Desserts – Page 8 – The Pajama Chef

Chewy Ginger Cookies

January 5, 2015January 1, 2015 Sarah

These chewy ginger cookies are filled with molasses, warm spices, and lots of love! Don’t let the Christmas plate fool you… your family will love these cookies year round!

My mom started making these cookies when I was in high school, and over the years they have been called many, many names [aside from delicious]. Ginger cookies, big soft ginger cookies, harvest ginger cookies, harvest cookies… so when I decided to make them this Christmas season, I didn’t know what to call them. Ultimately, the descriptive title won out: Chewy Ginger Cookies. These cookies are unmistakably gingery and SUPER chewy. I have to admit that since they’re a fairly basic cookie I didn’t immediately think of making them for Christmas. But recently, a family friend messaged me on Facebook for the recipe and BOOM! They popped into my head and just wouldn’t leave. 🙂

I altered this recipe a little from the original: namely, I made them about half the size as the recipe calls for. I don’t remember how big my mom used to make them but these were plenty large for us… plus you get double the amount of cookies. Enough for BOTH of our families. 🙂 Score! Since we were seeing our families different weeks, I put half the cookies in the freezer and was pleasantly surprised that they retained their chewiness despite a stint in the freezer. Perfect!

Though these cookies are pretty simple, they taste pretty amazing. I meant to share this recipe before Christmas but alas. You’ll just have to tolerate a Christmas plate in January, alright? Be sure to enjoy these cookies soon! They’re amazing with a glass of milk or a cup of tea. Mmm! Enjoy!

one year ago: Sweet Potato Chorizo Chile Mac
two years ago: Chicken Tinga Tacos
three years ago: Crockpot Cran-Apple Sauce
four years ago: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Servings: 48 cookies
Time: 75 minutes
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from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups butter or shortening, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cups coarse sugar or regular sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and beat for 2 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses to combine. Slowly add in flour mixture, as much as possible with the mixer. Finish mixing in the rest with a wooden spoon.

At this point, dough can be shaped and baked or refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. If desired, line baking sheets with parchment or a silpat. Roll dough in 2 tablespoon sized balls [approximately 35 grams/1.25 ounces], then roll in coarse sugar. Place 2 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until puffy and light brown. Do not overbake. If desired, rotate pans halfway through baking [front to back and top to bottom] and allow baking sheets to cool before baking the next batch.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Spiced Biscotti with Eggnog Glaze

December 29, 2014May 6, 2015 Sarah

Delicious spiced biscotti with some holiday cheer in the eggnog glaze! Mmmm!

Merry Monday after Christmas! No, really. Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends. We were on the sunny beaches of Florida… an absolutely perfect destination Christmas with my parents and sister and brother-in-law. So much FUN!! Except for when my phone took a tumble in the ocean on Christmas day. So, so sad. I got a new phone [woohoo]; fortunately my old phone was about 1 1/2 years old. Now we’re back in Tennessee, back to reality, kinda sorta. Ben and I both have another week off… and I can’t wait! I forsee lots of reading, kitty snuggles, and relaxing in my immediate future. Aside from popping in today to share this biscotti recipe for Mystery Dish, I don’t know if I’ll be blogging much til after the new year. But we will see! 🙂

Anyways, I made these biscotti last week before heading to Florida for Mystery Dish. The lovely Colleen from The Smart Cookie Cook was our host. She gave us a GREAT list of ingredients to work with, including:

White Chocolate
Peppermint Bark
Muenster cheese
Eggnog
Canned biscuits
Nutmeg
Browned butter
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach
Roasted Garlic
Vanilla ice cream
Cream cheese

These biscotti are made with three of the above ingredients: eggnog, nutmeg, and white chocolate. Let’s start with the biscotti: aside from allll the lovely spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, I also added some sliced almonds and some chopped white chocolate. Tiny sliced almonds + chocolate = lotsa small pieces in each bite. Small pieces also makes slicing the biscotti easier after its initial bake.

