Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Yesterday was the Oak Harbor tennis match.  The one match a year where the team gets out of class early, piles onto a school bus (this year with the boys' JV baseball team) and endures the longest drive of the season up to a rival high school.  

It's the one day each year that I eat McDonalds. :)

I was tempted to try the iced coffee with sugar-free vanilla syrup, and ordered a large.  And it was large. Since Mickey D's doesn't have the coffee cred of places like Starbucks and Tully's, I was't sure what to expect.  But it was great- ice cold and refreshing, not too sweet, and I could taste the coffee.  I'm not sure what it cost, but not more than maybe $2.50.  Which is a steal, compared to big coffee chains.  This might become a habit, especially as the weather heats up. :)

Since one fast food stop isn't nearly enough for a group of tennis players, we took tons of food for the ride up.  There were cookies, chips, crackers, fruit skewers and trays, and even barbecue pork.  I took these ginger cookies with chocolate, and they were a hit.  I love ginger and chocolate, and putting them together is genius.  Huge thanks to Joy the Baker for an awesome recipe!

Chewy Ginger Chocolate Cookies


from Joy the Baker

makes about 4 dozen cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chocolate chips (be generous!)
granulated sugar, for rolling dough balls

Position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light color, about 1 minute.  On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands into a ball, toss the ball in sugar to coat, and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Continue making cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 10 minutes.*  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

*The original recipe said 12-14 minutes, but ten was just right for my cookies.  They were done and stayed soft and chewy.

Have a great weekend!

Love,
Rosie

TGIF- Brownies

It's finally officially spring break! Believe it or not, this was actually the first full week of school we've had in months.  Between teacher work days, testing, half-days, and holidays, we've had our fair share of time off.  And now...a full week :)  And I have just the way for you to start your weekend, whether or not you're on a break too.  In a word- chocolate.

While I was making these, I thought, anything that starts out looking like this has to be good.  And oh  yes.  Is it ever good.

My aunt had us all for dinner earlier this week, since my cousin and her husband and their gorgeous one-year-old daughter were over from London.  It was great to get together, especially since Elise Renee had just celebrated her first birthday the day before!  My mom volunteered me for dessert duty, and I settled on the recipe for Rosie's Award-Winning Brownies, from The Rosie's Bakery All-Butter, Cream-Filled, Sugar-Packed Baking Book.

They're pretty conventional as far as ingredients go- butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate, vanilla, and a little flour and vanilla.  I also threw in the optional walnuts, because I can't ever get enough of them.  But when it comes to taste, they are out of this world.  I'm in the dense fudgey brownie camp, and I'm not sure whether I'll try any more brownie recipes.  Seriously, these are that good!  I had to bake mine a little longer than the book said, and the top cracked, but that's how you tell that they are homemade and worlds better than anything store-bought, right? ;)

I'd love to share the recipe with you, but since Judy Rosenburg doesn't make it available outside of her book I don't think that's my prerogative.  But if you can get your hands on a copy of the book, check out page 259 before you do anything else.  

Our dessert buffet included the brownies and one vanilla cupcake, for the birthday girl.  And vanilla ice cream, because I don't think my family has ever gotten together without ice cream.

I realize how tiny my brownie and ice cream look in this picture, but they were actually much bigger.  There's no way I would get a short end of the stick with this dessert! :)

All in all, it was a good week.  Busy, rainy, and a little stressful, but good.  And now it's the weekend and time to kick back.  Enjoy yours!

Love,
Rosie

Easy Peach Parfait

Life in this corner has been pretty hectic lately.  Things are speeding up more and more as school approaches, which cuts down on some of my kitchen time :( But I haven't been completely unproductive, and I wanted to share a super quick and easy dessert before getting around to the real stuff.  The inspiration for this dessert came from a fabulous brunch episode of "Paula's Best Dishes", and you can make it to suit your own tastes.  It's light and refreshing, and a great way to use up some of that summer fruit that's still in the fridge.  

