Showing posts with label molasses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label molasses. Show all posts

Friday, December 9, 2011

Dorie's Sugar Topped Molasses Cookies

These cookies are a family favorite that make the holiday treat rotation every single year. The dough is easy to mix together, can be made ahead of time, and they are just the perfect spicy/molasses cookie- crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. I made them again this year for a Christmas party and they were a hit. If you want an even chewier cookie, you can skip the step that flattens the cookies with a glass dipped in sugar. Merry Baking!

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

a pinch cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)

1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid over-beating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. You'll have a smooth, very soft dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Put the sugar in a small bowl.

Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar , then place them on one of the baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Yield: about 24 fairly large cookies


Storage: The cookies will keep for at least 1 week in the cookie jar. Wrapped airtight, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.



Thursday, December 16, 2010

Ginger Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Bars, and Chewy, Chunky Blondies w/ holiday add-ins


These are the cookies that I made and sent in the mail to some family members. When I am making a bunch of treats at the same time, I always try to choose a variety of flavors and textures. Since it is Christmas time, I made sure to choose some cookies that had appropriate flavors for this time of year. Ginger, pumpkin, peppermint, cranberries, etc.

I recently received a copy of The Gourmet Cookie Book, a cookbook in which the best cookie from the pages of Gourmet magazine was chosen for each year, from 1941-2009.
I thumbed through this book and chose a couple of recipes to try. The ginger sugar cookies stuck out to me because my family loves ginger and they looked like a chewy, delicious cookie.
They smelled yummy and my kids each sampled one. My 4 year old thought they were too spicy, but my other kids loved them.
These pumpkin oatmeal cookies look ordinary enough, but boy are they tasty. I was curious about their flavor, so I ate one. These were sooo good. Usually it seems like oatmeal cookies have all sorts of add-ins, like raisins, or nuts or chocolate chips, but these were so yummy because the stars of the show were just the pumpkin/spices and oatmeal. I will definitely make these again and again.
These chocolate peppermint bars were described by my son as "brownies with candy cane flavor". I didn't try one, but my son really didn't want me to send these in the mail. The batter was hard to spread, but it evened out in the oven. Not very pretty, but good to eat.

The last cookie I made is a classic bar cookie that always gets great reviews- Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies. I have made these multiple times before and they are always a crowd pleaser. Usually they are chock full of nuts, chocolate, toffee bits, coconut-basically whatever you want to add.
This time I decided to add in some holiday flavors, so I went with dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut.
These bars are perfect for sharing.

Ginger Sugar Cookies from The Gourmet Cookie Book
March 1965
Cream 3/4 cup softened butter and gradually beat in 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed.
Stir in 1 egg and 1/4 cup molasses and blend thoroughly.
Sift 2 1/4 cups flour with 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp each of cinnamon and ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and chill the dough for 1 hour.
Drop by heaping teaspoons into 1-inch balls and dip the tops in sugar.
Arrange the balls at least 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle each cookie with 2 or 3 drops or water.
Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for about 7 or 8 minutes, or until they are firm.


Chewy, Chunky Blondies
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's “Baking: From My Home to Yours” p.109

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup toasted coconut

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, cranberries, nuts, and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best you can.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean.(I usually have to keep adding 5 minutes at a time, until they are done- don't be afraid to let them cook a little longer). The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.

Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

2½ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 ounces) white sugar
1 cup (7 ounces) packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two baking pans with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, about one minute. Add the egg, beating until incorporated, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.

3. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking pans. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Let the cookies cool slightly on the pans before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Bar Cookies from The Gourmet Cookie Book-
December 2006

Friday, December 11, 2009

More Christmas Cookies and Treats

When my sister was here visiting a couple weeks ago, I asked her what cookies she wanted me to make and send her for Christmas. I gave her some Holiday Baking Magazines and told her to pick as many as she wanted.
She folded down lots and lots of pages and then I narrowed it down to 6. I chose things that I could make all in the same day and then threw in a couple more treats at the end.

