Chocolate Gingersnaps

I have to say I have been obsessed with this recipe since I saw it posted by a friend on Facebook.  I will be forever grateful to Luanne Holladay for sharing this gem of a cookie with me. Most people associate Fall with pumpkin or chili but I start to crave a nice gingersnap when the weather gets cool and the leaves start to change.

First of all the fact that I hated gingersnaps as a kid is quite funny to me now.  I remember my dad used to by the Archway Gingersnaps on a Sunday and I would be tricked by their sugar sprinkled top.  The spice was too much for my tongue back in the day.

This cookie is perfectly soft and chewy.  With such a small amount of chocolate in the cookie it isn't too sweet.  The ginger and molasses give it a bit of a kick in the end that fills the palate with spice.

Please give this cookie a chance and you will find yourself craving these from time to time, I promise.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

Original recipe by Mollie Katzen
Makes: 36-48 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
(or use a 1oz square of unsweet chocolate)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.  Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (I used a hand mixer).  Add melted chocolate and beat again until combined.  Add in molasses, egg, and vanilla and beat again.

Next you will start adding your dry ingredients.  Add the flour, baking soda, ginger and salt.  Now you will just stir to combine.  You don't want to beat the dry ingredients because it will make a tough dough.

Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. You should have only 12 cookies to a pan.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let rest for a minute before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before putting in a storage container.

Enjoy!!

Easy Potato Soup

The weather has started to become cool and crisp so it is time to start making my favorite soups.  Last year I made soup almost once a week and would have enough leftover from dinner that I would take some for lunch.  I am excited to share my favorite soup recipes with you because they are warm, cozy and full of flavor.

My first soup of the Fall season happens to be the easiest.  This soup only has five ingredients and that includes the pepper.  I think the flavor of the soup starts with the bacon that is fried up in the pot.  If you don't want to add bacon since it is only used as a topping you can just start with the leeks.

I remember coming across this recipe a few years ago in a cookbook I bought called 5 Ingredient Fix by Claire Robinson.  I have searched for this recipe online but I haven't been able to find it so what I make now is just from memory with a few minor adjustments of my own.

Easy Potato Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts chopped and rinsed (or 3 medium)
• 16 golden potatoes, cubed (about 1, 3lb bag)
• 6 cups veggie broth
• salt/pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large stock pot until crisp.  Remove from pot and cool.  Drain excess grease from the pot. Add chopped/drained leeks to pot and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.  Once the leeks begin to soften add the potatoes and vegetable broth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low/medium and cook about 15-20 minutes until you are able to pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Remove the pot from the heat and ladle by the spoonful into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  I blend in batches and then return to the pot on the stove. (You can also use an emulsion blender for the same effect) Before serving top with crumbled bacon.

*Additional topping suggestions-sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, Sriracha.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Pancakes

I feel so bad for not keeping up with the blog but I have started my online classes and have been bogged down with the amount of homework that is due. I had good intentions over the past few weeks but one thing or another got in the way of posting delicious recipes.

Last week I made my favorite coffee cake and when I got my camera out to take a photo but it immediately gave me a message that I needed to charge my battery.  After searching the house for my charger (we had recently went through a purge) I found my extra battery and charger and was back in business, however, the coffee cake was gone.

Now let's get back to this cinnamon pancake recipe that is absolutely delicious and makes enough you can freeze them for later.
I decided last weekend when I woke up that the air was cool and crisp so it must officially be Fall.  I asked the boys if they wanted some pancakes and of course they excitedly said yes.  We have these spiced pancakes along with some chai which made our morning feel so cozy.

Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon butter melted, slightly cool

*If you don't have buttermilk you can add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar to the regular milk and let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  I put 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon in the ingredients list because it just depends on how strong you like the flavor. Once you combine the dry ingredients make a well and add all of the wet ingredients.  Whisk just until combined.

Heat a skillet (if not nonstick melt 1/2 Tablespoon butter in pan) and once it is warm drop the batter, about the size of a sand dollar, into the pan allowing space between for flipping the pancakes. Do not flip until you see bubbles on the surface of the batter.  I have made the mistake a few too many times and flip before the batter is ready but then I end up with a crumpled mess.

I made this recipe and had enough for breakfast plus more to freeze for another date.

**Note: if you freeze pancakes, I recommend placing a small piece of parchment between each cake.

Enjoy!!

Lasagna Rollups-Meatless Monday Style

Today I  switched my dinners around and decided that lasagna rolls would be a great end to the extended weekend and it would be a Meatless Monday.  This recipe is great because there are parts that the kids can help with during preparation and I like the fact that I can get them to eat spinach.  I have a love for homemade lasagna ever since I figured out how much tastier it is than the frozen kind.

I used to make my lasagna with italian sausage and mushroom but then a friend shared a wonderful mexican lasagna recipe where I even made my own sauce (mind blown).  I started looking for recipes that were lower in fat and that is how I found this gem.  I also thought that if the lasagna was made into rolls that I wouldn't eat too much.  I feel I need to put a disclaimer on this and say that I don't use fat free ingredients in this recipe.  I am a huge believer in full fat but in moderation and to each their own.

Even though these rolls have spinach in them, they are great when served with a large leafy salad with a light italian dressing.  Man my mouth is watering right now.

Lasagna Rollups

Adapted from here

Servings: 5

Ingredients:
10 lasagna noodles, cooked
24 oz jar prepared marinara sauce
10 oz bag fresh spinach, cooked and liquid removed
15 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1  egg
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or grease a 1 1/2 - 2 quart baking dish.  I use my 1 1/2 quart ceramic baking dish because what you want is a smaller dish that isn't too deep.
Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and spread it evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.  Doing this will keep the rolls nice and moist.
Mix together the ricotta, parmesan, garlic and egg. Once those are mixed you can salt and pepper to taste. My family prefers more pepper and a tiny bit of salt.  Make sure that your spinach has been squeezed of any excess water and add to the ricotta mixture, stir until combined.
Lay out a piece of wax paper and lay one noodle down.  Place 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture at the end of the noodle that is closer to you and spread evenly up the noodle.  Roll up from the bottom and then place the noodle roll seam down in the dish.  Continue until all the ricotta and noodles have been used.  The noodle rolls will be snug in the dish and this will help them stay together during the baking process.
Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top.  Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered.  Take the baking dish out of the oven and sprinkle the cup of mozzarella over the noodles.  Set the oven on broil just until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
I suggest letting the lasagna rolls rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!