Easy Peach Parfait

crushed graham cracker (or shortbread cookies, or vanilla wafers, whatever!)

1 chopped peach (again, sub other fruit or berries as you like)

whipped cream

Layer in a jar and enjoy!

Banana Cake with Fudge Frosting

School is almost here.  I went to orientation a few days ago to get my picture taken and get my schedule, and I even bought a college-ruled notebook at Rite Aid last week.  My summer homework is more of a priority now than it was in July, and I'm squeezing in as much fun reading as I can.

But summer is still here.  We still have two weeks, and my friends and I are doing as many fun, laid back things as we can to enjoy it (in my book, back to school shopping is fun and laid back if it happens at Nordstrom Rack).

Last night I headed out with one of my favorite girls to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and then back to her house for dessert and a movie.  We agreed on the new "Star Trek" and I said I'd bring something sweet.  

I decided on this cake, from Joy of Cooking.  It's a little labor intensive but totally worth it, especially if you get to eat it while watching Chris Pine for two hours.  And if you add fudge frosting to cake and Chris Pine, life is good.  :)

Banana Cake

from Joy of Cooking

Have all ingredients at room temp.

2 large ripe bananas

2 Tbsp sour cream

2 large eggs

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour*

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

10 Tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bananas and sour cream in a food processor and process briefly just until blended.  Add and process eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, beat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add half the banana mixture along with butter.  Beat on low just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Gradually add the remaining banana mixture in two batches, beating 20 seconds after each addition.  Scrape the evenly batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly, 30-40 minutes.  

Let cool in the pan on the rack 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Let cool completely on rack.

*A note: I didn't have cake flour on hand, so I made my own using this guide from Joy the Baker.

Quick Fudge Frosting

from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
dash salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar and cocoa in saucepan.  Stir in butter, milk, corn syrup, and salt.  Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.  Boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.  Cool.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

A note: the cookbook said this made enough for an 8-inch or 9-inch cake, but it was thin enough that I made another batch so there was a nice thick layer of frosting all over.

A Better Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yesterday I broke my don't-bake-with-shortening rule.  I considered myself something of a purist, committed solely to using real butter in all of my baked goods.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I saw "The Help" earlier this week watched Minny make fried chicken with Crisco...anyway.  I promised my brother monthly chocolate chip cookies at Christmas and it was time to deliver.  

My usual recipe wasn't what I wanted, so I pulled out a battered copy of Betty Crocker's Cookbook and found the recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  It looked good, but I had to commit to using shortening as well as butter...and I am so glad I did.  I'm not a complete shortening convert, and butter is still number one in my book.  But a little shortening spread out in this many cookies never hurt anyone, and made for my brand new favorite chocolate chip cookies!

Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 30+ cookies

from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour (I used all-purpose)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (my brother doesn't like nuts, so I left these out)

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together sugars, butter, egg and vanilla.  

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips, and nuts if desired.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about two inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  

Bake 8-10 minutes.  Cool slightly before removing from sheet.

Orange-Cranberry Bundt Cake

A few weeks ago a family friend invited my mom and me over for coffee.  It had been a while since we'd seen her, and so both of us were looking forward to catching up and spending some time together.  When we arrive at her house sometime in the late morning, she was ready and waiting with coffee, iced tea, coffee cake, blueberry muffins, and strawberries.  It was a fairly simple menu, but beautifully put together and very welcoming.  She had put out pretty plates and napkins, and really made things feel festive and special- all for coffee and conversation.  

Today I spent most of the day volunteering at the hospital.  I was in a different place than usual, and it was exciting to have new things to do (I got asked to chaperone a vaginal ultrasound!! how. cool. is. that.), mostly helping people find their way and giving directions.  Very simple interactions, all of them, and empty small talk.  I felt like a real newbie, but people were grateful, and it felt good just to help.  

