molasses cookies

Have I mentioned that my middle son is back in the desert?

He's about half way through his deployment, and I can't wait for him to come home this spring.

In the meantime, I send him cookies!


We've discovered that his all time favorite chocolate chip cookies are a no-go. It can take anywhere from a week to a month for a package to make it into Junior's hands, and even vacuum packed, the chocolate chip cookies are not at their best when they arrive.

However, my sister's molasses cookies are another story. They are still soft and chewy even weeks after I send them off.


Spiced with lots of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, these cookies are a perfect fall treat.

I have big plans to fill them with pumpkin ice cream, as I think they'd be out of this world as ice cream sandwiches.

(Just to clarify, I would not be sending the ice cream sandwich version overseas.)


Molasses Cookies

1 and 1/2 cups melted butter - recipe calls for shortening, but I'm a butter believer
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses - I use the dark, full flavor version
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt

I usually soften my butter in the microwave to an almost, but not quite melted point.
Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
Add molasses and mix until blended.
I usually sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl and then add them to the mixer in batches and stir until everything is just combined.
But sometimes I'm not very Martha and don't sift anything but just dump all the dry ingredients into my mixer and then say bad words as the flour goes flying all over my kitchen.

Four cups of flour is a lot of flour to add all at once.

Either way, they always turn out perfect and delicious.

Except for the first time when I made them with no sugar. They were not delicious that time.

Chill the dough for a couple hours, and then roll the cookie dough into balls. Roll the cookie balls in granulated sugar and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Do not press the cookie balls down. They will flatten out into perfectly round cookies as they bake.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

I've made them from all different sized cookie scoops, as I'm always trying to maximize the amount of cookies I can fit in a flat rate postal box. The smaller cookies are usually done the eight minutes and the largest can take up to eleven minutes.


So are there any other cookie shippers out there? If you've got a recipe that travels well, I'd love to hear about it.

Have a happy Tuesday!

peanut butter pie

In yesterday's post, I mentioned the Peanut Butter Pie I'd had for breakfast.

Just to refresh your memory, here is a picture of that very piece of Peanut Butter Pie.


Not to be confused with the piece of Peanut Butter Pie I had for breakfast this morning.

I did not take a picture of that particular piece of Peanut Butter Pie, because that would just be ridiculous.

(Okay, I actually did take a picture of it, but didn't like how it turned out, and since I didn't check the picture before I ate the pie, the only way to remedy that situation would have been to slice and then dress up yet another piece of pie and then at that point the only viable option would be to eat it as well to hide the evidence and while I'll do a lot of things for a good photo, even I get a little nauseous at the thought of two pieces of Peanut Butter Pie for breakfast. I have my limits. Although in hindsight, Peanut Butter Pie is really just a lovely combination of dairy and protein and everyone knows dairy and protein are good for you, especially at breakfast time, so I really don't know what my hang up was.)

But back to my story.

Yesterday I mentioned Peanut Butter Pie, and that pie got a shout out or two in the comments, which is totally to be expected because, hello, it's Peanut Butter Pie.

One comment in particular, in fact this very comment....


.....caught my attention, because I happen to know that Valley Girl is expecting a baby.

Now I had every intention of posting the Peanut Butter Pie recipe sometime in the near future, but when a Pregnant Sister Friend is wanting your Peanut Butter Pie recipe, you give that girl the recipe and you do it sooner rather than later. It's an egregious violation of the Sisterhood Rules to make a pregnant girl wait for anything food related.

It's downright mean.

So for all of you and especially for Valley Girl, here it is.

Peanut Butter Pie

1-1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Mix and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375* for ten minutes. Cool completely.
(Please make this from scratch. It is a million times better than a store bought cookie crust.)

1 - 8oz cream cheese, softened - dairy and good for you
1 cup creamy peanut butter - protein and good for you
1 cup sugar - no comment
1 tablespoon softened butter - dairy and good for you
1 teaspoon vanilla - vanilla bean=bean family=protein=good for you
1 cup heavy cream, whipped - speaks for itself
Beat first five ingredients and then fold in the whipped cream. Spread over cookie crust and chill till firm.

Lick beaters clean.

Peanut Butter Pie....it's a good thing.

with friends like these

Preparing for the photography workshops I hosted this summer was a big job. A job that I could not have done on my own. Not only did my family pitch in and work harder than ever both before and during the workshops, I also had a group of friends that pitched in to help make the job much easier and fun.

Friends that found me oodles of models, friends whose children were the models and friends who spruced up my garden prettier than it's ever been or ever will be again.

I wanted to thank them in some special way for all the help they gave, and last week we were able to get together for a little thank you lunch by the pond. It was a beautiful, warm day and we ate and visited and ate some more. A perfect day in my book.


It's always such a let down when a party is over and I wasn't quite ready to put everything away, so I raided my kitchen of linens and place settings and played with my food for a while after everyone left. That explains to the party guests why some of the above pictures really don't look anything like the lunch they attended!

We had a trio of chick-food salads, summer pie, fresh blueberries and chocolate mousse for dessert.

So, to follow the old saying...life is short, give the dessert recipe first.


This is my sister's recipe and it's relatively easy and ridiculously delicious.

