Molasses Spice Cookies

Last weekend, my hubby and I tried a new restaurant in Raleigh for brunch; it was wonderful.  Irregardless is located in the downtown area, but nestled in more a residential setting rather than a business site.  When we first sat down, they brought us freshly squeezed orange juice and a basket of homemade breads--biscuits to a spiced pumpkin bread.  We both reached for the biscuits first, but after I had finished most of my meal, I broke off a piece of the thinly sliced pumpkin bread and literally couldn't stop eating it!  Really, how embarrassing, I ate 3 thin slices which I decided equaled the size of a slab of bread I'd normally have:-D I love those flavors and it made me realize how much I look forward to autumn so I can bake using them.  However, I thought, why should I wait and decided to bake a cookie today that I know my hubby loves just as much as I do...and, since I'm traveling to Colorado tomorrow, I can take a gift bag with some cookies that I know my friends will love too.

Molasses cookies, with their cracked exterior counterbalancing the uncommonly moist, soft and chewy texture comes from using butter, not shortening and adding an egg yolk rather than a whole egg for tenderness.  When using molasses, it's important to balance that assertive flavor with strong spices--cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice.  Additionally, I added ground white pepper since I sometimes do that in my gingerbread.  Rolling the balls of dough in Sanding Sugar gives the finished cookies a sweet crunchy coating.

Molasses Spiced Cookies
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
1 large egg yolk
2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375F-degree.  Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.  Place 1/2 cup of Sanding Sugar in a shallow dish and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the molasses, vanilla and egg yolk and increase speed to medium to beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, and spices together.  On low speed, add the flour mixture; beat until just incorporated.

The dough will seem a little sticky, but don't add more flour.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure there are not "pockets" of flour remaining.

Use a tablespoon-size scoop and drop into the Sanding Sugar.  Roll the ball into the sugar to coat.  Space balls about 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes until browned, still puffy, and have begun to set, but the centers are still soft.  Do not over bake!

 Remove from the oven and let cookies set on the sheet for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving (or storing!)

Needless to say, my kitchen smelled like autumn was around the corner even though it's 96F degrees here today.  Enjoy! 

Secret Ingredient Spice Cookies & April's Give-Away Apron

The month of April symbolizes showers, trees and flowers bursting forth,  Easter, and my Dad's birthday on April 12th (he would have been 95 years old).  So, it wasn't by accident that I chose (or it chose me) a fabric with Sailboats on it; besides being retired from US Navy, he was an avid sailor on his twin keel sailboat,  Rhiannon (Irish witch).

Dad bringing Rhiannon up the Chesapeake Bay  

If you would like a chance to win this apron, please leave a comment on any one of my posts this month!

Now, for these unusual spice cookies...I love a good mystery and in fact, if you haven't already read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins I highly recommend it.  However, we're talking cookies and the mystery ingredient.

wait for it...........

Yes, it's ketchup!  Before you say yuck (and I know my daughter, Erin will because she hates ketchup) I must say these reminded me of a spice cake my mother baked made with tomato soup in the 60s.  How many of you have made that cake?  Well, it's delicious too and I know if you told your family what was in it, they probably wouldn't even try it:-D  These cookies are unique and heading straight to my sister's house today for an Easter surprise.

Secret Ingredient Spice Cookies
3 1/2 cups KAF all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup granulated sugar
4T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup ketchup (I used Heinz)
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a glass bowl, mix the butter, oil, molasses and ketchup and microwave 30 seconds on high, repeating until the butter has melted.

In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, place all the dry ingredients in and mix on low to combine.  While mixer is running, slowly add the melted butter mixture.  Next, add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until thorough combined.

Place Sparkling Sugar or granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Scoop tablespoon size pieces of dough, roll in a ball and dip the tops in the sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.  Allow to cool a few minutes, then, transfer to a rack to cool completely.  

Secret ingredient and all, these are wonderful cookies...just don't tell the family. Enjoy!

Happy Easter to All!

 

Comeback Tomato Soup Cake

As comebacks go, this probably doesn't rank up there as exciting as Bret Favre's retirements (LOL), but I had a sign this week that I couldn't ignore and decided to share my recipe for Tomato Soup cake, which is making it's own comeback.