First up is Peppermint Bark. This is a Christmas goodie that my mom has made for quite a few years and she uses Martha Stewarts recipe. I actually like it better when you use almond bark instead of white chocolate, so that is what I did. I like to sprinkle some of the chopped candy canes on top, as well as mixing them into the melted white stuff. My hubby really likes this and so do my kids. Great gift.
Recipe for Peppermint Bark
My sister requested a molasses cookie and I decided I would make Dorie's recipe, because I knew it was a crowd pleaser. This time I didn't flatten my balls of dough, so I had smaller, chewier cookies. This recipe is so great that it really deserves a repeat.
I sent some of the last batch to my family, so they will be super excited to get more of them in the mail.

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
I saw this cookie in a Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie issue and was intrigued by the combination of cornmeal and dried fruit in a cookie. I knew sending this cookie to someone else would be great, since most members of my family do not like cornmeal. The recipe originally called for dried cherries, but I subbed in dried cranberries because that is what I had in the pantry.
These also have orange zest and they aren't overly sweet. Great cookie.
Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

I saw this cookie in a couple of different Martha Stewart mags and remembered that Tracey made them a couple weeks ago. I figured bars are great for sending and these have all types of mix-ins, so they were added into the bunch.
I subbed in peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips, toffee bits for the white chocolate and then, on top of that, these have chocolate chips, cut up caramels, and marshmallows.
What a combination. I think I will have to make these again. My son was upset that he didn't get to sample one.
Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars
My sister wanted these peanut butter bars. They were supposed to have Hershey's Kisses on top, but I thought they would send better if they didn't have those on top. They are a play on Peanut Butter Kisses, but easier to make because they are a bar. I used creamy peanut butter in these, instead of chunky.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

My sister chose these bars and I thought they were a great choice because they have green and red in them naturally. They have a basic butter, flour, brown sugar crust, which you prebake for a few minutes and then the cranberry-pistachio topping is added and they are put back in the oven to finish baking.
Great way to use fresh cranberries.
Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars
My sister also chose these pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. They are just like an oatmeal raisin cookie, but with pumpkin puree added to the batter. I made these into bars, simply because I was trying to bake 8 different things all in one day and it made it easier for me.
I wasn't too excited about these, but I did taste a small square and they really were good. Definitely more tasty then they might seem.
So, these are all the items that made it into my treat box. I sent a few of most of these cookies to my Secret Baker.
I also made a batch of Spiced Pecans and the upcoming cookie for Tuesdays with Dorie got thrown into the mix too.
Needless to say, after this day of baking, packaging and mailing, I was wiped out. It was worth it though.
I also threw in a picture of the Cake Pops I made last weekend for a birthday party. These are a fun little treat for a Christmas or Holiday get-together, if you need a fun idea.
How-to for Cake Pops
Pumpkin Raisin Oatmeal Cookies from Woman's Day Holiday Cookies 2009
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts (I omitted these)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins.
4. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe for Peppermint Bark

Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

Cake Pops

Monday, December 7, 2009

Gingersnap Shortbread

Here is a cookie I made a couple of weeks ago and sent in the mail to a couple of people. I found it in a Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking Magazine. The recipe was very easy. This cookie has ground ginger and molasses in it, to give it the gingerbread flavor.
I thought this cookie needed more spice. Next time I am going to add more ginger, just to make sure it is a spicy cookie.
This is a super easy cookie to throw together and perfect for sharing. It mails well, so go ahead and make some- it will be easy to share!


Recipe for Gingersnap Shortbread


Monday, November 23, 2009

Pumpkin Cream Pie

So here is one of the Thanksgiving desserts I wanted to try out before hand to see if it was worthy of making it to the big meal.
I love pumpkin pie, plain and simple, but I wanted to try a couple of other desserts that played around with the pumpkin and the pie, and presented it with a little twist.

This pie is made with a basic pie crust, and then filled with a pumpkin flavored pastry cream. Pastry Cream has the texture of a thick pudding and I have to say that this was a really delicious one.
I made 1/2 of the pastry cream and decided I was going to make mini pies. I made a bunch of mini pie crusts in my muffin tin, you just cut out circles of pie crust with a cookie cutter and bake them for about 10 minutes- watch them close so they don't burn. I made 6 minis and then baked up the rest of my pie crust in small (about 4-in) dishes.

The chilled pastry cream is scooped into the pie crust and chilled in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Then it is topped with sweetened whipped cream and candied pepitas.

