Little Ginger Cookies (and early spring flours)

Confession time... The photo above was taken five years ago. It's true. I always meant to write about these awesome cookies but never did. Lately I've been doing some digital-decluttering and I saw this picture and remembered those tiny cookies packed with two kinds of ginger, dried apricots, and dark chocolate. Well, you probably guessed what happened next: I had to make the cookies again because I couldn't stop thinking about them! It helped that I happened to have nearly all the ingredients on hand too.

Whole wheat pastry flour... I had none. Not to be deterred by a single ingredient, but also not wanting to ruin the cookies (and risk wasting the other ingredients), I found a possible substitution. The good news is it works!* You do need cake flour to make it work though, which is not something I always have on hand either. I did have some this time though, thanks to a friend who gave up gluten last year. So here's how to fake it:

For every cup of whole wheat pastry flour needed:
Use a half cup of white whole wheat flour and a half cup of cake flour.

Of course, having found the photo and baked up the cookies, I needed to share them with you. I know it's nearly spring and these seem more of an autumn/winter cookie, but I didn't want to wait any longer. When you're decluttering, once you decide to let go of something, you have to get it out of the house or you haven't really gotten rid of it, right? It's still there, in your space, hanging over your head unfinished. This is like that. I needed to free up space, clear the decks and sweep away some cobwebs. Got to move forward.

Only ever-so-slightly out of season. So while our thoughts and taste buds are rushing toward everything fresh, bright, light and spring-y, I give you these little gingery, chocolate-y, crisp and chewy cookies. Spring hasn't sprung everywhere yet–and even where it has, I'm betting the evenings are still chilly–and these little cookies go great with a mug of hot tea or coffee. They're tiny cookies (maybe an inch and a half across) that are perfect when you want a little sweet-but-not-too-sweet something.

Sparkling Ginger Chip Cookies from Heidi Swanson's blog: 101 Cookbooks
(recipe can also be found on page 197 of her book: Super Natural Every Day)
 
According to the recipe, you could also make these with all-purpose flour or even spelt flour. Yes, all-purpose. Of course, I didn't notice that part until later (cough, cough)... but if I had, I wouldn't have found the awesome whole wheat pastry flour substitution! Yea! So if you are out of whole wheat pastry flour and cake flour too, reach for good ol' all-purpose flour (unless, of course, you happen to have spelt flour on hand...

My Notes: The batch in the photo are flatter than they usually turn out. Possibly because I baked them right after mixing the dough. Usually I will shape all the cookies and then refrigerate or freeze them for later. Then, just before baking, I'll roll them in the sugar. So, most of the time the cookies are more domed with cracks across them... which is how they are supposed to look. They're uncommonly delicious, domed or not. Another substitution I made on these was the use of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It was the only chocolate in the pantry, and yes, I chopped them with a knife. Next time I might try the food processor... or a hammer (only semi-kidding about the hammer). The cookies are so small that to leave the chocolate chips whole would throw the flavor/texture off completely. Chop, chop!

*Regarding the whole wheat pastry flour substitution: Just because it worked in this recipe, doesn't necessarily mean it will work in other recipes calling for whole wheat pastry flour. However, in a pinch and if I'm desperate, I'll give it a go. I just won't hang all my hopes and dreams on it working and it should be fine. :)

Big Dippers

These chocolate chip cookies are unlike any other I've ever baked… and that's saying something. Chocolate Chip Cookies are my all-time bar-none go-to cookie... and I love trying out different varieties of them. This one is unique because it uses all whole wheat flour… yep, 100% whole wheat flour. That in itself is quite a feat, but these cookies are also tasty. Really tasty. In fact, oddly enough, they remind me of store bought cookies. The kind that can sit in their package on the store shelf for two years and not go bad… except these would totally go bad because there's no preservatives or hydrogenated fats in them. Yea!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies 
from Kim Boyce's cookbook: Good To The Grain (page 41)

Some things to know about these cookies:

• They have quite a different texture to them: fairly dense and almost sandy.
• They are very sturdy cookies. Nothing dainty or delicate about them.
• Perfect for dunking in milk. Or packing on a picnic. Or sending in a care package.
• If you love chocolate, go ahead and add more chocolate chips/chunks. Trust me.
• They keep well if stored in an airtight container.
• If you freeze the dough balls and bake them later, they won't spread out as much (resulting in a thicker cookie), and in my opinion, are not as good as the ones baked fresh. 

