Ginger Cookies with Brown Rice and Whole Wheat Flours

Ginger cookies are my mother’s favorite, but I’ve never really gotten on the bandwagon. Although I enjoy gingerbread around the holidays, ginger cookies don’t quite do it for me throughout the rest of the year. Regardless, I know plenty of people who respectfully disagree with my tastes, and so when I found a recipe for ginger cookies, I decided to play with it a bit, and make the cookies for my friends.

Of course I tried one, and even for someone who doesn’t love this type of cookie, these were very good: spicy and soft. I also liked the combination of brown rice flour and whole wheat flour, along with the strong (but not overpowering) molasses flavor. Sprinkled with a little bit of sugar before baking, I thought they gave off an attractive shine, and everyone who sampled them enjoyed the taste even more. For all of you ginger cookie-lovers, I would say that this recipe is a keeper.

Ginger Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
1 cup brown rice flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:
1. Blend butter and molasses in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add egg and mix in thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Blend into butter mixture until just combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Roll out dough into small, 2-inch circles and place on greased cookie pans.
4. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until cookies are brown on the bottomed. Cool on wire racks.

March Madness I'll Follow: Cake Vs. Pie

Cake Vs. Pie at Jezebel.com!

Now here's a March Madness competition that I'm willing to follow, from the sure-thing winner of apple pie, all the way through to coconut cake and French Silk pie. It's tough to predict right now, even for myself. Off the top of my head, I would say that cake wins, no questions, every time. But, oh, the pies that are in the running! Lemon Meringue! Rhubarb! Sweet Potato!

Who will come out victorious? Pie or cake? Both? Does it matter? Personally, I could go for a slice of German Chocolate, with a side of Boston Cream, right now.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

The world of cupcakes is a vast, ever-expanding one. Whatever kind of cake or dessert or flavor or dietary preference you indulge in, a cupcake has been created to imagine it. Some cupcakes are all about the recipe, and find a perfect balance between cake flavor and icing. Others maintain their substance in the decoration, not dissimilar to fancy cakes, and the craftier the better.

I’ve tried many cupcakes in my day, from the homemade to the museum-quality masterpiece, and the best cupcake that I’ve ever eaten remains to be the chocolate cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine in New York City. There, the recipe has been perfected, and in a little innocuous shop with a cutesy sign out front, buttercream heaven awaits those who are in need of a sugar rush.
The last time I was in NYC, I relished the moment when I walked through the front door of the little cupcakerie, once again after a long year apart from it. Although every bakery has a wonderful aroma of flour, butter, sugar, and spices, this place has the most specific smell I could imagine (only because of its evocative quality in my brain, of course), and breathing in the buttercream scent was like returning to a happy dream. I grinned as I ordered my cupcake: the “black & white…just right.” The lady behind the counter chose a perky pink frosted cupcake, handed it to me, and it was as though I was reunited with a long lost friend. I sat by the window, carefully placed the cupcake on the bistro table, and I sat down, never taking my eyes off of the beautiful sprinkled frosting. And the first bite of that cupcake…the first bite of that cupcake sent a complex swelling of sugar, nostalgia, and pure joy through my body. I must have looked slightly off my rocker as I sat there, consuming this cupcake in slow, pleasurable bites, a smile constantly on my face. It was better than I even remembered it.

Thinking about that cupcake now, it saddens me deeply that it is 3,500 miles away. That I cannot simply take the subway to Sugar Sweet Sunshine, that I cannot even order one weensie cupcake through the mail. It also saddens me that I cannot replicate it precisely. I know this is the case, because I know that Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcakes are not wholesome cupcakes, and now that I do all my own baking, it’s almost impossible for me to go to the store and buy shortening or pour cups upon cups of sugar into a mixing bowl. I’m bound by my love for wholesome desserts. With that in mind, I made chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting, knowing full well that they would not be the SSS cupcakes I long for.

Regardless, these were darn good cupcakes. They were springy and moist with a very rich chocolatey flavor. And the buttercream was an experiment that turned out pretty well. I had been searching for a good-quality buttercream recipe, and this one I found from Organic Valley. It calls for non-fat powdered milk, and although I found the butter flavor to be slightly overwhelming, the frosting turned out great, with a nice stiff and spreadable texture.

I don’t know when I’ll be in New York City again, or if a kind friend will send me one or two Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcakes, but until I get to savor one of theirs again, this is a wonderful, slightly healthier, substitute.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. Add the flour, alternating with sour cream, and beginning and ending with flour. Mix well.
3. Pour batter into muffin tin. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Buttercream Frosting

Courtesy of Organic Valley

Ingredients:

1 cup dry milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth (at least 5 minutes).

Irish Brown Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner; for an Irish lass like myself, this is a day of celebration of heritage, family, lore, and traditions. When I made a trip to Ireland a couple of years ago, I immersed myself in the literature, the music, and the food. I studied hard and learned a lot, and while I patiently wait for the time I can return and explore the Emerald Isle a bit more, I continue my own personal education and commemoration of Irish history and culture.