Both today and the day we had coffee felt similar- the best part wasn't anything tangible.  But I did get something almost tangible from the coffee date, a recipe for overnight coffee cake.  I had wanted to do something for our friend to say thanks, and I made a bundt cake.  We ended up exchanging recipes, and I love that now they both have a special feeling.  The best food is made with love, after all :)

This is the recipe for my "thank you" bundt.  It almost seems like a snack cake, but you could make a real dessert of it also.  Mine fell apart a bit because I was way too impatient to wait for it to cool all the way...haha.  It was still really tasty.

Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake

Cooking spray

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

1 Tbsp grated orange zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

Confectioners' sugar for dusting, optional

Preheat the oven the 350 degrees.  Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Beat sugar and oil together in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed.  Separately add each egg white and the egg, beating after each addition.  Beat in the orange zest and vanilla.  

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately into the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition.

Stir in the cranberries.  Pour into the pan.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until the cake is golden and crumbs adhere to a toothpick inserted near the center (won't rise as much as most other Bundt cakes).  Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan about 5 minutes.  Turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

I've definitely got big plans to make that coffee cake soon, so it'll be coming! :)

Homemade Nutella

One of the most important parts of a party is the food- obviously :)  This weekend was my grandpa's 90th birthday, and all the family and friends who came celebrated with lots of food.  One of my favorite parts was roasting giant marshmallows over the fire and making s'mores on Saturday night...after we sang and made wishes over several cakes and pies.

 

 If you haven't seen these giant marshmallows yet, you should look for them! Bigger is always better...especially when it comes to dessert.

Anyway, on Friday I posted a 'sneak peek' of a recipe I stumbled upon a while back and fell in love with- homemade Nutella! One of my cousins is getting married soon and there was a 'Pantry Party' bridal shower for her on Friday.  My mom was giving some of her homemade jam and granola, and I decided to give a jar of this.  It comes together quickly and easily, which is all the more reason to double it.  And to make a batch of Big and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies to go along :)

Homemade Nutella

from Oh Nuts

2.5 oz (about 2/3 cup) hazelnuts

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

3 ox baking chocolate, finely chopped

3 Tbsp honey

Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees.  You'll get a nuttier taste the longer you leave them in.  

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until almost liquid.  In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and add sweetened condensed milk and honey.  When combined and smooth, add to hazelnuts and process to desired consistency.  

A note on storage: I don't think this needs to be kept in the refrigerator, because the milk has been cooked.  It certainly won't hurt to keep it in the fridge, although you'll need to let it sit for a while at room temp before spreading.

Big and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

I've done loads of baking since Sunday so I have several (super exciting!) recipes to share, and the cookie recipe wasn't the one I was going to do first.  But last night I was in charge of dinner for only me, and I ate about six bites of baked zucchini (with cheese) before eating four of these cookies while I watched Food Network and crime dramas.  And didn't do any of the summer assignment for AP US History.

I copied this recipe about of The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen by Serena Thompson and Teri Edwards, which you can read about here.  It's a lovely book, and I couldn't let it go back to the library without snagging this recipe.  I didn't have a chance to make it until this week, because we have new neighbors! Although the plate I made for them is definitely still on the counter.  Chances of the plate making it down the street are better now that we have another batch on the cooling racks :)

One of my best friends Kendal had surgery on Monday, and even though she can't eat solid food for a little while I wanted to take her something she can enjoy later.  She's a big peanut butter fan, so I knew anything that included it would be a hit :)   

These are tasty little cookies, and they couldn't be easier.  The only hard thing is waiting for the butter to soften, but I usually nuke it anyway :)

Big and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

salted peanuts, for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream the butter on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs, mixing until combined.  Stir in flours, baking soda, and salt.

Drop the batter by 1/4 cup-fuls onto baking sheets, spacing about three inches apart.  Press peanuts on top of each cookie.  Bake until lightly browned-12 to 15 minutes (12 was perfect for me).  Let cool one minute on baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack.  

I made my second batch of these today, along with a double batch of something that was meant to be spread on a peanut butter cookie- coming later!