This has all the same flavors as traditional pumpkin pie, but the pastry cream is much smoother than a normal pumpkin pie filling. The candied pepitas add a nice little crunch. I used roasted, salted pepitas in my candy and really like the little bit of savory that added to the super sweet candy.
This pie is perfect for Thanksgiving. I definitely think it would keep traditional pumpkin pie lovers happy and also has just a little bit extra to get other people excited too. Yum.
*note- the recipe says that the pastry cream takes 10-15 minutes to thicken up and boil, but mine was ready in 2-3 minutes. Don't overcook it, as soon as it is thick, it is ready.

Recipe for Pumpkin Cream Pie

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

TWD-Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

Tuesday's with Dorie in November is all mixed-up. We were given freedom to mix and match the selections for the month and the dates on which to post them.
These cookies, Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies, to be exact, were chosen by Pam of Cookies with Boys. You should go and check out Pam' s blog. She always features yummy dinners and dessert and has really cute little boys!
She will be posting the recipe on her blog for these cookies sometime this month. You can also find the recipe in Baking: from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan. If you still don't own this book, you can also find the recipe online by searching for it. It has been posted on many blogs.

I wasn't planning on making these yet, but Kayte asked if anyone wanted to do a bake-along on twitter and I decided to go ahead and get these out of the way.

All I can say is these are delicious. If you love molasses, ginger-y, spicy, chewy cookies, you have to make these. I made the full batch and baked them for the shorter time noted, so that they would be crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. They were absolutely perfect.
My kids loved them.
I froze most of them, so we wouldn't eat them all in one day and sent some to my family out in Utah, along with a few other cookies.
My younger brothers were very happy that I decided to share. One of my brothers took some to work with him and texted me to email him the recipe for some people at work.

Delicious. Spicy. Chewy. Seasonal.
I will make these again and again. I can't believe I haven't tried them before now. Yum.

Go and check out the TWD Blogroll to see what everyone else posted-these cookies, Apple-Cranberry Crisp, a Holiday Bundt Cake, or Chocolate-Caramel Chestnut Cake!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Black Bean Pumpkin Chili with Pumpkin Cornbread

Chili and cornbread. They go together this time of year. Some people don't care for either of them, like my hubby, so I rarely make either.
I saw a post on Real Mom Kitchen about this cornbread, which contains pumpkin puree and whole wheat flour and I was very intrigued. She got the recipe from The Recipe Girl, so I went over to Lori's site and found out that she served the pumpkin cornbread with a pumpkin chili. Sounded like a great combination.
At first I was going to half the recipe for the cornbread, but then my hubby told me some friends were going to be stopping by for dinner and I figured this was the perfect time to serve both of these foods.
I changed the pumpkin chili recipe up a bit. I do not like beef or ground beef, so I thought that I would make a bean chili, but then decided to add some lean ground turkey since there were going to be so many people eating with us.
I also added a zucchini, since I had one I needed to use, and black beans. I changed the spices, so that it would be mild enough for my kids to eat and switched the toppings.
The pumpkin puree in the chili is very subtle- it adds texture, but not so much flavor.

The pumpkin cornbread was fabulous. I love cornbread-I grew up eating it all the time, so I really liked this version. It had a hint of sweetness, great spices and a nice pumpkin flavor. The best part is that my kids all liked it! I couldn't believe it. None of them like regular cornbread, I think because of the texture, but this cornbread was a winner. I was so happy about it.
The pumpkin cornbread also tastes good the 2nd and 3rd day after it is made, which is usually a problem with cornbread because it dries out. The pumpkin keeps this one tasting good for leftovers.

The friends who were supposed to join us for dinner didn't make it, so I actually saved the chili and cornbread and invited some other friends over the next night. Great thing about chili is it tastes better after sitting in the fridge and being reheated. The flavors were great.
If you like a spicier chili, up the chili powder or add a jalapeno.
And try this cornbread, it is really good!
Black Bean Pumpkin Chili adapted from The Recipe Girl



Thursday, October 29, 2009

CEiMB-Pumpkin Pie Muffins


I wasn't expecting much from this week's CEiMB recipe, Pumpkin Pie Muffins, which was chosen by OddBall Oven Mitt.
You can find the recipe by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.
I was pleasantly surprised by these muffins- they were much better than I thought they would be. I have made lots of muffins and sometimes making them healthy, means that they turn out with wierd texture or something else.
Not these. They were really delicious. The combination of pumpkin puree, molasses, and lowfat buttermilk, makes a really yummy treat.
I made 1/2 batch and sprinkled mine with roasted, salted pepitas. I also added a little bit more spice than the recipe suggested.

