Category Archives: Cooking

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

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As a kid, my grandmother always had cookies at her house.  My parents didn’t keep junk food in the house, let alone cookies, so going to Grandma Jeanne’s always meant we would get to have either a ginger snap or oatmeal cookie after lunch.  A couple years ago I made this Bon Appetit Chewy Triple Ginger Cookie Recipe and it was delicious, but pretty labor intensive given the amount of ingredients.  Recently, I picked up the Tom Douglas Dahlia Bakery Cookbook and marked the recipe for Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies with Fresh Ginger.  Last night I combined parts of both recipes for these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies.

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Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

-3/4 cup (1.5 cubes) unsalted butter
-1 cup light brown sugar
-1 large egg
-1/4 cup molasses
-2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled and grated
-2 cups flour
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add molasses, egg, and fresh ginger and mix to combine.  In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine.  Add the crystallized ginger and mix until evenly dispersed.

Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour 1/2 cup of sugar in the raw (or regular white sugar if you don’t have coarse kind) in a bowl.  Form 3/4 inch balls of dough with your hands and roll in the sugar.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheets 2-3″ apart and squish down with your hand so the ball is flattened.

Bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and set around the edges but slightly soft in the center.

Tip: If dough starts to get soft while you are putting on cookie sheets, return to fridge until it’s set again.

These would make great ice cream sandwiches – put a scoop of chocolate ice cream between 2 cookies and wham bam, delicious dessert!

Enjoy!

xx

-h

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp in Jars from a Kitchen Bridal Shower

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Yaaaaay! My bff from growing up is getting married!  Over the weekend we threw her a kitchen themed bridal shower.  Invitations from Tickled Peach Studio on Etsy.  I did the printable version which was super easy.

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We decorated the house with vintage tea towels, table runners, napkins, and cookbooks.  Other then that decor was simple, picked up some flowers and put them in jars or glasses, and used strips of fabric for bows where it looked necessary.  I borrowed a giant whisk and strainer from my friend Courtney and they were hilarious sitting on the front porch.

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For dessert I made strawberry rhubarb raspberry crisp in jars that guests could eat at the party or take with them.  We topped the jars with the metal lids and a piece of vintage fabric found at Kristen’s grandmother’s house, then screwed the rings on.

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Rhubarb Crisp in Jars (makes about 32 jars)

You can half this to made 15-16 jars for a smaller crowd!

Topping:
– 4 cups oats
– 3.5 cups flour
– 2 cups pecans toasted then finely chopped
– 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
– 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
(or 2 cups of either)
– 3 sticks of cold butter cubed
– 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Whisk the dry ingredients together then add the butter.  Pulse in a food processor in batches until butter is evenly distributed and texture is crumbly.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or 2 forks, but it will take much longer.

Filling:
– 5-6 pounds of berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
I used 4 lbs of strawberries and about 2 pounds of frozen drained raspberries.
– 7-8 cups of thinly sliced fresh rhubarb
– 2 cups granulated sugar
– 3 tablespoons cornstarch
– 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup orange juice
– 1 teaspoon salt

Mix fruit together and then add other ingredients on top. Gently stir until combined and cornstarch is absorbed.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Arrange jars on parchment lined cookie sheets (half pint, wide mouth).  Gently spoon fruit filling evenly into jars.  I did them in batches of 12-15 and went back adding more to ones that looked like they could use a bit extra. Using the back of a spoon push gently on fruit to release any air bubbles.  Sprinkle topping over fruit filling so each jar is filled to the brim.  It will shrink down a lot.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.  Serve warm or cold, with ice cream or my favorite: homemade whipped cream.  Can be made a day in advance.  Wait until completely cool to put metal lids on in order to maintain crisp topping.

Enjoy!

xx

-h

Sunday Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

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I usually like to make something for dinner on Sunday night that will have enough leftovers to be my lunch for the week.  Whatever I make sets the tone for the week and it’s nice to not have to think about throwing something together or resorting to unhealthy choices during the day.  This weekend was relaxing but active, so I wanted comfort food.  Stuffed peppers have always been one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes, but through the years I’ve added a few twists of my own.

