Gingernuts... It's Downton Day!!

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The third episode of Downton Abbey this season left me a little, well, flat.  Anna's agony continued quietly.  The storyline for Lady Edith and Rose were just starting to do something, and Lady Mary was had to endure some awkward moments.  I am still smiling about Mrs. Hughes' moment in the sun... and soo hope she and Mr. Carson hit it off romantically.  Wouldn't that be just wonderful?  

Okay, onto food.  Since last week's Downton viewing recipe was more elaborate, I wanted go a little more low-key this Sunday.  I found this recipe for gingernuts, an English ginger snap cookie that is perfection with tea.  Harboring a deep seated love for all things gingerbread, I had to give it a go.

Gingernuts

Ingredients:

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup fine sugar 
1 Tbsp molasses
1/2 cup golden syrup (I got mine at Cost Plus World Market)
2 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Use a baking stone or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Place the brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter and fine sugar until light.  

Add the molasses and golden syrup. Continue beating the mixture until well incorporated. Aren't the colors stunning?

In another bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, allspice, coriander, baking powder, and baking soda.  The scent is intoxicating!

Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture to form a soft dough.  

Form dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll the balls in brown sugar.  

Place 2-inches apart on the baking sheet.  Press down gently to flatten slightly.  

Bake  5 minutes at 350 degrees F, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake another 10-15 minutes.  The cookies are done when they have cracked, are slightly firm to the touch and golden brown all over.  

Cool on the sheet for few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an air tight container.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

This spicy cookie has a crunchy outside, a soft inside, and is absolutely delicious with tea and a little Downton drama.  While the cast attire was stunning yet again, I am just in agony for Mr. Bates and Anna.  Let's hope she is on her way toward healing and he doesn't murder Mr. Green.  I am excited to see how Mary handles this new guy... and what was the deal was with Edith and the doctor's office?  Until next week!!

Downton Abbey Returns!!!

Season 4 of Downton Abbey began last Sunday night.  I have had this day marked in my calendar since October when I learned the date of the premiere.  I know, I am a total nerd.

Last season, I decided to try out a different British/period dessert to enjoy with every episode.  I blogged about the experiences too.  The result was absolute success!  I had so much fun trying new sweets and sharing them with others, I felt compelled to continue my new tradition!

So, how did I commemorate the premiere?  I made raspberry scones!!

Don't they look decadent?!  Here is how I made them.

Raspberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C flour
1/3 C sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into smaller pieces
3/4 C buttermilk (or substitute with 1 cup milk and 1 Tbsp white vinegar... let sit 5 minutes)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (can substitute vanilla extract)
1 1/2 C frozen/fresh raspberries
1/2 C chopped dark chocolate
Heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a food processor, blend the dry ingredients.  Add the butter and pulse until it has a sand-like quality.  In a large measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla bean paste.  Pour into the food processor and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  The dough might be very crumbly and not fully combined.  Gather the pieces and top with the raspberries and chocolate.  Knead ingredients together with the dough a few times until combined.  Pat dough into a 1"-thick disc.  Cut the scones into 8 slices and place onto a baking stone.  Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with additional sugar.  Bake 15-18 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature.  Delicious with tea!

I cannot wait to see how Lady Mary handles her new role as part owner of Downton.  I imagine she and her father will have words.  Lady Edith has a new, forbidden romance in the works.  I am sure it will be fraught with disappointment.  Their young wild child cousin now lives in the house and she is already up to her crazy antics.  THIS season should be good!!!

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Update to Downton Abbey and Savouries

Although he is too young for Downton Abbey, my 16 month old son LOVED the

 Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries.  

LOVED them!  

He shoved them into his mouth all at once!!

So, what are you waiting for?  Whip up a batch today!

Ritz Cracker Candy

While in grad school, I discovered Ritz Cracker candy.  I believe the introduction came through a Midwestern colleague... they seemed to always have the hook-ups on things like this.  One taste, and I was sold!  How could something soo tasty be soo easy?!

January is usually the time folks stop consuming the treats and start eating a little better but these are soo worth putting this tradition aside... at least for a little while.

Ritz Cracker Candy

You will need:
1 box Ritz Crackers
1 package chocolate Almond Bark (could also use Ghirardelli chocolate for a more upscale treat)
1 jar peanut butter of your choice (can also use almond butter or Nutella)

1.  Open the crackers and begin weeding out any that are broken.  They can be a snack.  Apply peanut butter to half of the whole crackers then use the other half to create little sandwiches.  Be generous with the peanut butter!  I tend to only do 1 1/2 sleeves at a time with just 1/2 of the bark.  This is my way of maintaining control since these things are like Lay's potato chips... No one can eat just one!

2.  Melt 1/2 of the Almond Bark in the microwave.  Begin at 60 seconds, stir, then continue with 30 second intervals.  Continue until the candy is smooth.

3.  Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  One at a time, drop sandwiches into the melted candy.  Using a fork, turn the sandwich around until it is coated on top, bottom and all the way around.  Lift from the candy with a fork and tap off excess candy, allowing it to drizzle back into the bowl.  Use a knife or another fork to slide the coated sandwich onto the baking sheet.  Continue until all sandwiches are dipped.

