Molasses Spice Cookies

This past weekend my husband and I were invited to stay with friends at their cabin on Higgins Lake.  We jumped at the chance and shipped our baby girl (black lab – Bella) off to Grandma’s house for her own mini vacation while we escaped to a relaxing getaway. 

Of course my mind immediately started to wander, daydreaming about what type of goodies we could bring.  With the temperature expected to be a bit cooler, and a hint of Fall in the air, I thought cookies would be the perfect weekend companion.  But what type of cookie?

Whenever I bake cookies, I’m always looking for new recipes.  I typically search my favorite food sites and sort through those that have the best reviews.  The below recipe happens to be one of those.  I must admit I’ve never sought out a molasses cookie recipe, since I’m more of a chocolate and peanut butter girl, but when I saw all of the spices I knew I had to try these! 

If you’re not familiar with molasses, it’s very sweet (made from processing sugar cane) and is extremely dark.  Imagine an almost black pancake syrup.  I know, not the prettiest picture, but don’t let this stop you from making these.  While in the oven, the molasses works its magic, transforming these into soft, chewy cookies with an irresistible amount of spice.   If you like gingerbread cookies, you will LOVE these.   I’m already planning to serve these over the holidays as they’d be perfect for a Christmas party or cookie exchange.  Enjoy!

Molasses Spice Cookies
Adapted from Recipe #63981, food.com
Yields: 25-35 cookies (depending upon size)
Prep Time:  1 hour 10 mins (includes 1 hour of chilling dough)
Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Sugar in the Raw (for coating)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl cream the shortening and brown sugar.
2. Add the egg and molasses.  Mix well.
3. In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients (except Sugar in the Raw); stir to combine well.   Slowly add dry mixture into the large bowl with egg and sugar mixture.  Mix well.
4. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350F
6. Remove dough and roll into medium sized balls (slightly smaller than a golf ball). Sprinkle a plate with Sugar in the Raw, and roll dough balls through the sugar, evenly coating the outside of each ball.
7. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies remain on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing with a spatula.

Nectarine & Goat Cheese Salad

I used to never eat salad.  Probably because I didn’t like vegetables.  But over the last few years I’ve come to love vegetables and at times even crave them.  It’s funny how tastes change.  When I began eating salad, I slowly eased my way in by selecting only those that were made of iceberg lettuce.  Now I’m a little bit of a salad snob and prefer those that have dark, luscious greens like romaine or spinach.  Not only do they taste good, but they’re more nutritious for you as well.

And toppings?!  Oh how I love salads with unique toppings.  One of my favorite salads that we eat regularly throughout the week is Spinach Salad with Salmon & Dried Cherries.  Besides dried cherries some of my favorite toppings are avocadoes, roasted sweet potatoes, toasted pine nuts, and the list goes on.  Hence the recipe for this unique dish! 

It all began at work when my manager offered my co-workers and I some of her salad.  It looked very intriguing with nectarines scattered on top, whole walnut pieces, and goat cheese (chevre).  When I took my first bite, WOW, what a combination!  The sweetness of the nectarines, followed by the crunch of the walnuts, and creamy goat cheese was out of this world.  I was hooked and knew I had to re-create this at home.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Nectarine & Goat Cheese Salad

Original recipe by Alissa Hebert

Serves: 2

Prep Time:  10 mins.

Total Time:  20 mins.

Ingredients:

Salad

• 4 cups spring mix or your favorite greens such as arugula, spinach, etc.
• 1 nectarine (or peach if preferred)
• 2 oz. chevre (goat cheese)
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 
2. Assemble dressing in a small bowl by combining: vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper.  While whisking, slowly add in the olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate.
3. Toast walnuts by placing on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove when  walnuts have a hint of brown and become fragrant.
4. Place spring mix in a large bowl or on a large plate. 
5. Cut the nectarine into 6 to 8 slices.  Place on top of the spring mix.
6. Evenly distribute the toasted walnuts over the salad.
7. Break apart the goat cheese into mini bite size pieces.  This can be done by using a spoon to scoop small dollops, or use a knife to cut mini pieces.  Distribute evenly on top of the salad.
8. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and serve.