I've been painting the interior of a cute little cottage, this past week, that my husband and his partner will call their offices.  (Still have two more rooms to go: ))  While I was walking to the cottage, I spied a ladybug on a leaf of a hydrangea plant that Jamie planted in the garden along the path.  I bent down, to the leaf of the plant, and stuck out my finger...the lady bug crawled up on my finger and sat there.  For all of you, who know the ladybug story and Kelly, this took my breathe away.  Miss Ladybug sat there for some time in the palm of my hand before she flew off.  I've been nudged once more to blog.

Why did I choose tomato soup for this cake?  Well, I was born in 1950 and it was during the 50s and 60s that Campbell's did an extensive campaign that their soups could be used for more than...just soup.   Tomato soup in a cake was something that was quirky enough for my mother to try. She made this cake quite often because my father loved the spices and it's just so moist.  However, the cake is usually iced in a cream cheese frosting, but I chose to do a ganache glaze today because I love chocolate and spice together.

I've noticed, watching Food Network and reading through cooking magazines, that tomato soup cake is once again in the spotlight and I have to say, I was inspired to bake again--which hasn't been the case these last few weeks.  I'm thinking maybe mayonnaise, sauerkraut, and red beet cakes can't be far behind:-D  My mother tried these also!

Tomato Soup Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (10oz) can Campbell's Tomato Soup
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla powder (optional, but really intensifies the flavor of vanilla)
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T + 1tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick cooking spray and set aside.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, measure the sugar and pour the melted butter and oil in.  Mix thoroughly.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the soup, vanilla extract and powder (if using) and blend well.  Measure the dry ingredients in a large bowl (including the spices) and use a hand whisk to blend.  Add the dry ingredients, one-third at a time, to the bowl, mixing on med-low speed to incorporate.  Add the buttermilk just before the last third of flour mixture has been added.  Incorporate on med-low, then, turn the mixer up to medium for 1 minute to blend completely.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake 38 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back and a toothpick, poked in the center, comes out cleanly.  Let cool 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

While cooling, prepare the ganache.

Ganache Glaze
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 T Karo light syrup
In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy whipping cream just until "bubbles" appear around the edges.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips in a medium, heat-proof glass bowl.  Let sit for a few seconds, then using a small whisk or spatula, blend the cream and chocolate until all the cream is incorporated.  Add the Karo syrup and blend once again.
Place the cake and rack over a large sheet pan that has been covered with wax paper (or parchment).

Transfer ganache glaze to a large measure cup and begin to pour the glaze slowly over the cooled cake.

You can lift up the cake rack and place the "excess" ganache back into the measuring cup to pour over any areas that weren't covered the first time.
Finally, I dotted the surface with Pearlized edible White Pearls.

Simple, but elegant and the rave reviews for the cake from my husband and a friend made this a very special Comeback.  Enjoy!
 


   

Ginger Spice & Everything Nice Cookies

When I returned home (sadly) on Monday from my week with my grandson, Ari, I had The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour awaiting me.  The first thing that caught my eye was these Ginger Spice Cookies and I thought I would share them...because you just can't have enough ginger cookie recipes : )

Kelly's favorite (and mine) are the Giant Gingerbread Cookies I made in May, but these are a very close second in flavor and comfort for those snowy, cold days hitting much of the United States.  Even I came home to snow Monday evening, but nothing like New England faced with two feet or more, and ours has melted with temperatures in the 50s.  However, this is a great recipe to add to your cookie file and would be even better made with your kids.

Ginger Spice Cookies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup crystallized ginger 
 2 1/4 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon (I added this, it wasn't in the original)
1/2 cup Sparkling Sugar Crystals 

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and molasses, blending well.  Add the dry ingredients; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix in the crystallized ginger.  Chill dough for 10 -15 minutes or even overnight.

Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with tablespoon scoop and roll in Sparkling Sugar Crystals.

Place the balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and set.  Mine baked for exactly 11 minutes, so I suggest you set your oven timer for 10 minutes to check for doneness, adding more time if needed.

Let cool about 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.   The recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.  


One of the games I played with Ari was "Dinosaur" because he received a very precious gift from Heidi Witte (humbleluna@gmail.com) of a dinosaur tail.  

It was cold and snowy outside, but feeding my little dinosaur became such a wonderful game and I know he would have loved these cookies.  Make Believe and Baking just seem to go together when you're snowed in with your kids!  Enjoy!