Gingerbread

Gingerbread

I love Gingerbread during the holidays. It goes back to my childhood days.  Ginger cookies or bread or both were always baking around the holiday time.    The spices and the smell as it is baking reminds me of Christmas.  I found this recipe for Gingerbread on the King Arthur Flour Website.  This Gingerbread is very moist and flavorful.  It has a nice gingery taste without being overpowering.  When I was making my gingerbread,  I did not add the crystallized ginger.  I have made other recipes adding t crystallized ginger and it was just too much ginger for my taste.   This recipe is nice because you can make it with white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.   In addition to flour you need ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, butter, molasses, an egg, buttermilk, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  The wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients and mixed together until moistened.  The batter is poured into a 9-inch square pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the edge of the pan.  The gingerbread is then cooled 15 minutes before slicing.  I serve my Gingerbread with whipped cream.  A delicious holiday treat.


Gingerbread
From  King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour, or 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup diced crystallized ginger (optional)

Directions:

1. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

3. Melt the butter in a heatproof measuring cup.  Add the molasses to the cup, and pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl, mixing to moisten.

4. Add the water, stirring until everything is moistened.  Whisk together the egg and buttermilk.  Stir into the batter until it's evenly combined.  Stir in the crystallized ginger if using.

Buttermilk and Egg

Gingerbread Batter

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake just begins to pull away from the edge of the pan.

6. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before slicing; gingerbread is best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 16 servings

Delicious and Moist

Blondies

Blondies

Blondies are one of my favorite bar cookies.  They are irresistibly delicious.  There are alot of Blondie recipes out there but one of my favorites is from Simply Recipes.  These Blondies are very easy and quick to make.  You start by whisking together melted butter and  dark brown sugar.  According to Simply Recipes, the brown sugar is what flavors the Blondies.  To this mixture you add an egg and vanilla extract.  Then you mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butterscotch chips.  You pour the batter into a lightly buttered and floured pan and bake for about 25 minutes.  Let the Blondies cool and cut into squares and serve.

Butter and Sugar

Egg and Vanilla Extract Added to Butter and Sugar

Don't let the simplicity of these Blondies fool you - they are delicious.  They are moist, chewy, and have the perfect thin layer of "crackle" on the top. To me, this is the only Blondie recipe you'll ever need.  You can find the recipe here.

Blondie Batter

Ready for the Oven

Delicious Blondies

Chocolate-Cherry Banana Bread

Chocolate-Cherry Banana Bread

This is a lovely banana bread for the holidays.  It is your basic banana bread with yummy ingredients added for that special holiday flavor.  I am thinking of the  dried cherries, chocolate, and amaretto, brandy, or orange juice. The cherries are simmered in one of these liquids of your choice.     I simmered the cherries in orange juice.  After you have simmered the cherries, you set them aside and proceed by combining the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the eggs, bananas, sugar and oil.  Mix until wet.  Fold in the cherries and pecans.  Bake and cool.   You will be tempted to eat the bread after it cools, but let it sit overnight.  It is well worth the wait.







Chocolate-Cherry Banana Bread
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1/2 cup snipped dried cherries
1/4 cup amaretto, brandy, or orange juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2-inch loaf pans; set aside.  In a small saucepan combine cherries and orange juice (or other liquid of your choice).  Heat over low heat just until mixture comes to a simmer (do not boil).  Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in soaked cherries and pecans.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pans; spread evenly.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  If necessary to prevent over browning, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
5. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from loaf pans.  Cool completely on rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Makes 2 loaves, 20 servings

Nestle Toll House Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies

Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was at the grocery store the other day and I found Holiday Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels with Red & Green Colored Morsels.  I put them in the cart and decided I would make some Toll House Cookies with a Holiday Twist.  I used the recipe on the back of the package.  It was your delicious Toll house Cookie recipe using butter, flour, eggs, sugar, nuts and chocolate  chips.  Being that it is Christmas time and I am doing alot of baking, I line my baking sheets with parchment paper.   As I expected, the cookies were yummy.  The kids were eating them up as fast as I could take them out of the oven.  I had to shoo them out of the kitchen to save some for the spouse and myself.   They were delicious and easy to make:)


Nestle Toll House Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
 1 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Nestle Toll House Holiday Morsels, divided
1 cup chopped nuts


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  Top dollops with remaining morsels.

3. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Sans Cream

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Sans Cream

Let me begin by saying - this soup was wonderful.  It was easy to make and very tasty.  All of the ingredients blended together very nicely to make this tasty soup.   The ingredients are your basic soup ingredients,  butter, olive oil,onions, garlic, celery,  and salt.   Add some fresh thyme, cauliflower, chicken or vegetable broth,  and white pepper.  Cook the ingredients until the cauliflower is very soft, blend and serve.  I served mine with some Walnut Oil, but you can serve it plain or with a topping like grated cheese, crushed walnuts, sour cream.  This soup lends itself to your imagination.    For my family this recipe is a keeper. You can find this recipe on pages 68-69 in "Around My French Table."

Veggies Coated With Oil and Melted Butter

Cooking Away

Delicious Soup

Gingerbread Party Mix

Gingerbread Party Mix

The kids and I planned on watching "A Christmas Story" for our movie night tonight.  Instead of eating our traditional movie snack of popcorn I decided to try something else.  I remembered a recipe I saw in "Family Circle" magazine for a holiday Chex Mix.  I decided to check it out.  The recipe was so simple and required minimal adult supervision, I thought this would be a great treat the kids could make.  No oven, just the microwave.
You start by combing all the cereals and cinnamon graham snacks -the kids used Cinnamon Teddy Grahams in a large microwavable bowl.  In a smaller microwaveable dish, the butter is melted and the spices and vanilla extract are stirred into the melted butter.  Toss the cereal mixture with the butter and microwave for 5 minutes.  Spread the mixture on paper towels and drizzle melted white vanilla baking chips over the cereal. Let it set and you are ready to eat.   The Party mix was very tasty.  I loved the holiday flavors and the touch of white "chocolate" and candied ginger.   A great snack to enjoy while watching a movie.



Gingerbread Party Mix
From Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
3 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham snacks
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

Directions:
1. In a large microwavable bowl, add cereals and graham snacks; set aside.  In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high 40 seconds or until melted.  Stir in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla until blended.  Pour over cereal and stir until coated.

Cereals and Teddy Grahams

Melted butter and Spices

2. Microwave uncovered on high 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Stir in ginger until blended.  Spread mixture onto paper towels.  In small microwavable cup, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on high 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.  Drizzle over snack; let stand until set.  Store in airtight container.

15 servings

Butter and Cereal Mixture Combined

Mixture on Paper Towels

Baking Chips Drizzled Over Chex Mix

Bowl of Holiday Goodness

Slow Cooker Chili

Chili

Nothing is easier and tastes better than a hot bowl of chili on a chilly evening.  I usually make a crock pot of chili on the day I am decorating the house and setting up the tree for Christmas.  It is a no brainer meal.  Just put everything in the crock pot, set  it on low and dinner will be ready in 6-8 hours.  This chili is loaded with beans, meat, and spices.  I like to season the meat with taco seasoning. I love the flavor it gives the meat and it is so much tastier than eating bland tasting beef. Once the meat is browned and seasoned, I add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, green chili, garlic, and spices to the crock pot.  Give everything one big stir, cover and set on low.  The result is a great tasting bowl of chili that is rich and hearty. It is a little spicy - I use 1 tablespoon of chili powder.  Add more or less chili powder depending on your taste.    You can serve it with grated cheese, onions, corn bread, sour cream,  Frito's -  just to name a few garnishes and sides.    Sometimes I cook up some Orzo pasta to spoon  the chili over.




Slow Cooker Chili 

Special Equipment: Slow Cooker – 3-½ quart


Ingredients:

1-pound ground beef
1 package Taco Seasoning
¾ cup water
1 (15.5-ounce) can Pinto Beans drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can Red Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1-2 tablespoons red chili powder depending on taste
2 teaspoons onion powder
1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Garnishes: Shredded Mexican Cheese, diced onions, sour cream, Frito's

Directions:

1. In a large skillet brown the ground beef.  Drain the beef and return to the skillet.
2. Sprinkle Taco Seasoning over the beef and add water.  Stir until incorporated.  Cook over medium low to medium heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the beef from the heat and add it to the Slow Cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients to the Slow Cooker and stir well.
4. Set the Slow Cooker on Low and cook 6-8 hours.

5. Serve the Chili in bowls topped with the garnishes of your choice.

Serves 8