Gingerbread Cookies

One of my favorite things about the holiday season has always been all the baking that takes place. Although I used to go a little crazy (and maybe still do) thinking about all the possibilities there were when it came specifically to cookies. When I was younger I would go to the bookshelf, grab a stack of my mom's cookbooks and baking books, and sit quietly pouring through each one until I found the perfect cookies to bake that year. I always wanted to try a new variety, though it seemed I'd always come back to the traditional favorites.

I'd roll up my sleeves, set out all my ingredients, and together with my mom, get started on the list. Soon the house would smell of butter, sugar, and spice. My dad would come inside to sneak a cookie or two and I remember it used to make me so mad because I wanted to save them as a surprise. The smile on his face after he took his first bite however, took that feeling away and made me feel proud that the cookies tasted so good.

Christmas is this weekend and it just wouldn't feel right if I went the entire month of December without baking a single cookie. So once again, I channeled my inner little girl self, rolled up my sleeves and set out to make a Christmas favorite in our household... gingerbread.


There has always been something about the warm spices and simple unassuming look of gingerbread. I've changed around my favorite childhood recipe to fit in better with how I bake now, but nothing has been lost, if anything I think they taste even better. 

I'd love to hear what all of you have been baking this month or what some of your family favorites are?

I wish you all a merry and bright holiday weekend!

Gingerbread Cookies / makes about 3 dozen 4-inch cookies



When it comes to decorating these cookies, I tend to lean on the very minimal side. Opting for a little sprinkling of turbinado sugar before baking rather than piping icing. Choose whichever you prefer, just don't skip this step because it really does add a little something extra to these gingerbread cookies.


4 cups spelt flour
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup Muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cups blackstrap molasses
turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper, set aside.

Using a stand mixer or hand blender, cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream thoroughly. Add the eggs one at a time, then the molasses. Mix until the batter is an even dark brown color.

Pour in the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until combined. Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap each disc in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Once your dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350˚F and line 2 baking sheets.

Lightly flour a countertop and roll the dough out to 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness. Make sure and not roll the dough too thin (use a ruler if you need to). Cut out desired shapes and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, place in the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. You don't want to under or overcook these cookies, so really make sure and watch them for your oven setting.

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach & White Bean Filling

I was recently invited by Guilt Taste to participate in reviewing some of their beautiful gourmet products. The first shipment was their Chef's Garden box from Farmer Jones Farm. It arrived on my doorstep late last week and after bringing it inside I headed straight to the kitchen to open what was inside. Carefully wrapped in insulated bubble wrap with a cold pack was a beautiful assortment of seasonal vegetables and herbs. I just about squealed with delight when I discovered the colorful little edible flowers (I guess the sight of flowers this time of year is exciting, considering most of what's outside right now around here is brown and dying). After carefully taking stock of what all was in there I had my mind set on making a healthy seasonal appetizer.

Everyone loves a two-bite sized appetizer, but most of the time they're a little on the unhealthy side, especially when it comes to twice baked potatoes. I decided to resolve that by adding a little protein (in the form of white beans) and spinach to the potato filling and seasoning it all with spices and fresh herbs. The result is so good you won't even miss the cream, butter, or cheese. 

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach & White Bean Filling / makes 24 small potatoes

These are simple to make and don't really take much time to make aside from filling them, but they can be assembled a day ahead and quickly re-heated the next day to save yourself some time. It will seem like a lot of spinach when your done chopping, but once it cooks down it all fits in nicely. I had a little leftover, but I just nibbled that up myself. In fact, I could have eaten just the filling by itself, and decided you could make a lazy version of this as a meal and instead of filling the potatoes, just mash everything up together, maybe add more beans and seasoning and call it dinner.

24 small potatoes, scrubbed and washed well

2 tablespoons olive oil diveded

4 ounces spinach, washed and dried

1/2 cup cooked white beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne (optional)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. 

Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking sheet, pierce each with a fork, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Let cool for about 10 minutes or until you can handle them without burning yourself.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to hallow out the middle. Make sure to leave enough of the side so the potatoes maintain their structure. Transfer insides to a bowl and set aside.

Thinly slice the spinach into strips. The easiest way to do this is to stack each leaf on top of one another and slice with a sharp knife. In a large skillet, heat up the last of the olive oil. Gently cook the garlic for a minute, then add the beans, cooked potato flesh, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Cook while mashing everything together with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Once everything is well mashed and incorporated stir in the spinach. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh oregano.

Take the hallowed out potato halves and fill them with the spinach mixture. I started this process trying to be really careful with a fork, but soon found it was much easier to really fill each potato if I held it in my hand and used my other hand to grab a bit of the filling and pack it down in. 

At this point you can either pop them right back into the oven for about 8 minutes to warm up again or you can place them in the refrigerator until your ready to heat and serve. If cooking later, turn your oven back up to 425˚F and heat for 8-10 minutes. 

Some tasty topping ideas would be sliced green onion, Greek yogurt, sour cream, caramelized shallots, chives, or more fresh herbs, and cheese. 

* Full Disclosure: Guilt Taste graciously provided me the spinach, potatoes, garlic and oregano for this recipe. I was not paid and all photo's, text, and opinions are my own. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I probably only realized my love for brussels sprouts a few years ago. Like many, my youth brought mushy, boiled sprouts that never received a second thought, until they day I tasted them roasted.

This totally changed the game for me and now I eat my fill this time of year. But while I normally roast them in a high temperature oven, they would often still be missing a certain flavor or texture I was looking for. Then about a week ago I saw a technique on The Kitchn that has you actually broil them quickly instead. It made total sence and I couldn't wait to try.

Tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then thrown into a hot cast iron skillet before a quick roast under the broiler; it couldn't be any simpler. They turned out charred and smoky on the outside, with a perfectly cooked, but not mushy, inside. I went back for more. Even though this post is less of a recipe and more of a technique, I urge you to find yourself with a full bag of brussels sprouts and about 10 minutes of your time, because that's about all the time you'll need for this simple and healthy side dish.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts / serves 4 as a side
adapted from The Kitchn

A squeeze of lemon is all you really need to jazz them up a bit, but Parmesan is a nice touch if you do dairy too. I like to keep them on the side because I don't want the lemon juice to soften up the crispy outsides of the sprouts too soon.

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
lemon wedges for serving
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Place your oven rack at the very top and turn on the broiler and set a large cast iron skillet over high heat.

Cut the prepared brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. When your cast iron pan is hot enough to where a water droplet evaporates on contact, pour all the brussels sprouts in and quickly flip them all over so their cut side is down. It's ok if they don't all fit just get them all in there and don't stir them around once they're set.

Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 3 minutes. The outer leaves should have started to darken and turn crispy. Keep them in for several minutes longer, about 5-7 minutes in total cooking time.

Serve immediately alongside lemon wedges and Parmesan cheese if using.