If you like peanut butter cups and ginger, these cookies are for you. These chocolate peanut butter cookies are kissed with candied ginger. I've used a variety of sugars, syrups, and nut butters but one type of each will certainly do. (i.e. use 1/2 cup of a nut butter, 1/4 cup of syrup, 1 1/4 cup of sugar) Use a vegetable shortening in place of butter and all except for the addition of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups these cookies are vegan.

Chocolate Ginger Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield: approximately 3 dozen

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T dark semisweet cocoa powder

1/2 cup softened organic butter (or vegan shortening)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/8 cup cashew butter
1/8 cup almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup liquid measure sorghum syrup
1/8 cup liquid measure molasses
1/2 cup soy milk

1 cup raw demerara sugar
1/4 cup sucanat sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped dried ginger
1/2 bag of individually wrapped Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.

Cream the butter and nut butters together in a separate mixing bowl. Add syrups, extract, sugars, and soy milk. Mix thoroughly. Set the mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients to form a moist dough. Fold in the chopped ginger and peanut butter cups. You can make the dough in advanced and place the dough into the refrigerator for an hour or two or work with it as it is.

Using a teaspoon, drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the baking sheet and bake approximately 10 minutes. Cookies will flatten out as they bake. Rotate sheets if necessary. Cookies are finished when the tops form deep crevices. Cookies burn easily watch them carefully. Upon removing sheet from the oven, let cookies sit on the sheet briefly before moving to a cooling rack. Cookies will harden as they cool. If soft cookies are desired, reduce the baking time or place a piece of bread in the cookie tin or box. Enjoy!

Sounds like a mouthful doesn't it? Actually, they're Chocolate Chip- Omega 3 -Oatmeal Raisin -Walnut- Cookies. I made these for a family who drove 1.5+ hours just to come to my father's and my art show this month at Mulberry Art Studios in Lancaster, PA. (Check out www.rebeccallawrence.com). A little bit of whole wheat flour, a little bit of hemp oil, and a little bit of walnut oil and natural sugars help make this cookie a tad bit more nutritious than the standard oatmeal cookie. They're not low in sugar or fat.    

As a vegetarian I've been encouraged by my doctor to increase my consumption of omega 3s. Now I'm sure my doctor wouldn't approve of the butter, sugar, and chocolate in these cookies, but switching the oils is a good start. It may be for you as well. In salad dressings and in baking, I have now replaced the standard canola vegetable oil with a wide variety of nut oils. I store my almond, walnut, hemp, and flax oils in my refrigerator. Store oils away from light, and keep them in opaque containers. These oils also add an additional boost of omega 3s. There are standard vegetable oils that are 'enriched' with omega 3s, but why not replace those with a less refined oil that naturally contain omega 3s? 

Chocolate Chip Omega 3 Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 3 dozen

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sucanat sugar
1/4 cup demerera sugar
1/2 cup vegan vegetable shortening or organic butter, softened
1/8 cup hemp oil
1/8 cup walnut oil
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters or vegan egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 packet of vanilla sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 3.5oz bar of lindt bittersweet chocolate, chopped into tiny chip size pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Demerera sugar for rolling, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter, sugars, and oil together in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix together. Don't worry about the smell of the hemp oil as you are mixing your batter. It will disappear in baking and you won't be able to taste it. In a separate bowl sift together flours, baking powder and sea salt. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet and mix well. Stir in the chocolate, oats, raisins and walnuts. If the batter is too wet, add more oats.

Drop batter in rounded spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Keep them at a uniform size and leave about 2"+ between each mound. They will spread during baking. If desired, roll the mounds into raw sugar for an extra crunch before you drop them onto your sheet. I baked half of my cookies rolled in demerara sugar, half without. Bake cookies approximately 10-13 mins or until edges are golden.  I baked two sheets at a time and rotate my cookie sheets halfway through for even baking. Let the cookies cool briefly on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm and soft or cool and crispy.

In addition to Springerle, Lebkuchen, and Zimtsterne, I added two more types of German cookies and holiday treats to the boxes I packaged for family members. Spekulatius-Brezeln and Früchtebrot were packaged in boxes, and Matt and I gave the boxes of cookies to our families. The Früchtebrot is a nut and dried fruit bread, with very little flour and yeast. It is sliced into bite size rounds and is a perfect combination of nuts and fruit. It's not too sweet.

