ginger Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Chewy Double Ginger Molasses Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:51:08 +0000

I’ve been adapting my Chocolate Chip Cookies 2.0 recipe into all sorts of fun flavors, like Seven Layer Cookies, Ultimate Chocolate Cookies, and now these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies for the holidays. I do love my Pan-banging Ginger Molasses Cookies, but I also wanted to come up with a version that didn’t require any extra step. This version is also based on the Ginger Cookie from 100 Cookies, but has more ginger flavor thanks to fresh, grated ginger. I know that most everyone has a strong opinion on how they want their molasses cookies to be (soft! hard! chewy! dense! coated in sugar! no sugar! fresh ginger! just ground spices!). My favorite way is crispy edges, a tender center, and plenty of ginger flavor. I use both fresh, grated ginger and crystallized ginger in these cookies for fabulous, spicy flavor. These Double Ginger Molasses Cookies pack incredibly well, making them perfect for holiday cookie boxes. Their flavor also continues to deepen for a day or two after they’re made. Ingredient Notes For Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies: This particular recipe doesn’t need to be refrigerated. These taste best when the centers are slightly under baked, just like the chocolate chip cookies. To Freeze […]

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Ginger Chocolate Chip Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 15:21:59 +0000

I’ve been making scones for years now, but forgot about one combination of flavors that was always a favorite in my Blue Heron Coffeehouse days — crystallized ginger and chocolate. The two ingredients pair beautifully together: the ginger comes in with a little heat, and the chocolate follows with just enough sweetness. I chopped the ginger very small and used mini chocolate chips so there are tiny bursts of flavor. The scone itself is tasty enough, but you can use bigger pieces of chocolate and ginger if desired. Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze Maple Oatmeal Scones Lemon White Chocolate Scones

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Pan-banging Ginger Molasses Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 02:58:33 +0000

If you follow along on Instagram, you know I’ve been working on a ginger-molasses version of my pan-banging cookies. I finally have the ginger molasses cookies recipe for you, I’ve been obsessively making them trying to get everything just right. And I have a Red Velvet Pan-Banging Cookie for you too, that is perfect for the holidays or Valentine’s Day. I also know that most everyone has a strong opinion on how they want their molasses cookies to be (soft! hard! chewy! dense! coated in sugar! no sugar! fresh ginger! just ground spices!). I did make my dear friend Zoë test them out and she gave them her approval, so I’m going to go ahead and put the recipe out into the world. Cookie Making Tips: This particular recipe doesn’t need to be refrigerated. The molasses and butter in this cookie helps them to spread just fine without the added chill. I also make these a little bit smaller – 2 ounces, instead of 3 ounces. A few things to note: these taste best when the centers are under baked, just like the chocolate chip cookies. Because they are smaller, I bang the pan only 3-4 times instead of 5-6. […]

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Triple Ginger Raspberry Coffee Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 00:44:40 +0000

How to Eat a PoemDon’t be polite.Bite in.Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice thatmay run down your chin.It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are. You do not need a knife or fork or spoonor plate or napkin or tablecloth. For there is no coreor steamor rindor pitor seedor skinto throw away.-Eve Merriam ************************************************* Nicole Gulotta, of the blog Eat This Poem, has a cookbook, where both the poem above and the ginger coffee cake below are found. It’s a lovely book, filled with poetry and recipes and thoughtful musings, much like her site. I’ve met Nicole a few times over the years and have followed her progress on this book; it’s been years of work and a labor of love. I highly recommend putting it on your wish list. I especially love the poem above, and have found a handful of other poets I need to check out. There are many recipes I am eager to try as well, but, I just can’t help myself and gravitated first towards the baking section (this is the case in any cookbook I pick up). I started with this Ginger Coffee Cake. Nicole’s version has pears but […]

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Two Easy Holiday Drinks

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 23:52:34 +0000

A few weeks ago the kind folks at Martha Stewart Living sent me their new copper bar set. I’m not much of a mixed drink kind of person, more like the ‘1/2 beer with dinner’ type, even though I do have a cabinet stuffed full of liqueur bottles. These, however, are used almost exclusively for baking. I decided to live it up just a little this December; trade the beer in for something more sassy, and put the new set to good use with holiday drinks. I met Ben from BET Vodka at Molly’s fabulous brunch a few weeks back, and he donated a bottle to make some drinks with. I took a fancy to his beautiful vodka bottles at the brunch (I also had a delicious drink made from it), and thought it would go well with pomegranate juice and ginger ale. Turns out it does. Then I received a few bottles of wine from Seven Daughters – I have had a good number of glasses of it over at the Faux Martha’s house, and knew it would pair wonderfully with something simple. Orange juice and Moscato happened at a recent family gathering, and everyone loved it. These two […]

