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Dec 17

Ginger Spiced Molasses Cookies- More Christmas Cookies

Ginger spiced Molasses Cookies

Many of you I am sure have seen these before, the recipe may actually have appeared here more than once but these cookies are so good it’s worth sharing again and again. Spicy, chewy, moist and delicious I totally love this cookie and include it in every gift box that I make. This is a recipe from Food52, and these cookies are amazing. Don’t really need to say anymore, I have already said it and I don’t want to bore you. Try them, they are terrific!!

Ginger Spiced Molasses Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (Optional I don’t use cloves)

3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1/3 cup finely diced candied ginger (optional)

granulated sugar for rolling

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and cloves (if using) in a bowl and mix well. (Note:) if not using cloves increase another of the spices I increase cinnamon and ginger.
Beat butter and sugar together in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.
Add egg and molasses. Mix to combine well. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in candied ginger if using. Refrigerate batter 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough into 1 1/2″ balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and gently flatten, just barely I use 2 fingers and lightly push on the dough. Bake in oven until set and crinkled on top, about 12 minutes. Remove and cool.

Dec 15

67 Comments

The Cookies Of Christmas-Chocolate Kiss Thumbprints

Thumbprints

Over the next few days I plan on posting recipes for cookies, specifically cookies that I will be including in my gift boxes this year. I have basically the same repertoire every year although sometimes I will skip some and add another just to change it up a bit.

I accidentally bought a bag of these lovely striped Hershey’s kisses, I thought they were the plain chocolate but when I opened one I was surprised to see this creamy white striped kiss. It is quite delicious and so pretty I was inspired to make these chocolate thumbprint cookies and top with a kiss, it will be added to my cookie gift boxes. I have no idea where I got these recipe, I have it written down and stored in a huge pile of recipes that I don’t know what to do with, I mean a huge binder of clippings and recipes I printed from the internet, hand written family recipes, some are decades old. My mantra is that one day I will scan and organize but years later it’s still sitting in my bookshelf with my cookbooks, unorganized. I tend to rotate certain recipes and I think it’s been a few years since I’ve made these, I love thumbprints, you can be creative with what to put in the indent, one year I put a maraschino cherry and drizzled with ganache, another year apricot jam (delicious with chocolate). They are such cute little bites and very easy to make.

Chocolate Thumbprints

Makes 36-48 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup butter room temperature (soft)

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4-1/2 cup sugar in bowl to roll cookies in.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup each butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine. Refrigerate the dough for an hour before baking. It did not say this in the recipe but I find it works best when the dough has been chilled.

Pre heat oven to 350 degree’s. Use a small scoop (so they are uniform in size) and roll in your hands into a ball, place dough in the bowl of sugar and make sure its completely covered, place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Using your thumb make an indent on top of each ball. You can fit 1 dozen on a baking sheet, cookies should be at least an inch apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes no longer please, it really depends on your oven, when you remove them they will be soft,my first batch I kept in almost 10 minutes the second batch 8 minutes, I like them better when left in for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes on baking sheet and then place a kiss in the center of each cookies. Place on cooling rack. The kiss will soften but should retain it’s shape.

Cute

Dec 5

121 Comments

Orange Angel Food Cupcakes With Chocolate Orange Buttercream For Fiesta Friday #45

Angel Food Cupcake With Chocolate Orange buttercream

Tis the season for Holiday parties, potlucks and scratching my head wondering what to bring. This Sunday is my Block Association pot luck Holiday party and my neighbors usually request dessert. This year I decided to make angel food cupcakes, light as a feather and flavored with orange, so seasonal right? The frosting is a chocolate orange buttercream and for just a little more orange I spread just a touch of orange marmalade on top of the cupcake before icing. Because I have two parties I made a double batch and am bringing them to Fiesta Friday #45. Hard to believe this party has been happening 45 weeks, and it’s still going strong thanks to the amazing Angie@the novice gardener and as always there are amazing co hosts helping out and this week we have two fantastic co hosts Michelle@giraffes can bake andMB @Bourbon & Brown Sugar. Thank you for hosting and co hosting and I hope you like these cupcakes.

Cupcakes:

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/4 cup egg whites at room temperature

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325°. Set 12 jumbo foil muffin cups on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the cake flour with the confectioners’ sugar. In a large bowl, combine the egg whites with the salt, orange zest and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the whites are firm and glossy. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites in 2 additions, folding gently until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling to the top. Bake for 15 minutes (checking on them starting at 13 minutes), shifting the pan from front to back, until the cupcakes are springy and golden. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool. It’s important to use the foil lined they are more substantial and will hold up when the cupcakes start expanding. This recipe is from Grace Parisi and she says’ to set them on a baking sheet rather than in muffin tins.
The Buttercream:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70%) broken into small pieces

1 tsp orange zest

4 egg whites from large eggs

1/2 cup +2 tbs granulated sugar

8 ounces unsalted butter cut into pieces at room temperature

Place chocolate and orange zest in microwave safe bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, stir and microwave another 30 seconds, it may need another 30 seconds to melt. Stir until all the chocolate is melted set aside to cool.

