12 Days of Cookies

It's that time of year again, when holiday baking takes center stage. Whether you bake all year 'round or just for the holidays, you probably have an arsenal of your favorite "go-to" recipes. Personally, I prefer to mix up my traditional recipes with new ones, especially when there are people on my recipient list that have specific dietary restrictions.

Last year I was honored to be a part of Local Savour's 12 Days of Cookies blogger round-up. I'm equally honored to have been asked to take part again this year and submit one of my favorite cookies. I have several friends on my cookie list that are gluten intolerant so I thought I would share a couple of my favorite gluten free cookie recipes.

The first cookie, a Chocolate Orange Truffle, came from testing a number of gluten-free flour blends, with mostly frustrating results. I ended up trying it with no flour and that proved to be the winner. That was last year when I had only just started dabbling in the gluten-free world.

Now a year later I'm a bit braver and hopefully wiser when it comes to gluten-free baking - not to mention all of the additional options now available with gluten-free flours.  I was only asked to contribute one cookie for this year's round-up but I'm a girl of options so I'm throwing in my second favorite gluten-free cookie. Inspired by the ginger cookies from Starbucks, I came up with this gluten-free version. Whether you try one of the delicious choices from Local Savour or one from your own family recipe box, remember to take the time to enjoy your sweet success... I'm jus' sayin!

Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 tbs. of orange juice
2 tbs of orange zest
1 tbs. of vanilla
2 cups of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Place parchment lined cookie sheet in freezer to chill.

In a large mixing bowl with a whisk, mix the sugar, cocoa and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the egg whites, orange juice, zest and vanilla. When mixed well, stir in the chips and incorporate well. Place tablespoon sized mounds on baking sheet and bake 12-13 minutes until they have a nice sheen and hold there shape. Cool and enjoy with a glass of milk. No, really, you will need something to drink with these bad boys. They are decadent and rich. Oh, and gluten free! *Insert jazz hands here*

Gluten Free Spicy Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups of gluten-free flour (I use Namaste)

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. clove

3 tbs. of minced candied ginger

3/4 cups unsalted butter 

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

Granulated sugar for rolling

Heat oven to 375. Line 2 baking dishes with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda , salt and dry spices. Set aside.

In a mixer cream together butter, sugar and molasses. Add egg. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and then the candied ginger. When all is incorporated, use a 1/4 cup measure to make dough scoops. Roll dough in granulated sugar. Place cookie dough ball on cookie sheet. Moisten your fingers with water and gently press down on top of sugared dough. Bake for 12 minutes (rotating at 7 minutes) until they have spread and are firm to touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Orange!

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Green

Ever Since I can remember I have always been a fan of the color orange. All I can say is that it speaks to me. I can be having the craziest or most stressful of days but when my eyes spy the color orange, I am quickly transformed into a state of bliss. With that admission, it should come as no surprise that pumpkins also make me happy, right? I don’t remember the first time I had a love affair with a pumpkin but I have no doubt that it goes back to the first time I bit into one of my grandma's yeasty pumpkin rolls. She was a huge fan of the pumpkin and all of its health benefits. As I sat in her kitchen she would share how important a pumpkin was with its high amounts of potassium and vitamin C.

As important as that info was it was not as important to me as that delicious aroma that would be coming from the oven, what can I say, I was easily distracted by a bigger reward! I loved how she would take a pumpkin and use its flesh in all sorts of sweet and savory dishes. I remember being more fascinated by the many recipes she came up with than by cutting a jack-o-lantern out. GG taught me how to bake my first pie and she taught me how to use the versatile yeast dough to create anything from coffee cake to pizza crust. Since then, I have spent many hours researching pumpkin recipes and have yet to come across one I don’t like. When I started this particular blog post I wanted to post some of my favorite recipes but quickly realized I have already done that over the last few years. So here are a few new ones I have tried recently and my hope is that if you give them a try, then maybe you, too, will see why this lovely orange orb brings me sweet bliss... I’m jus' sayin'!

Pumpkin Caramel Empanadas

Empanada Crust Recipe
http://latinfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/empanada_dough.htm
Pumpkin Caramel Filling

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup of Kraft Caramel bits

Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.

To make Empanadas:
Preheat oven to 350 F and divide chilled dough into 4 quarters. Roll out each quarter into 1/8” inch circles. Depending on your size preference you can cut circles out with circle cookie cutters or find a plastic lid that matches your size preference. Spoon about 1 tbsp (more or less depending on empanada size). I put 2 tbs. into the center of each circle. Fold the dough over so it resembles a “taco” shape. Seal the edges using the back of a fork to keep the filling in as well as to add that cool little decorative look. Brush with melted butter or beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon sugar (optional). Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes until golden brown. Be careful because the caramel can burn quickly so keep a watchful eye on these little treats.