I was really surprised by how high these muffins became in the oven. The tallest muffins I have ever made by far.

My kids, my mom, and I really liked these. I should have made a full batch.
If you want a fall-ish, pumpkin-y treat that you can feel good about eating- these are the ones!

Check out the CEiMB Blogroll to see what everyone else thought about these muffins!

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Muffins


Thursday, September 10, 2009

CEiMB-Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This week's CEiMB recipe- Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, was chosen by Pam, whose blog- Cookies with Boys, is a really great one- she always has great healthy recipes and delicious treats. She just seems like the kind of person that you would really want to have living next door. She has 2 adorable little boys and I am sure if she was your neighbor she would probably bring you a plate of cookies or invite you over for a lunchdate.
You can find the recipe on her blog or by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.

The night that I made these for dinner my husband walked into the kitchen, looked at the pan I was cooking in and asked, "What is that?"
I said "BBQ for sandwiches."
He replied, " Well, I know what it is, but you don't ever cook stuff like that."

So, I guess that was his reaction when he saw me cooking something "normal". I thought it was pretty funny.

I don't really know that much about BBQ. I don't have a certain taste that I am looking for in the sauce or anything like that. I can't tell the difference between vinegar-based or whatever. In fact, the word BBQ meant to me growing up, that we were going to have a BBQ in the backyard, cooking something on the grill.
When I moved to the south, I soon realized that BBQ is actually a food. The confusion with words and phrases didn't stop there, but I won't go into that.

So, anyway- I made this sauce as is, because I wouldn't really know how to change it and I am not that particular about this stuff anyway. I left out the liquid smoke because I don't have any and this dinner was enjoyed by all. If I did make it again, I might mess around with the sauce and add something to give it a little heat and I would probably cook my own chicken to shred because the rotisserie chicken I found was quite pricey.

I had some of the BBQ leftover and I ate it the next day over some salad greens. It made a pretty tasty salad.

Check out the other CEiMB members by going to the Blogroll!
And if you haven't already entered my giveaway, go and comment for your chance to win a cookbook!
Recipe for Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches


One Year Ago- Lunchbox #2

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Craving Ellie in my Belly- Chicken with Mango BBQ Sauce

Today's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe, Chicken with Mango BBQ Sauce, was chosen by Aggie over at Aggie's Kitchen. If you haven't already been to Aggie's blog, you really should go and check it out. She always serves healthy, family friendly meals and her pictures are gorgeous. I am hoping that once we relocate to Georgia, I will get a chance to meet her- she will only be a few hours drive away!
The chicken dish sounded easy enough, but I have to say, I was a little skeptical about the sauce. I love mangoes and BBQ sauce is good too, but together? I wasn't sure.
Then I started sauteing the onion, garlic, and red peppers, with some of the spices, and I knew that we were going to love the sauce.
When I pureed it and added the mango, the smell reminded me of a delicious soup.
Once you get the sauce made, you marinate the chicken for a bit and then pop it under the broiler for a short time. Luckily there is enough sauce that you get to pour more of the delicious stuff on top and you are ready to go.
I had cooked quinoa and rice in the fridge, so I gave the kids their choice and served it over the top. We also had corn on the cob and sauteed kale on the side. It made for a very pretty plate and a delicious dinner. Thanks Aggie for a great pick! I am definitely going to be making this one again.
Go check out the Craving Ellie Blogroll to see what everyone else thought!

Chicken with Mango Barbeque Sauce 2006 Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
1 mango, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 to 3 jalapenos, minced (I omitted these)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound each)
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the red peppers, garlic, salt and pepper, and allspice and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and tomato sauce and cook for 1 minute more.
Transfer the mixture into a bender and add the mango and jalapeno. Blend until smooth.
Put 1 cup of the barbeque sauce into a sealable plastic bag with the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat the broiler. Put the chicken on a broiler pan and discard the marinade. Broil the chicken on high for about 12 minutes, turning once. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon about 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce over the meat slices and serve.


Up Next- Pan Seared Oatmeal with Warm Fruit Compote