Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Cookie

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Springerle IMG_0079Soft gingerbread with a peppery kick!  This hand-pressed cookie formed from a traditional Springerle wood mold, rivals an artisan ceramic tile.  An absolute work of art, it is truly a spice lover’s favorite that will steal the show at any holiday treat table.

Springerle

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Adapted from Elisabeth Prueitt’s Tartine cookbook.  Springerle cookie molds can be purchased from House on the Hill.

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon white pepper

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

½ cup molasses

2 tablespoons rice syrup

Glaze:

Mix ½ cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and white pepper.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter until creamy.  Add sugar and mix until completely incorporated.  Add egg and mix well.  Add the molasses, rice syrup and then mix until combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture, and beat together until fully incorporated.

Remove dough and flatten it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate over night.

Springerle dough

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place dough on a floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin roll out the dough about 1/3 inch thick, then lightly dust with flour.  Using a cookie mold, press over the dough and trim the edges using a knife.

Springerle tiles

Set the cookie shape on the prepared baking sheet leaving about a 1-inch space between each one.  Bake 7-12 minutes, remove from baking pan and set on a cooling rack.  While still warm, brush the glaze over the cookies with a pastry brush.  Makes 12 cookies, (3 by 3 inch size)

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Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Salty Oatmeal Choc ChunkMy Saturday morning ritual begins with tea and some reading to get into the right mindset before starting the day. I linger in bed, holding on to every precious minute of solitude, as I appreciate the power a single moment can bring.

Under the watchful eye of my dog, I rise to the sound of his tail wagging in a rhythmic beat against the wooden floor.  Excited and hungry, I feed him.  I grab my gym bag and head out the door for a workout of spinning and yoga, a routine that will put a smile in my mind and rejuvenate my body.  I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the weekend.  Seriously.

Ready to greet the festive atmosphere of music and local food, can only mean it’s time for the farmers’ market stroll. The street is bursting with color, flavor, and the sweet smell of spring that is so uplifting.  I snag a sunny spot outside at a nearby café, and order a tall glass of New Orleans style iced-coffee, à la Blue BottleBien sûr!  Blue Bottle, famous for its coffee, carefully selects their beans from growers around the world, and use each batch within 48 hours after it’s been roasted.  Can it get any better?

I return home and settle in the kitchen with a cooking project that will feed my soul.  Baking cookies is a weekend thing, and although my kids are grown, it still fills up my heart to set a plate of cookies out for them. Even, if only in spirit.

I open my cupboard and reach for some leftover pecans, a chocolate bar, and a container of oats.  Hmm, looks like a great beginning for an oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie recipe. Before I pop them in the oven, I sprinkle a little kosher salt over the top, as an afterthought.  Sweet and salty is always a good combination.

The sweet aroma of deliciousness coming out of my kitchen sends a wave of nostalgia over me.  I break open a warm cookie and take a bite.  The melted chocolate, crunchy pecans, and chewy oats bring me comfort like a hug from my kids, and yet, at the same time,  reminds me of everything I love about my day. I reach for another cookie.

What is your weekend ritual?  Do you have a special recipe you make every weekend?

Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is a lovely vegan cookie recipe that is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

½  cup all-purpose flour

1 cup finely ground pecans

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾  cup maple syrup

½ cup canola or grapeseed oil

zest of an orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Kosher salt or fleur de sel

Preheat oven 350˚

Directions:

Combine oats, flour, ground pecans, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Stir in maple syrup, canola oil, orange zest, and vanilla extract.  Add raisins, chopped chocolate and mix to combine. The batter will be sticky.

Using an ice-cream scoop, drop the cookie dough form on to a parchment-lined sheet pan.  Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt or fleur de sel over the top of the cookies.

Bake at 350˚ for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan to a cooling rack.  Makes 1 dozen.

Pear Compote with Chai Spice Cookie

This dish captures the flavors we love about fall, sweet juicy pears, notes of ginger, and honey, complimented by an aromatic chai spice cookie.  It is the perfect antidote for warming up a cold night.

Pear compote not only keeps well in the refrigerator, but it’s also a dessert that is good for your body and has a multitude of health benefits.

Top it over pancakes or oatmeal, or layer it with yogurt and granola for an afternoon energy boosting treat.

A special blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and white pepper, along with tiny flecks of crystallized ginger is what gives these soft and chewy, chai spice cookies their unique taste.  Combined with pear compote, this autumn favorite is a great way to celebrate the season.

Give it a try!  Click here for the Pear Compote recipe, and here for the Chai Spice Cookie recipe.

Salty Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Sweet, salty, and crunchy, these oatmeal cookies are over the top, and very addictive.  Although they contain no butter, eggs, or sugar, the flavor combination of whole oats, maple syrup, and flecks of salt, makes them melt in your mouth, delicious.  Try these for yourself, click here for the recipe.