Why Amy Sedaris Loved Waiting Tables on Valentine's Day

Actress and writer Amy Sedaris loved being a waitress so much that until recently, she occasionally waited tables at Mary's Fish Camp in the West Village. She tells us why she especially enjoyed waitressing on Valentine's Day, and shares some of her favorite recipes from her latest book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.  

Recipe: SUSAN AND GRACIE’S AMAZING BUTTER COOKIES (From Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris. Copyright 2010 by Amy Sedaris. Reprinted by Permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.)

Ingredients:

1⅓ cups unsalted butter

1½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

8 teaspoons milk

4 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

• Mix your dough and refrigerate overnight.
• Roll dough out (I use 2 pieces of wax paper and a rolling pin, flour if needed) and use cookie cutters to make your shapes.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Get your cookies to room temperature and refrigerate them overnight. Frost cookies the next day (see frosting recipe below) and place the cookies back in refrigerator for another night until the frosting hardens.
• You cannot eat enough of these.

FROSTING

Ingredients:

1 box powdered sugar

¼ cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter

Method:

Mix longer than usual.

MY CARAMELS (From Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris. Copyright 2010 by Amy Sedaris. Reprinted by Permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.)

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

¾ cup dark corn syrup

½ cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, or black walnuts)

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Method:

• Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and ½ cup of the heavy cream; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Add the remaining ½ cup heavy cream and cook slowly to very-hard-ball stage (260 degrees F on your candy thermometer) or use the cold water test method. Remove from heat; add nuts and vanilla. Pour into greased 8 x 8 x 2-inch square pan. Mark in squares when partially cool.
• Cut when cold. Wrap caramels in squares of wax paper; keep in airtight container. Makes about 36 pieces.
• A personal note: I oftentimes will stop cooking the caramels just shy of the 260-degree mark. When it sets up in the pan, you can scoop out spoonfuls of caramels, sort of like a soft caramel-sicle. 

Courtesy of Cindy Selman.