Gingerbread Cookies

I recently acquired a copy of The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas by Jeff Smith (1992). I was home feeling indisposed this afternoon, so I tried this recipe for Gingerbread Cookies. I didn't have enough all-purpose flour, so I substituted some whole wheat. Of course, that meant I had to add a little more liquid as I was rolling them out, but these turned out spicy, crisp, and wonderful! The spiciness is due to the sheer number and quantity of spices in this recipe: cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. You can see my marble mortar and pestle in the background, because I had to grind whole cloves to make these cookies. What I found most unusual about this recipe is the tablespoon of fresh lemon juice it calls for, but I welcome any opportunity to use my trusty lemon reamer.
If you haven't checked out The Frugal Gourmet's cookbooks yet, I highly recommend them. I have tried several of his recipes so far, and have been impressed with the sheer amount of flavor in them.
These cookies were beneficial in two ways: I got a tasty treat, and my headache had even subsided a little by the time I was done baking them. Sometimes you just need to bake something.

English Muffins

I made my tried-and-true recipe for Raisin English Muffins today. Unlike the supermarket variety, these are packed with fresh, wonderful, warm-from-the griddle flavor. I've included a picture of them from right after I cut the dough with my biscuit cutter, and set them on a cookie sheet to rise. Here they are, all sprinkled with cornmeal, and studded with raisins.

Typically, I made a sponge, and let it sit, covered, for a couple of hours on the counter while I went to do homework. Then, I added the remaining ingredients, kneaded it, and let them rise again. More homework (well, and maybe there was some napping that went on, but you weren't looking). Then, I punched it down, rolled out the dough, and made the round shapes. I let them rise again, and then grilled them on a dry griddle to glorious English Muffin perfection. Mmmmmmm!

Buttermilk Waffles

Yes, I have another waffle recipe for you! This one has buttermilk instead of regular milk, and a little bit of baking soda. The buttermilk and baking soda together make the waffles rise. Just use the regular waffle recipe, substitute buttermilk for the milk, and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the recipe, and voila! Buttermilk Waffles!
Even when you're entertaining yourself, presentation is key. Treat yourself to a feast for the eyes as well as the palate! For my breakfast, I've made a feast fit for a king with freshly cooked Jonathan apples, a dollop of organic yogurt, some crunchy chopped walnuts, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar. Enjoy!

Waffles

I thought I would post a regular waffle recipe here as well. I like this recipe, because it calls for ingredients that I always have around. I made these for breakfast this morning, along with some cooked apples.

Waffles

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another, medium sized bowl, whisk togeter the eggs, butter, and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the milk mixture. Gently stir them together, and fry in a hot waffle iron as usual.

Gingerbread Waffles

This gingerbread waffle recipe came from a 1930's issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I was enchanted by the idea of gingerbread for breakfast, and had to get out my mixing bowl immediately after scribbling down the recipe. They were amazing! Especially with the sliced, cooked apples, and sprinkling of cinnamon sugar with which I ornamented them before diving in.
I made several changes to the recipe, so here's my version:

Gingerbread Waffles

1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Cream butter with an egg beater. Add egg and molasses, and beat until combined. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Add to butter mixture, beat until smooth. Stir in hot water and chopped crystallized ginger. Pout 1 - 1 1/4 cups batter onto hot waffle iron grids. Close lid quickly. Do not open lid until done. Serve with sliced, cooked apples, and cinnamon-sugar.

Redi-Frosted Raisin Bars

I tried a recipe from the 17th Annual Pilsbury Bake-Off (1966) this evening. I was looking through my cookbooks for a cookie recipe to make after exhausting myself studying. I thought this spicy recipe for "Redi-Frosted Raisin Bars" sounded like just the ticket. These bars have a delicious, crumbly texture, and are spiced with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. The raisin and brown sugar mixture is cooked on top of the stove for a few minutes before adding the flour, baking powder, soda, and vanilla. I was lucky enough to find a jelly-role-pan-sized cookie sheet with sides at the Salvation Army last summer for 50 cents, so I poured the batter into that, and then sprinkled the spiced brown sugar topping on it. The only change I made to the recipe was to cut down on the cinnamon from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon in the topping. The batter already has a teaspoon of cinnamon in it, so these bars have plenty of lovely spice flavor without the tablespoon of cinnamon.

Bean Pot Soup Tureen

I love making baked beans. Problematically, I've been making them in my crock pot, so they don't brown properly. Therefore, when I saw this antique bean pot at a consingment shop, I was intrigued. I thought it was a bit small though for a batch of beans, so, as it was $15 anyway, I let it go.
A short while later, I was at the Salvation Army with some friends, and found another bean pot, made by Three Crowns, and sporting the appropriate number 3 on top of a crown in blue. That was $7.50, but again, I didn't buy it. It wasn't as nice as the one from the consignment shop, which even came with a soup ladle. The next time I was at the SA, I found that someone had snapped it up, which was probably wise, since internet prices for the 3 Crowns item run right around $40.
When I learned that the consignment shop was having a 50% off sale, I decided to meander over, just to see if they still had my bean pot. They did! I got the nicer bean pot, which turns out to be McCoy, for $7.50.
I love it! I was even inspired to finish up this quilted table runner to go underneath it. I can't wait to serve guests from this lovely bean pot soup tureen.