Dark Hot Summer

In the spirit of incorporating some spice into my cookies for my heat-loving boyfriend, as well as crafting a gluten free concoction my best friend and roommate could enjoy, I put together what I call "Hot Havana Night Cookies." They remind me of a traditional Mexican chocolate cookie with a few twists.

These cookies have a fluffy texture, but are a little dense the second and third day. I finish them with a dusting of powdered sugar to give it an additional sweet note. Here's what they look like!

My apologies for the lack of fancy photography and nice plates, we're still unpacking and organizing the kitchen. On the other hand, these cookies taste just as good as they look! They rated a 9 (that's "dank" for those of you at home) on the IJH scale.

Hot Havana Night Cookies 

Ingredients: 

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt 

1 cup of gluten free flour of your choice (works with normal flour as well)

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3  tsp cayenne powder (can use as much as 1/2 or as little as 1/4, your preference)

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice 

Preheat your oven to 375. 

Combine the oil, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl and cream them together. Sift the flour into a separate bowl. Then, mix in the baking soda, salt, flour, cocoa powder, and various spices. Stir them together well with a fork and then slowly add it to the wet ingredients. Mix it thoroughly. 

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then scoop out the dough with an ice cream scoop. I find that using another spoon to push the dough out of the scoop onto the pan works the best. After they're all on the pan, about an inch or so apart, put them in the oven for eight to ten minutes. Pull out when they look fluffy and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Remove onto a wire rack to cool. 

While the cookies are cooling, take about 1/4 of a cup of powdered sugar and dust the cookies to your hearts delight! Allow to cool, and then eat while dancing to your favorite music. Remember, nobody puts your cookies (or you) in a corner. 

Till next time. 

E 

Cran-you say cookies?

After many comments, suggestions, and pleas for recipes (that might be a tad exaggerated), I have decided to start a food blog to keep track of all the baked goods and food I'll be making (and have been making). To start, I thought I would post a recipe that I tried a few nights ago and my boyfriend seems to think they were a success! Hopefully, if you make the recipe, you will, too.

These cookies were rated at an eight out of ten (or "sick nasty" good) on the IJH scale.

Cranberry Biscuit Cookies with Orange Glaze

First, start with a basic butter-less sugar cookie recipe. Using canola oil instead of butter gives the cookies a biscuit/scone like texture that I've come to really enjoy. It's something different than your average cookie. 

Ingredients for cookie:

2 cups white, all purpose flour

3/4 cup plain white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Ingredients for glaze:

Equal parts pulp-free orange juice and powdered sugar (use less powdered sugar for thin consistency, more for thicker glaze. Your choice)

Preheat the oven to 375. 

Begin by combining all of your *dry* ingredients in a bowl. Mix them with a spatula or whisk them together, whichever seems to best combine them. Next, you want to make a well in the middle of your dry mix, about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. 

In a separate bowl (I usually use a big measuring cup), combine all of your wet ingredients (eggs, canola oil, vanilla) and whisk them together thoroughly. Pour this mixture into your well. 

Then, you're going to take a big mixing spoon or spatula, whichever you prefer, and fold all of it together. I think beating it in a hand mixture gives it a different texture, so this is a recipe I stick to hand mixing. Fold it all until the dough is combined and it comes away from the sides of the bowl. 

Finally, pour your cranberries in the mix. Fold it into the dough. You can use more or less cranberries depending on your preference. 

Roll the dough into inch size balls, and place on a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with PAM or the like. You don't have to spread them very far apart because they don't get much bigger. 

Mix your orange juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze, then brush each cookie with the glaze *before* putting it in the oven. 

Now, here's the preference part. Once you put it in the oven, at 375 for 8-10 minutes, you can do a few things. (1) Let it just have an orange hint and only glaze it once. (2) Take it out about halfway through and glaze it again, and then finish the cookies. (3) Do step two and then once they're done, add another layer of glaze. Again, this is all up to you. I tend to choose option two! 

Once they're done take them off the cookie sheet and let them cool. Voila! Fresh cookies that are perfect for tea time. I promise more wit and banter next time, but it's been a long day moving and setting things up!