Slice & Bake Gingerthins

I LOVE gingersnaps and this is a new recipe I grabbed off of Simply Recipes to try. The black pepper addition is a nice change and if you like super crunch (but not hard) cookies this is a great recipe for you. I love how easy it is to “slice and back” these puppies and it makes a huge batch. I split this recipe into 2 mini loaf pans and made one brick of dough that ended up filling a large Tupperware container (see picture!). I will be taking the other frozen (and ready to slice and bake!) dough to family to bake later. This would be great to make ahead of time to pull out of the freezer for a quick treat. Ah…nothing beats homemade cookies! Now where’s that cup of coffee I poured…

Slice and Bake Gingerthins

8oz unsalted butter, soft

1 ¼ c. Sugar

½ tsp. Vanilla

2 eggs

1/3 cups Molasses

3 cups AP Flour

2 ½ tsp. Baking Soda

½ tsp. Salt

2 ½ tsp. Cinnamon

2 ½ tsp. Ginger

1/8 tsp. Fine Black Pepper

Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy- ad the sugar and cream again to incorporate some air.

Add the vanilla, eggs and mix well.

Add the molasses- mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the wet mixture a little at a time until it is all incorporated (don’t over mix).

Line a loaf pan (or several) with plastic wrap, spray with pam, and pour the batter in. Cover and freeze until firm (or overnight).

Slice thin and cover slices with sugar.

Bake 350 for 7-12 minutes depending on the size of your slices. 

Coconut Macaroons

I have a dangerous sweet tooth and one of my favorite ways to cure a hankerin’ for something sweet is with decadent coconut macaroons. Perhaps being raised in the south has influenced my obsession with coconut confections (macaroons, coconut cream pie, coconut meringue pie, coconut ice cream… you name it!) or maybe I just can’t turn down something sweet-so I turned to the southern belle herself, Paula Deen. This recipe is super easy and super quick. I actually forgot to add the cream of tartar and did not realize it until posting however they still turned out beautifully and the taste was not compromised at all. The cream of tartar may have helped them stand up a bit better with a little less stickiness to them- but the taste was still there! I have never seen a recipe for these babies without any flour- no fillers here folks it’s all coconut goodness! I just hate a cake-y macaroon!

Enjoy!

Paula Deen’s Coconut Macaroons

3 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1tsp. almond extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 egg whites, beaten stiff

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350

Combine coconut, almond extract and sweetened condensed milk to form a paste. Fold in the whites with cream of tartar. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes or until they get a little color on them.

"Healthier" Banana Bread

I LOVE quick breads and among my top faves is banana bread. Since I consume more sugar in a day than I probably should all year I have been in search for some alternatives to my traditional (and to die for!) banana bread that contains a ton of sugar, butter, etc. This is super moist and much lighter than my usual recipe- of course it isn’t the same as super indulgent versions but it is very good for what I deem “healthier” banana bread and replacing the sugar with splenda is not detectable at all. Next time I think I will use smooth applesauce but the chunky kind gives it more texture and is actually nice for a change. 

“Healthier” Banana Bread

1 ½ cups AP Flour

¾ cup Splenda

1 ¼ tsp. Baking Powder

½ tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon (I used Roasted Siagon)

1/8 tsp. Cardamom

2 egg whites

1c. Banana, mashed

¼ cup applesauce (I used chunky cinnamon)

3 Tablespoons Fat Free Sour Cream

Pinch of Salt

350 degrees

Stir dry ingredients together in one bowl, wet together in another then add wet to dry.

Bake 30-40 minutes.

Makes one large loaf or 2-3 mini-loafs. 

 Yummmm! You can see I nibbled on the top one to taste test  :0)