Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 cup white sugar with 1 T ginger mixed in for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs, and then the molasses and honey. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, heaping the measures if you like a lot of spice. Stir the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture just until blended.

Roll the dough into small balls, and roll each ball in the remaining white sugar. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are cracked. Bake longer for crispy cookies, less time for chewy cookies. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 4-5 dozen, depending on how big you make them

Napa Cabbage Salad

Dressing
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs tamari
1 tea olive or grape seed oil
1/2 tea grated, peeled fresh ginger
dash of ground red pepper

Slaw
4 cups (1/4 inch) slices napa cabbage
1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup julienne-cut peeled jicama
1/4 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
2 tbs thinly sliced green onions
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

Combine dressing ingredients, stir with whisk
Mix veggies and stir in dressing.  Chill 30 minutes

Alternate dressing
2 tea grated orange rind
3 tbs orange juice
1 tbs mirin or slightly sweet white wine (Riesling?)
1 tbs cilantro
1 tea minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tea rice vinegar
1 1/2 tea dark sesame oil (I used grape seed oil because it's what I had.  walnut oil might not be bad either)
1 tea tamari
1/4 tea salt.

Note: My personal favorite of the dressings is the alternate one. I also just rounded up on the veggies because I don't like having half a pepper left or whatever. You can always make more dressing, if you need to.

Apricot Macaroons

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (14 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup soft dried apricots, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, almond extract, and salt until frothy. Add coconut and apricots; mix to combine. Using your hands, shape mixture into mounds, each equal to 2 level tablespoons; place 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet (macaroons will not spread). Bake until lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Transfer macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 week. Makes 16-20.

Goat Cheese Pear Tarts

2 pears
10 oz. goat cheese @ room temperature
1/2 tbsp sugar
dash of cinnamon
1 package puff pastry sheets (in the frozen foods aisle @ the grocery store)

1) preheat oven to 400.

2) roll out 1 puff pastry to a 20 x 20 inch square with a rolling pin,
and cut into 2 x 2 inch squares. grease your tins so the pastry does
not stick. press squares into tins and trim off the excess.

3) chop the pears finely with the skins on. (this adds a little color
to the tarts). stir pears, sugar & cinnamon up. you will probably have
a bit of the pear mixture leftover.

4) spoon and press down 1/2 tbsp of goat cheese onto the bottom of the
pastry and add 1 tbsp of pear mixture on top.

5) bake at 400 for 25 minutes. the edges should be golden brown.

6) take out of oven and let cool for 10 minutes. you will be able to
pop them out if you properly greased your tins.

Grandma Larsen's Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2.5 cups oatmeal
1 pkg chopped dates (optional)

Cream shortening, sugars and eggs. Add flour, soda and salt. Stir in extracts, followed by remaining ingredients. Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Makes 7 dozen small.

Garlic Mayonnaise

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Stir everything together. Yum! Dip for veggies or shrimp.

Oatmeal Cake

Good as a snack or dessert. You can even get by doing it for breakfast, if you wanted.

1 cup of oatmeal (thick rolled or old fashioned) plus 1.5 cups boiling water. Mix and set aside.

Mix:
1/2 C oil (mild-flavored such as canola or walnut)
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C white sugar
2 eggs

Sift and add:
1.5 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T cinnamon

Add the oat mixture last and mix. Bake at 350 (in a 9x13" pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray) for 30-35 min.

Optional frosting:
Take half a block of Neufchatel cheese with half a cup of whipping cream. Add powdered sugar to taste. Whip in a stand mixer until very light and fluffy. Frost cake and put in refrigerator to set.


Notes:
This is how the recipe was given to me. When I make it, because I know I can't stay out of it, I use half the oil and 1/2 cup of each of the sugars. I also toss in about 1/2 cup of flax meal. That's how I like it, but you may like it sweeter. I have not tried the frosting, but the cake really is fantastic. It would be perfect for a brunch.