Molded Gingerbread

 This is a new cookie hobby I picked up last holiday season. I'm totally addicted! Molded cookies!

The pinecone cookie was made with this recipe. 

3 ¾ cups flour

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cocoa powder

Scant pinch of red chili pepper

4 tsp. ground ginger

1 ½ tsp. ground allspice

3 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

1 egg

½ cup dark molasses

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. agave syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. ginger extract (optional)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine first nine ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream until pale and creamy. Add egg and incorporate. Stir in molasses, honey, agave, vanilla and ginger extract until well combined. Add the dry ingredients into the mixture gradually until the dough pulls away from the sides. Flour hands and knead once or twice into a ball. If sticky, add 1 Tbsp. of flour. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Roll ½ inch thick. Dust dough and cookie mold with powdered sugar using a pastry brush. Press dough, tap lightly to release. Use knife to cut around impression if needed. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Dry cookies 3 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-15 minutes. Brush with glaze while still warm.

Bread Pudding (Versions I and II + Caramel Sauce!)

The great thing about bread pudding is that it can be the simplest thing to make, or it can be a little more involved. Either way, these two recipes are both bread pudding! 

Version I:

½ loaf of bread, about 5-6 cups, cubed
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. butter (or spray the pan with cooking spray)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Place bread in 9x9 inch baking pan. Mix milk beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees until tops are golden and pudding is no longer runny, about 30-40 minutes.

Version II:

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 ¼ cups half-and-half

2 cups milk

½ cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

20 dinner rolls or cubed bread (about 8 cups?)

3 Tbsp. brown sugar for the top

Whisk together first ten ingredients. Place bread cubes into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour mixture over the bread and let soak a few minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and pudding is set. 

Caramel sauce for pudding:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda

Simmer butter, sugar and half-and-half for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and baking soda. Serve warm on pudding.

Simple Short Cake

 Short cake is like "shortbread", there aren't any eggs and you "cut in" the fat, in this case, butter. Pretty sweet!

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup cold butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
Coarse sugar for decoration

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender until it resembles rough cornmeal or coarse crumbs. Make a well in the mixture and add the vanilla and milk. Stir to combine. Pour into greased and floured 8 inch round (or square) baking pan. Sprinkle with coarse sugar for decoration. Bake for 43-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 15 minutes before turning cake out onto a board or rack to cool.

Cake Mix Spice Muffins

I don't really care how some people think cake mixes are "terribly unhealthy". Then don't use them if you think that. Sometimes, when people are in a hurry or just like to do things quicker, they use cake mixes. Don't judge! :)

 

1 yellow 15.25 oz cake mix

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves

½ tsp. allspice 

1 cup applesauce (or pear sauce)

½ cup melted butter or coconut oil

1 small, ripe banana, mashed
1 egg

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk wet ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Scoop into muffin liners in a muffin pan. (I sometimes spray one squirt of cooking spray in the bottom of each paper muffin liner.) Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing muffins from pan. Makes about 13 muffins.

Apple Blossom Cake

 I got this recipe from a Facebook group for old recipes. It's pretty great! I made it 4 times in just a few weeks! Enjoy!

1 ½ cups melted coconut oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups grated apples
3 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
 

In medium bowl, mix together oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add grated apples and mix. In large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan. Pour batter in pan and bake 75 minutes at 300 degrees. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Thin Mint Cookies

 

¾ cups butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. peppermint extract

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cups powdered unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

 

Beat butter about a minute in a medium bowl with a hand or stand mixer. Add white sugar and beat until pale. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add peppermint extract and mix. Sift together dry ingredients and add gradually to the butter mixture. Divide dough in half and roll each piece of dough flat on a piece of parchment paper, about ¼ inch thick. Refrigerate both pieces of flattened dough for 1-2 hours. Using a 1 ½ to 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut round cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheets about an inch apart. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes, depending on the size of cutter used. Cool completely.

 

Coating:

Melt 12-14 ounces of chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals until fully melted. Mix ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate. Coat each cookie by dipping it in chocolate and let cool on parchment or wax paper.  If desired, decorate further by drizzling another color of melted chocolate, such as white, across the tops.

Adapted from inthekitchenwithmatt.com  Matt has some seriously delicious recipes and videos on his page--go check it out!

Garlic Herb Bread

 

Okay, so not the best picture! I think I added too much flour so it was too dry and cracked. The next batch I made, I didn't use all the flour (it is dry here in AZ) and it didn't crack but I forgot to take a picture! Next time--and there WILL be a next time! This is the most delicious herb bread I have ever tasted! 

1 Tbsp. instant yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried basil

1tsp. dried oregano

6 minced garlic cloves (or 2 Tbsp. pre-minced)

 

2-2 ½ cups flour

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

 

Stir together the first seven ingredients in a medium bowl. Add two cups of flour and parmesan cheese. Stir until combined. If dough is sticky, gradually add the other ½ cup flour until a smooth, elastic dough is formed (you may not need all of it). Knead a few times. Transfer to a greased medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle baking sheet with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; spread around a bit. Shape two round loaves and place on the greased baking sheet. Let loaves rise 15-20 minutes. Place ½ tablespoon of butter on the top of each loaf and bake 18-20 minutes.

 

 

Adapted from thestayathomechef.com