Small World- Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite the world around.  Last night was the Sayonara Party, when the host families and exchange students 'officially' said goodbye.  It was a potluck, and since both of our exchange girls agreed the best cookie is a chocolate chip cookie, I thought I'd go with that for our dessert.  I got lucky several years ago in finding my go-to chocolate chip recipe on the first try, one I found in The Boxcar Children Cookbook, called Dr. Brown's Favorite Brown Cookie.  It's a pretty standard chocolate chip cookie, but with brown sugar instead of white- and plenty of butter :)

The only challenging part about these cookies is when to take them out of the oven- the original recipe says 8-10 minutes for a soft cookie and 10-12 for a crisp cookie.  My note says to take them out of the oven at nine minutes, which will give you a pretty soft cookie, but getting them off the baking sheet in one piece is a little tricky.  It helps a little to let them cool a minute-not too long- on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Straight out of the oven, these cookies are irresistible.  I usually eat four the crumbs with the hot pad still in one hand :)

I didn't include quantities for chocolate chips or nuts, just because I've never payed attention to that part of the recipe.  Throw in as many or as few as you like, and you'll still have a delicious cookie!


Dr. Brown's Favorite Brown Cookies


from The Boxcar Children Cookbook


1 1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips
chopped nuts (I like walnuts), optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs.  Add flour, baking soda, and vanilla.  Mix well.

Stir in desired amounts of chocolate chips and nuts.  Dough will be very stiff.

Space spoonfuls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake to desired doneness. (See pics below)

The ones in the top of the picture were taken out at nine minutes, and the ones below were taken out at about 10 1/2 minutes.  They are still soft, but look a little more done.  I prefer the crinkly ones :)

These are my best chocolate chip cookies to date, although I've never tried the NY Times cookie or the Jacques Torres cookie.  After everything I've heard, both are high on my list.  Have you made either? Do you have a go-to chocolate chip recipe?

Eating Out and a Mixed Fruit Clafouti

We've been super busy lately- the Japanese exchange girls are only here for two weeks and we're trying to give them two weeks to remember, full of outings and food and life.  Last night we went to the Mariners game, and they won! I can't even describe how thrilled the girls were to see Ichiro in person- we got seats behind the right outfield so we'd be able to see him well :)  Normally the girls are pretty quiet and reserved (who wouldn't be, in a new country where communication is a challenge?) but last night they screamed and cheered and clapped and chattered in Japanese..and a little English.  My brother David who lives in Seattle met us at the game, which was nice because he speaks Japanese and could communicate very well :)

Besides Ichiro and the baseball, which I love, the real highlight of a trip to Safeco Field is the food!  I did a little research ahead of time and discovered that you can buy grass-fed beef hamburgers! I was so excited that the garlic fries plan went on the back burner.  I did actually eat quite a few of my dad's fries, but the burger was a homerun- ha. Ha. I got it with cheese and all the toppings.

Both girls got garlic fries, and said they liked them, but the garlic was "a little strong".  :)

Another small piece of food news- last weekend we went to my grandparents' summer house for a small weekend getaway with some other family and the dinner menu for Saturday night was homemade pizza, and so we opted to do the easy thing and pick up a few crusts at Haggen's.  Of course, there is a Krispy Kreme in the same parking lot...and since apparently there are no Krispy Kremes in Japan, we knew what we had to do.  

It's never easy for me to choose what kind of donut I want, but when I found out that they were making fresh apple fritters while we ordered I knew.  We watched the deep-frying and sugar-coating happening right there, and it was absolutely too much to resist! It was still warm when I got it, and then there was nothing better.  Fried foods are something I eat next to never, but I think part of healthy living (and having a healthy relationship with food) is making unhealthy choices sometimes.  Everything in moderation, and above all- enjoy your food.

It. Was. Heaven.

On to today...a few friends agreed to come play some tennis with me and the girls this evening, which was a ball! We hit for about thirty minutes and then went to one of the best spots in Everett for Mexican food- Tampico.  They each enjoyed an enchilada but agreed that they didn't like the beans.

