Gingerbread cookies

• 2 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients; mix just until a dough forms. Place dough on floured plastic wrap; pat into an 8-inch square. Wrap well; chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

bake in preheated 350 oven for 10 - 12 minutes 

from here

Candied Ginger Biscotti

Back before I logged my cooking and baking adventures on this blog I baked up a storm for Christmas.  To this day I wish that I had logged those recipes because everything turned out beyond  my expectations.  Now I know better and when I find a recipe that really worked for me I blog it, today is one of those recipe days.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 cup almonds, toasted
1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup almonds, toasted
1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees with wrack in the center of oven. 

Sift first eight ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir in the candied ginger and almonds

Whisk sugar and eggs in a large bowl to a light lemon color; stir in vanilla extract. Sift dry ingredients over egg mixture, then fold in until dough is just combined.

 Halve dough and turn each portion onto an oiled cookie sheet covered with parchment. Using floured hands, quickly stretch each portion of dough into a rough 13-by-2-inch log, placing them about 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Pat each dough shape to smooth it. Bake, turning pan once, until loaves are golden and just beginning to crack on top, about 35 minutes.

Cool the loaves for 10 minutes; lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cut each loaf diagonally into 3/8-inch slices with a serrated knife. Lay the slices about 1/2-inch apart on the cookie sheet, cut side up, and return them to the oven. Bake, turning over each cookie halfway through baking, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes.

"Belgium" Cheesecake

A friend of mine gave me this recipe and I hope that I can make this for her sometime soon.  She said it was called a "Belgium Cheesecake" a few months ago and I searched to internet looking and looking but could not find the recipe.  My friend got in touch with the person that makes this cheesecake (they do no live in Michigan) and got the recipe for me.

Belgium Cheesecake
Take 1 cup water, 1/2  cup sugar, and 1/2 package of unflavored gelatin (.25 oz.), and mix.
Heat in a double boiler until gelatin and sugar dissolve.

Take 1/2 cup of cold water and 4 egg yolks and mix with a whisk or mixer.  Add this to the hot mixture in double boiler and stir until mixture starts to thicken.

Remove from heat.

Mix 12 oz of cream cheese and 2.5 tablespoons lemon juice with a mixer until creamy.  Blend this into the hot mixture until well mixed and creamy.  Place the mixture in refrigerator for about 45 minutes or until it starts to set.

Make a Graham cracker crust: 1 cup crushed graham crackers with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter.   Butter a spring-form pan with butter and 1/2 of the sugar graham cracker mixture.

Whip 1/2 cup whipping cream and then blend in with the cheesecake filling that was in the refrigeration.

Whip 4 egg whites to stiff peaks and mix into the cheesecake mixture.

Pour cheese cake mixture into graham cracker lined pan, cover the cake with the rest of the graham crackers and chill for at least 3  hours.

Almond Cake

Last weekend we were watching TV and saw Lidia make this cake and it looked so good that my Daughter, her friend, and I gave it a try.  Almond Torta with Chocolate Chips was as good as it looked on her show and we had fun making it!  

~Almond Cake~

10 ounces butter, soft, plus more for the pan
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely grated zest of orange
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups almond flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (we used chopped bitter sweet baking bar)
½ cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted (we did not have these so we did not do this)


You will need a 10-inch springform pan and an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In the mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each in thoroughly before adding the next; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest and almond extract, then raise the speed to high and beat the batter until very light, a minute or more. 

On low speed, mix in half of the sifted flour mixture, beating just until it is incorporated; beat in half the almond flour. Scrape the bowl, and mix in the remaining all-purpose flour and remaining almond flour. Beat briefly on medium to a smooth batter, then, again on low speed, mix in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it in an even layer. Scatter the sliced almonds all over the top. Bake the torta for 45 minutes-rotating the pan halfway through the baking time-or until the cake is golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run the blade of a paring knife around the edge of the cake, then open the spring and remove the side ring. Cool the cake completely before serving. Cut it in wedges, and dust with confectioners' sugar or accompany with whipped cream, ice cream, or zabaglione.

Puttanesca - Inspired by Klaus, Violet and Sunny Bouldalare.

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pepper flacks

1 cup katamala olives

1/2 jar capers (about 1/4 cup)

1 28 oz can chunk tomatoes

1 package whole grain angle hair spaghetti

1 teaspoon oregano

a large bunch fresh basil, cut into ribbons

salt and pepper

**Note: if not careful the dish can get over powered with salt so be sure to rinse the oloves before cutting them up and the capers.

Breakfast

I love the blog Simply Breakfast and I have been taking some photos of my morning meal myself.  Here I have Vinta Crackers with brie and honeydew melon with a side of coffee.  Setting out one back deck enjoying my wonderful garden.