When I was younger, I hated corned beef and cabbage, and it’s been awhile since I’ve had that signature meal. But now, being exposed to the full gamut of what Irish cuisine has to offer, I’ve opened up to much more that this one quintessential dish. Irish soda bread is an easy Irish favorite, and this brown bread recipe is a hearty yet healthy twist on the bread. Fresh out of the oven, or rested after awhile, this bread is simple to make and entirely versatile. The short list of ingredients are easy to come by, or are probably already in the kitchen, and as far as preparation, it would be a breeze to put this together in the evening, ready for the next morning. It can be a companion to a typical Irish breakfast, a side dish for a farmer's lunch, or a snack between meals.

I ate my first warm and satisfying slice with some Kerrygold butter, a delectably creamy Irish butter. If you want some other authentic pairings for the bread, consider smoked salmon or a slab of cheddar cheese – given their proximity to water and their endless pastures of green grass and grazing cows, the Irish do both of these foods exceedingly well. The best meal I had in Ireland consisted of little more than soda bread, cheeses, and a salad, but it was better tasting than some of the most gourmet meals I’ve eaten here.

Ireland will have to wait again for me, but at least I can eat as though I were still there. I’ll be having a couple of slices of the bread, along with some Irish cheese, for St. Patrick’s Day this year (while wearing green and reading Dubliners, of course.) This bread will also be a pleasant year-round reminder of what I hope to return to sometime soon.

Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup unbleached white flour
½ cup instant rolled oats
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.

2. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and blend, careful to not over-mix.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 60-65 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Heavenly Chocolate Bars

I do try to maintain a consistent flow of healthy desserts for myself and my friends, but sometimes there’s a recipe that I find that is just too yummy sounding not to try. I found this recipe for a version of 7-layer bars, and I played around with it a bit to get these rich, fudgey, absolutely addictive chocolate bars. The reason I could not seem to get enough of these is simply that they are entirely constructed out of sugar. The little kid in me relished the sugar high, and once the first wave came, wanted more and more. Truthfully, there really is not much wholesome in these dessert bars, unless you add a healthy topping like dried fruit or nuts, and even then, it’s little more than decoration. So these aren’t a breakfast bar or a treat that the kids should have right after school, but there’s no getting around the fact these are simple to make and an absolute crowd pleaser (I actually did sample it out to other people besides myself).
For my toppings, I chose a variety that went together both flavorfully and aesthetically, like the dried cranberries and the coconut. I’d be interested to see what other toppings were added, and I’m sure they could be a very stunning dessert. These would be best cut into small bite-sized squares, and definitely after cooling for several hours. The entire mixture needs to sufficiently set, otherwise it is too gooey, and the flavors haven’t had a chance to blend. Even though they’re bites of sugary goodness, there is a wonderful creamy chocolate taste, thanks to the presence of the condensed milk.

I wouldn’t want to have these chocolate bars around all the time (as if they would even last long, anyway) but they’re a great portable dessert to travel to picnics or bake sales with, or to set out with other finger foods for a group to graze on.

Heavenly Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Toppings, such as walnuts, dried cranberries, and coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa
3. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until set.
4. In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and 1 cup of chocolate chips; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Carefully spread over crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate, followed by the remaining chocolate chips, and any additional toppings.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is set. Cool before cutting.

Forbidden Black Rice Pudding

I was emailed this recipe from The New York Times, and reading over the ingredients, I wondered how something with so many wonderful, healthful components could ever turn out wrong. The mixing of ingredients like honey, blueberries, and coconut milk were sure to create a delicately sweet flavor that would be a perfect accompaniment to the blooming daffodils we have here right now on San Juan Island.

When I had some friend over for dinner last week, I made this rice pudding early in the morning, so that it would set, and also so that I had time to whip up a batch of brownies in case the recipe didn’t turn out like I’d hoped. And I was definitely skeptical; this isn’t the prettiest dish, and it came out more watery than I expected. When I make it again, I might experiment with the liquid amounts. But despite its consistency, the pudding turned a Springy purple-blue, and it was well-received by everyone who sampled it. My expectations of it were met. And I have quite a bit of the Forbidden rice (or Chinese black rice) leftover, so I can try this recipe again and again. Despite its name, the rice was fairly easy for me to find – I picked it up at the grocery store along with rice and coconut milks.


Forbidden Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
½ cup Forbidden rice (Chinese black rice)
1 cup water
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup rice milk
1 cup unsweetened low-fat coconut milk
¼ cup mild honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1. Combine the rice, water and salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
2. Add the milk, coconut milk and honey to the rice, and stir together. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, for five to 10 minutes, until creamy. Add the vanilla and blueberries, and continue to simmer for another five minutes.
3. Scrape into a bowl or into individual serving dishes. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving.