 inch slices.

These can be stored in air tight containers for one week. …. but if they last a day, you will be lucky.

I rarely use my food processor, but I did drag it out, clean it up and make these, not once, but many times during the holidays.

I ate a lot of them myself. I did make them with my stand mixer too when I was too tired to get the food processor out again. They turned out just as “more.”

The drear will be back soon, but now you have this recipe that is sure to bring sun back into the kitchen and pound or two to whomever eats the first one.

Ann Ferro is a mother, a grandmother and a retired social studies teacher. While still figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up, she lives in Marcellus with lots of books, a spouse and a large orange cat.