To Do:  Thursday 11.6.08

-Scowl at 6:30 am alarm clock.

-Randomly hit night stand in search of snooze button.

-Search the bed for warmth, find it, snuggle hardcore.

-Force self out of bed.  Write.  Seriously.  Write something.   

-Um…. snuggle more.  It’s not a crime.

-Dress.  Aroma Cafe.  Tea.  Breakfast.  Dreamy.

-Write, seriously, you have to write.

-Jump on the bed.  

-Make Sugar Crusted Ginger Cookies-  eat a great deal of the dough.

-Watch Foodproof videos.

-Snuggle more.  For your health.

-Think about showering.  

-Shower.

-Discuss cheese.  Make cheese look pretty.

-Bourbon.  Drink some.

-Bed.  Snuggle.  Prepare to scowl at forthcoming early alarm clock.  

Sugar Crusted Ginger Chewies

from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

about 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and spices until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light color, about 1 minute.  On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.

Spread the turbinado sugar into a small bowl.  Roll 2 Tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands into a ball, toss the ball in sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Continue making cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 12-14 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Feel good today. Life is too short to feel bad. Fact.

With a deep breath and a big fat smile I welcome you to National I’m a Maniac and Posting On My Blog Everyday for and Entire Month, also known as NoBloPoMo.  

Well…. here we are.  Now what do we do?  Can we just sit and stare at one another for an entire month?  No?  You mean you actually want me to cook things, take pictures and tell you all about them?  Ooooh.  I guess that makes sense.  What’s that?  You want my crazy good Apple Pie recipe?  Ok… we can do that.

What else?  I’m coming to you with an empty bowl and a clean spatula.  What would you like to see come from Joy the Baker in the next month?  Do you have a recipe you want to share?  Do you want me to make more pancakes?  Do you need some sort of tutorial?  Leave a comment announcing your deepest baking desires and we’ll see if I can make all your dreams come true.  It’s going to be just like Disneyland, with shorter lines and fewer mice.  

And now…. oatmeal.

This oatmeal idea comes from Joy the Baker fanatic Elizabeth.  She claims to not have much baking prowess but I thought her oatmeal idea was pretty clever.  See, Elizabeth needs an instant oatmeal concoction that she can throw in a zip lock to take to the office and then microwave in a bowl once at work.  The packaged oatmeal is often packed with sugars and preservatives and barely there dried fruit.  We can do much better than that.

Here’s what you do.  Take down that 18 ounce canister of quick cooking oats from your top shelf.  Take out three cups and throw together a batch of oatmeal cookies.  Into the remaining oats add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries,1/2 cup of chopped almonds and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds.  Throw the lid back on the canister, give it a good shake, and you’re good to go.  

Now every morning before you rush out the door, you can quickly measure out a serving of dried oatmeal mixture, carry it off to work and serve it up nice and warm once you get to the office.   Mix 3/4 cup of quick cookies oats with 1 1/2 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and enjoy.  Healthy breakfast in a flash!

Thanks Elizabeth!  

Now what do you want to see on Joy the Baker?