Chocolate-ginger combination

Chocolate and ginger are good together.  Add a little molasses and you really can't go wrong.  You can get a really nice browned cookie that stays a little chewy thanks to the molasses.  This is a really easy cookie that'll make the house smell great.

Chocolate Chip Ginger Spice Cookies
Recipe from Pastry Affair

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 113 grams) butter at room temp
• 2/3 cup (130 grams) dark brown sugar, packed 
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 2 tablespoons dark molasses 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 6 ounces (about 1 cup) chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and line 3 baking sheets with tin foil.  Beat the butter and the sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer for a few minutes, until light and fluffy.  While the mixer is going, in a small bowl dry mix flour, ginger, b powder, b soda, and salt, set aside.  Once the butter and the sugars are fluffy, add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add the reserved flour mixture and beat on low to combine.  Add the chocolate chips and beat once more, until they are distributed.  Drop walnut-sized balls of dough onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart, if you want larger cookies, double the size of the ball but leave more space between cookies for spreading.  Bake small cookies for about 12 minutes, larger cookies add a few more minutes, checking in between until they get golden brown and set to the touch.  Allow time to cool on the cookie sheet so the cookies can firm up before picking them up.

Muffins baked with no power!!

We had quite a bit of rain today didn't we?  And the power went out just as I was finishing baking my muffins, thankfully the oven wasn't effected by the storm and I could feel that the muffins were done without my oven light.

Apple Molasses Bran Muffins
Recipe adapted from Circle-B-Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup OJ
• 1/4 cup dark molasses

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup bran 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 apples, diced (Granny Smith or other baking apple) 
• 1 cup chopped almonds

Method:

Preheat your oven to 450 and paper a 12- cup muffin tin.  Mix all wet ingredients and set aside.  Mix all dry ingredients and set aside.  Mix the dry into the wet and when almost combined add the raisins, apples, and almonds.  Mix until combined, divide into muffin cups and place in the 450 degree oven.  Turn the oven down to 400 and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are set in the center.  

What to do with aging peaches?

Muffins.  A beautiful golden bran muffin with fresh peaches.  I stopped at the farm stand on my way home the other day and got some really nice local fruit.  I thought the richness of the molasses in Maida Heatter's bran muffin recipe would go nicely with the sweetness of a fresh peach.

I cut back on the sugar in this batch and threw in a splash of OJ because the batter was a bit thicker than I wanted.  I also used egg yolks instead of whole eggs.  I cut my peaches into good-sized wedges and then stuck them in the muffins after I poured the batter into the pan.  I wanted them to be on top of the muffins so you could see the fruit poking out the top.

Bran Muffins with Peaches
Adapted from Maida Heatter

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark or light molasses or honey
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups bran cereal (do not use flakes, Maida recommends Kellogg's All-Bran)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup unsifted whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsifted all purpose white flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 peaches- cut into wedges

Method:

If your oven can not fit both muffin tins side by side on the middle rack, adjust the 2 racks to divide the oven into 3rds.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Butter 18 2 3/4 inch muffin forms. Note: Buttering the tins will create a very nice crust for the muffins, if using paper cups the crust may be diminished but the muffins will keep longer.  Melt butter over low heat. In a large mixing bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and molasses or honey and stir to mix.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and milk to mix.  Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture stirring with a wire whisk to blend. Mix in the bran and raisins and let stand for a few minutes. Or cover and refrigerate overnight.  Sift together flours, salt, and baking soda and add to bran mixture. Stir quickly with rubber spatula just enough to moisten dry ingredients.  With a large spoon, fill prepared cups with batter about 2/3rds full.  Stick 3 peach wedges in each muffin.  Bake for 6 minutes on 425 and then lower the temp to 400 for another 10 or so minutes.  Check the center of the muffins carefully by poking with your finger, they may still be a little wet because of the peach juice but the cake should not be raw.  So take a close look around the fruit.  Hopefully your muffin tops will be golden brown and gorgeous.  

Bran muffins on the weekend

How does a Maida Heatter bran muffin with fresh Jersey blueberries sound?  I went to Long Beach Island this past week with my friend Maya and her family.  We had a great time even though there was no sun for my whole visit!!  My friends Phil and Alisha went out fishing one night and cought bluefish that we cooked for dinner.  That was definitely the highlight of the vacation.  Fresh bluefish with garlic roasted in the oven.  On the way home I stopped at a farm stand on 206 that had the best watermelon I've had all year.  I also got tomatoes, peaches, green beans, and blueberries.  The first pint of blueberries got eaten pretty much right away, but the second one I reserved for baking.  And that's how this muffin came about...

Maida Heatter's Bran Muffins with Blueberries
Adapted from Maida Heatter via Star Chefs

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark or light molasses or honey

• 2 eggs (large grade)
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

• 1 1/2 cups bran cereal (do not use flakes, Maida recommends Kellogg's All-Bran)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup unsifted whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsifted all purpose white flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

If your oven can not fit both muffin tins side by side on the middle rack, adjust the 2 racks to divide the oven into 3rds.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter 18 2 3/4 inch muffin forms. Note: Buttering the tins will create a very nice crust for the muffins, if using paper cups the crust may be diminished but the muffins will keep longer.
Melt butter over low heat. In a large mixing bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and molasses or honey and stir to mix.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and milk to mix.
Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture stirring with a wire whisk to blend. Mix in the bran and raisins and let stand for a few minutes. Or cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir in pupmkin seeds and blueberries.
Sift together flours, salt, and baking soda and add to bran mixture. Stir quickly with rubber spatula just enough to moisten dry ingredients.
With a large spoon, fill prepared cups with batter about 2/3rds full.
Bake for 15 minutes rotating muffin pans once to insure even cooking. Muffins will be done when they spring back from touch. Note: If muffin mixture has been refrigerated, cooking time will be 4 minutes longer. Take muffins from oven and remove from baking tins immediately and cool on rack.

