De Ma Cuisine

desserts Archive

Friday

8

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Written by , Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian

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I’m not much of a baker. It’s just not something that comes naturally to me. With baking it’s important to follow the recipe. There’s a reason that each ingredient is there. I can’t just add what I have on hand and substitute something if I feel like it. Because it’s all science.

I was never great at science in school. I do wonder if I might have done a little better if there had been experiments that involved cooking. You know, let us make cookies with whatever we wanted to. See what works and what doesn’t. Then learn about why. Since that class wasn’t offered at my school, I’m learning now, slowly…ParsnipCookies-1

I think that my first substitution attempt when baking might have been when I figured that using the same amount of honey in place of granulated sugar would be fine. Wrong. I ended up with a burned outside and still liquid inside banana bread. That was disappointing. But, I learned from my mistake. Freedom to fail.

So this time I played it safe. I figured out what I thought would make up a good cookie. I think I know what the dough should be like, so it seemed like a good place to start.

I still wasn’t expecting them to turn out, but I was gonna do my best.

I wanted to incorporate parsnips. Parsnips are wonderful when roasted and dipped into a creamy sauce. But, what about something sweet, almost like what you’d do with carrots in a carrot cake? I figured it was worth a try.

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I don’t make very many cookies. I’m just not a sweets person. But, I think normally recipes will have you cream the butter and sugar together. I went for more of a scone technique, where the butter was cold and added to the already combined dry ingredients.

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The parsnips, apple, and some lemon zest were added to the butter-flour mixture. I figured they might do well when coated with flour. And then once the wet ingredients were whisked together, they were added too. To make what looked like cookie batter to me!

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When I used to make cookies with my mom as a kid, we’d use two spoons to scoop the dough out. You could also just use your hands and roll a ball of dough between your palms. Whatever works. The spoons keep the hands clean and you don’t waste the batter that covers them.

I like fluffy, puffy, soft cookies over thin crispy ones. So I didn’t press them down.

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I thought about trying to make these vegan, but decided against it since making a cookie recipe was already enough of a risk. But, here are some ways that you could adapt it, if you wanted to (at your own risk 😉 ).

Carrots or summer squash instead of parsnips.

Orange zest instead of lemon zest.

Coconut oil instead of butter (treat it the same way – make sure it’s cold, then work very quickly).

Flax seeds and water instead of egg.

Maple syrup instead of honey.

Just keep in mind that it’s science and your changes may result in cookies slightly different from mine. But, we’re free to fail, free to learn from our mistakes, free to keep on trying. If I’d stopped at ruined banana bread, I’d never have known the loveliness of these cookies. They may be my new favorite. Not too sweet, super soft, and made with whole wheat flour and honey, so I feel fine about the three that I’ve eaten this afternoon.

Happy Eating!

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Yield: 19-20 cookies

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking powder, sifted
  • 1/2 t baking soda, sifted
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • pinch all spice
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1 C oats
  • 1 t lemon zest (or orange zest), chopped
  • 1/3 C apples, grated and chopped
  • 1 C parsnips (or carrots or summer squash), grated, and chopped
  • 1/2 C butter, cold, cut into small chunks
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or silpat mats).
  2. Whisk together flour through nutmeg. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or hands until pea sized chunks remain. Stir in oats, lemon zest, apples, and parsnips.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together honey through vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop batter using two tablespoons, or hands and drop onto prepared baking sheets (do not flatten). Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are mostly set and golden around the edges (they will keep cooking for a bit as they cool). Cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/whole-wheat-parsnip-cookies/

Monday

25

November 2013

3

COMMENTS

Apple Bourbon Galette and Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Ideas

Written by , Posted in Baking, Dessert, Fruit, Holiday, Menu Planning, Vegetarian

AppleBourbonGalette_4If you’re like me, Thanksgiving might just be one of your favorite meals of the year. My perfect bite is one that includes EVERYTHING: mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. And, yes, I am a traditionalist when it comes to the Thanksgiving meal food. I don’t want roast beef, I’d rather not have creamed corn, and I definitely don’t need a salad. I love all these things, buuuut, not at Thanksgiving. To be honest, I can even do without the rolls (but that’s only because they kinda just take up extra stomach space that could be used for more of everything else). However… I know that not everyone feels the same way. And that’s great. We don’t all need to think like I do.

Some may think it would be fun to eat something other than turkey for Thanksgiving. Awesome. Some may not love mashed potatoes and gravy. Cool. Some may detest sweet potatoes and green beans. I think you’re missing out, but then there’s more for me. Whatever your reason, I do love to plan a fun themed menu, so I have some ideas for you.

To start, you could enjoy a delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. I made this soup a few weeks ago and I just loved it (um, I will note that Tim, who is not a super fan of squash, said it was good, for a squash dish ;)).

For the main dish, Herbed Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes would be awesome. I made this for an episode of the show. I looks great, and tastes even better! Along with the chicken some Crispy Potatoes would be amazing and I always love roasted broccoli… can’t go wrong with roasted veggies.

