Copycat

I haven’t run across a lot of store-bought cookies that I would actually pay money for, with the exception of a particular brand of ginger thins (no idea what the name is) that I’ll snag on occasion.  But the other night I was out to dinner, and the crème brulée I had for dessert was accompanied by 3 shortbread-like ginger cookies that were beyond amazing, and I have since become mildly obsessed with making my own crispy ginger cookies.

I see the makings of an odyssey of epic proportions ahead.

And while I was aiming for a shortbread-like cookie similar to what I had at the restaurant, my first endeavor ended up an exact replica of those ginger thins I love so much.

Keep in mind when baking these that they spread a lot.  I discovered that a mound of dough about the size of a cherry is a good size, but you could go smaller and still have a decent-sized cookie.  And I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many total the batch will make.  First off, I was trying so many different sizes that I couldn’t get a consistent count.  And somehow the dough and finished cookies kept disappearing.

Also, be sure to allow these to cool completely before stacking them (carefully) in an airtight container, or they will lose some of that delightful crispiness.

Ginger Thins

12 Tbs (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
Turbinado sugar (or use sugar in the raw)

Preheat to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Using a paddle attachment, beat until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and molasses.  Continue to beat another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt and stir to combine.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the flour and baking soda.  Stir slowly, just until combined. Measure teaspoon sized balls and place on cookie sheet, giving a couple of inches in between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until they have spread, the surface has cracked, and they are firm to the touch. Remove to racks and allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container using wax paper or parchment in between stacks.

Makes…  a lot.  5 dozen maybe?

S'mores to Go

I'm at the end of a 5-day break.  Decided to take a couple of vacation days on top of the holiday weekend.  As always, my to do list continuously infringed on my down time.  But I did get some organizing projects out of the way.

I also wanted to put together a little something for O1's boyfriend, in honor of his 21st birthday.  Since he's a big fan of s'mores I thought I'd try something a bit different than the usual over the top chocolate sweet.  I ran across this recipe for S'mores Granola Bars and decided to try them out.

I'll avoid any attempt to pass these off as healthy treats.  They were, however, pretty tasty...

S'mores Granola Bars

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

4 cups Rice Krispies

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp salt

3 cups mini marshmallows, divided

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 425º.  Spread oats out on a large baking sheet.  Place in oven and allow to toast for 3 minutes.  Stir the oats and return to oven for another 3 minutes.  Leave oven on and pour oats into a large mixing bowl.  Add Rice Krispies and stir to combine.

In a large saucepan, add butter, sugar, water, corn syrup and salt.  Turn heat to medium and allow to come to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 4 minutes, then pour over oat mixture in bowl.  Stir mixture, then add 1 1/2 cups of the marshmallows.  Stir to incorporate.

Use a little butter to grease the baking sheet.  Pour oat mixture onto sheet and spread out evenly.  Rub a bit of butter on your hands and press the mixture firmly down onto pan.  Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and the remaining marshmallows.  Return to oven and allow to bake until the marshmallows turn golden, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and cut into bars.  Store in plastic bags.

Because It's What I Do

Neither of my kids are big fans of chocolate.  Seriously.  I chalk this up to a faulty sperm donor (which may be a highly inappropriate thing to mention when discussing baked goods).

Anyway, I have a very appreciative audience for my baked goods at work, which keeps me from scarfing an entire batch of these all by myself.  But just barely...

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

Adapted slightly from Bon Appétit magazine

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)