Spiced Grapefruit Juice

I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by since I start this blog. Its whole purpose was so I could have a place to keep all the foods I love to eat, but it has brought me so much more. I've loved reading each comment and answering all the questions you've sent to my email. 

When I looked back at my very first post, it was funny to see how much my diet has remained the same, but grown at the same time. Because of this blog I've found so many other great bloggers, some local and some on the other side of the world. But no matter what I've seen or read, it fascinates me how much food brings people from all over together. Food is so powerful in every culture. I've never met a person who doesn't have some personal story to tell about food. Weather it be the cookies you spent making with your grandmother and mother and now make yourself every year or the pasta dish you thought would be a disaster, but turned out to be a hit, everyone can talk about food.

As we head into 2011, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. I've never been huge on resolutions, but I hope to keep this blog a continuous inspiration to me as well as all of you. I know it's kind of last minute, but if you need a great non-alcoholic drink (or possibly a great hang-over drink) try this spiced up grapefruit juice. It has all the spice of the holiday season with a special citrus note for the start of a new year.

I squeezed as much juice out of the grapefruit as I could with my hands. If you have a juicer on hand it might make this process easier and less messy. I served it cold, but I actually liked it slightly warm from the stove as well. You can use a couple of cinnamon sticks in place of the ground cinnamon if you don't want to worry about the settling.

Spiced Grapefruit Juice

serves 4

2 grapefruits

4 cups water

4-6 tablespoons raw honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

pinch of nutmeg

Place a fine meshed strainer over a medium saucepan. Slice each grapefruit in half and squeeze the juice into the saucepan.

Stir in honey, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and heat over medium low, until just warmed through and the honey has a chance to thin out and blend in. 

Serve slightly warm or let sit in the refrigerator a couple of hours, or until cold, just make sure to give it a good stir before serving because things will settle. 

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

I'm sure I'm not the only one who can say this is definitely the week of baking. With all the holiday parties and family get togethers, it seems one tradition that is never broken is the abundance of cookies on display. I started early with one of my favorites, molasses ginger cookies, but didn't really get into it until this past weekend. My brother in law and our 3 year old nephew stayed with us and I promised him we'd make cookies together. We made sugar cookies and cut them into all sorts of fun shapes to pass out to the family that evening at dinner. It was a blast having a little helper and he couldn't wait to have a taste, it was so cute. 

Yesterday I was reminded of another one of my holiday favorites over on shared sugar; the super dark and chocolaty cocoa crinkle cookie also known as chocolate pixies or chocolate crackles. I've made these about a thousand times using the same recipe, but I have a vegan friend I wanted to share them with and had to find a way to make them as close to the original as possible without using butter or eggs. It seems most vegan baked goods include margarine in place of the butter in most recipes, but I always reach for coconut oil instead because I like to bake with natural ingredients when I can.

You can find coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, at most grocery stores and if you've never used it before I suggest you try it. It's solid at room temperature and becomes a liquid once heated. It has a wonderful subtle smell of coconut and in most baked goods that I've used it in, it doesn't change the flavor at all. You can also use it in savory dishes as well.

I'm happy to say these came out just as rich and chocolaty as I remember. I love the deep dark cracks on top and the soft brownie like inside. What a perfect way to kick off the first day of winter too, happy Winter Solstice everyone. Today might be the shortest day of the year, but I'm looking forward to the light returning each day. I would also like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and if you still have a load of baking to do the rest of this week, you should give these cookies a try.

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

makes about 30

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup cane sugar

2 tablespoons flax meal

6 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup spelt flour

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almond milk

powdered sugar for rolling

In a double broiler, melt the coconut oil with the unsweetened chocolate. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile blend the flax meal and 6 tablespoons of water together and set aside for about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Add the sugars to the chocolate mixture and stir well. Add the flax mixture along with the vanilla and beat well. Stir in about half the flour mixture. Pour in the almond milk and stir, then add the remaining flour and stir just until all the dry becomes wet. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mat.

Pour the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or plate. Pull the dough out from the refrigerator and scoop out rounded tablespoons full of dough and shape into a ball. Place the dough in the powdered sugar until fully coated and set a couple inches apart on prepared cookies sheets. Bake until you see large cracks on top and the center is still slightly soft, about 12 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Store tightly sealed at room temperature for about 3 days.

Cranberry Walnut Upside Down Cake

The week before this last one was a doozy for me. It felt like I was going a million miles per hour trying to get things done for all the shows I mentioned before. In the middle of it all, I woke up one morning with that familiar scratchy feeling in the back of my throat that meant I was probably catching a cold. It didn't surprise me at all. I hadn't been eating or sleeping well, and that topped with stress and the thousands of people I came into contact with that week didn't make for the best combination. 