Tomato Chickpea Salad

In the summer there always seems to be an abundance of tomatoes at our house.  We have a small garden with a few kinds, but we also try different varieties from our farmers market.  I love having fresh tomatoes readily on hand to garnish sandwiches and burgers or to simply eat cherry tomatoes as a quick snack.  

Since we have a stock supply of tomatoes, I have a basil plant that I keep on my back porch for easy picking.  Fresh basil has a wonderful flavor and pairs extremely well with tomatoes.  Taking all this into account, you can say I’ve gotten pretty creative with tomato recipes.  My favorite snack or appetizer has to be Tomato, Basil & MozzarellaPoppers.  But this week I discovered a new dish from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  This is a cold, refreshing side dish that you can serve with just about any meal.  And the best part is it’s extremely easy to put together.  

Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas

The key ingredients are grape tomatoes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and basil.  Keep in mind that you can always cut whole tomatoes into bite size pieces if you don’t have grape tomatoes accessible.  If you’re not familiar with chickpeas, they have a mild nutty flavor and are rich in minerals.  They’re quite popular in vegetarian dishes as they’re an excellent source of protein.  Just one cup of chickpeas contains 29% of your recommended protein intake.  If that doesn’t entice you, just know that this salad is healthy and will leave you feeling invigorated.  Give it a try during these hot summer months.  After all, it’ll only take you 10 minutes to assemble.

Tomato Chickpea Salad
Adapted from Green Lite Bites blog
Serves: 4 to 5 people
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time:  10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.5 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 25 large basil leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Drain chickpeas and rinse in a strainer to remove the starch.  Place in a large bowl.
2. Chop the basil and cut the tomatoes in half.  Add to the bowl and combine with the chickpeas.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Stir to combine well.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  Serve cold.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

You may be wondering why you haven’t seen any new posts on Red Lab 27.  With the summer being so busy, I decided to take it off and truly enjoy it.   After today, however, I plan to post more frequently, so please continue to visit and check for new recipes! 

To start back up, I thought I’d share an easy recipe with you.  Baked sweet potato chips.  I LOVE chips.  They’re crunchy, salty, and addictive.  Sure they’re not healthy, especially if you eat more than the recommended serving (and I almost always do).  With that said, I typically buy Baked Lay’s potato chips to stock our kitchen cabinet.  At least they’re somewhat healthier.  Baked Lay’s are good, but have you ever tried homemade potato chips?   If you haven’t, then you are missing out!

A mandoline will create thin slices that are consistent in size

Homemade chips taste better than any packaged ones you’ll find at the grocery store.  There are so many options for seasonings.  Experiment with different spices, or if you prefer a more traditional taste, stick to using salt.  The best part about these potato chips is that they’re warm when you eat them!  Think of chocolate chip cookies.  Aren’t they a million times better when served fresh out of the oven?  The same is true for chips.  Trust me, you won’t be able to get enough of these chips!

The slices will shrink in size when cooked

These can be made at home by simply using an old fashioned knife to slice all the potatoes.  However, to cut the potatoes very thin and have a consistent thickness (1/8 inch), I would recommend purchasing a mandoline.  A mandoline is a cooking utensil that quickly allows you to slice fruits or vegetables by running them over a sharp blade.   Not only does it slice extremely thin (much better than I could by hand), but it can also julienne.  They even come with a safety guard to protect your fingers.  I have never owned a mandoline until recently, and I must say that it makes cutting that much easier.  If you’re looking for an affordable mandoline, I suggest the Progressive International HGT-11 Folding Mandoline Slicerthat I recently purchased.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Adapted from Simple Comfort Food

Serves: 4 people

Prep Time: 10 mins.

Total Time: 30 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

Supreme Seasoning (optional):

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 
2. Wash potatoes and slice to 1/8 inch thick.  The skin can be left on or if preferred, peeled and removed.
3. Place potato slices in a large bowl.  Add olive oil and toss, making sure to evenly coat all slices. 
4. If making the supreme seasoning (optional), combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 
5. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on metal baking sheets.  Lightly sprinkle one side with sea salt or the supreme seasoning.  Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and turn the slices over to the other side.  Lightly sprinkle with the remaining sea salt or supreme seasoning. 
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the centers are soft (and slightly golden brown) and the edges are crisp.  Transfer to a bowl and serve while warm.