3000 miles 'til dinner.

Prep time:   15 minutes

Baking time:   12 minutes for soft, chewy cookies

Baking temp:  325 degrees, middle rack, heavy sheet pan (cookie sheet), lightly oiled or lined with parchment

Servings:  3-4 dozen, depending on size

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

1/2 C. unsalted butter, room temp.

1 C. (lightly packed) light or dark brown sugar

3/4 C. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. pure vanilla extract

2 C. unbleached white flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. fine sea salt

1 12-oz. package best quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 to  2-1/2 C.) 

2 C. walnut pieces

♥PREP - food processor, mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon

*Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until blended. 

*Mix in eggs and vanilla. 

NOTE: if using a mixer, set on lowest speed so mix doesn’t get “fluffy”, giving the   cookies have a “cake like” consistency

*Add flour, soda and salt to butter/sugar mix, blending all. 

NOTE: if using a food processor,scrape butter/sugar mix into a bowl and stir in dry     ingredients

*Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts, blending thoroughly.

*Chill - these cookies bake perfectly if the dough is chilled. Either chill the entire bowl of dough or scoop spoonfuls onto sheet pan and chill for 5-10 minutes before baking. For quicker chilling, place in freezer.

♥BAKE - 325 degrees for approx. 12 minutes (soft, chewy cookies) or longer for crisp cookies (see Helpful Hints below)

♥♥ WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥♥               consider or substitute

 *better quality chocolate (less or no wax) makes better tasting cookies.  Guittard Classic chips are readily available on most retail grocer shelves and Trader Joes chocolate chips are very good, rumored to be a top quality German-brand chocolate

*consider any combination of quality chips:  butterscotch, milk or white chocolate

*consider any combination of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias

*consider 1/2 white flour, 1/2 whole wheat flour

 ♥ Helpful Hints♥

*oven temps. vary greatly so watch cookies closely; they make bake in less or more time than the recipe suggests

*dough freezes well so make a double batch and bake as need!

MIL Post

There’s nothing more delicious than buttery shortbread, endlessly satisfying whether you’re craving a sweet or savory snack because shortbread is somewhere right in between! The basic recipe can easily be adapted to create many delicious flavored shortbreads: chocolate, chocolate dipped, ginger, lemon, orange, cinnamon, pecan or any combination of these ingredients.  

(chocolate dipped shortbread   NOTE: photo makes shortbread look darker than they are/should be)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time:   325 degrees, center rack 
Yield:  3-4 dozen, depending on size of cookies

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

2 cubes good quality unsalted butter, room temp or softer, cut into 12 pieces

¾ C. granulated sugar 

2 C. unbleached flour 

½ C. rice flour 

½ t. sea salt

1 t. pure vanilla 

*plastic wrap 
*cookie cutter or glass + ¼ C. extra flour 

♥Prep – food processor 

Pulse butter until smooth then continue to spin until creamy and very soft, about 4 minutes. Add sugar, vanilla and salt; pulse. Add two flours, pulsing until a soft dough is formed, stopping the processor as needed to scrape down the sides. If the dough is crumbly and won’t come together (butter too cold) continue processing until the butter begins to warm and incorporates in to the flour. It will happen!

Spread a 14” piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and spoon dough on top. Pat into rectangle or cirlcle to ½” thick. Place another sheet of plastic on top and using a rolling pin (or bottle)  roll over top of plastic until the dough is approx. 1/8” thick. If you prefer thicker or thinner shortbread, the choice is yours.  Lift entire package onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate until chilled and very firm. 

Remove packet from fridge and place on work surface. Remove top sheet of plastic.  Dip cookie cutter or glass in flour and cut out shapes, dipping cutter in flour between each cut (if needed), cutting shapes as close together as possible.  Place cut-outs on heavy bottom, parchment lined, baking sheet, leaving ½” space between.*Roll and reform scraps/dough, following refrigeration process. 

♥ Bake – 325 degrees 

Sprinkle with sugar if you like. Bake until set and light in color,  approx. 10-15 minutes. Cookies will crisp as they cool. 