After the biscotti baked and cooled, I finished it off with a super simple eggnog glaze. It was just eggnog and powdered sugar. Easy as pie! 🙂 We have been enjoying our biscotti over the past week or so with coffee, tea, and even hot cocoa! They’re a fun treat to an already fun season. Hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out other recipes from this month’s edition of Mystery Dish!

one year ago: Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa
two years ago: White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies
three years ago: Classic Sugar Cookies
four years ago: Cranberry Scones

Spiced Biscotti with Eggnog Glaze

Servings: 16
Time: 60 minutes
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biscotti from Bon Appetit; glaze from Cupcake Project

Ingredients:

for biscotti

1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup white chocolate chips, chopped [measure then chop]

for glaze

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup eggnog

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

With an electric mixer, beat egg and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in brandy and vanilla, beating to combine. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Slowly mix in flour mixture into egg mixture. Fold in almonds and white chocolate.

Spoon batter onto baking sheet. With wet hands, shape into a 2 by 10 inch log.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown, then remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer biscotti to a cutting board and slice into 1/3 inch pieces. Return pieces to baking sheet, then bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Biscotti will continue to harden as it cools.

When cool, whisk together powdered sugar and eggnog in a small bowl. Brush or drizzle onto biscotti and let glaze set. When set, brush or drizzle on a second layer if desired.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Check out what else my Mystery Dish pals made this month!

Brown Butter Eggnog Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze from Flavor the Moments

Brown Butter Nutmeg Melted Ice Cream Cupcakes from The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies from I Dig Pinterest

Creamy Chicken Pasta Skillet from Simply Gloria

Peppermint Bark Milkshake from The Smart Cookie Cook

Roasted Garlic, Spinach & Tomato Whole Wheat Pizza from Yummy Healthy Easy

Spiced Biscotti with Eggnog Glaze from The Pajama Chef

Spinach and Tomato Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust from The Well Floured Kitchen

Spinach, Tomato & Roasted Garlic Flatbread from Inspiration Kitchen

White Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Blondies from Culinary Couture

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

SRC Cookie Carnival: Orange Spritz

December 14, 2014December 14, 2014 Sarah

Cute little crisp, buttery Spritz cookies are the perfect addition to your cookie plate this Christmas season! This version has an orange twist for a bit of freshness!

It’s always more fun to make cookies at Christmastime, don’t you think? This year for the Secret Recipe Club we are celebrating all things COOKIES by having a fun little cookie carnival.

For this event I was asked to make one of Marsha’s recipes from her blog, The Harried Cook. Marsha is a mom of two girls who loves Jesus too! She lives in India with her family and from glancing at her Twitter, I learned that she teaches cooking classes. How fun! 🙂

Marsha’s girls love these Orange Spritz cookies–both the eating, and the making. I remember eating Spritz cookies every Christmas growing up… and truthfully, they weren’t my favorite cookies. But as an adult I have given them another chance. They’re so delicate and light, the perfect accompaniment to tea or coffee or even a richer cookie treat. I almost made Marsha’s Lime and Pepper Cookies because they sounded so interesting, so you might want to check that recipe out too!

But back to these cookies. This was my first time making Spritz cookies on my own and it was kinda fun, once I got the hang of my cookie press. By “me getting the hang of it” I clearly mean me desperately calling for Ben to come help because I could NOT figure out the instructions. It didn’t help that I have an Italian cookie press and the [oddly] translated instructions are spread out over several pages. Cookie press problems aside, the results were awesome. Thanks, Marsha for the great recipe! Merry Christmas!

four years ago: Cranberry Sauce Two Ways

Orange Spritz

Servings: about 2 dozen medium cookies
Time: 35 minutes
Print

from The Harried Cook

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silpat.

With a mixer, cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in salt and the egg yolk until just combined. Add vanilla and orange zest, then beat again. Stir in flour.

Fill your cookie press and press out according to the cookie press’ instructions, placing on baking sheets approximately 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 8-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown. The original recipe said baking time might be about 6 minutes, but mine was definitely about 12.

Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Check out other cookie recipes here:

Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes

Cupcake Day: Mini Apple Cupcakes with Cranberry Buttercream

December 8, 2014December 14, 2015 Sarah

Sweet spiced apple cupcakes paired with a tart cranberry buttercream. Two fall flavors in one mini cupcake bite! With just a few special ingredients you can have some extraordinary cupcakes!

Before I forget… go say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby sister. 🙂 How convenient that I’m posting a cupcake recipe today, huh? Here we are 25 years ago! Aww.

The best things come in small packages, I think [see above?!], and mini cupcakes and muffins are no exception. They’re pretty much my favorite things ever! I hadn’t made mini cupcakes in wayyy too long, so when Coleen of The Redhead Baker announced her celebration of cupcakes this fall, I KNEW mini cupcakes would be my contribution. And after much deliberation, I decided to make apple cupcakes. But what to top them with?

One of my Nashville friends has her own baking business and recently brought some sample cupcakes to our Bible study. She topped her apple cupcakes with a salted caramel buttercream, which was delicious, but I didn’t want to be a copycat. 🙂 Cinnamon buttercream also sounded good too, but then my favorite applesauce variation came to mind. Ben and I love swirling cranberry sauce into homemade applesauce, so I thought a nice tart cranberry buttercream may be the way to go. And ohhh my–it is!

Multiple strong, overly sweet flavors don’t always work for cupcakes in my book. So I like to keep either the cake or the frosting on the simple side, and really play up the other. The cake portion of these cupcakes are just a subtle, spiced apple flavor. I grated the apples to add some texture and fresh apple. I normally love small chunks of apple in cake and muffins, but the grated texture works better in mini cupcakes, imo. Then the frosting. Ohhh the frosting!

The cranberry buttercream is stunning, isn’t it? It’s naturally that bright, bold shade of pink, and each bite is better than the last. This buttercream is sweet, with a fantastic cranberry-y tart aftertaste. Good thing this recipe makes a ton of buttercream… enough to keep in your fridge for a late night snack. 🙂 Seeing these pink seasonal cupcakes just makes me so happy! I wish I could bring some to share with you in real life today. Enjoy!

Thanks for organizing this celebration of cupcakes, Coleen! Be sure to scroll down below the recipe to see lots of yummy cupcake recipes. Have a great Monday!!

four years ago: Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits

Mini Apple Cupcakes with Cranberry Buttercream

Servings: 32 mini cupcakes
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Ingredients:

for apple cupcakes from Chow

1 1/2 cups shredded apples [2 medium Gala apples]
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour [156 1/4 grams]
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, room temperature
3 ounces buttermilk, room temperature

for cranberry buttercream from Baker By Nature

2 cups cranberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Begin by shredding the apples with a box grater or food processor. Then press apples through a fine mesh sieve to drain as much juice out as possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. With a mixer, beat butter for 2 minutes until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for another two minutes. Add egg and buttermilk, then beat for another minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Then, fold in apples.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling just below the top of the cup.

Bake for 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Cool completely before frosting.

While cupcakes are baking, prepare buttercream. Begin by placing cranberries and lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cranberries pop and can be mashed easily. Mixture will look like a thick cranberry jam. Remove from heat, and working in batches, press mixture through a fine mesh sieve to separate the puree from the seeds/skin. This may be time consuming but is worth it. Cover and refrigerate puree to chill.

When ready to frost cupcakes, beat butter on medium-high for 2 minutes, until very smooth. Add in cold cranberry puree and beat for another minute until fully combined. Add powdered sugar, cup by cup and beat until desired thickness is achieved. I used about 4 cups. Stir in vanilla, then pipe or frost as desired.

Pssst! Look at all these other delicious cupcake recipes that my friends made for Cupcake Day! Mmm!

