Molasses Cookies

Now that the Holidays are done and everyon e is counting calories, I have time to post some of my favorite cookie recipes.  Ha!  Great timing, go me!

I don't like molasses cookie recipes that have so little molasses in them.  I like some serious molasses flavor!  I found this recipe on the Land O Lakes website. 

MOLASSES COOKIES

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.  No need to grease cookie sheets.

Beat together butter, brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate 1-2 hours or until firm.

Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten balls with glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8-11 minutes or until set.

S'MORE CAKE WRECK

This was, by the way, the pretty side of the cake.

I found a cake recipe on the Internet and I am sad to say, it was an utter fail.  I think the idea behind the cake was fabulous and the cake itself was pretty good but I think I may tweak it a little.  The fluff frosting.  Ah, well there was the problem.  It was very tight, dense and heavy.  (I did make it twice too.) By the time it was ready to serve the cake the fluff had slid off the cake and connected itself en mass to the side of the dome cake cover.  Sigh.  So I had to cut it away from the side.  As I lifted it, it pulled the whole cake like a toupee, right off the top.  Finally, upon setting it down it looked like an utter mess.

I have made fluff before when I made Dorie Greenspan's marshmallows.  So I will use that recipe, of course, omitting the setting agent, gelatin.

Here is the recipe, in its original form.  I am not adding the person who posted the recipe because that is not my intent to point fingers.  I like the idea of the cake and there are many good points about it. It is a 'not too sweet cake' which is surprising as it is a s'more cake and we all know, if you ate a s'more, it's cloyingly sweet.  I will definitely make the cake again but with some tweakage.  I will keep you posted.


S'MORES CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not over mix.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the top with a spatula and whack the pans against the counter to evenly distribute.
Bake for approx. 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins. Whack the pans on the counter to loosen the cakes and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.



Fluff
This would be great to just eat by the spoon

1/3 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup or honey
3 large egg whites room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place water, sugar, and corn syrup (or honey) in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
Ensure mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease free.*
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks. Approx 3-4mins.
When the whites are ready, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.**
Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. The whites will deflate at first, but they will thicken and fluff up.
Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled.
Pour into an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

CRANBERRY LIME CHUTNEY

I wouldn't be lying if I told you that my dear hubby has been eating this stuff straight up.  I tried to explain that it is a condiment of sorts or a side to complement something else, like turkey.  He's pretty sure its perfectly okay to eat it by the spoon full!

The first time I made it, I did not have an orange to complete the recipe but I was all in at that point so I went ahead and made it anyway.  This past time I included the orange.  OMG!  It really made a difference.  I will be making it a third time very soon with the last of my frozen cranberries.

CRANBERRY LIME CHUTNEY

2 c. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 large orange, peeled, pith removed, cut into 1/4" slices
1 T. grated lime zest
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pared, cored, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2-3 tablespoons water

In a saucepan combine all the ingredients, except cornstarch mixture, and cook on medium low until the cranberries have popped and everything is tender. Add the cornstarch and cook until it thickens.