♥♥ WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥♥      consider or substitute

*consider: rather than rolling out dough , shape into 1 ½” wide tubes/logs; chill and slice 

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*dough can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 1 month 

Cinnamon Shortbread:  add 1 t. cinnamon when adding flour 
Chocolate Shortbread:  replace ½ C. unbleached flour with ½ C. unsweetened cocoa powder 
Ginger Shortbread: first step, in food processor, pulse the granulated sugar with ½ C. candied ginger chunks/slices, until finely ground. Set aside and begin recipe. 
Lemon or Orange Shortbread:  add 2 t. finely grated zest to the recipe when adding the butter. 
Pecan Shortbread:  first step, finely grind ½ C. nuts in processor bowl.  Set aside until the end.  Recipe: reduce unbleached flour by ½ C.   After removing dough from processor bowl, mix in the ground nuts, using a spoon or knead in on a floured surface:   Other nut options: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or a combination 
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread: dip the corner or half of a cooled cookie in melted chocolate; place back on same parchment to cool until chocolate hardens.  Chocolate for dipping:Over simmering water, melt 8 oz. semi or bittersweet chocolate and 3 T. unsalted butter

(MIL post)

Prep time:  20 minutes

Oven temp:  350 degrees - middle rack

Bake time:  10 minutes

Quantity:  3 dozen

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

2 C. granulated sugar

2” long (1”wide) piece fresh ginger, peeled & cut into 5 rounds

      ~ OR 2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/3 C. corn oil

1/2 C. unsulphured molasses, blackstrap or other (see NOTE below)

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla

4 C. unbleached flour

4 t. baking powder

1 t. sea salt

1 t. cinnamon

2 t. ground clove

1/2 t. allspice

♥Prep - food processor 

In processor bowl, add sugar and ginger rounds. Pulse until ginger is completely ground with sugar. Add oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs and whir until blended. Pour into large mixing bowl.

Sift together and put intoflour, salt and dry spices. Stir into wet ingredients. 

Chill dough for at least one hour (chilling makes the soft dough easier to handle)

Line bottom of cookie/baking sheet with parchment.  Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into balls (size of small walnuts), then roll in sugar or sugar/cinnamon mix.  Place one inch apart on sheet pan press flat with the bottom of a glass. 

♥ Bake - 350 degrees

Bake cookies until just “set”

♥♥ WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥♥               consider or substitute

*consider: for an extra ginger punch, mix in 1/4 C. chopped candied ginger when you add the dry mix to wet mix. 

*sub: 1/2 whole wheat flour

*consider:  adding  2 C. chocolate chips 

*consider smokey bacon cookies:  use 1/2 C. strained bacon fat & 2/3 C. oil

*consider:  making ginger-chocolate cookie sandwiches by spooning a dollop of soft (not too thin) Chocolate Ganache between two cookies

*consider: instead of rolling dough into balls, divide the dough in half and form each into a log; slice into 1/8” rounds, sprinkle with sugar and bake

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*molasses will last for months, either pantry or fridge

*form the cookie ‘balls’ ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze in plastic container and bake cookies as you need them

*make the entire recipe and freeze extra dough for up to 6 months

*baked cookies freeze well for up to 1 month

NOTE

♥♥MOLASSES is the viscous byproduct of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar. Blackstrap molasses is made from the 3rd boiling of cane or beets; it is darker, thick and has a stronger taste (also the most nutritious)  Molasses (not labeled blackstrap) is made from the first or second boiling and is lighter in color and texture. 

Unsulfured molasses is made from mature cane or beets, therefore sulfur is not needed for processing as it is for young cane and beets.

(MIL post)

I have tried many brownie recipes over the years but when I came across this one, it was the end of my search…..they are a rich, dark chocolate brownie.  You may never again say “I just can’t find a brownie I LOVE”

Prep time: 20 minutes

Oven temp: 325 degrees, use middle rack

Baking time:  35- 40 minutes (depends on your oven, may have to adjust time)

Size pan: 9x9 glass or heavy duty baking pan 

Servings: 12 brownies

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

2 cubes + 2 T. unsalted butter

12 oz. best quality bittersweet or dark chocolate

3 large eggs, room temp

1 1/4 C. light brown sugar

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1/2 C. unbleached flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. sea salt

1 3/4 C walnut medium size walnut pieces

Prep - mixer (best choice) or food processor

Break chocolate into a few pieces and put in medium size heat proof bowl. Add butter. Place over a pan of simmering water to melt, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, beat the eggs and sugar until thick, creamy and triple in volume, about 7-10 minutes (mixer/processor). Add vanilla.