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Stuffed Peppers

-Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients
– 3 bell peppers
– 1 package ground turkey
– 1 package frozen Trader Joe’s brown rice – they sell this in boxes in the frozen section and they come in individually microwavable packages.  It cuts the brown rice prep time down to 3 mins instead of an hour.  You can also use regular brown rice of course, cook according to directions.
– 1 small can corn
– 1/2 onion chopped
– 1 can tomato soup mixed with 1/2 can milk or about a 1.5 cups of pre-made tomato soup (I like the Pacific kind in the box).
– grated cheddar cheese

-Wash and de-seed 3 bell peppers (red is my favorite, but if you prefer green, yellow, or orange go for it) and cut them in half hot-dog ways – see above photo.
– Brown the turkey and drain off excessive fat.
– Meanwhile microwave the frozen rice, or if you’re using normal brown rice, cook that.
– In the same pan you used for the turkey saute the onion until it’s translucent and has softened.
– Add the drained corn to the onion and sauté.  Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of cumin and 1 teaspoon chili powder.
– In a big bowl mix the turkey with the onion and corn and add the rice.  Taste it at this point and if it needs more flavor add more cumin and chili powder.
– Arrange the pepper halves in a baking dish and fill them with the turkey, rice, onion, and corn mixture.
– Gently pour the tomato soup over the top of the peppers letting it fill in the crevices, it’s okay if it spills over a little.

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Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until peppers are soft.  In the last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle with grated cheese and cook until melted.

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Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I love these because they are very easy to change according to what you have in your fridge or cupboard.  I’ve added chopped black olives, mushrooms, green chilies, chopped spinach, or chopped tomato to the insides mixture before, all with great results.

There will probably be quite a bit of filling leftover, I usually freeze part of it or just put in the fridge and use for tacos, add it to chili, or just eat it straight.

Looking forward to a low-key week on my end with lots of running, gym and yoga time.

xx

-h

The Great Nanaimo Bar Search

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Most foods are associated with a memory.  For me, my first memory of eating a nanaimo bar was when I was in high school.  I had been invited on a ski trip to Whistler with my friend Meaghan’s family.  We were lucky that a group of our friends could be up there at the same time with their parents or friend’s parents as well.  I think this trip, there were about 15 kids all from our same group of buddies skiing together.  Each day, we would meet Meaghan’s parents for lunch on the mountain.  Following lunch, her dad would leave and come back to the table with coffee for both Meaghan’s mom and himself and a treat to share.  He would alternate between a cookie, a nanaimo bar (my personal favorite) and a brownie.

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I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join Meaghan’s family many more times to Whistler during both the summer and the winter.  And each time, during lunch at least one of the days, I would track down a nanaimo to share.  Over this past Christmas, I was with Meaghan’s family once again, and after I finished my lunch, I stopped at the bakery to pick up the treat, we had decided on a later lunch time and they were out.  Okay, it wasn’t a big deal.  I was up there again last weekend with some friends, I knew I needed my nanaimo fix.  I headed toward the lodge bakery again, when I asked the girl working if they had any nainamo bars she looked at me like I was a lunatic, she had no idea what I was talking about.  At this point, I’d been telling everyone how excited I was for nanaimos and it was starting to get a little embarrassing.

Later the next day, my friend Lindsey suggested I check the case at the grocery store.  FA LA LA!!! I had found the nanaimos!  I immediately gathered a family pack into my arms and then realized in my Caesar induced haze, I didn’t have my wallet.

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I was just running into the building to grab my sunglasses from upstairs, and then meet up with the rest of the group.  Luckily, when we returned to the area later for supplies, the nanaimos were still there (I had been a little afraid that someone else was on the same hunt that I was).

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They were everything I hoped for and more.  The melty chocolatey top, the custard center, and brownie style bottom are the perfect bite of richness.

3 hours later and a few sake-ritas from Sushi Village and the nanaimo family package was just a memory.

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This past Sunday, nearly a week after returning from Whistler, I had to fulfill my need for more nanaimo.  My mom’s friend Jane sent me her recipe, which turned out fantastic.

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Nanaimo Bars from the collection of Jane Bertramson

1st Layer:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown or white sugar (I used brown)
3 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

Mix butter, sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla over low heat until custard like consistency. (*Watch closely and stir constantly – it overcooks easily.) Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and press into 9″ square greased pan.  Chill 1/2 hour.

2nd Layer:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Combine and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread on 1st layer and chill 1/2 hour.

3rd Layer:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter

Melt together and spread over 2nd layer.  Chill at least 1/2 hour or overnight before serving.  *If chilled several hours or overnight, remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before cutting.  Cut into 1″ squares.

Enjoy!

xx

-h

Easter Cupcakes

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Easter is one of my favorite holidays because it has the best candy, signals the beginning of spring, the start of the farmer’s markets for the season, and fresh flowers are a billion times more accessible via my yard.

