Repost: Ginger Chocolate Cookie Bars

Ginger Chocolate Cookie Bars

These started pretty much the way most of my favorite treats do: I was making chocolate chip cookies, decided I wanted them to be Chocolate Chocolate Chip and well, here you go!

3 tbsp vegetable shortening

5 tbsp coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions)

1 c brown sugar
1/2 c cane sugar
1 tsp vietnamese cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate (I used dark, semi-sweet & white)
1/4 c candied ginger, chopped
2 c pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking pan with parchment. melt shortening, oil and chocolate. Don't overmelt that way you can have some chunks if you like. set aside to cool.

add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. mix together with a wooden spoon. add flour and baking soda. mix together with wooden spoon.

Add eggs (make sure batter is not warm at all before adding eggs!) go to it with the wooden spoon.

Spread batter onto baking sheet evenly. bake for approx 25 min. let cool. eat!

RePost: Afternoon Walnut French Toast

Afternoon Walnut French Toast

The trick to good French toast is not just the quality of the ingredients, but how long you allow the bread to soak. You cannot rush through it as you want the bread to be toasted and yet still have give on the inside.


I am not big on syrup, so I actually like to just add a bit of sugar to my mix, to give it a bit of sweetness and for flavor I use vanilla flavored sugar. You cannot rush food if you plan to enjoy it and thus you must take the time to care about what you are doing. This goes along well with the easy simplicity of breakfast for lunch.

Gather:

1 loaf of walnut bread or other favorite bread (1-2 slices per person)
Eggs
Vanilla Sugar
Milk
Butter or oil

Whisk eggs and sugar with milk. You need just enough for however much you are making. So per person about 1 egg, 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp milk.

Soak your bread and heat the butter/oil in your pan.

Cook on medium heat until cooked through. Serve with something yummy such as some form of bacon or a lovely glass of tea!

Banana Scones

Banana Scones

8 oz whole grain pastry flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

2 oz vegetable shortening

2 oz turbinado sugar

1 med to large banana, peeled, sliced in half and then in bits

2 oz egg (1 large egg)

2-3 oz plain yogurt


set oven to 425.

Combine dry ingredients. Rub in shortening, then add banana to coat. Whisk together egg & yogurt, then combine with dry mix until just combined. Knead lightly.

I use a cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approx 20 min. cut into triangles. Should yield 6-8 scones depending on how you cut them. For a little extra sweetness, you can sprinkle with some extra sugar.

Epicurious, 15 years and counting

"In some ways it's trying to be ahead of the curve a little bit and figure out what people want and don't have yet." Tanya Steel on what's next for Epicurious.

Long before I went to culinary school, I loved to cook and bake. Like many people I hunted around for the best recipes to test out my skills on. Epicurious has been a go to me for a long time for many reasons. It is convenient, easy to navigate and always has recipes that translate to 'yum!'

It was also a fantastic resource in school for when you needed something last minute and didn't have time to go through a ton of books to find what was needed.

When I heard that Tanya Steel was going to be in San Francisco and that Bay Area food bloggers were being offered the chance to sit down with her, I jumped at it. Who wouldn't want to sit down with the Editor in Chief of one of the most well recognized online recipe sites in the world?

Epicurious is 15 years old, and for the last five years has been led by Tanya Steel. They've won 62 awards and they are an amazing daily online publication for food and drinks. The growth they have shown since their inception shows that the passion for good food gets stronger everyday.

Tanya herself is warm, friendly and open, so it made me infinitely more comfortable to sit down with her and talk about what's new, what's good and what's next. Also, two days after I met her, I got to see her on Hell's Kitchen which was pretty awesome.

Oh and in case you don't know, Tanya wrote Real Food for Healthy Kids with Tracey Seaman and during our chat expressed a desire try and help tackle childhood obesity and food insecurity. Here are some kid friendly recipes from the book.

So now, what's new and good? Well how about Epicurious being the #1 lifestyle IPAD app? They were one of only 9 apps actually launched with the IPAD, which shows good sense on the part of Apple!

