soft ginger-apple cookies

I tried a new recipe last night. These are so good that not only do I have to share, but I even took a picture to post!

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger*
Apple Buttercream frosting
Slivered crystallized ginger for garnish


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients, except flour and crystallized ginger, until blended (mixture will look curdled).
2. With mixer on low speed, add flour and beat just until blended; stir in crystallized ginger.
3. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until tops look dry. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
4. Spread a rounded teaspoon buttercream frosting on each cooled cookie. Sprinkle with slivered crystallized ginger. Refrigerate in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

Apple Buttercream Frosting
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
2 C. powdered sugar
1 T. apple juice
1/2 t. vanilla
Beat ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Then beat on high speed 1 minute until fluffy.


*I bought the crystallized ginger. I chopped it up as finely as I could. And then, as I was about to stir it in to the cookie dough, I chickened out and decided not to add it. They have a soft, subtle ginger taste without it and I didn't want to ruin it! But now I want to try another batch with the crystallized ginger and taste these babies in full strength!

Pepperoni Pan Pizza

Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6

Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.
2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.
5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.

(America's Test Kitchen recipe)

This recipe is baked in cake pans with oil on the bottom, and that gives the crust a crispy, almost fried, texture on the bottom similar to Pizza Hut's pan pizza. I only put about 1 T oil on the bottom and I still get a great result. The best thing to cut the grease is to render your pepperoni before topping the pizza (see #4 above). It's the best idea ever!

Whole Wheat Waffles with Sweet Potato

My kids won't eat many cooked orange vegetables, so this is a sneaky way I get it into them. I put the sweet potato puree into pancake mix as well. For each cup of pancake mix I use, I stir in about 1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes and add 1/2 t. cinnamon.

2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk or milk+2T white vinegar
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon, optional
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. sweet potato puree, optional

Heat waffle iron. Beat the eggs, and then add buttermilk, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and melted butter and beat until smooth. Stir in sweet potato puree. This makes about 5 cups of batter, which on my small waffle iron makes about 16 waffles. I freeze them and then toast them in the toaster for my kids. Top with fresh fruit and it makes a pretty good breakfast. You can also vary the proportions of the whole wheat/white flour to get the taste you prefer. I love that this recipe contains no sugar, yet the sweet potato adds a bit of sweetness.

To make sweet potato puree, roast whole sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender. Add water if necessary to get a smooth puree. Freeze in 1/2 cup portions and defrost in hot water for a few minutes before mixing into batter.

Chicken Pillows

6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 (4oz) can mushrooms, drained (optional)
4 oz. sour cream
1 (8oz) package cream cheese (room temperature)
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2/3 c. seasoned stuffing, crushed
1 c. nuts, chopped very fine
1/2 cube butter or margarine, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup OR one recipe white sauce (below)

Mix sour cream and cream cheese together; add mushrooms and chicken. Set aside. Pinch seams of two rolls together to make one rectangle. Roll thin with rolling pin and cut in half to form two squares. Place one large spoonful of chicken mixture in center of each square of dough. Pull up corners and seal by pinching. Dip each "pillow" in melted butter, then roll in crushed stuffing and nuts mixed together. Place on buttered cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Heat together cream of chicken soup diluted with 1/2 can of water to use as sauce to cover pillows or make a white sauce with 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup flour, salt, 1 cup broth, 2 cups half & half, and a little lemon juice.


I use pecans for my nuts. I usually don't add the mushrooms, instead adding 2 green onions, chopped fine and occasionally some real bacon bits. I make the white sauce for the gravy--it is SO good. This makes a lot--one recipe is enough for dinner for my family and I freeze the rest for two more meals.

Poundcake Pudding Dessert

Mix a large box of chocolate pudding with 2 1/2 cups milk. Fold in 8 oz. cool whip.
Crunch up 3-4 skor bars. Cut one pound cake into cubes.

Assemble dessert by layering pudding, cake, candy and repeat. Top with cool whip.



A couple notes: I made pretty little individual desserts in separate clear plastic cups and put a few valentine sprinkles on top for a church potluck and it was the first dessert gone. Also, pound cake at the grocery store can be a little pricey, but I just saw that the dollar tree store had it. If you can find them, It might be worth picking up a few and having them in the freezer ready to whip up this easy, quick treat.

DOUG’S SECRET BARBECUE SAUCE

6 CUPS KETCHUP
¾ CUP CIDER VINEGAR
½ CUP WORCESTERSHIRE
¾ CUP DARK BROWN SUGAR
½ CUP MOLASSES
¼ CUP HONEY
½ CUP YELLOW MUSTARD
2 TABLESPOONS TOBASCO
2 TABLESPOONS LIQUID SMOKE
1 TABLESPOON BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON CHILI POWDER
2 TEASPOONS GARLIC POWDER
1 TEASPOON GROUND ALLSPICE
¼ TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES

DUMP EVERYTHING BUT THE KETCHUP INTO A STAINLESS STEEL POT OVER MEDIUM HEAT AND SIMMER FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES UNTIL EVERYTHING IS MIXED WELL AND HOT—STIR IN KETCHUP AND BRING TO A BOIL STIRRING CONSTANTLY UNTIL IT GETS DARK, THICK, AND RICH LOOKING. LET COOL AND PUT IN BOTTLES AND REFRIGERATE—WILL LAST A FEW MONTHS IN THE FRIDGE-----------