Favorite Recipes, Food, People, Recipes

Mom’s Molasses Ginger Cookies

My Christmas holiday doesn’t officially start until I take my first bite of my Mom’s legendary gingerbread cookies. These are made with sweet, thick molasses, which gives them the most scrumptious chew in the center, juxtaposed perfectly by crisp edges to nibble and the crunch of sweet granulated sugar on top. These remain the top requested cookie from my cousins and family members each year after decades of baking. My Mom used to toil to assemble giant cookie baskets each Christmas for friends and family, and I remember every square inch of our countertops being covered in cookies of any and all varieties, from Rugelach to Peanut Butter Balls, but this gingerbread cookie was the one I always plucked from the pile as they cooled (when Mom wasn’t looking, of course). If you are a holiday cookie maker, give this one a try. The tang of ginger mixed with the warmth of cinnamon and cloves is irresistible. This recipe is worthy of a spot in the annual lineup.

Tip: Be sure to leave time for chilling the dough when you set out to make these, as it is a crucial step in the process to achieve the correct consistency in your cookie.

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Favorite Recipes, People, Recipes, Uncategorized

Simple Scottish Shortbread Cookies

This recipe is a must for the holidays, and a perfect slightly sweet treat for the winter months. Traditional shortbread originally hails from Scotland, and this firm, biscuit-like cookie pairs perfectly with both hot tea and whiskey, making it the perfect accompaniment for any occasion. My Mom is an exceptional baker, and my family has gathered around a plate of her shortbread cookies and a hot pot of tea for as long as I can remember, as we discuss life’s mysteries, accomplishments, failures, loves, losses…you name it. Once you have tried this combo, it is hard to turn back. Nothing compares to gathering around the kitchen table and sharing a cookie and conversation. Make a batch of these and keep them on hand for just those occasions.

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Food, Recipes

Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs

When I first started this blog in Washington, D.C., way back in 2011, I came across a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine for Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs. It was the stuff of legends. I made the recipe and it was utterly phenomenal. I carefully clipped it from my copy of the magazine and placed it in a plastic sheath divider and tucked it away carefully to revisit for years to come. It is quite honestly one of the best recipes I believe I have ever made. I even surprised myself, it was so tasty, just by following the recipe to a tee.

Fast forward to present time, many moves later that have landed me in South Carolina, I either lost track of my recipe book where this recipe was located, or it was a victim of a feng shui attack somewhere along the way. I have since searched high and low in the hopes that someday I would open the right box or drawer and it would be there atop the pile, glowing with a magical, glimmering light.

Well, needless to say, this never happened. And, unfortunately, I deleted the content from my old blog to start it fresh, so I lost the original blog post where I reviewed and posted the recipe. After some time, I finally succumbed to the idea that it was a fruitless effort and threw in the towel on the idea of finding the recipe.

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Favorite Ingredients, Food

Variations of Vanilla

Since I have started to really take an interest in baking, I have unearthed a whole new world of ingredients that I never knew existed. This is how you know you really love something and that it is a passion. I truly get butterflies in my stomach learning about the intricacies of the art, tools and ingredients for baking.

Now, baking seems pretty straightforward, right? The standard recipes all call for flour sugar, eggs, vanilla and baking soda or powder, with dashes of additional accoutrement peppered in to define the flavor of the dessert at hand. Sounds like it should be pretty simple, but not so fast!

It is quite extraordinary, when you really break it down. Every time I peruse my cookbooks in search of my next project, almost every recipe calls for that same roster of ingredients. It reminds me of music in that sense. There are only so many notes available in the spectrum, yet artists continually come up with new melodies and hit songs using their creativity to unlock completely new sounds and genres. Baking is like that too, only the artists make their music in the kitchen, and their hit songs equate to their recipes.

So how is it, when the ingredients are consistently so similar, that bakers are able to conjure up such different textures and flavors?! I am finding, through practice, trial, and error, that so much of baking is just like any other art. It calls for sleight of hand, creative vision and willingness for experimentation to become great. 

So here is how it goes. You take your basic recipes, you learn them inside and out and you practice the techniques. You try, you fail. You try again, and you probably fail again. You do this over and over until you don’t fail anymore and you start to hit your groove. And then it finally hits you. Suddenly, it is as if you have unlocked a whole new level in the video game that you could never break past. It is when the lightbulb goes off and you start to get a knack for it.

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Favorite Bakeries, Food, Inspiration

Kouign Amann – The Queen of Pastries

I have been taking a deep dive into baking and pastry making lately. As I have mentioned before, I consider myself to be somewhat of a novice when it comes to baking, thought I am slowly getting more skilled with lots of practice.

I grew up in a very accomplished baking family, but shockingly, I never took an interest or considered myself to have any talent in this department. I wasn’t super into sweets growing up, and all of my attempts to bake were half-hearted and lackluster, particularly in comparison to that of my more talented family members.

Skip to the current moment. I couldn’t tell you what changed, but I have what could be described as an insatiable appetite for all things baking. As soon as I begin to research one recipe, I fall into a rabbit hole of 10 more, along with the techniques that accompany them, and before you know it hours have passed. I find this whole new world of baking to be so incredibly interesting and it satisfies my thirst for continual growth and knowledge. I am teaching myself the ropes, one recipe and technique at a time.

I think we all have the ability to psych ourselves out and let fear get the best of us, particularly as we get older. We may convince ourselves that once we have defined ourselves as unskilled at something, we can never change it, particularly as we grow in age. I say bullocks to that. If there is something that you want to do, move past the fears and try it.