Combine sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until the mixture feels hot to touch and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on medium-high until cooled, about 15 minutes.

Add the butter a piece at a time beating continuously until its all added, now add the cooled chocolate and beat until combined. Use immediately.

Spread a thin layer of the marmalade on top of the cupcake, pipe some of the chocolate buttercream in the middle. Enjoy!

Dec 2

125 Comments

Homemade Labneh With Roasted Fruit, Walnuts And A Honey Thyme Drizzle

Labneh

I love a challenge and when I heard that Chobani was asking home cooks to develop recipes for their “Made With Chobani” challenge I was inspired to create a recipe for them. I am a big fan of yogurt, I eat it every day and I am also a big fan of Chobani, it’s thick and creamy and delicious. I want you to know that I am NOT being compensated in any way for this, I am simply doing what I love to do, cook and meet a challenge and the opinion is completely my own.

They said the recipe can be a meal, appetizer or dessert. I used Chobani plain yogurt (4% milk fat) to make a healthful dessert that is not just delicious but it would make a lovely light dessert for the holidays. I adapted a recipe for homemade Labneh from one I found on Food52, roasted some seasonal pears and some grapes, toasted some walnuts, drizzled all of this with a simple honey thyme syrup and garnished with pomegranate arils.

What is Labneh, well it’s very simple, it’s yogurt cheese. When I say simple I really mean it, all you need is a good quality yogurt, like the Chobani yogurt I used, some lemon juice and a pinch of salt. No cooking required you only need to mix the lemon juice and salt with the yogurt and strain through a piece of cheese cloth or muslin. Labneh can be used with either a savory or sweet dish. for a savory use of Labneh drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle some sea salt, dukkah, zaatar, herbs whatever you like. I used whole milk yogurt in my dish, it’s a bit of an indulgence for my Holiday Table but this cheese can be made with low fat or even “Zero” fat yogurt with the same creamy delicious results.

Labneh after 12 hours draining

Homemade Labneh

Serves 6-8

12 Oz Plain 2% or 4% Fat Greek Yogurt

1/2 – 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch of sea salt

Mix yogurt, lemon juice and salt thoroughly. Place strainer over a bowl and drape with cheese cloth, place yogurt mixture into the cheese cloth and fold over so the yogurt is covered. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. At 12 hours the labneh will be somewhat firm and spreadable and at 24 hours it will be even thicker. It’s wonderful either way.

Roasted Fruit

Fruit and Walnuts

4 ripe pears peeled, cut in half and cored ( I used bosc)

1 small bunch red seedless grapes (removed from stem) approximately 2 cups

1 tbs butter

2 tbs organic sugar

1 1/2 cup walnuts

Pomegranate arils for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degree’s. Butter a rectangular baking dish and place pears and grapes in the dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, the fruit should be tender. Remove from oven. Place walnuts on baking sheet and toast in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes approximately, you will know they are done when you can smell the walnuts be careful and watch the nuts they can burn quickly.

Honey Thyme Drizzle

1/4 cup honey of your choice

1/3 cup juice from cooked fruit

2 sprigs thyme

pinch of sea salt

Add the honey, juice and thyme sprigs to a small saucepan and simmer gently for 15 minutes, remove thyme sprig and remove from heat. If your fruit does not give off 1/4 cup of juice substitute another type of juice or water . You will need approximately 1/2 cup of the syrup.

A bowl of goodness

To Serve:

You can set out on a platter or serve on individual plates. A slab of labneh surrounded by the roasted fruit, toasted nuts and drizzled with the honey thyme syrup, scatter some pomegranate arils over the fruit before serving.

Light, festive and delicious

Dec 1

64 Comments

Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies For Just Another Cookie Monday

Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies

Just Another Cookie Monday, what is that you might ask well it’s the brainchild of Prudy@Butter,Basil and Breadcrumbs. When I got an email asking me to participate in this cookie extravaganza I didn’t even hesitate to say YES, of course I would love to. First of all anything for Prudy, one of my absolute Fave bloggers and a real sweetheart, secondly, who doesn’t love cookies and anything to spread the cookie love is a very good thing. I hope you all enjoy my recipe.

The season of giving (cookies) is almost upon us and I am starting to make my cookie dough in preparation for the gift boxes, Secret Santa and Holiday Parties that are planned. The other day I made a lot of granola. Granola is one of my favorite things, and homemade is what I really like best. I was feeling creative and used my recipe for chocolate chip cookies and changed and adapted to include some granola. My homemade granola is full of really good stuff, almond meal (left after making almond milk) coconut, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, pecans and I toast until really crisp. The resulting cookies are really nice, chewy and crisp at the same time, a little salty (in a good way) and chocolatey. They will make a really nice addition to my gift boxes. Head over to Prudy’s now for the recipe and see all the totally dreamy recipes she has for you.