As for what's next, Tanya would love to see new growth with cooking for and with kids, healthy eating and entertaining becoming more a part of the Epicurious community, possibly even a spin off site or two. The great part of Epicurious is that they listen to what their readers want and try to be ahead of the curve in providing it.

Where else can you go global with around the world in 80 dishes, discover classic drinks, learn to make fudge, get seasonal recipes, and travel dining all in one site?!

Tanya would also love to provide more content where people can tackle more difficult and unusual dishes. She recognizes that the readers cooking level is growing and wants to be a part of the newest food revolutions. Having more complicated, technique driven dishes on the site is just one exciting idea we discussed.

I can't wait to see what Epicurious does next and I am glad I had the opportunity to tell the Editor in Chief how much I love the site and hear what excites her about working with Epicurious and helping people to learn more about cooking at home.

"The way for us to do that is to show how easy it is to pull these things together." Tanya Steel on making real food and cooking accessible to everyone.

Cashew Brownies w/White Chocolate Frosting

1 c vanilla sugar *+ 1 c roasted, unsalted cashews, pulsed together (though not fine3/4 c peanut oil
3 eggs
1 c buttermilk
2 c flour
1 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

Frosting: 12 oz white chocolate, melted w/2 tbsp half & half
1 c powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp half & half (if needed)

To make Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine dry ingrediants and set aside. Combine oil with sugar nut mix. Add eggs one at a time until just combined. Add butter milk, then dry mix. Do not overmix.

Pour out into a wax paper lined small cookie sheet. Bake @ 325 F for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

While Brownies are baking, combine melted chocolate, sugar and extra half and half if needed. Spread frosting ontop Brownies, slice and enjoy!

If you like your desserts sweeter, you can add up to one more cup of sugar, though I think the frosting makes it plenty sweet enough!

Whoopie for Whoopie Pies!

United Cakes of America review part 2

Next up were the Whoopie Pies, which I made for my birthday cake. Okay, it’s not a cake per se but it is delicious and filled with gooey goodness so what is not to love?! I have long searched for the perfect Whoopie Pie recipe and personally I think I found it. The consistency and flavor are spot on and they are really very easy to make.

 I served them with fresh strawberries and a few blackberries after a gorgeous dinner of chicken mushroom Marsala with red potatoes and green beans.

For Whoopie Pies:

Dry Ing

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill, Potato Starch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ing

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 light brown sugar, packed
1 egg

preheat oven to 350 F. line 2 baking pans with parchment and spray with non-stick spray.

In separate bowls, combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients, set aside.

cream butter and sugars for 3 minutes, then add egg. alternate dry and wet mixture. do this quickly and make sure you scrape down your bowl. This batter is sensitive, so don't overwork it!

Using a 1/2 cup or a 2 oz cookie scoop, drop dough onto sheet pans and make sure they are spaced out. bake 12-15 minutes. i wouldn't use my regular cookie racks to cool these as they would leave a pattern on the soft cakes.

Seven Minute Frosting

1 1/4 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon each: vanilla, amaretto, rum (or your preference...I like scotch or bourbon!)

Bring a pan of water to simmer so you can create a double boiler. Combine sugar, egg whites, salt and cream of tartar over the simmering water. beat with a handheld mixer for 7 minutes.

The seven minute frosting is marshmallowy and though it takes a long time, is quite delicious. That being said, I think that next time I will take a half cup of sugar out of the filling as I found it a bit too sweet.

I stored these covered on a plate and you want to make sure you use parchment paper or the like to separate or they stick together.

The major bonus is that after sitting overnight they bear a strong resemblance to that childhood favorite you no longer eat because it is filled with junk. Yeah!!

also next time i want to try some different flavors, maybe adding a bit of fruit puree to the filling just for fun.

Apricot Ginger Pecan Cake

Since I love to experiment and had dried apricots and candied ginger lying about, last night I made this lovely little cake.

