Farmer's Market Gingersnaps

 

 

So, I've been in hiding a little...okay, a LOT! I am sorry for that. The summer as flown by we were busy with lake stuff, a family reunion, a knee surgery...YES! That is the main reason why I haven't been able to bring any new posts.

 

Alas, I am back, slow(er) and steady...starting with a lunchbox staple for my kids. It's fast, and easy and requires little messing around and minimal ingredients in the grand scheme of things.  Plus, they smell nice, look pretty and taste amazing!

 

Back to the basics, who wouldn't want to sink their teeth into a soft chewy gingersnap, aromas of cinnamon, ginger and cloves will fill your kitchen and make you aware you should have made a double batch. Believe me, the 3 dozen little morsels you are about to create...simply will not be enough. Trust me.

 

Sugar Crusted Gingersnaps

 

1 c. packed brown sugar

3/4 c. melted butter or margarine

1 large egg

1/4 c. fancy molasses

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp.  baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4- 1/2 c granulated sugar (set aside for rolling)

 

Beat together your brown sugar and melted butter in a large mixer bowl (or with an electric stand mixer).  Toss in your large egg (minus the shell!!). Continue to beat up this mixture so it gets light and fluffy.  (Lightly coat a 1/4 c.measuring cup with cooking spray) then measure your 1/4 c. molasses - pour this into your sugar/butter/egg mixture and it will just slip right in! Continue to mix together on med-low speed.  Throw in your spices and soda, then blend in the flour 1 cup at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated if not, beat a little longer, if so...stop mixing it.  Cover the bowl in plastic cling wrap and refridgerate for about an 1 hour to 2 hours.  With your 1 tbsp cookie scoop, make 12 balls per parchment lined cookie sheet. Roll in palms gently to round out and then roll in the reserved granulated sugar. Repeat with the remaing dough.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9 -11 minutes. Don't forget to rotate your pans part ways through the baking for nice even cookies.  Remove from the oven and let them cool about a minute before removing them to a wire cooling rack.

 

 

If you have time, and some of the cookies survive to see another day, store them in an airtight bag or container to maintain freshness.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Candied Rainbow Popcorn

Yesterday was Wednesday...this meant farmers' market in the evening.  I must admit I was a little slow at getting started this week with only 1 double batch of chunky monkey cookies under my belt the night before.  For a change of pace my husband offered to drop off our daughter at school this a.m. which opened up some extra time to work through preparations...until my four year old said he wanted to "bake popcorn".

Devine Goodness... Sucre a la Creme

WOW! Looks like I missed the boat on this one, Christmas approached very quickly for us and I wasn't quite able to get the recipes up in time for Sucre a La Creme {...and a couple others, tee-hee).

It took me a couple of passes to finally peg down and tweak this recipe until I found {in my mind} the perfect consistency and texture.  The first one was too dry, the second one too grainy, BUT the third was perfectly perfect.

A short..bread Post

I'll keep this one short and sweet, just like the biscuits which seemed to have disappeared as quickly as they were prepared...all 100 of them!  I did double my batch to get this many, and my cutter is an itty bitty gingerbread man who's probably no taller than 1 1/2 inches at best.  The perfect man, gone in one bite!