Autumn is Here!

**I'm having issues finding time to load pictures from my camera to the computer. I've been letting it get in the way of posting... Stand by for pictures!

Fall is definitely in the air here in Portland. I am going on a short trip to Austin and I wanted something to remind me it was the middle of October while I'm enjoying the summer weather. =] I adapted these from Simply Recipes, a straightforward blog with pictures and recipes. I ordered some raw cacao beans. By themselves, they are really bitter and in my opinion taste like dirt. Mixed into these cookies, they provide extra crunch and antioxidants. The creamy fluffy batter is important, so it's best to mix all ingredients at room temperature.

Pumpkin Nib Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + a pinch
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
handful (~1/4 cup) pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup cacao nibs/cacao beans crushed between 2 spoons

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for another 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon and whisk together. Slowly add it to the butter mixture until just combined, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom once or twice to ensure even mixing.

Fold in the pumpkin seeds and cacao pieces. Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for a minute or two to set, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Ginger!

Today, I woke up feeling crappy. I have no idea where it came from, but I am doing my best to ward it off. Straightaway I picked up Elephant's Cure from Elephant's Delicatessen. I forgot how packed it was with ginger! They're cut into slender matchsticks and take you by surprise as you enjoy the soup. It (plus a bunch of medicine) made me feel a lot better, so I decided to make Ginger Snaps. This is a family recipe that is 100 years old. Typically "ginger snaps" conjurs up images of rock hard cookies that are hardly appetizing. The most distinguishable thing about this particular recipe is that they're SOFT. I am sharing a more healthful version of my family recipe. Just smelling these babies is enough for me. I let the measuring spoon heap a bit when I measured the ginger and cinnamon. =)

(Pictures will follow)

Ginger Snaps
1 1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Grandma's molasses
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
3 cups flour
3/4 cup hazelnut flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger

small bowl of sugar, for dipping

Preheat oven to 375
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Cream butter, sugar, then eggs. Add molasses and dry ingredients.
Roll into balls and dip into sugar.
Bake til lightly browned - depending on size of ball 8-13 minutes.

Yield: LOTS (depending on size of cookies, ~60)

UPDATE: I brought some of these to work and everybody loves them! SUCCESS!!

Blueberry Crumble Bars

I made these, cut 'em up and dispersed them to people so quickly, I forgot to take a picture! You'll just have to take my word for it, they were good! I used blueberries my mum picked a while ago that I had stashed in the freezer. They were plump and delicious! I also used demerara sugar instead of refined sugar.

Anyhow, here's the recipe:

Blueberry Crumble Bars
adapted from The Good Cookie, 2002

Crust
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Blueberry Filling
3/4 cup demerara sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 1/4 cups blueberries

Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Crust:
Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (I use part of the stick of butter going into the crust).

In small bowl, stir together the flour, almond meal, and salt; set aside.

In bowl, of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. At low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just crumbly.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Make the Filling:
In medium bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and ginger. Add the blueberries and toss well to coat. Spread blueberry mixture evenly over the crust.

Make the Topping:
In medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until blended. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture comes together. Sprinkle topping evenly over the blueberry filling.

Bake the bars for 48 to 50 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Cool the bars completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into 24 bars.