If there is extra candy, make more sandwiches OR dip plain crackers.  You can also let the kiddos lick the bowl!

4.  Place the coated sandwiches in a cool area to set.  Once firm, enjoy!

Variation:  You can use graham crackers with marshmallow fluff to make a s'more style treat!

Ritz Cracker candy makes a great gift when presented in a pretty tin or decorative Chinese food container adorned with a beautiful ribbon.  They can also be delicious party favors when packaged in a cellophane bag with a little tag!  Since the possibilities are endless, you simply MUST give these humble little treats a try!

Enjoy!

Cooking with Kids

My Wee One loves to cook.  Well, let's rephrase this... she loves to cook with Momma.  She will often tell me, "I help you," then happily push a chair to the counter to take part.  However, when I ask her to help me she squeals with delight and enthusiastically runs to wash up and begin.

I too love having Wee One help but mealtime prep isn't always a kid-friendly time for help.  Be it hot ovens, flaming stove tops, or sharp knives, there are a number of safety hazards I must consider in order to protect my budding chef.

Here are my tips for cooking with kids:

1. I often ask my girl what she would like to have for ____________  (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack).  I offer 2 - 3 options based on the ingredients we have on hand.  She is a more enthusiastic participant when she gets to choose and likes what we are preparing.
2. I make sure we wash our hands together to stress the importance of food safety.  It is never to early to start!  This cute video teaches kids about proper hand washing techniques.
3. We put on our super cool aprons to protect our clothes.  She LOVES her apron from Williams Sonoma.
4. I try to introduce my kids to a wider variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, grains and dairy products.  I also use REAL food, rather than engineered/convenience products, and talk about the growers who produced the food.  As an Agricultural Educator, I think of this as another opportunity to teach my kids about agriculture.
5. I pull out all of the ingredients and utensils needed to prevent a lot of running around the kitchen.  This allows me to stay focused on my girl.  As she grows, I will have her read the recipe to me as I gather to further integrate her into the process.
6. I keep the environment happy and light.  Will things get messy?  You bet!  Will we end up having to re-count or re-measure?  Yep!  Just laugh and make sure you schedule plenty of time so the rest of the family isn't waiting to be fed.  I also provide lots of feedback and positive conversation to prevent frustration and stress.
7. I also use the time to teach and reinforce practical math, listening and processing skills.  Since my girl does not yet know how to read, I read the directions and then ask her what we need to do.  I also have her count as we add 1, 2, 3... of something.  She loves participating and I love teaching.
8. All chopping with knives, bringing things in and out of the oven, and most stovetop cooking are done by me.  If something can be cut using a butter knife or plastic knife (ie. chopping strawberries), it is delegated.  As she grows in skill and confidence, she can begin to take on more of these responsibilities with adult supervision.
9. I have Wee One help plate before we serve.  This way, she can take even more ownership over the meal AND sees the end result of her efforts.
10. In our family, we make sure we praise Wee One's efforts while enjoying the dish.  Everyone takes turns thanking her for her delicious efforts.  She eats her meal with a smile, often cleaning the plate!

A particular favorite of my girl's is Breakfast for Dinner.  Mini German Pancakes with Fresh Berry Compote is always a hit and she can do virtually all of the prep!  We serve them with bacon to make Daddy happy.  Who am I kidding... we serve them with bacon to make EVERYONE happy!!

Mini German Pancakes with Fresh Berry Compote
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Zest from one orange (1 tsp +/-)
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease two muffin tins well and set aside.

Using a blender, add the first 6 ingredients and blend until smooth.  Ask your little helper to man the machine and tell you when all of the flour has been incorporated.  Add butter a little at a time to temper eggs.

Evenly distribute batter to muffin tins (slightly less than half full).  Hint:  using an emptied and cleaned plastic catsup bottle to fill the tins, makes this job easy for little hands.  Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden.  Remove from tins and serve pancakes while still warm.


Fresh Berry Compote
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Juice from 1 orange
2 tbsp water
Sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries - a couple of tablespoons to 1/4 cup)
2 tbsp cornstarch

Add berries to saucepan with juice and a little water.  Turn on medium heat and cook until berries begin to burst.  Blend sugar and cornstarch together so no lumps remain.  Add to the pot and continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring frequently, to allow mixture to thicken a bit. Serve over Mini German Pancakes and top with fresh whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Delicious!!!

Tasty New Snack!

I just tried a can of Blue Diamond's Bold Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds. All I have to say is, "WHOA! These suckers are DELISH!!" If you like the intensity of horseradish with a little saltiness of soy sauce, THIS is the snack for you. Far superior to the smokehouse almonds of days gone by, this new product in the Blue Diamond family makes almonds exciting.

28 almonds comprise one serving. While not exactly low in calories (1 serving has 170 calories), almonds contain healthy fats, potassium, fiber and protein. They are totally worth a try! Pick some up some Wasabi & Soy Sauce almonds in your grocery store's snack food aisle and enjoy!

I really do sound like a commercial!!

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