If you need some sort of bread to go with a special meal, Garlic Bread would be fun. (When we eat garlic bread, sometimes I don’t want to eat whatever else we’re having because I love bread so much.)

Pomegranates are in season. How about making some homemade Pomegranate Juice to drink? Confession: I’ve never done this. I need to.

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Ok, now we need something to replace the traditional Pumpkin Pie. I made these Apple Bourbon Galettes a few weeks ago and they were phenomenal. They’re great for a special occasion, but also perfect for a weeknight dinner… yes!

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On Wednesday I will have some ideas for what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers. I wonder if anyone in the history of Thanksgiving has ever not had leftovers. I doubt it. Actually, I don’t think I like that idea. Thanksgiving leftovers are so yummy!!

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Happy Eating!

Apple Bourbon Galette
Recipe Type: Dessert, Baking, Apples, Fruit, Sweet
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 T honey
  • 2 T butter, cut into small chunks
  • 1/4 C coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar or raw sugar)
  • 1/4 C maple syrup
  • 2 t bourbon (optional)
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t nutmeg
  • 1-2 pinches ginger
  • 1-2 pinches allspice
  • 4-5 (about 4-5 C) apples, thinly sliced
  • 1 pie crust, divided in 4
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • butter, for greasing
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Butter the parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together honey through allspice (it’s ok if there are still small chunks of butter).
  3. Toss sweet mixture with apples, making sure all apples are coated.
  4. Roll out individual pieces of crust in a circle. Place on parchment paper. Place a few scoops of filling on one crust. Fold crust up and around filling, leaving the center open. Make sure there are no cracks in the crust or the liquid will run. Repeat with remaining pieces of crust.
  5. Brush each crust with egg.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden and flaky.

 

Friday

16

March 2012

1

COMMENTS

Oma’s Moon Cookies, by Jill

Written by , Posted in Baking, Cookies, Dessert, Guest Posts, Legacy, Thoughts

I’m blessed to have two brothers. But, until I got a sister-in-law last year, I had zero sisters. However, my cousin, Jill and I are as close as sisters. She’s one of my best friends. She lives in Colorado with her family, so we make up for the distance with visits, Skype chats, phone calls, emails, and texts. She and I were devastated at the loss of our Oma a couple of months ago. We both inherited a love for cooking from her. Jill, however, must have inherited the baking side of it much more than I. She’s a great baker. I asked if she would share Oma’s recipe for Moon Cookies.

Here’s Jill.

I know what you are thinking, it’s why are these called moon cookies yet they are shaped like stars?  Well honestly it is just because I don’t have a moon shaped cookie cutter.  Every time I make these cookies I am already far too deep in the process to stop, go to the store and get the proper shape, and every year I seem to forget that I don’t have a moon shape so I choose the next best celestial object, a star.  But Oma, whose recipe this is, always made them in moon shapes, hence the name.  Everyone in the Pries family knows what a moon cookie is.

This recipe is special for many reasons, most importantly because it was Oma’s.  And everything from Oma is special.  Secondly, they are insanely delicious.  One of the ways Oma loved her family was through food. She always had lovely treats and amazing meals waiting for us whenever we would visit.  Some of my fondest childhood memories take place in her kitchen, whether it was baking Zwieback and honey cookies, or sitting under the kitchen table first thing in the morning to warm up by the vent, or having Opa help me crush my crunchy buns into my bowl of “Opa” soup.  Of all the many traditions Oma passed down, a love of the kitchen was definitely one of them.  She was always eager to teach us and to pass down these special family recipes.  She had a servant’s heart and loved her family so much through everything she did.  I can only hope that I can make my family feel as loved and as precious as she made us feel.  Oma – I love you and I will keep trying to learn to crochet dish clothes, even though they always end up looking like cat toys!!

And now a special word of caution…..do not eat these cookies while wearing black.  The evidence will be all over you. And that is especially bad if you happened to indulge yourself when you really shouldn’t have or were flat out told not to, like a certain three year old boy who disappeared behind the sofa for a few minutes and then reappeared with lovely white fluff all down his front.

Oma’s Moon Cookies, by Jill

Oma’s Moon Cookies, by Jill

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups flour
  • 1/2 lb unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups ground hazelnuts
  • Icing sugar, about 3 cups

Instructions

  1. Mix together flour, butter and sugar. Add the nuts (use your food processor to grind the nuts if you had to buy whole ones). Mix well. Refrigerate for about 3 hours. Roll out the dough about 1/4 " thick (thicker is better because they can be quite fragile).
  2. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until golden.
  3. After the cookies bake you can cool them until warm, them give them a bath in the icing sugar. Not just a light dusting. Carefully place the cookie in the bowl of sugar and gently pack it on so there is a nice coating. Store between layers of wax paper in the freezer.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/omas-moon-cookies-by-jill/