3/4 c dried apricots, chopped, soaked and drained
1/2 c candied ginger, chopped
1 stick butter, melted
1 c oats + 2 tsp water, stirred together

Combine throughly to make sure everything is coated by the butter.

Then add: 1/2 c pecans
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 c cornstarch

Mix together until just combined (do not overmix!)

Pour into buttered 7x2" pan and bake @325 F for about a half hour.

Let cool before taking out of pan, place on plate and then sprinkle w/powder sugar.

Enjoy!

Chickpea Dip

This is great for added protein and yummy on whole grain crackers! Its also tasty with Tuna in Olive Oil.


15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Pinch salt, or taste
¼ tsp dill
3 tsp lime juice
Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients minus the oil in a food processor. Slowly add oil until you get the desired consistency. The less oil you add, the thicker it will be, the more you add, the smoother and creamier it will be.

Witch in the Kitchen: Sweet pastry in a pan

10 tbsp shortening
2/3 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour

Melt shortening over low heat in a saucepan, then add the sugar and stir until blended. Sift in flour and stir with wooden sppon until a ball forms in the pan. Let it cool, chill and then press into am 8 inch tart pan. Press lovingly into pan, raising the sides as you go.

This crust is perfect for cream cheese andc jam, for pastry cream and fresh fruit or cooked fruit!

Oatmeal Brownies

I was reading “Fatally Flaky” by Diane Mott Davidson and she was making oatmeal lace cookies. They sounded delicious. I, however, was feeling lazy and scooping, baking and cooling a bunch of cookies sounded like a lot of work.


I made a few little changes, doubled the recipe and am delighted to report that these magical brownies are not only delicious, but gluten free as well! I did several trial runs of these and I have to say, I prefer them best when they are thin and crispy with a hint of Meyer lemon, extra chocolate and made with turbinado for a deep rich flavor. I hope you like them!

Oatmeal Brownies, adapted from Diane Mott Davidson’s Fatally Flaky Cookies

2 sticks butter

1½ cup brown sugar + 2 tbsp (set aside for topping)

5 tbsp cocoa powder

3 c quick cooking oats, toasted

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten with 2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp oat flour

Optional: ½ c Marcona almonds, zest of half a Meyer lemon, 2 oz of chopped dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Melt butter on low, then add sugar and stir about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cocoa, oat flour and oats. Mix together, then add baking powder and salt. Mix together just to dissolve and distribute dry ingredients.

In a glass, use a fork to beat the eggs with vanilla. Fold quickly into cooled oatmeal mixture. (You don’t want to overwork this.)

Luna’s Note: If you want to add lemon zest or some chopped chocolate, do it was you fold in the eggs.

Spread mixture into pan out to the edges. If you like them thinner and crispier, only use about ¾ of the blend and bake the rest separately.

Bake 12-15 minutes and allow to cool before cutting, even though this is nearly impossible!

Witch in the Kitchen: "Damper" Bread

When I made this recipe a few years ago, it was a total disaster. Our oven broke in the midst of me making Thanksgiving dinner for two. The nice part is that we had such a small cut of meat, that it was cooked, and the potatoes were on the stove.

Keeping the door closed and allowed the heat to stay in long enough to let the bread finish, but it was a rather irritating experience. I think I am much more prone now to say, oh well, there's always skillet bread!

4 tablespoons butter (you'll need extra for greasing pots)
1 3/4 c self rising flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (do not use cheap table salt!)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, IE rosemary, chives, sage etc
2/3 c milk
2/3 c water

4 small, clean flowerpots

Preheat oven to 400 F and lightly butter the inside of the flowerpots, dust with flower and set aside.

Sift or whisk together flour and salt. Rub in butter (mixture should look like crumbs) and add herbs. Punch a well into the center of the mixture, then add milk and water. Stir lightly using a fork. Once the mixture is fairly cohesive, turn out onto lightly floured board or counter.

Knead, thinking of all the love you want to go into the bread. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll into balls, one for each pot. Bake in hot oven for 15 minutes. This bread is perfect warm, served with soup, stew or even a really lovely salad!