Chocolate Mousse

4 oz. milk chocolate
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup strong coffee
3/4 stick butter
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Melt chocolates with coffee in the microwave. Stir till smooth and then stir in butter and egg yolks. Cool slightly.
Beat egg whites, and when soft peaks form, sprinkle sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into individual dishes. Chill several hours.

Even though I know the entire world has this broccoli salad recipe, I will share it anyway. It's one of my very favorites ever.


Broccoli Salad

Five cups broccoli, cut into small pieces - I probably used six cups
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
2/3 cup diced sweet white or red onion
10 strips of crumbled bacon
1 cup sunflower seeds - I use dry roasted
Dressing:
3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

It's a keeper.

Next up, Pea Salad. I don't usually see this one on the circuit, so maybe it will be new to some of you.


Pea Salad

1 32 oz. pkg frozen petite peas, thawed
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Crumbled bacon - I don't have an amount listed, but seriously, could you have too much bacon?
Shredded cheddar cheese - see bacon above
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

Yes, bacon and mayo played a prominent role in this luncheon.

And last but not least, Rice Artichoke Salad.

I found it impossible to snap an appetizing photo of this salad, so don't let the picture scare you away. It's very different and another of my favorites.



Rice Artichoke Salad

1 package chicken Rice-a-Roni, prepared and cooled. I use a tiny bit less water than called for on the box.
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, with liquid reserved
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 green onions, sliced
The following have no amounts....sorry. I just add whatever looks good!
sliced green olives
celery
toasted slivered almonds - a must in my book
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
artichoke liquid
I feel this is too much dressing, so add it slowly to your taste.

I love the background flavor of curry, the bite of the green olives and the crunch of the almonds.

Good stuff, my friends, good stuff.

So, there you have it - all the makings for a summer lunch. Just add a group of your best girls, and you're good to go.

And, if you have a favorite lady lunch food of your own, I'd love to hear about it.

strawberry rhubarb pie

Last week, I shared one of my two rhubarb recipes, Rhubarb Crisp. This week, I'm going to bring out the big guns and introduce you to Strawberry Rhubarb Pie like you've never had it before.....unless you just happen to already have this very recipe, in which case you'll probably want to just click to the next blog on your list.

With this recipe, there will no longer be any question as to where I stand on the whole cream cheese issue. So far we've seen it turn up in enchiladas, soup, and now pie.

Not only is it a perfect compliment for the strawberries and rhubarb, but one could argue that a nice layer of sweetened cream cheese just might keep your pie crust from getting soggy.

Let's hear it for cream cheese with a purpose!




Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 baked 9" pie shell

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar - I used powdered sugar this time
Mix together and spread in bottom and up sides of cooled pie shell.

2 cups rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup sugar
1/2 of a 10 oz package of frozen strawberries
lemon juice - I did not use this and there is no amount given on my recipe
red food color - I used one drop only, as fakey, bright red pie is not happy pie
3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with a bit of water to thin it out
1 pint fresh, sliced strawberries - I used more than a pint

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb with 1/4" of water and simmer till soft. Remove from heat. Add sugar and food coloring, then add frozen berries, lemon and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Cool and then add fresh strawberries. Cool completely and then add to pie shell. Chill till firm.

In my usual habit of recipe skimming, I missed the fact that the cornstarch amount was 3 heaping tablespoons, and so my pie turned out a bit runny. I'm pretty sure that extra bit of cornstarch would have solved the problem.

I'm really looking forward to making the recipes that were kindly left in the comments of the rhubarb crisp post. They all look delicious, and once I've worked my way through them, my freezer stash should be pretty much gone.

rhubarb crisp

Spring is springing like crazy around here. Trees are cautiously budding, and despite quite a few twenty degree mornings, many of my perennials are poking their little heads up in a very brave way. When I noticed my rhubarb was making an appearance, it reminded me that there is a box in the bottom of my freezer full of beautifully packaged, pre-measured, recipe sized bags of the tart little treat, just waiting to be made into all kinds of wonderfulness. Unfortunately, along with the many similarly beautiful packages of pie cherries and marionberries, they have suffered the out of sight, out of mind fate that often befalls the occupants of a large chest freezer.

It's time to make some room in the old Kenmore.

One of my very favorite rhubarb recipes also happens to be the easiest to make. In no time at all, you can have a pan of sweet/tart bubbly goodness, just begging for a scoop of ice cream to make it's life's work complete.


(Please ignore the over sized sprig of pineapple mint. My food styling skills are still in their infancy.)

Rhubarb Crisp

1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 C melted butter

Press half of this mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan.

In a medium sauce pan combine the following ingredients...

1 1/4 C sugar
3 Tbs corn starch - whisk together with sugar, then add...
1 1/4 C water

Cook until clear and thickened, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, and stir in...

7 cups of chopped rhubarb.

Place rhubarb and sauce over your base, and sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350*.

I serve it very warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I like mine pretty sweet, but if you prefer a bit more pucker power, you could just drizzle a bit of cream over the top. My sister-in-law uses less sugar in the crumble mixture, so you can play with the recipe a bit depending on your sweet/sour preferences.

If I'm making this just for my family, I usually make half of the recipe and bake it in an 8x8 pan. The only hitch with that scenario is the effort involved in dividing 3/4 cup in half. Math is not my friend.

I still have a pretty good supply in my freezer, so if you have a great rhubarb recipe, I would love to hear about it.

Have a great day!