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Ginger Cake with Pumpkin Creme Mousseline + #bakeamericacakeagain

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 16:24:58 +0000

Today is the day! The Vanilla Bean Baking Book (affiliate link) is now available! I’m so excited to share it with you. To celebrate, I have a new recipe and these #bakeamericacakeagain tattoos that I am giving away. The lovely FauxMartha and my husband helped me come up with this hashtag to celebrate both my book and the **Election** (remember to vote today, fellow Americans!) Details for the giveaway is below. #BakeAmericaCakeAgain Tattoo Giveaway Ways To Enter For A Chance To Win 1. Comment on this post below. 2. On my Instagram post tag a friend and use #bakeamericacakeagain in your comment. 3. You can also use both method #1 and #2 to increase your chances of winning. I will select 8 winners from the site and 5 winners on Instagram to receive the tattoos. ***No purchase necessary. Open to the U.S. and Canada only.*** (This chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream pictured is a recipe from the new book (affiliate link); I made it for segment on WCCO-TV. You can watch the episode here.) Ginger Cake with Pumpkin Mousseline and Chocolate This ginger cake is adapted from two recipes in my book; the white cake and the pastry cream recipes. I’ve […]

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Ginger Cake With Crème Fraîche Buttercream And Sugared Cranberries

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 03:29:40 +0000

“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.” -Andrew Boyd The theme of Christmas is a tale of benevolence, no matter what version of the story you are celebrating. We purpose to turn to our neighbor and offer what we have: there are good intentions of shoveling sidewalks, delivering cookies, donating money. Our children are reminded there is more to all of this then receiving, although it gets harder each year to convince them. They are introduced to Rudolph and Charlie Brown and Frosty on the screen, while adults everywhere paste on a smile and try to tune out the ill-will demonstrated across the lands. ‘Peace on earth,’ we sing together, in churches and on snowy walks, while decorating sugar cookies and sitting quietly by the fire. This year the words fall flat; hands that could be stretched out to give are too busy […]

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chocolate ginger bundt cake

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 02:56:00 +0000

I’m terribly afraid of dying. Sometimes it keeps me up at night; I imagine dreadful scenarios of tragedy that I won’t share here. In the dark I clutch my husband’s hand, making sure he’s close; in the dark I tiptoe to the little’s rooms to take an extra peek, just in case it’s my last look. I find myself whispering frequently to the sky beyond the ceiling, ‘Why do we stop here, if we’re just going to leave?’ When the dawn comes, I find myself whispering again, ‘Well, there’s one more day in front of us. Phew.’ It’s not an easy panic to work through, because, well, I’m going to die. It’s the not knowing how and when that drives me crazy. So, then there’s this chocolate ginger cake I made. Not a great segue, I know. I love this chocolate bundt cake recipe; it is full of intense chocolate flavor and stays moist for days. After a day of making candied ginger I decided to throw some in, and I found just what I was looking for in all the spicy and the sweet. Each bite was magical: first the chocolate dark and dreamy, then the ginger sweeping in […]

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ginger peach muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:00:00 +0000

This is another recipe from Kim Boyce’s ‘Good To The Grain’ cookbook that I’ve been enamored with. I had some friends coming over and happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so muffins were made. I’ve never been that interested in whole wheat muffins – they are usually too dry and dense. But I had a feeling I could trust Ms. Boyce with this one. I’m glad I listened to my gut. As you probably guessed, these muffins are delicious. I’ve always been a fan of the ginger-and-peach-combination, and the addition of oat flour and whole wheat flour make for a very tasty treat. They are a little more effort than your basic muffin recipe, but I promise you won’t mind that once you’ve taste the honey-ginger topping that soaks over the fresh, sauteed peaches. I would almost call this a perfect muffin: the balance of flavors, the amount of fruit, the not-too-sweet topping make for a spectacular breakfast. Ginger Peach Muffins Kim Boyce ‘Good To The Grain’ 2 T. + 1 t. fresh ginger, grated peach topping 1 large or 2 small peaches, ripe but firm 1 T. unsalted butter 1 T. honey dry mix 1 c. oat […]

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