*Luna's Note: Self Rising Flour is 1 c flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

My Nana loved white chocolate and had some special dietary needs that inspired me to create this recipe for her. Originally I used soy butter, but if you are watching your salt intake, I suggest using salt free butter or shortening.

4 oz White Chocolate (I like El Rey)
4 oz Peanut Butter
10 oz butter or shortening
8 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups brown sugar
2 c flour

preheat oven to 325 F and grease and parchment a 1/2 sheet pan.

 Melt chocolate and peanut butter smooth, set aside. Beat eggs, salt and sugar until fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Add flour and don't over mix!

Pour onto sheet pan and bake 18-20 min or until a knife comes out clean.

Samooosaaaaass!

I am lucky to have a lot of really cool friends that I have made on Twitter. One of them, Shaheen, the delightful @PurpleFoodie has agreed to the be the guest blogger for samosas! So here she is!

Hot Samosas and Friendship

I’ve known Luna for a few months over twitter now and it’s been lovely knowing her. On one such occasion over a twitter chatter, Luna asked me if I had a nice samosa recipe. Now here in Bombay (Mumbai), samosas are found at the corner of every other street. I just have to walk down my lane for a minute and I can get some delicious, piping hot samosas. That’s the reason why I hardly ever make them at home. But since it’s Luna, I just had to make it for her. :)

If you’re not already following her on twitter, then go do that right now! You will then know what thoughtful she is. I especially remember the time she gave me all the moral support I needed to venture out in alone in New York City when I went there a few months ago. Thanks, sweetie!


So back to the samosas - when I made them they took a lot lesser tie than I had anticipated so the long list of ingredients shouldn't stop you! Everyone at home loved them. The samosa was flaky and crunchy all at once and the flavour of the spicy potato filling was kicked up a knotch with the addition of fennel seeds. Try it, you will love it


Samosa recipe

Yield: 6-8

For the dough

1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup ghee or vegetable shortening
2 Tbs. plain yogurt, stirred well

1/4 cup water (or as required)

In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the flour with the salt and baking soda.

Rub in the ghee or shortening, whichever you’re using into the flour.

Rub the fat and the flour together until the flour is evenly coated; there shouldn’t be any lumps.
Add the yogurt-water mixture a little at a time. Add just enough liquid until the dough comes together in a mass.

Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. The dough is ready when it's no longer sticky and feels nice and supple (after about 5 minutes of kneading).

Wrap it in plastic, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.




For Potato and Peas Filling

1 tbs. cooking oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. coriander powder

1/2 tsp. dry mango powder or amchoor

½ tsp turmeric

¼-1/2 tsp. chilli powder (depending on how hot you want it to be)

1 cups very coarsely mashed potatoes

½ cup peas, boiled

Salt to taste


Canola oil or any flavourless oil for deep frying


Heat 1 tbsp oil and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Next add in the whole seeds – mustard, cumin and fennel and cook until they sizzle. Another 1 minute.

Now add all the powdered spices, coriander, dry mango, turmeric, chilli.

Once it is all incorporated, add the potatoes and peas and mix well. Add the salt.

Let this potato mixture cool.



Assembling the samosa

Divide the dough into about 6-8 portions.

Roll them out into strips of 1/8th inch thickness.

Place the potato filling in the middle and seal the sides as shown in the photo.

Heat the oil for deep frying the samosas.

Drop 2-3 in at a time and dry till they are golden brown.

Drain on paper towel and serve hot!


http://purplefoodie.com/

Love Potion #9 Cake

I tried out this cake on my friends and it ended up paired with figs & goat cheese that had been baked & drizzled in balsamic. The cake is light and moist, the liqueur flavor unique. I know it was a hit because the Cheese Princess kept drifting over for more! The only addition we would have liked might have been little Love Potion #9 laced Chantilly cream.