This has been my goal with baking. To stop telling myself I can’t, because I am finding as I go and have the courage to try, that I really CAN bake, and bake pretty darned well! It also brings me immense joy, so here I am doing the work and sharing in the hopes of inspiring others to reach their goals of baking too.

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Food, Recipes

Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks

This recipe is a classic and when I stumbled across it just recently, you would have thought I won the lottery. My Mom used to make these for us as kids and I can’t say I have thought about them since I was in my early teens.

I remember arm wrestling my brother for the last one because they were that good. They have it all. They are salty and sweet. They are chilled, so they have a cool, crunch that hits all of the senses.

Haystacks are a blend of two of the most complimentary sweet and buttery chip flavors, combined with the savory crunch of Chow Mein noodles and salty peanuts. This recipe is also dangerously easy and calls for very few ingredients and kitchen tools, so it is the perfect dessert to whip up in a hurry for holiday parties, or as a treat for friends, family and kids. This recipe is ideal for making with kids, as they can have fun helping to assemble these cute little nests of goodness.

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Favorite Recipes, Food, Recipes

Cowboy Cookies

We are far from living on a ranch and wearing chaps here in sunny Hilton Head Island, but I have been channeling my inner cowgirl this week with the household menu. First, we kicked it off with the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s Hamburger Soup recipe, which has been featured as our absolutely delicious dinner all week long. The second installment is the Cowboy Cookie recipe from Baking Yesteryear, by B. Dylan Hollis.

Let me start by saying that I have eaten a whole lot of cookies in my lifetime, and I am on the continual quest for the perfect cookie. This is about as close as I have gotten, to date, and I don’t make blanket statements like these lightly. It is the kitchen sink of cookies, and it fittingly eats like a full meal, as it was made for hungry, hard-working cowboys out on the range.

This cookie gives a little extra heft and a whole lot of sweetness. It is basically an oatmeal cookie on steroids, and there is nothing I like more that a mash-up cookie that throws a multitude of ingredients into the bowl. This offers the perfect balance between slightly savory oats, warm pecans and buttery base, against the sweetness of a massive amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips, rich brown sugar, coconut, and my personal addition of raisins. It is quite possibly the perfect cookie. I am currently obsessed.

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Food, Recipes

Hearty Hamburger Soup

I recently caught this recipe for Hamburger Soup on an episode of Pioneer Woman and I was highly intrigued. The idea of hamburger soup had me a bit bewildered at first, but this comfort food actually reminds me a bit of that delicious and nutritious minestrone soup you may have gotten in the cafeteria in elementary school, with the addition of ground beef. It has undertones of a rich pot roast as well. It is literally a meat and potatoes recipe, chock full of so many vegetables, making it is a hearty one-pot meal with super classic flavors.

What I reeeeally loved about this recipe, is it calls for basic ingredients and allows me to use up the celery and carrots in my fridge, along with the meat from my freezer. I absolutely loathe the idea of wasting food, so it is all about finding recipes that inspire you to use up all of what you have. That is what makes cooking and recipe hunting so much fun! It is a nerdy little game that I like to play to try new things and avoid any waste in the kitchen.

All that said, I decided to give this new concoction a whirl, and boy is it good. The weather is just starting to turn here in SC, and while I love a good pot of chili, there is also something about a pot of soup that gives me the feels. If you cook for someone who isn’t too keen on beans, this is the perfect substitute for chili on a cozy winter day. Plus, it is chock FULL of veggies along with the beef, so it is a full meal in a pot.

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Food, Recipes

Roasted Tomato & Grilled Cheese Soup

One of my favorite chilly weather combos ever is a good cup of creamy tomato soup with a crunchy, gooey grilled cheese. I have always gone the traditional route of dunking the sandwich into the soup, which will always be a classic move, but I recently stumbled across this unique recipe from Grace Elkus that was featured on The Kitchn website (one of my favorite all around cooking resources) and it had me intrigued. It is quite genius really, why not combine these two treasures in one convenient and heart pot.

To get a feel for it, picture French onion soup meets tomato soup vibe. It has layers of stretchy cheese and the crunch of the croutons fresh from the broiler on top, with pillowy soft bites of tomato soaked bread swimming below. This is a rustic and hearty soup packed full of flavor.

This soup is deceptive because it gives the appearance, heft and mouthfeel of a creamy soup, only it doesn’t call for any heavy cream. Isn’t it just the best when that happens?! Aside from the cheese, which you can adjust the amount to your liking, this recipe includes an assemblage of healthy ingredients.

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Favorite Recipes, Food, Recipes

Maple Apple Blondie Bars

Every now and then you come across a recipe that is a catch all. I was so happy to come across this old family recipe. It is not my family’s recipe per se, but I simply love a retro recipe, no matter the origin. This sweet treat is versatile and would be perfect for so many occasions.

If you are attending a brunch, this would make a delicious option to present on its own or as a substitute for your average French toast or cinnamon bun. This would also be a fantastic make ahead dessert to split and package in a decorative boxes as lovely hostess gifts for those holiday parties that are knocking at our doors.

What I love most about this recipe is the old-fashioned vibe. This is one of those slightly heavy desserts and it is SWEET. It reminds me of the recipes that your Grandma would have made that have no regard for the “healthy alternative.” This is not a health conscious dessert by any means, but it gives that good, chewy, molasses feel that harkens some sort of nostalgic feels for me.

If you make Christmas cookie baskets for friends and family, this would be an excellent addition. You know how there always seem to be a couple of those really super-sweet bites peppered into the mix, to balance out the oatmeal and peanut based cookies? This is one of those recipes. They are also sturdy and they hold up well. You would get a ton of mileage out of just one batch of these bars, so in that sense, they are good for any get together with a crowd.

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