One more Christmas Cookie

So as I mentioned earlier that I would have another Christmas cookie recipe to try out...It was by far the biggest hit yet. I don't know what it is about ginger but it somehow has the magical properties to transport me back to the Christmases of my childhood. Ginger is warm, comforting with just a little bite to keep you on your toes. I love that bite. Molasses is something dark and mysterious and lives on a shelf in your pantry until the holidays roll around. Unless you are me...I love molasses and go through a few bottles a year.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Into a bowl you place 1 stick of super soft butter (almost to the melting point), 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup dark molasses (you can use light in a pinch), 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar. Cream these ingredients together. Into a second bowl place 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 3/4 tsp. cardamom, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 to 2 pieces of crystallized ginger finely diced (it should equal somewhere between 1 to 2 tablespoons). Blend these dry ingredients together with a fork.

Add 1 large egg into the butter and sugar mixture and incorporate.

Start adding in the flour mixture a little at a time blending in between additions.

You can go ahead and bake these right up or put the dough in the fridge over night and bake the next day. If you decide to wait and bake later make sure you let the dough come to room temp to make things go easier.

Roll the dough into 2 inch balls and then dip in raw sugar making sure to cover all but the bottom of the cookie.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for somewhere between 8 and 10 min. It took me 9 minutes per batch and I probably could have pulled them about 30 seconds sooner...crazy as that sounds it does matter.

These cookies were disappearing off the plate at my office almost as fast as I put them out. The bf said people at his office were very happy with these. I tell you it is the ginger it brings back warm memories of Christmases past. Bake up some memories.

Wonton Soup with Dumplings

Well it is official Summer is over and Fall has begun. Fall in the pacific northwest usually means copious amounts of rain and yesterdays first day of Fall was no exception. Rain is falling once again in the Rose City. To celebrate the autumnal equinox, Mabon, or as I like to call it Soup Season I break out my pot and get cooking. I love soup it is the perfect food. You can take all your must haves meat, veggie, and starch and put it in a large pot with some liquid simmer and abracadabra!...soup. As a child I always though wonton soup with dumplings was something really magical, so whenever we ate out if it was on the menu I had to have it. This soup is really simple, satisfying and your kids will love it.

Into the bowl of your food processor add 1/2 lb ground pork, 2 o.z. peeled shrimp, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 Tlb. mirin, 1 Tlb. light soy (yes it has to be light), 1 green onion roughly chopped, 1 tsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger.

Pulse until you have it all combined really well. Put meat in fridge for a few hours so the flavors can marry.

Put a oversized teaspoonful of meat on a wonton wrapper.

Seal edges with water. Fold first into a triangle.

Then fold like a little envelope making sure all the edges are sealed and the two tabs are pinched firmly together.

Aren't those adorable.

Here is a tricky part in the recipe...open a box of chicken stock. No I am not promoting Swanson...it was on sale.

Drop your little dumplings into the boiling broth, turn down to a hard simmer and cook them til they are done.

While all that cooking is going on dice up some more green onions.

Sprinkle some green onions on top of each bowl and you're done...that is it. See wasn't that easy.

Trust me it was harder typing up this post than it was to make that wonton soup. I accidentally erased the first draft half way through...see what happens when I do these things at 4:30 a.m. Have a great rest of the week folks.