ginger chocolate shortbread

I've been wanting to incorporate ginger to a chocolat shortbread. The easiest method, replace the chocolate pieces in the World Peace Cookies with equal amount of diced candied ginger. I wanted a little more spice, maybe some ground ginger next time?

World Peace Cookies

Ingredients
•1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
•2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
•1/4 cup sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
•5 ounces diced candied ginger
Preparation
•Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth but not fluffy. Add both sugars, vanilla, and sea salt; beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended (mixture may be crumbly). Add chopped ginger; mix just to distribute (if dough doesn't come together, knead lightly in bowl to form ball). Divide dough in half. Place each half on sheet of plastic wrap. Form each into 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Wrap each in plastic; chill until firm, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
•Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using thin sharp knife, cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies appear dry (cookies will not be firm or golden at edges), 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

lavender shortbread

Good, slightly "healthy" but want to improve it and it will probably have a bit more white flour and sugar but will definitely make these again.

Lavender Shortbread
adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsps. lavender
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons mild honey
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon pink sea salt


Preheat oven to 300°F.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and lavender in a bowl.

Mix together butter, honey, and confectioners sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed, then add flour mixture and mix until dough resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it just comes together, about 8 times. Halve dough and form each half into a 5-inch disk.

Roll out 1 disk (keep remaining dough at room temperature) Cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Slide shortbread on parchment to a rack and cool 5 minutes.

three bran muffins

La Brea Bakery was the overwhelming winner!

Ready-bake Bran Muffins
Sunset Magazine

3 c. all-bran cereal
1 boiling water
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. raisins
1 c. sugar
2 ½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 ½ c. flour
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cereal (bran) and water. Stir until evenly moistened. Set aside to cool. Add eggs, buttermilk and raisins; mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, sugar and flour. Gently combine dry ingredients with wet. Do not over mix.

Bake in buttered muffin tins for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Serve hot with butter. Because you can.


Bran Muffins
slightly adapted fromLa Brea Bakery

2 cup wheat bran
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup, plus 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt
a few swipes of fresh orange zest (unsprayed)
1/2 cup (105g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 Cup Pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin (with 1/2-cup indentations) with paper liners.

2. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Let cool.

3. While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup (135g) of the raisins with 1 cup (120ml) of the water. Simmer for ten minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Puree the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth.

4. In a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran, buttermilk or yogurt, 1/2 cup (250ml) water, then mix in the raisin puree, orange zest, and brown sugar.

5. Stir in the oil, egg and egg white.

6. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and sift directly into the wet ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the blueberries.

7. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, making sure the batter is mounded slightly in each one. Because muffin tins can very in size, if your tins are larger, make fewer muffins.

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center.

Better Bran Muffins
from Cooks Illustrated

1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon water
2 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) All-bran cereal
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cups plain whole milk yogurt

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with nonstick cooking spray. Combine raisins and water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand, covered, until raisins are softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Transfer raisins to paper towel-lined plate to cool.

2. Process half of bran cereal in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Whisk flours, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk egg and yolk together in medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar, molasses, and vanilla; whisk until mixture is thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and whisk to combine; add yogurt and whisk to combine. Stir in processed cereal and remaining unprocessed cereal; let mixture sit until bran cereal is evenly moistened (there will still be some small lumps), about 5 minutes.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. Gently fold raisins into batter. Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping it to form mound. Do not level or flatten surface of mounds.

4. Bake until muffins are dark golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with just few crumbs attached, about 16 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

almond toasted brioche

Love this!

Almond Toasted Brioche
via Food and Wine

1 3/4 C sliced blanched almonds
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
4 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/4 C plus 2 Tbl whole milk
6 1" thick slices of brioche, cut from a 1 pound loaf
Confectioner's Sugar, for Sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375. In a food processor, combine 2 cup of the almonds with the granulated sugar and process until powdery, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 2 Tbl of the butter and the extract and process until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the food processor on, add the milk and process until blended. Transfer custard mixture to a shallow baking dish.

Spread the remaining 2 Tbl of butter evenly on one side of each slice of brioche. Dip the unbuttered sides of the brioche into the custard and transfer to a baking sheet, custard side up. Spoon any remaining custard over the bread and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 c of sliced almonds. Bake the almond brioche for about 20 minutes, until the bottom is golden and crisp and the almonds are lightly browned. Transfer the brioche to plates and dust lightly with confectioner' sugar.

chocolate almond bark

Chocolate Marcona Almond Bark
via Yummy Supper

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup roasted Marcona almonds (not in oil)
1 pound high quality dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped (or chocolate chips will work)
flaky sea salt, like Maldon


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place sugar and water in a small heavy bottomed sauce-pan. Place pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar crystals have completely dissolved. (You don't want the sugar to burn until all the crystals have broken down.)Then, bring to a boil, continue stirring occasionally, and cook for a few minutes until you get that nice deep amber color. Take the pan off heat and immediately whisk in butter.

Toss Marcona almonds into the caramel and stir to coat. Spread out gooey caramelized almonds onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool and then break up/or chop the bigger clusters. Set aside 1/4 of the almonds for garnish.

Slowly melt chocolate in a double boiler. (This can mean simply placing a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water.) When chocolate is completely melted, add 3/4 of the caramelized almonds and stir quickly to coat. Pour the chocolate/almond mixture back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread out the chocolate so that the nuts are only one layer thick. Sprinkle the remaining almonds and flaky sea salt over the top of the chocolate.

Refrigerate for 3 hours. Break apart the hardened bark, and you are ready to go.

Keep chilled.

butterscotch budino

Butterscotch Budino from Mozza
via New York Times

FOR THE BUDINO
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

FOR THE SAUCE AND TOPPING
3/4 cup heavy cream
Scrapings from 1-inch piece of vanilla bean, or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
2tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons fleur de sel
3/4 cup crème fraîche.

For the budino, combine cream and milk in bowl or pitcher, set aside. Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl, set aside.

Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in pot. Place over medium-high heat and let sit until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to even the browning until caramelized, nutty and deep brown, about 10 minutes.

Immediately whisk in cream mixture, mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk a cup at a time into egg mixture until half is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in butter and rum. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or up to 3 days.

For sauce, combine 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla in medium saucepan. Heat until simmering. Add butter and remove from heat; set aside.

In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar and enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make a wet, sandy mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling pan for even cooking, until mixture is medium amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream mixture; set aside and let cool. (May be refrigerated and reheated before serving.)

Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add crème fraîche and whisk until thick and fluffy. To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each budino. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel, and add a dollop of cream topping.

flaxseed pancakes

Buttermilk Flaxseed Pancakes
via Lovely Morning

1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c ground flaxseed meal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

4 T melted butter
2 eggs
2 c buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until well mixed. Add butter and whisk until well combined. Add buttermilk and mix.

Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.

Grease skillet with butter and make pancakes