You'd think I'd be tired of if by now, but I'm not. Yesterday I closed my post talking about seasonal baking. I thought it might be fun to share the recipes of two of my very most favorite homemade autumn treats. Cheesecake Brownies is the first -- a recipe that I found in Country Living magazine in 2007, and Ginger Spice Cookies -- a recipe I found compliments of Bon Appétit in 2000 (found on epicurious's site, link below) and is my absolute FAVE ginger cookie, perfect with a cup of tea.
1½ cups butter (3 sticks)
| photo credit: Charles Schiller |
¾ pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 large eggs
1½ cups dark brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons salt
2¼ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup pumpkin butter (you're not surprised, are you?!)
8 large eggs
1½ cups dark brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons salt
2¼ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup pumpkin butter (you're not surprised, are you?!)
Heat oven to 325°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly butter. Melt the butter and chocolate. Whisk 6 eggs, brown sugar, and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar together. Stir in 3 teaspoons vanilla, salt, melted chocolate, flour, add cocoa. Pour into the prepared pan. Beat cream cheese using a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the remaining 2 eggs, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and the cornstarch; beat until smooth and spread over the chocolate batter. Combine jam and pumpkin butter. Drop in spoonfuls onto cream cheese and draw swirls using a knife. Bake until center tests clean – about 40 minutes. Cool and cut. Makes 3 dozen. (Blogger's note: it was fun to use a football cookie cutter and served these at 'tailgate parties'!! Also -- these are SUPER rich!)
2 c. flour
2 ½ t. ground ginger
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
¾ t. salt
¾ c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 c. (packed) dark brown sugar
½ c. vegetable shortening, room temp.
¼ c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 large egg
¼ c. mild-flavored (light [unsulfured]) molasses
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
¾ t. salt
¾ c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 c. (packed) dark brown sugar
½ c. vegetable shortening, room temp.
¼ c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 large egg
¼ c. mild-flavored (light [unsulfured]) molasses
Combine flour and spices. Whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (overnight’s fine, too).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, (damp? I *don't* do this), form dough into 1 ¼-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2” apart. (Blogger's note: I form the dough into 1" balls for a smaller--more tea like--cookie. This ends up making more like 50 cookies. :)
Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. Store airtight at room temp.
I'm making the ginger cookies right now - they're in the fridge. The crystallized ginger really makes these so yummy and special! Let me know if you decide to try one (or both)! I'm off for now ... Roll Tide!! ♥
:)
