December 25: Annie Lennox's Sweet Dreams

Photography: High Profiles: Mike Owen

Gordon's Kitchen

By Gordon Nary (originally written January 11, 2023 on his 89th birthday)

(edited by Mike Jones)

Christmas baby Annie Lennox was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and began her recording career as a member of the British pop band The Tourists. She subsequently formed the pop duo Eurythmics with former bandmate David A. Stewart. The duo gained international prominence over the course of the 1980s with singles such as "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)."

In the 1990s, Annie embarked on a solo career and has since released four successful studio albums and a greatest hits compilation. In 2004, she won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Into the West" from the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which also won a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

Annie's 1992 solo debut album, Diva, was a commercial and critical success, charting at #1 in the UK, #6 in Germany, and #23 in the US. Lennox's profile was boosted by the album's singles, which included "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass." "Little Bird" also formed a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire," a soundtrack cut for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. Her second release, Medusa, arrived in 1995 and was an album of cover songs, including tracks originally performed by Bob Marley and The Clash. The album was her second solo UK #1, and the lead single "No More I Love You's" received the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Annie has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1 and one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine. She has earned the distinct title of the most successful female British artist in UK music history due to her enormous global commercial feats. Including her work within Eurythmics, Lennox is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has also been a tireless activist, raising millions of dollars for AIDS charities.

To celebrate Annie's birthday, what could be more appropriate than the classic "Sweet Dreams" and watching her perform in Edward II (1991)

Before heading into the kitchen, take a moment to enjoy the song that inspired today's tribute, Annie’s breakout hit with the Eurythmics.

Editorial Note: While Annie Lennox has often described herself as agnostic, she frequently shares reflections on the "transcendent" nature of the human experience. In a recent Instagram media reflection, she touched upon the universal longing for peace and the spiritual dimensions of music and activism. For a platform like Profiles in Catholicism, Annie’s journey reminds us that the search for meaning, beauty, and justice often serves as a bridge between the secular and the sacred, a sentiment Gordon Nary deeply appreciated in his own work and culinary tributes.

Sweet Dreams

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup instant oatmeal

• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 2 tbsp canola oil

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks

• 1/2 cup egg whites

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup mixed chopped frozen berries

• Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line 12 large (2-3/4-inch) muffin pan cups with paper or foil baking cups.

3. Prepare the Crust: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add oats; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat immediately and stir in graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, and canola oil; mix well.

4. Press: Divide the crumb mixture evenly and press into the bottom of the baking cups.

5. Mix the Filling: Beat cream cheese, egg whites, egg, apple juice concentrate, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium until smooth and fluffy.

6. Fill: Divide the batter among the cups.

7. Top: Top with berries (about 1 tbsp per muffin cup). Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray.

8. Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and let cool completely.