Four Strings And Double The Ginger

My house is a mess, my children are dirty, and my husband is feeling neglected. I'm only kidding about the second thing; but if I had any, they would be. You see, I got an inexpensive second-hand ukulele the other day and...

I can't put it down.

What does this have to do with food? Not much really, except that I haven't been thinking a lot about food since I got the uke. I haven't been thinking a lot about much of anything that's not uke related. So why fight it, let's cruise with it a while.

Like little wooden anti-depressants 
It's impossible to be sad or unhappy around a ukulele. I think that's why I've been wanting one for so long. Well that's one of the reasons anyway. I actually have several. Here then, is the real honest-to-goodness actual list I made in my journal over the last few months... (and some cookies)...

Wanted: Cheese Delivery Facilitators

Homemade crackers are almost always tasty but they're not always crispy. In fact, lots of the homemade cracker recipes I have found are really just savory cookies, often with the cheese baked right in. Let's say that together: "cheese baked right in". Mmm. They are self-contained. They don't need anyone else. They bring their party with them.

What I've been looking for though are crisp crackers I could make at home, crackers that would taste good alone but would be even better if they met up with a fabulous piece of cheese. They have a bit of snap to them, they're friendly, and they get along well with others.

Everything's Better On Homemade Crackers

I found two recipes for the latter variety of cracker and truly couldn't be happier. They are both easy to make, crispy, tasty, and looking for some good cheeses to pal around with.

Whole Wheat Onion Buns For Slider-Loving Life Forms

Something has happened to my onion-hating husband. I think he may be a replicant. The other night he brought home some ground beef... so I made burger buns since we haven't had cheeseburgers in an age.

These weren't just any burger buns though. These were Whole Wheat Onion Buns. Now, my good ol' hubster hates onions, and won't hesitate to let that fact be known. The other night as the buns were baking though, this impostor man walks through the kitchen and says to me, "Ooh, something smells really good! What are you making?". 

It's uncanny how much like my husband this alien interloper is. But I guess that's the whole point of replication isn't it.

Pumpkin: it's not just for pies

Sometimes I forget to think about pumpkins very much beyond the Thanksgiving weekend. But pumpkin is a winter squash after all, and the last time I checked... it's still winter. We are, in fact, right in the thick of it.

Did you stock up on canned puree before the holidays? I'll bet there's a can or two in your pantry right now. Maybe you roasted and pureed your own this year... like me, you may have a little left in the back of the freezer.* Go make some homey and hearty pumpkin-rich muffins, quick breads or biscuits... they'll make winter worthwhile. Besides, once Spring rolls around, you won't even give pumpkin another thought... why not use it up and enjoy it now?

• Easy and delicious Pumpkin Muffins from Maya*Made (see photo above)
• Is your brain addled from the cold? Are you having a hard time making decisions? Make some Everything Bread from Joy The Baker
• I want to try making these fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits from 3191 Miles Apart via Gennine's Art Blog with pumpkin puree. Either way, I bet they'll be great with a hearty stew.
• Coming soon (unless you're tired of them by now)... my Cold-Brew Pumpkin Spice Lattes that are ready whenever you are.

*Don't have any? Used it all up? None at the store? Try substituting a different winter squash or even roasted and mashed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin puree.

Sandwich Bread

Newly empowered by making my own mayonnaise, I was now faced with a need to find ways of using it up. We normally don't consume a lot of mayo but the recipe made 2 cups of it, so we racked our little brains to come up with all the different uses we could think of. One of those was: sandwiches. Yeah, I know, stop the presses. Since we stopped buying bread and started making it, I haven't been able to wander too far away from sourdough. So I don't. But faced with a mayo surplus, a nice sandwich loaf seems to be in order.