This afternoon I was dying to make something (don't get me wrong, I love eating out! But I was ready for a little something homemade) and after trying a mediocre green bean recipe for lunch, I was ready to try my hand at a clafouti.  I'd never tried one before, but we had loads of fresh fruit lying around and a sweet puffy pancake studded with summer fruits sounded pretty darn good.

The recipe I found called for all plums, but I also used peaches, apricots, and cherries.  I thought it would make a nice dessert, and after playing Just Dance 2 for a while after dinner (oh my word, so much fun!!) the girls were ready for something sweet.  I was still stuffed from dinner, but when everyone else sat down and all I had was a glass of water, I decided to make some room.

This makes a fabulous dessert alone or with some whipped cream, and I imagine we'll enjoy it for breakfast too!

Mixed Fruit Clafouti


adapted from Rose's Recipes 



3 to 3 1/2 cups sliced fruit
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 10-inch round pan (or a skillet) with non-stick cooking spray and arrange sliced fruit on the bottom.  It will overlap and there will be more than a single layer.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until combined, and gradually whisk into the flour mixture.  Smooth out lumps.

Sprinkle brown sugar over fruit.

Pour batter over fruit and bake 35-40 minutes (I went the whole 40).  If you want more of a cake-like texture bake a little longer, but the eggy-comsistency is really nice.

Serve!

Tomorrow night is already the Sayonara Party, when we officially say goodbye to the students.  They don't leave until Saturday, but things are winding down.  Each family is asked to bring a main dish and a salad or dessert, and I put dibs on dessert.  I have a few ideas of what to do (both girls are enthusiastic about chocolate), so tomorrow I'll make something special for the party.

Until then, I think I'll tackle a little AP US History summer homework.  I'm reading Thunderstruck by Erik Larson as my book of choice, and it's pretty good so far.  We're also reading several chapters from A People's History of the United States.  Have you read either? What did you think?

Or, have you ever made a clafouti? :)

Homemade Mint Ice Cream

After eating at Ivar's on Thursday, we finished the evening with some homemade ice cream, David Lebovitz-style.  We have scads of mint growing in a planter outside, and mint chip ice cream is a favorite in this house.  After checking out The Perfect Scoop earlier this year from the library, it was clear that we had to use the recipe from the book.

I did most of the work on Thursday morning, so that it would be chilled and the only step when we got home would be to throw it in the ice cream maker and wait.  It was a little labor-intensive, but not more so than any other ice cream, and it wasn't complicated.

My dad isn't a huge mint fan and the exchange students hated it, but my mom and I loved this ice cream!  It's rich and creamy, and the mint flavor is present but not overpowering.  I followed the recipe for Mint Chip ice cream, but in the end we just got out the chocolate chips for those who wanted some.  I think the recipes for Mint and Mint Chip are the same, but I'm including the one I followed and omitting the instructions for adding the chocolate.

The original Mint Chip recipe is here, and the recipe for Fresh Mint is here.

Mint Ice Cream

from David Lebovitz

makes about 1 quart

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
pinch salt
2 cups packed fresh mint leaves*
5 large egg yolks

*I didn't know what kind of mint we had growing, but I did a little research and it looks like you can use whatever kind you have.  


1.  In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, salt, and mint.

2.  Once the mixture is hot and steaming, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an hour to infuse the mint flavor.

3.  Remove the mint with a strainer, and press firmly with a spatula to extract as much flavor (and color) as possible.  Discard the mint.

4.  Pour the remaining heavy cream into a large bowl and set the strainer over the top.

5.  Rewarm the infused milk.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then slowly pour some of the warm mint mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly.  Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

6.  Cook the custard, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  It should be around 170 degrees F.

7.  Immediately strain the mixture into the cream, and stir over an ice bath until cool.

8.  Refrigerate the mixture thoroughly, preferably overnight, and then freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Done!  We have a little left over, but thankfully the competition will be less than fierce :)

If you make ice cream, what is your favorite to make?  Have you made any weird flavors that turned out well?  I've heard olive oil ice cream is surprisingly tasty, and I'm tempted to give it a try!