Gingersnap Cookies

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Fall has arrived abruptly here on the Canadian Prairies this weekend. The air is very cool and crisp. The winds are blowing and the sun has yet to make an appearance from behind the clouds. I’m bundled up in a very cozy hoodie, sipping on tea and enjoying a spicy gingersnap cookie. And I feel happy. Sure, the chilly weather and winds were a bit of a pain at the farmer’s market this morning. But coming home to cuddle up with some blankets, brew a pot of tea and devour some cookies was the perfect reward for spending time out in the chilly weather. Gingersnaps seem like the perfect fall treat. Delicious cinnamon combined with spicy ginger and a hint of molasses conjure up so many memories of fall. 

I know that gingersnap cookie recipes are a dime a dozen online. However, I wanted to share with you my very favourite gingersnap recipe. Over the years, my mom has made many a gingersnaps, but they’ve never been my favourite. I’d take a chocolate chip cookie over a gingersnap cookie any day! However, last fall, my mom made these for the first time and I was hooked. They are perfectly spicy, wonderfully soft and deliciously chewy. They are an ideal companion for a hot cup of tea. And the best part of all – baking a batch or two is incredibly easy. And on a day like today, baking is the perfect way to pass the time. I may have to make another batch tomorrow. These cookies disappear quickly!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons of fancy molasses
  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon of ground ginger
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon


 Method


1. Heat oven to 350’F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bow (or with your stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and molasses, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Place flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl and mix well. Add to the butter mixture and beat until everything is well incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl again and beat one more time.

4. On  small plate, combine the 3 tablespoons of sugar and the 3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. Break off small pieces of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll the cookie balls in the ginger/sugar mixture. Place each sugar coated cookie ball on the prepared cookie sheets – 2 inches apart. Using a glass cup, press down on each ball until nicely flattened. Note: If cup sticks to dough, dip the bottom of the glass in the sugar mixture.

5. Place one cookie sheet in a 350’F oven and bake cookies for 12 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet then transfer to a wire cookie rack. Repeat with second sheet of cookies.

Yield: 24 to 30 cookies (12 larger cookies on each sheet or 15 smaller)

Source: Mom (originally from Family Circle September 2011)

Tomato, Zucchini & Goat Cheese Clafoutis

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Hello, and happy Thursday! Good news! It’s only one more sleep until Friday! :) Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? I am attending a friend’s birthday on Friday. Saturday, we are hitting up the local farmer’s market. And Sunday, I’m going to see my football team play. Now….last weekend…my team lost ZERO to 52. Seriously….zero to 52. *shudders* Hopefully, we can make a huge come-back this week. Orrrrr…to be more realistic….get a least ONE point :) It’s all I ask! *hehe*
Today, I’d like to share a recipe that I was quite skeptical to make. This recipe popped up in my inbox two weeks ago through a Canadian Living weekly newsletter. At first it really caught my attention. Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, basil and goat cheese are a few of my favourite things! *hums along to Sound of Music* Such delicious summer flavours in one yummy sounding recipe.
However, the number of eggs really turned me off. I always skip over recipes that require a fair amount of eggs. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve hated eggs. And anything with the texture of eggs. It’s quite a weird aversion. Over the years, I’ve avoided many quiches and custards and anything that could possibly be – in my words – “eggy”. Something about the texture just irks me. Omelettes and frittatas are my number one enemies. As a kid, I’d pick out the scrambled egg from fried rice when we got Chinese take-away. So time consuming!!! *hehe* Okay…so I’m being quite dramatic. But you get the point – I don’t enjoy eggs. But something about this recipe – a savoury clafoutis – intrigued me and after a week of debating, I picked up all of the ingredients and set aside sometime to make these pretty little pots filled with tastes of summer.
And…they were a huge success! They were light and fluffy, and not too “eggy”. The goat cheese melted in the middle of the clafoutis and made them oh-so creamy and rich. The cherry tomatoes roasted nicely and added a delicious sweetness to the dish. The acidity cut the richness of the egg and goat cheese. And the maple syrup was a nice touch. Very subtle. And you can never go wrong with fresh basil. I highly recommend these, as I was very impressed with the flavour and the texture. Although, don’t count me as an egg lover just yet! *hehe*
We ate these with a nice side salad for dinner. One of the clafoutis and a side salad made for a really yummy, filling dinner. According to Canadian Living, each clafoutis is about 300 calories – which is not too bad in my opinion. I think these would also be really nice to serve at a special brunch or as an appetizer to a fancier dinner party.
Do you have any particular food that you just cannot stand?


 Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup of grated zucchini
  • 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of whipping cream (35%)
  • 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 pkg (140 g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved


 Method

1. Brush four 1-cup (250 ml) ramekins with butter; set aside. Pre-heat oven to 325’F.

2. Wrap shredded zucchini in a clean tea towel; twist and squeeze to release excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the fresh chopped basil. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, flour, maple syrup, salt and nutmeg.

4. Divide goat cheese crumbles evenly among the ramekins. Top each with one-quarter of the zucchini mixture and one-quarter of the egg mixture. Top each with 6 cherry tomato halves.

5. Arrange the four ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake the clafoutis in oven until puffed and eggs are set (about 18 to 20 minutes). Broil until the tops are bubbly and golden (another 2 minutes). Enjoy :)

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: August 2012

Fresh Corn Farrotto

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Hello, and happy Vegan Tuesday! I don’t know about you but I love when the work-week starts on a Tuesday. The weekend seems that much closer! We don’t have a lot planned for the upcoming weekend, but I always appreciate the weekend and the ability to sleep in! *hah* I am hoping to make it to the local farmer’s market this upcoming weekend, as I heard that there will be an abundance of squash, carrots, potatoes etc. I hope to find some acorn and butternut squash to roast. I’ve missed fall vegetables. However, I should not jump the gun just yet! Summer certainly has not disappeared from the Canadian Prairies. It’s still be quite hot here – although, some leaves have started to change colour. Fresh corn is still in abundance and as sweet and delicious as ever :)

For the first Vegan Tuesday post, I’d like to share a delicious vegan side-dish that I tried last week after I picked up some fresh local corn. We enjoyed this corn farroto along side a simple side salad. A really delicious, light meal. Fresh corn is simmered with vegetable broth and sautéed onion, then puréed to make a nice sauce. The corn releases its starch which lends a nice creamy texture to the purée. The fresh corn purée is then added to cooked farro with fresh corn kernels – topped with some fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. This dish really does celebrate some of summer’s best – fresh corn, cherry tomatoes and aromatic basil. A really nice way to end the summer produce season.

See you again on Thursday when I’ll be sharing another delicious recipe to celebrate the best of end -of-summer produce. Have a fantastic day!

Please be sure to check out Destini’s first Vegan Tuesdays post where the whole idea for Vegan Tuesdays is introduced. She even has a nifty badge you can add to your blog if you’d like to participate in Vegan Tuesdays with us! The more the merrier :)

Corn Purée Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup of minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • fin sea salt to taste
  • 2 cups (or more) of vegetable broth

Farrotto Ingredients

  • 2 cups (or more) of vegetable broth
  • 1 cup of regular semi-pearled farro; rinsed
  • fine sea salt to taste
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of minced onion
  • 1 cup of fresh corn kernels
  • 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or 1/2 cup of vegan Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil

Corn Purée Method

 1. Combine the corn, onion, oil and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent (7 minutes). Note: Make sure you don’t brown the onions.

 2. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and summer gently, uncovered, until the corn is softened and cooked through and liquid is reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

 3. Transfer mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Note: Make sure to start with the lid slightly ajar to release the steam and cover with a kitchen towel to catch any splatters.

 4. Strain the purée through a sieve into a 2 cup heatproof measuring cup. Add more broth, if needed, to measure 1 and 1/3 cups. Set aside.

 Farrotto Method

 1. While your corn purée is cooking, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth, rinsed farro, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Cook until the farro is tender (about 30 minutes). Drain the farro and return to pot.

 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add second half onion and cook until just beginning to soften (about 3 minutes). Add the 1 cup of corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begging to brown (about 5 minutes). Keep warm.

 3. Add the corn purée to the farro and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if farrotto begins to become dry. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the farrotto is very creamy. 

 4. Stir in nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh basil.

 5. Divide farrotto among bowls. Top with diced cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

 Source: adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine: September 2012