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by The Cooking Actress
Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes by Noshing With The Nolands
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Nerds Cupcakes by Amy’s Confectionery Adventures
Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes by NinjaBaker
Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Candied Butter Pecan Frosting by From Gate to Plate
Dark Chocolate Rum Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream by Lemony Thyme
Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting by Eva Bakes
Cranberry Apple Cupcakes by The Pajama Chef
Almond Joy Cupcakes by Our Eating Habits
Buttered Rum Cupcakes by Adventures in All Things Food
Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting by The Spiffy Cookie
Candied Buddha’s Hand-Eggnog Cupcakes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Almond Joy Cupcakes by Food Lust People Love
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting for 2 by Kate’s Recipe Box
Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Peppermint Patty Cupcakes by Comfortably Domestic
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream by Making Miracles
Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting by {i love} my disorganized life
Lemon Cupcakes by Miss Information
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Kosher Kitchen
Peppermint Cream Cookie Cupcakes by Take a Bite out of Boca
Cupcake Christmas Wreath by Lick the Spoon

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cookies

November 28, 2014December 4, 2014 Sarah

Fudgy chocolate cookies made with greek yogurt! They’re strangely amazing! 🙂

Happy Mystery Dish Day! I know it’s Black Friday, but I refuse to brave the crowds and face American consumerism head-on. No material item is worth that craziness. Ugh, I’m not a crowds person at all. Just give me a good book, some tea, and a yummy snack like popcorn or cookies and I’m happy. And these cookies are AWESOME. They’re the perfect book-reading, movie-watching, game-playing companion. Super rich and chocolately with lots of tart cranberries and mini chocolate chips mixed in.

These Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cookies were a fun way to use up some ingredients that were selected by our hostess, Rebecca from Living Better Together. She asked us to make something amazing with at least three of the following ingredients: Hazelnuts, Pork Belly, Dark Chocolate, Cranberries, Bourbon, Red Potatoes, Pimento Cheese, Ginger, Yogurt, French Bread, Buckwheat, and Rice Krispies. I honestly don’t remember how I came up with the idea of making greek yogurt cookies, but a little googling later I realized they were actually a thing!

One fun element about them besides how awesome they taste is that they’re also made with no butter or oil… perfect for those times when you don’t have any on hand but want a cookie or when you’re trying to eat a lil healthier. Like after Thanksgiving, haha. I hope you had a great day celebrating with family and friends, btw!

I’m not going to lie–these cookies don’t have that soft and chewy texture of most addictive cookies. These cookies are soft and puffy, not quite muffin tops but close. What they lack in chewiness they make up for in flavor. I used both dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate in them [dark chocolate cocoa powder and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips], but you could certainly mix and match based on your tastes. I hope you enjoy them, and be sure to check out what my friends made for you too!

one year ago: Harvest Pear Crisp with Crystallized Ginger
two years ago: Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
three years ago: Thai Peanut Ginger Wings
four years ago: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce

Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cookies

Servings: 36
Time: 30 minutes
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from Give Recipe

1 egg
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8-12 ounces plain greek yogurt [I used nonfat but 2% or whole milk yogurt is also great]
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder [like Hershey’s Special Dark]
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons sea salt, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 8 ounces plain greek yogurt together. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, adding up to another 4 ounces of greek yogurt if necessary if it’s too thick to stir. I used another 2 ounces but 4 seemed like too much. Fold in almost all of the chocolate chips and cranberries, reserving a few tablespoons to press on the top before baking.

Scoop cookie dough out [it will be thick] with a cookie dough scoop or two spoons. Place about 1-2 inches apart on baking sheets. They don’t spread so you can put them fairly close together. Since dough is so thick, it’s easiest to use multiple pans and scoop it all out at once. Afterwards, press down on tops of dough balls gently with a spoon, then dot with a few cranberries or chocolate chips.

Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on baking sheets a few minutes before cooling on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt while hot if desired.

See what other Mystery Dish gals made this month:

Gluten Free Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut Cake from Living Better Together

Turtle Krispies Treats from I Dig Pinterest

Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cookies from The Pajama Chef

Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Bars from I Want Crazy

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut English Toffee from Flavor the Moments

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cranberry Buttercrunch from Inspiration Kitchen

Skinny Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Hazelnut Fudge from Joyful Healthy Eats

Cranberry Hazelnut Crepe Cake from Blahnik Baker

Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats from The Smart Cookie Cook

Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes with Hazelnut Cookie Crust from The Well Floured Kitchen