2011 New Recipe #22

I wanted to use the rest of my molasses so decided to make molasses cookies. I've had them before and they are yummy (the reaction from some of my friends was not so great but who really cares what they think, right?). The problem was that I wanted to us all of the molasses so I ended up taking the recipe times 1 1/2. How do you use 1 1/2 eggs, you ask? Well, I thought that was way too much trouble so I would recommend not doing it! The cookies were delicious and I didn't mind rolling them into little balls and into the sugar (I'd do that over rolling out dough any day!).

Let me just insert a little plug for my Silpat. It's the best and I think everyone should have one. Go buy one. Now. You won't be sorry.

Lucy's Molasses Cookies

http://www.iamchasingbaby.com/2011/09/lucys-molasses-cookies.html

Ingredients:  

3/4 C. Vegetable Oil - 1 C. Sugar - 1 Egg - 1/3 C. Molasses (MIX)

Gradually add the following dry ingredients...

2 tsp. Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp. Clove - 1/4 tsp. Ginger - 2 tsp. Soda - 2 1/4 C. Flour

Mix until thoroughly blended.  

Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls.

Then coat in remaining white sugar.

Place cookies two inches apart onto greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 mins.

2011 New Recipe #21

Oh boy, I'm getting down to the wire! I'm behind a few recipes on the blog but I haven't completed my 30 new recipes this year! I have a few more planned so let's cross our fingers that I can make it!

I got really excited to make these cookies:

They are gingerbread heads and aren't they just adorable?!? Yeah, I thought so, too. And I've never made gingerbread cookies and wanted to be festive so I went for it. I had to buy and use molasses cookies for the first time ever (it smells disgusting - my dad feeds the cows molasses and I can't stop thinking about that). I didn't realize until I was halfway through that I had to chill the dough and then roll it out (I usually steer clear of those recipes). By the time I finally finished them, I lost all motivation to decorate them. I bought some frosting in a can that had different tips and then let everyone decorate their own. We had fun and they were yummy.

Gingerbread Cookies

www.bakerella.com

5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup butter, slightly soft
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses

• Sift flour, soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and mix until combined.
• Add molasses and mix until combined.
• Gradually add in flour mixture and mix until combined and a dough forms.
• Divide dough into four sections and shape each into a flattened disc.
• Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out each disc between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin.
• Flour the sides of the paper that will touch the dough to make it a little easier to release.
• Cut out shapes and remove excess dough to reuse.
• Leave cutouts on parchment paper and transfer to cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

For the icing, mix together four cups confectioner’s sugar and four tablespoons meringue powder with about four tablespoons water. If it’s too thick, add more water a teaspoon at a time. Or if it’s too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar. Decorate using a #2 to outline and #3 tip to fill in.

2011 New Recipe #20

Wendy had the missionaries over for dinner on Sunday, November 20th. She made chicken tortellini soup and cornbread. Linds and I were in charge of dessert and chose to make Citrus-Glazed Pumpkin-Carrot Cake. It was a fun recipe to make and nice to have someone help (especially with all those grated carrots!). It turned out really well except for the fact that I didn't have an angel food cake pan so I used a bundt pan, which wasn't big enough. At all. No worries, though, I just cut off the excess and it was fabulous! I such at taking pictures these days but it basically looked just like Martha's picture (people get us confused all the time) so here ya go!



Citrus-Glazed Pumpkin-Carrot Cake
www.marthastewart.com

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups finely grated carrots (about 7 medium carrots)
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Citrus Glaze

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 14-cup angel-food cake pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. With mixer on low, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture. Scrape down bowl as needed. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
Spread batter into pan, using a small spatula to fill any air pockets. Smooth top and firmly tap pan on a flat surface several times to remove air bubbles.
Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan. To serve, spoon glaze over top.


Citrus Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Pinch of coarse salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, lemon and orange juices, and salt. Thin with additional juice if necessary (glaze should be consistency of heavy cream).