Sift flour with baking powder and sea salt.

Remove chocolate from heat and cool slightly. Add egg/sugar mix to chocolate and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in flour.

Bake

Pour batter into sprayed/buttered pan (unsalted butter). Bake for 20 minutes then test with a toothpick inserted in the center. It should come out with “a few wet crumbs clinging and the top will have a “lighter chocolate, crackly crust” look. They will probably not be done at this point, but best to check until you become familiar with this recipe. Depending on your oven, the brownies will usually take anywhere from 30-40 minutes to bake.

♥ Helpful Hints♥  Baking

(1) the crackly look will happen only if the eggs/sugar are beaten until they are triple in volume but the brownies will be delicious

(2) most importantly a. don’t over bake or the texture will not be the same and b. don’t worry if the brownies longer than the suggested baking time. It depends on what size pan you use (if you wing it) and your own oven calibration.

♥ Helpful Hints♥ Serving - brownies are delicate, soft and crumbly at room temp. for a firmer brownie, refrigerate until chilled, cut and seve

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥           consider substituting

*no brown sugar in the house? sub: 1 1/4 C. granulated sugar + 2 1/2 T. molasses

*pecans instead of walnuts  (these two nuts are the best choices)

*dark brown sugar instead of light brown (white sugar will change the texture)

*this is a recipe where “winging it” is limited if you want the real deal!

SALTY SWEET option

*before baking, lightly sprinkle with coarse finishing salt (found at specialty salt shops, many varieties)

*other uses for the salt:  use in cooking

(MIL post)

In my first years catering, friends who were successful caterers in Portland, offered up a corner in their small kitchen so I would have a licensed spot to “get started”. Their delicious macaroons were incredibly popular with their followers, a chewy, buttery concoction of coconut and chocolate. We all loved them and when it was time to move to my own kitchen three years later, we at Flaming Carrot started making our version of a simple macaroon, simply leaving out the chocolate.  However, adding chocolate is always a good thing — see the Original Macaroons with Chocolate

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Oven temp: 350 degrees

Servings: approx 3 dozen

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

4 C. (14 oz bag) shredded, sweetened coconut  
2 large eggs
2/3 C. granulated sugar
1/3 C. unbleached flour  (for gluten free: 1/3 C. Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix)
3 T. unsalted butter, very soft or melted
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. sea salt (eliminate salt if using Pamela’s mix)
Original Macaroons with Chocolate
12 ou. bag (2 C.) good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ou. good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
4 T. light or heavy cream

Prep - food processor or mixer

In processor or mixer bowl, beat butter, eggs and sugar. Blend until creamy and double in volumn.  With mixer/processor on, add flour and mix for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and salt. Don’t worry about over-mixing, beating longer is fine.

Stir in coconut by hand (put all in a medium size bowl if you used a processor) until coconut is completely coated with the egg mixture.

Spray baking oil OR line the bottom of a heavy bottom baking sheet with parchment paper (your new best friend for baking). Scoop tablespoons of macaroon onto the baking sheet, placing 1” apart. The macaroons will only spread a little.

Baking

Bake for 15 minutes, then check. As always, baking time will depend on your own oven. Cookies will look golden brown when done.

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥           consider adding

*chopped toasted almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts (chocolate chips too!)

*do not use grated, fine shredded or unsweetened coconut; the cookies will be dry

♥♥ Original Macaroons with Chocolate

*add 2 C.  semi-sweet chocolate chips to coconut/egg before baking

*when macaroons are baked and cool, drizzle with Chocolate Glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

1 C. semi-sweet chocolate            4 T. light or heavy cream

In a small bowl, add chocolate and cream; set bowl on a pot filled with 2” water. Bring water to just below a simmer, and stir chocolate until smooth and shiny.

♥♥ HELPFUL HINTS:

*best gluten-free products for all baking:  www.pamelasproducts.com

(MIL post)