I have a pretty strong immune system and rarely get sick; before last week, the last time I had so much as a sniffle was over a year ago. Every time though, it reminds me of the power foods can have on ones overall health. That same night I decided to make a large pot of hot Thia style soup with lemongrass, ginger, tofu and kale. It was amazing and I'm definitely going to have to make it again to share with you.

That soup, along with lots of green smoothies did the trick. The next couple of days my cold was basically non-existent, like it was trying so hard to stay, but when all these good foods were being put into my body it was having a hard time competing. Have you ever had that experience? I mean, it really amazed me that I really only seemed sick when I was sleeping and it only lasted for maybe 3 days, and this was without any medication at all, just hot soup and lots of fruits and veggies.

Now that I'm better and all that's over with I really want to talk about the cake I made last week. Made entirely for the pure joy of making a dessert after getting over being sick. I had a bag a cranberries sitting around that needed to be eaten quick and wanted them in some kind of quick bread or cake. I settled on this upside down version with walnuts and cranberries swirled with brown sugar on top of a cake batter that was slightly sweet and had a wonderful texture. I love when tart things are met with the perfect amount of sweetness and neither overwhelm the other. Plus, upside down cakes are easy and don't require frosting or a million pans and dishes to work with.

I made this with whole wheat pastry flour, but I think white whole wheat or regular all-purpose flour would make a great substitution. If you don't have a cast iron pan, make it in a pie dish or cake pan, it should work just as well. Oh, and I totally spaced and forgot to put the baking soda in mine which I think might have helped it rise a little more. Sometimes I wonder how anything ever comes out right. I think this would make a really great addition to a brunch menu, especially this time of year. It was my favorite, warm from the oven on the first day, but should last another day or two if wrapped well.

Cranberry Walnut Upside Down Cake

Adapted from Gourmet

makes 8 servings

topping

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries(7oz. do not thaw if frozen)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

cake

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk

For the topping, melt butter in cast iron skillet over moderate heat, then swirl to coat bottom and side of skillet and stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle cranberries and walnuts evenly over butter mixture and remove from heat.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately in batches with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

Heat topping in skillet over moderately high heat until it starts to bubble, then gently spoon batter over topping and spread evenly. Quickly transfer to oven; bake until cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside edge of pan, then invert a serving plate over pan and invert cake onto plate. Cool completely on plate on rack, 1 hour. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Molasses Ginger Cookies

We moved from our tiny third floor apartment into our new little house the weekend after Thanksgiving. However, I've had little time to enjoy our new space, because since then I have been running around trying to keep up with all the craft shows we've attended and orders from our Etsy shop. All the while, trying to navigate around piles of boxes and miscellaneous objects. So while I really meant to post about these molasses ginger cookies last week, I'm only getting to them today, because the craziness that is my life at the moment.

Furniture still needs to be arranged and pictures hung, lets not even talk about my clothes all over everywhere, but I did manage to find time to fill our house with the smell of fresh baked cookies. Is there really any better way to break in a new oven, than to bake one of your favorite cookies? Next to chocolate chip, I'd have to say any ginger, molasses, or spice cookie would be one of my favorites.

This is my go to molasses cookie recipe that I've made countless times and while I could really eat these any time of the year, and do, they're always asked for during the holiday season and I really can't say no.

The outside is coated in coarse sugar and adds a bit of crunch and sweetness before you break into the soft middle that bursts with the flavor of molasses and spice. I love the big cracks and the smell they fill your home with. I always kick myself for not making a double batch because they get eaten so quickly, you should do yourself a favor and double it.

Every time I make these I change what kinds of flour I use or have on hand. I've made them with only all-purpose flour and I've used only whole wheat pastry flour and they turn out great every time. If you'll be serving them to a crowd who's not used to whole wheat flour, use the combination I've posted here and they'll never be able to tell the difference. You can also use granulated sugar to coat the outside, works just as well, but there won't be as much of a crunch.

If you happen to be in the Seattle area this Saturday (Dec. 11th), please come to the FAM show. I'll be there, along with some other really talented local artists selling for the holidays. We'll also be at the Crafty Wonderland show in Portland, OR (Dec. 11th & 12th), so if you're in the area you must make time to go, it's amazing. After this weekend, I'm going to relax a bit and take in all the festivities that I feel like I'm missing out on, this may include more cookie baking... I just can't help myself!

Molasses Ginger Cookies
Adapted from Big Fat Cookies

makes 2 dozen

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

about 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or granular sugar

Preheat the oven to 350˚F making sure to position the rack to the middle. Lightly grease your baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrap the sides of the bowl if needed during mixing. Add in the egg and molasses and mix until well blended and an even light brown color. Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate. The dough should be pretty stiff.

Spread the turbinado sugar on a plate or arge piece of wax paper. Roll heaping tablespoons full of dough in the palm of your hands to form a ball and roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet and continue, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store cookies at room temperature in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days.