2 c flour
2 tsp b powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c milk
½ c Love Potion #9
½ c sugar
¾ vegetable shortening
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry ingredients, set aside. Combine milk and Love Potion #9, set aside.
Cream shortening & sugar, add eggs. Starting & ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour mix with milk mix. Do not over mix! If you have some flour that doesn’t blend in, use a spatula.
I used four 6 x 3½ loaf pans, baked for approx 25 minutes.

Luna's Chocolate Spelt Cake

Chocolate Spelt Cake

1 stick butter

pinch salt

¼ tsp ginger

¼ c mascarpone

1 c spelt flour

1 c muscavado

4 eggs

¼ c cream

1 c cocoa


Combine all ingredients in a processer to meld. Pour into buttered cake pan. bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream & brandy cherries.

Easy Blueberry Cheesecake

When you have ready made graham cracker crust, frozen blueberries and cream cheese its easy to whip up a simple, delicious cheesecake!

1 package cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 c blueberries

Put cream cheese in bowl of mixer with cream cheese and turn on low until well blended. Add egg, and make sure its fully mixed in. Fold in 2 cups of blueberries, pour into prepared grham cracker crust and bake at 325 F for 30 minutes, turn off oven and let cool in the oven.

Lemon Cocoa Nib Cupcakes w/Caramel

I originally posted these last year, but they are soooo good, I thought they (and you) deserved a second helping!

Lemon Cocoa Nib Cupcakes w/Caramel

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin tins with liners.

zest and juice of 2 lemons, separated (the juice is for the caramel)

stick butter, softened

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs, room temp

1/2 c half and half, room temp

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 c All Purpose Flour

1/2 c cocoa nibs

I actually just threw everything together until just combined. Scary I know. Divide among the lined tins and bake for 15 minutes.

For the Caramel

the juice from the lemons

1 c sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp half and half

Put lemon juice and sugar into pan and cover on medium heat. Caramel goes quickly so you want to watch it. When it looks perfect, leave it on just bit burn so it lightly burns. Pull from stove and then add salt, butter & half and half, give it all a quick swirl.

This is your frosting! I swished it on, let it cool and then added some more. They are so good!

Shrimp and Salmon Salad

Some nights we just need something light, cool and refreshing. When you get home early from work and need to eat something delicious, so I whipped up this fantastic salad.

Shrimp and Salmon Salad (serves 2)

Baby Greens (you can determine serving)
Sunflower Seeds
8 Cooked Shrimp
1 package smoked salmon (4 oz)
Cherry Tomatoes (only if in season where you are)
Lime Juice
Salt (Coarse, that way you don't use as much)
Hot Sauce to taste

Set up plates with baby greens, seeds and tomatoes. Heat Lime juice, salt and hot sauce in pan. Add shrimp and heat until cooked and season. Set aside to cool. Break up salmon evenly between the two plates. Once the shrimp is cooled, add to the plates, drizzle lime sauce over as a spicy dressing, pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy!

Raspberry Jasmine Tisane

There is never a bad time for a Tisane! This is a simple and refreshing treat for spring or summer! Always cool and refreshing, it would also be wonderful with a splash of vodka should you be ready for a drink.

1 c Jasmine Tea, cold
1 c fresh or frozen raspberries (partially thawed)
Simple Syrup

In a shaker, combine the tea and berries. Shake to mix and then pour into a glass. Add the simple syrup to the desired sweetness and enjoy!

Hibiscus Watermelon Tisane

A Tisane is a mixture of herbs, spices, and/or juices. Sometimes called Tea, it is not a true tea, as it contains no actual Tea Leaves:

Hibiscus Watermelon Tisane

1 tsp dried rose petals
2 tsp hibiscus
2 c watermelon juice
5 c cold water
simple syrup to taste

Bring the water to a simmer, then add hibiscus and rosepetals & let steep. Once cool, chill throughly and then stir in watermelon. If you feel it needs some sweetner, add to taste and serve. If you want it to be colder, I would make the ice cubes from the Tisane or watermelon juice.

I make the juice myself, its very easy!