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Next on the list of foods to eat with mayonnaise: Cheeseburgers. Admittedly burgers and sandwiches don't use up a lot of mayonnaise, but knowing that my jar of homemade mayo has a brief fridge-life of around 5 days, I'm wanting to get as much use out of it as possible.*

So today, as a vehicle for my homemade mayo, I made whole wheat burger buns. Something a teensy bit healthier than the last ones... 

 

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
adapted from: page 34, BH&G Homemade Bread Cook Book, 1973

3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) whisk together the whole wheat flour and the yeast. In a small saucepan over med/low hear, combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir constantly until butter is melted and mixture is at 115°-120°. Add this to the flour/yeast in mixer bowl, then add in the eggs. Beat at low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and beat for 3 minutes at high speed (med-high if using a stand mixer).

Stir in by hand the remaining 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour to make a somewhat stiff dough. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. If using a stand mixer, replace beater with dough hook and add the remaining flour one cup at a time on low setting. Continue until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in greased bowl and turn over once. Cover and let rise in warm place till double (about 1-1/2 hours). Punch down, cover, let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 16 portions. Shape into buns by folding edges under to make a round ball. Press flat between hands. Place on greased baking sheets (or use Silpats or parchment), pressing down flatten into circles. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until almost doubled. Bake at 400° about 15-18 minutes, rotating pan half way through. Let buns cool completely before slicing and serving. Makes 16 hamburger buns.

My Notes: When shaping them, work fast so the dough doesn't dry out. Maybe drape a damp towel over the dough as it waits to be shaped. They turned out great. Denser than the non-whole wheat buns, not as pillowy-soft, but really pretty good. Should easily stand up to a juicy burger or even a sloppy-Joe or pulled pork sandwich.

*On the mayo's last day I'll be making my mom's Curried Chicken Divan which uses 2/3 of a cup of mayonnaise. Speaking of 1960's-era cooking classics that use lots of mayonnaise... Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake! It's not something that I grew up with, but it just jumped in my head. I'll have to see if there's a recipe for it in one of my "older" cookbooks.

Orange Oat Raisin Scones

Let's see, where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the afternoon tea I had with my friend...

Among the many delights on offer, we were treated to freshly baked scones. And ever since that day I have had scones on the brain, and it has culminated in my recent scone-fest.

Is Baking Therapy "a thing"? It really should be. I was stressed, so I baked. I was stressed, so I baked two different kinds of scones simultaneously at 4:30 in the afternoon. For no reason. Then I felt better. Repeat as necessary.

Baking Therapy.  Rx: Bake two scones and call me in the morning... we'll have tea... and we'll talk.

Orange Oat Raisin Scones
Adapted from this awesome looking recipe that I would have made except that I didn't have: whole wheat pastry flour, turbinado sugar, buttermilk, or currants... but I didn't let that stop me!

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (cold) butter, cut into pieces
2 cups old-fashioned oats
zest from 1 orange
1 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup raisins
4 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. With a whisk or food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in with a pastry blender or pulse in the pieces of cold butter until it looks like course sand. In a large bowl, stir the butter-flour mixture with the oats and orange zest. Use a whisk if the zest is clumping. Add the yogurt and raisins and stir until it looks evenly moist.

Dump the mixture onto a cutting board and pat together with your hands, packing the dough together into a rectangle approximately 7 x 9. Using a bench scraper (or pizza wheel, or sharp knife), divide the rectangle lengthwise, creating 2 narrow rectangles. Divide each of the two rectangles into 3 squares and each of the squares into 2 triangles. You should end up with 12 triangle-shaped scones. Or pat the dough into a circle and cut it into wedges. Transfer scones onto baking sheets and sprinkle the top of each with sugar Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until tops are golden.

