Macrina’s slider rolls, either brioche or potato, are the perfect bun for sliders. Of course, there are many great fillings. But for the big game, you want to bring your A-game. These Shrimp and Crab Salad Sliders are a guaranteed winner, especially with fresh Dungeness coming in from Washington’s Pacific coast. You can make the salad in advance and refrigerate it. Before serving, butter the insides of the rolls and sauté them to caramelize the bread and warm it through.

Makes 12 sliders

Shrimp & Crap Sliders for the Big Game

6 cups water
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, divided
1 lb frozen shrimp, 16–20 size, (deveined, shell on)
8 oz fresh crab meat, cooked
2 ribs celery, medium dice
2 tsp capers, chopped
3 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
3 tsp shallots, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 Macrina Brioche Sliders or Rustic Potato Sliders
Butter, softened

In a medium saucepan, add the water, salt and 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Add the frozen shrimp and return to a boil, cooking for 3–4 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through.

Strain the shrimp and transfer to a bowl. Quickly cover with ice cubes to stop the cooking process. Toss and let cool for 10 minutes.

Peel the shrimp and coarsely chop them in ½-inch pieces

In a medium bowl, add the diced celery, capers, tarragon, shallots, remaining ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Mix well. Add the crab and chopped shrimp. Stir to combine.

Cut the slider rolls in half horizontally and brush with butter. Pan sauté the interiors to caramelize the bread and warm it through. Divide the shrimp and crab salad between the slider roll bottoms and add a top each one. Serve with your favorite chips or green salad.

Enjoy!

This is our Valentine’s Day version of the beloved Linzer cookie, made with ground hazelnuts rather than almonds. These shortbread cookies are great just as they are — tender, delicately sweet, with a subtle, nutty flavor and a hint of cinnamon — but with the raspberry, they’re divine. We cut these into heart shapes and make them into beautiful window cookies. In addition to the raspberry hearts, you’ll also wind up with smaller, chocolate-rimmed hearts. We like heart-shaped cookies all year long but feel free to adapt the shapes to any occasion or even enjoy the hazelnut shortbread in its pure, unadorned form. At the Macrina cafés, we are selling a Hazelnut Shortbread Cookie Mix, which is very similar and will make it quick and easy for you to make this impressive cookie.

Printable PDF of this recipe here.
Makes nine 3 1/2 inch cookies + nine smaller cookies.

Hazelnut Raspberry Linzer Cookies

½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cornstarch
1¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or substitute Bob’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup raspberry jam
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup red and white crystal sugar

Line 3 rimmed baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine brown sugar and cornstarch on low speed for about 1 minute to remove lumps. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, and ground hazelnuts. Mix until combined.

With the mixer running, gradually add cubed butter and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another minute to allow the dough to come together.

On a lightly floured surface, press the dough into a 10-inch square. Divide in half and roll out each half to a 1/4-inch thickness, ensuring evenness. Cut out 9 large hearts from the first half for the bases and place them on one prepared baking pan.

From the second rolled-out half, cut out an equal number of large hearts. Then, using a smaller heart cutter, remove the centers to create heart frames. Place these frames on the second baking pan, and the small heart cutouts on the third pan.*

Chill the baking pans in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

To assemble the cookies, spread raspberry jam on the heart bases. Lightly dust the heart frames with powdered sugar and place one on top of each jam-covered base.

Melt chocolate chips in a water bath, double boiler or microwave. Dip the edge of smaller heart cookies in the chocolate and then in the crystal sugar. Allow them to set up on parchment paper.

Enjoy making someone feel special with these delicious cookies for Valentine’s Day — or any day!

*Note: Any dough scraps can be brought together in a ball, re-chilled, and rolled out again for extra cookies! 

This is one of our most flavorful breads, shining especially bright during the gray days of winter. Its mild sour flavor results from our natural starter and a long, slow rise. The locally grown and milled coarse whole-wheat flour from Fairhaven Mills contributes to its hearty texture and natural sweetness. Turkish apricots, cranberries, walnuts, and pecans add flavor and crunch. You’d be hard pressed to identify the faint hint of anise and cloves — that je ne sais quoi that sets it apart — if they weren’t listed among the ingredients. The net effect is a bread with surprising balance and delicious taste.
The festive flavors make this loaf a natural for the holidays. Serve warm slices at your holiday brunch with creamy cheeses like Brie or ricotta, maybe a drizzle of honey. Or keep it simple: toasted and buttered is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. But perhaps its highest and best use during the holidays is for the Prized Leftover Ham or Turkey Sandwich.

Prize Leftover Ham or Turkey Sandwich

Serves 4

¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
½ cup leftover gravy
2 cups mixed white and dark turkey meat, leftover
2 cups leftover stuffing
8 slices Macrina Cranberry Apricot Nut Loaf, cut on the bias
2 Tbsp butter

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and cranberry sauce. Set aside.
Pour the gravy into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the gravy is warm, add the turkey meat and cook until just warmed through, about 4 minutes.

While the turkey is warming, heat the stuffing. You can do this in a microwave until it reaches about 165°F, or in another skillet if you prefer.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of the Cranberry Apricot Nut Loaf. Place the bread slices buttered side down in the skillet and toast until just crisped, about 2 minutes each.

Assemble the sandwiches: Spread the mayo-cranberry mixture evenly over the non-buttered sides of all 8 bread slices. On four of the slices, layer the warmed turkey and top each with a quarter of the warm stuffing. Place the remaining bread slices, mayo-cranberry side down, on top of the stuffing to close the sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.