Garlic Cumin Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups of fresh cleaned pumpkin seeds (rinsed and patted dry)
1 tbs. of olive oil
½ tsp. of garlic powder
½ tsp. of ground cumin
1 tsp. of kosher salt

Toss all of the ingredients together and spread out on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 F oven for approximately 20 minutes until brown and toasty. Cool and enjoy!





Pumpkin Ginger Jam
Courtesy of “The Pumpkin Cookbook”

6 lb pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
¾ cup of lemon juice
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 cup of crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 tbs. ground ginger
6 lbs of sugar

Makes 6 ½ quarts

Boil or steam the pumpkin until tender. Drain well and mash. Put the mashed pumpkin in a large pot with the lemon juice, lemon zest , crystalized ginger and the ground ginger. Bring to a simmer. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as the pulp thickens.

Meanwhile, wash some glass preserving jars and then boil them in warm water for 10 minutes. Dry upside-down in a warm oven. They should still be warm when you are filling them. Sterilize the lids by dipping in boiling water.

To test the jam to see if it is set, drop a small amount onto a cold saucer. Place in the refrigerator briefly. Then pour the jam into warm jars and seal. (I did a final water bath of 15 minutes with the sealed jars just to be 100% safe)





Hot Pumpkin White Chocolate
Courtesy of Phyllis Hoffman "Celebrate”

Makes 6 servings

4 cups whole milk
1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin
1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
8 oz. of finely chopped white chocolate
*Garnish-Whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, marshmallows

In a large saucepan combine the milk, pumpkin, condensed milk and spice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking to dissolve. Ladle into mugs and garnish as desired.

Change

The arrival of every new season brings with it change. When I was young, I used to think God created the seasons because each of us was unique and in with that came the craving of a certain season, the season that makes us feel alive. That has not changed much in my daily theory of life. If you ask someone what their favorite season is, they will likely pop right up and say "Spring", "Autumn", "Winter" or "Summer". And of course, there are a few that will say every season is their favorite simply because they love change. For some, the mere mention of their favorite season will conjure up memories of a favorite pastime specifically related to that season. Personally, I love how food comes to mind 90% of the time. I read once that the sense of taste is the one that stays "alive" the longest in our memory. Whether this is accurate or not for the masses, I have personally found it to be completely true! You name a season and I instantly relate it to food. If I think of a person - any person - I can connect them with a food story. Perhaps I am a bit obsessed with food, however, I believe it's my special way of holding onto the memory of that individual and never forgetting how truly important they were (or still are) to me. With all of this said, I must not finish today's blog without letting you know what my favorite season is.

If you know me, then you know that my favorite color is orange and my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. If you have ever had the opportunity to come by my home during Autumn, you will no doubt have seen that our decorations rank right up there with Christmas - minus the outdoor lighting. I come alive when the thermometer starts to go down and that cool, crisp, familiar breeze forces the trees to release those amazing colors of amber, tawny brown and those lovely hues of my favorite orange. My mind races to pots of hot soup bubbling, scents of sweet vanilla and cinnamon permeating the kitchen. The smell of pot roast that has been in a crock pot all day and the power of its scent when you walk in the door from a long day at work. The feel of those warm slippers and the security of those down feather comforters that force you to stay under the covers just a little longer. The glow of scented candles and crackling fires. The giddy feeling you get when you see a pile of leaves raked up just begging you to "jump in!" and forget your an adult now. The dogs curled up by the couch enjoying the still moment. The apples at the farmer's markets that secretly scream at you to come taste there crispy texture and ponder over all the sweet recipes you can make with them. The children in their costumes running from door-to-door to get their next sweet treat. The blood oranges on my husband's tree out back that turn that lovely hue that says "It's time! Pick me!" The annual trips to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect one for carving and that perfect one for baking and that perfect one that will adorn the Thanksgiving table. The smell of the turkey sizzling in the vat of hot oil. Sitting at a long table of food and taking in the moment - the moment that all these people sitting with you are really, truly blessings and gifts that God has hand-picked just for you. The Fall picnics and the tailgating. The bubbling macaroni and cheese that just oozes comfort from the oven. The fall pies that cool on the racks on the kitchen counters. The mums in all of the shades of Fall, that come back year-after-year to remind you that this season is here again, and it's only here for a short time! So enjoy the walks, and enjoy the smells, and enjoy the tastes. Listen to the sounds and cozy up to the ones who bring you joy and remember that "change" is good, it brings new life. Whether you're Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, or an equal lover of all, embrace it for all that it is and you will find that change is a gift that allows you to start anew. I'm jus' sayin!