Notes: Very traditional crumbly scone dough. Only had pastel green sanding sugar so it looks a little odd, but, oh well! These scones are a little on the dry side, which makes them the perfect partner for butter, jam, clotted cream.... and plenty of hot tea.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I took a chance with a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. That in itself isn't news. What's different is that I doubled a new chocolate chip cookie recipe trusting that I wouldn't end up with dozens of clunkers (as opposed to dunkers). And I doubled a chocolate chip cookie recipe with the words "whole wheat" in the title.

You see, the last time I used whole wheat flour in a cookie recipe, it was because I didn't know any better and it was the only flour my Mom had on hand. Those cookies turned out horribly. That's why I was so curious about this recipe. And why I simply had to try it. I'm glad I did too. Of course these are made with white whole wheat flour (which wasn't available back when I was in Mom's kitchen).

I really only taste the whole wheat flour when the cookies were in their raw state, but don't get me wrong, it's not unpleasant. Nope, not at all. I made sure. When (and if) baked, they are buttery and wonderful and not the least bit healthy for you...

• Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies from Joy The Baker

Banana Bread (Whole Wheat)

We're in the middle of a heatwave and I've been loath to do any baking whatsoever. Sometimes you have no choice in the matter though. Hot summer days make for overripe bananas; I already have 6 of them in the freezer and another bunch are well on their way to becoming "ingredients". Time to bake some bread!

I wanted to try a different recipe since I'm still rather new at banana bread and don't have a favorite yet. Rather than go to the internet for a recipe, I thought I should utilize my little arsenal of cookbooks instead. I picked up the first book on the shelf and looked in the index... bingo! There's no photo (eek!) and no heartwarming story or imagery-rich description, just the recipe. It met all the requirements though: sounded tasty, looked easy, and we have all the ingredients on hand. What really caught my eye was that it called for whole-wheat flour (whole-wheat flour makes things healthy and takes away any residual guilt you might have after eating more than one serving). I went for it.

One word of warning if you own this book: 
The recipe is on a page-turn. Ingredients are listed on the bottom of 305, flip the page, the instructions are at the top of 306. I recommend that when making this recipe in future, employ the process known as mise-en-place. I kept flipping the page back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And that is nothing short of a recipe for disaster in my book. It is not unheard of for "someone" to start on one recipe and finish on quite another. A page turn mid-recipe only facilitates that scenario. Yes, I can be that absent-minded sometimes. Thankfully this wasn't one of those times.

• Banana Bread (Whole Wheat) Pages 305 - 306 of The Silver Palate Cookbook, Anniversary Edition, 2007
• If you don't have the book, try here: Silver Palate Banana Bread at Epicurious 

My Notes: I thawed 3 of my frozen bananas on the counter and when the time came, picked the gooey things up in order to assess the best way to proceed. Though kind of gross and on the very brink of sliminess, I pulled one strip of the black peel halfway back and squeezed gently from the opposite end; the banana guts slipped right out. I guess it wasn't really that gross (it is just fruit after all). The dough was quite thick until the mashed bananas were added, and then it reached a typical batter consistency. Even without the mise-en-place, the batter went together easily and fast. It needed the full 60 minutes to bake. Released from the pan like a champ. Now, the smell of it is driving me crazy. It's that time between lunch and dinner when I typically feel "snacky". Probably not a good time to bake treats. Or maybe the perfect time. This is a dark, rich and delicious loaf of banana bread with a fine, dense (but not heavy) crumb. Familiar where it should be, yet subtly different everywhere else. It could use more walnuts (of course), but the banana goop didn't sink to the bottom, so who's complaining? If "needs more walnuts" is the only critique, then I'd say this recipe is an instant winner!

Mise en place: A French cooking term meaning to put everything in place. In the kitchen, it means that all ingredients for a recipe have been pre-measured; the recipe can be made without stopping. Seen on every t.v. cooking show for a reason: it's fast and efficient. A good habit to get into and a good excuse to buy all those cute little bowls! Pronounced meez on ploss.