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This year my brother and his fiance hosted a fantastic brunch at their new house in Seattle.  It’s an older home that they have transformed to be the perfect balance of thrifted finds and modern touches.

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A couple weeks before Easter I was shopping and happened into the candy aisle (I generally avoid that area at all costs, but R loves those Reeses’ Eggs) and I saw edible grass, the kind you would use to fill Easter baskets.  I figured I could use it somehow.

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The stuff was kind of weird and oddly stiff, so I ended up cutting it into small pieces and sticking it into the frosting on mini cupcakes to create tiny little nests.

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Sah cute! Sah nom!

Vanilla Bean Cupcake recipe from Joy the Baker.

xx

-h

Surprise 35th Anniversary Party Cake

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Last Saturday we celebrated our good family friends’ 35th Wedding Anniversary.  They got married in February of 1978 with their reception at the Tacoma Sportsman Club.  When I asked their daughter what I could help with, we agreed on dessert.  I asked her to send me a pic of their cake and told her I could probably re-create it.

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In quite possibly my greatest cooking feat to date, I did that.

I ended up using a different cake recipe that what I had originally tried because the vote had been that the cake was too dense. That was maybe my only mistake. #humblebrag  The layers came out very moist and delicious, but I had troubles flipping them out of the pans.

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After not 1, not 2, but 3 cakes I flipped stuck into the pan and crumbled as I tried to save them, I gave up and tried something new.  I made Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake for the bottom layer.

For the filling, I used my mom’s homemade Raspberry Jam, a Blackberry Jam, and Nutella, because why the heck not get a little crazy and surprise people.

For the frosting, I used Sweetapolita’s Whipped Vanilla Frosting Recipe. It was the perfect consistency for both piping and spreading and not overly sweet

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S had the cake flowers done by Ballard Blossom.  She said they were super helpful and worked with her to make them look exactly like the originals.

I am very proud of how it came out.

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Boom!

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Original compared to mine.

xx

-h

Superbowl Snacks!

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Growing up, our family was not much a football family. Now that I’ve married into a serious football family, I have upped my football interest.  Plus, Beyonce performing the half-time show and the commercials are added bonuses.  Need some snack ideas, here are a few options, plus a couple new recipes I can’t wait to try this year.

1. Jalapeno Jam

2. Bloody Mary Bar

3. Homemade Tortilla Chips

4. Pretzel Dogs

5. Crockpot Meatballs

Looking forward to making this Hot & Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Dip (skinny style) and these Veggie Nuggets (recipe for kids, PSH, whatevs).

xx

-h

Liz Lemon becomes Lemon-Honey Tart

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When R and I bought the house, I knew that I wanted to get a lemon tree. I stalked our local hardware store until they arrived in April and convinced R that it would be the perfect “housewarming gift” to ourselves. We painstakingly looked through all the lemon and lime trees in the store to find the perfect Meyer Lemon varietal, the tree had 5 established lemons already growing and looked promising. We spent the day transporting the tree, which I promptly named Liz Lemon, home and planted her in a beautiful pot. She spent the summer in our sunroom, where 2 out of 5 of the tiny lemons survived the traumatic move.  All summer, R and I doted on Liz Lemon like she was our child.  Slowly, but surely, the lemons grew larger, but stayed green. At one point, I expressed to R that it was taking so long maybe we had gotten a lime tree on accident instead.

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Finally, about a month ago, the color started changing, and I knew I had lemons. They slowly turned totally yellow, and dropped off the tree.

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I was ecstatic. That weekend we had some people over for game night and cut into one of the lemons to garnish our drinks. The inside was nearly orange and smelled very sweet. Oh my gosh, did I get a orange tree instead? All night, everyone discussed the great lemon tree mistake of 2012.  The next day, I googled meyer lemons and refreshed my memory to the fact that the meyer type is actually a cross between a mandarin and a lemon, it boasts all of the lemon flavor with much less tartness. Phew.

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In hindsight, using one of my lemons to garnish vodka-sodas might not have been the best use of this quality ingredient. I knew that with my 2nd lemon, I needed to make something that would emphasize it’s best features.  This Lemon-Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust highlighted Liz Lemon’s delicate flavor perfectly.

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We brought Liz Lemon inside near our dining room window that gets lots of light for the winter. A lot of her leaves have fallen off, which I read can be normal when the tree goes dormant. Here’s to hoping Liz Lemon will grow lots this spring and double her production next year!

xx

-h