**Notes:

So in addition to the blueberries I added pumpkin seeds (because I had some in the fridge to use up) instead of walnuts.  I also used bran flakes even though she prefers to use actual bran cereal.  I opted for the molasses rather than the honey- I really like that dark richness from the molasses.  Lastly, I used buttermilk as my milk.  

White Chocolate Chip Mocha Cookies

Doesn't that sound good? Coffee and white chocolate in one cookie! White Chocolate is a funny thing isn't it? Not really chocolate, just oil and sugar right? But they are on sale at Acme right now so I got an opportunity to play with them.

This recipe comes from Bake Girl. I made a few changes: I subbed in a little whole wheat flour, bumped up the instant coffee, used all white sugar and a little molasses instead of brown sugar, aaaaaaaand for the first time ever I used chocolate extract that I bought a million years ago from Whole Foods.

I also finally stopped using my phone to take pictures of my food. It broke. So now I am using a real life digital camera and I think it is quite an improvement.



Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons instant coffee granules
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar plus 2 tbsp molasses
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon chocolate extract extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all dry ingredients in bowl and set aside (1st paragraph of ingredients)
Cream butter, sugar, and molasses in stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat in between.
Add choc extract and beat.
Add dry ingredients in a couple of additions, it will fly everywhere because of the cocoa so add it when the mixer is off and pot a towel over it when you turn it on.
Add choc and white choc chips and combine.
Divide between 3 baking sheets and bake for about 15 mins, I like mine more well done so if you like them soft take them out sooner.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Mom texted me today and said she needed a cake for a birthday at work. Right away I remembered this banana cake I've been wanting to try...

This cake is from White On Rice Couple. I changed the original recipe by adding nutmeg and molasses and halving the sugar. 3 cups of sugar AND 8 bananas? You're joking right? I also left out the pecans and the butterscotch sauce all together because I didn't have the time to get in to all that fanciness.

Cake Ingredients:

3 c Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Nutmeg

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted Butter, room temp
1 1/2 c Brown Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
2 whole Eggs
1/2 c Canola Oil
1 T Molasses
8 ripe Bananas

Icing Ingredients:

8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
2 sticks Butter
3 c Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease two 10" cake pans or use two 9" pans and make a couple of cupcakes too.
Mash bananas and set aside.
Mix flour, b powder, salt, and nutmeg and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the butter on high until fluffy.
Add sugar and cream with the butter.
Add eggs and mix just til combined.
Add canola and molasses and mix til combined.
Add dry ingredients to mixer and mix just til combined.
Add bananas and mix just til combined.
Pour batter into cake and muffin tins depending on the size you are making.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, the cakes are done when they are firm to the touch and a knife comes out clean from the center.
While the cake is cooling make your icing.
Beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixer until fluffy, then add powdered sugar one cup at a time beating well and then add vanilla.
Once the cake is cool cut each layer into 2 horizontal pieces making 4 pieces all together.
Layer each piece of cake with cream cheese icing in between and then ice the top and decorate with walnuts.

Chewy Vegan Ginger Cookies

So I made these a few times over Xmas for all my vegan peeps to enjoy. I like recipes with spices in them and this one does not disappoint in the spice category. They are a bit chewy, so don't be fooled and over-bake them, take them out of the oven when they're still a little soft- but set. You can find the original recipe on Lunch Box Bunch's blog.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp ginger powder
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4+ cup water (see notes)
1/4 - 1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup melted vegan buttery spread
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Notes:
* I used white whole wheat flour from Trader Joe's. Any flour variety will work though.
* Adding more molasses will make the cookies darker and bolder. But don't add more than 1/2 cup - because the flavor will be too strong. Molasses is bold.
* If you sub the butter spread w/ veg oil like canola, add in an extra dash of salt.
* If your dough seems too dry - simply add water in 1 tsp intervals until the dough meshes perfectly - in a Playdough like consistency.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Soften the vegan butter spread in the microwave. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, ginger powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda/powder. Mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the softened buttery spread, molasses, vanilla extract, grated ginger and water.

5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir by hand well until all the ingredients are blended into a moist ball of dough. The dough will seem dry at first, but keep stirring and folding and it will come together. If needed add in extra water one spoonful at a time until the dough consistency is reached.

6. If you want perfectly shaped ginger cookies, you can freeze the dough for 1/2 hour then roll out the dough to cookie cutter circle shapes for baking. Or you can simply roll the dough into moist balls, dip in a coating of sugar and bake. I tried both versions and was pleased with both. (If you want crunchier, thinner Gingersnaps - roll the dough out thin, cut into thin circle shapes and bake.)

7. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Fluffy, but not hard. Cookies will firm up when they cool. Note: do not over-bake - or you will get gingerSNAPS instead of cookie chews.

8. Allow the cookies to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. They will harden as they cool as well as overnight.

Photo Credit: Lunch Box Bunch