Spekulatius-Brezeln is a combination of puff pastry and speculaas (a spice laden) dough, rolled together in pretzel and other shapes.  The recipe for Früchtebrot and Spekulatius-Brezeln I found from Essen & Trinken, a German food website. These recipes were featured on their Christmas cookie slide show- and if you can't translate the recipes, the pictures themselves are worth looking through for holiday ideas.

Spekulatius-Brezeln
Adapted and translated from Essen & Trinken

1 cup ground roasted almonds
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg yoke
1 T cardamom
1 T cinnamon
1/2 T ground cloves
1/2 T ground nutmeg
1 cup all purpose flour
 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed, at room temperature
1 egg white
1/2 c granulated sugar, placed in a bowl or dish

Place puff pastry out on the counter as you prepare the spekulatius dough. Combine butter, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until creamy. Add egg yolk and lightly mix until smooth. Gradually add flour, ground almonds, and spices.  Knead mixture until smooth if you have difficulty using the stand mixer. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fold out puff pastry dough on a board. Roll approximately to the length of a standard cookie sheet (a flexible length). Remove spekulatius dough from the refrigerator and divide into two portions. Brush half of the puff pastry with egg white. Roll out one of the portions of spekulatius dough onto the puff pastry half covered with egg white. Fold over the puff pastry on top of the spekulatius dough. Brush the top with egg white. Roll out the reserved spekulatius dough on top. Roll the entire layers into a long cylinder, place in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the puff pastry and spekulatius dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut into strips and fold over pieces into pretzel shapes or spirals. Dip each shape into sugar, alternatively sprinkle each piece with sugar. Place onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-15 mins at 375 degrees until slightly golden. Watch for over browning. Flavor improves the next day and the day after.     

Tis' the season for cookies! Although I try not to eat too many cookies and sweets, for the last three years I have baked and packaged various baked goods for close friends and family for Christmas. My mother has done this every year that I can remember. Every first weekend of December she would meet with her long time friend and co-worker and bake throughout the day. I remember our kitchen table covered in newspaper, wax paper, and dozens of various cookies spread over the table. Cookie tins were piled high and put away so our little hands and mouths couldn't find them. You can't hide cookies from kids though, we knew to look under the table, behind the couch, in her bedroom, in the basement, and even in the laundry room.  Now that we're grown and not living at home, they're a lot more easier to find. My mom filled plates with her cookies and handed them out to church members, friends, teachers, and neighbors.

To date, I'm on my third batch of Springerle cookies, and fourth separate batch of Christmas cookies to bring to family and friends. I've been enjoying translating German recipes, flipping through various German cookbooks to find inspiration, and for the cookies I've never tasted before- experiencing new flavors.  

Springerle Cookies:
I've only become familiar with these cookies in the last two years. They are a South German cookie, flavored with anise extract and printed with a rolling pin or single wooden molds. I've blogged about Springerle in earlier posts, but here, I've included photos of Springerle I've painted with luster dust. Springerle last for at least 3 months. Great with coffee or tea.

Ulm Weihnachtsterne: (Ulm Christmas Stars)
I came across this recipe in a Germany cookbook published in English with UK measurements. It's a shortbread like cookie with a marzipan and candied fruit topping. This cookie greatly improved its' flavor two days later.

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)
Cinnamon stars are perfect for the Christmas season. They are a meringue like cookie made with ground almonds, cinnamon, and egg whites. Although hard, they make an excellent cookie for dunking into your coffee or tea. 

Nürnberger Lebkuchen (also called Elisenlebkuchen) Gingerbread
From decorated gingerbread hearts to rectangular shaped gingerbread cookies to round cookies and gingerbread houses, gingerbread has a long and celebrated history in Germany. Lebkuchen comes in different types, here, I used oblatens (round wafers) to shape gingerbread rounds. I translated a recipe from the Einladung zu Kaffee & Kuchen cookbook I own, converted the measurements, and made two changes to the recipe. Elisenlebkuchen is typically glazed with a powdered sugar and citrus icing and made from a dough rich with almonds, spices, and candied citron. You can find this kind of Lebkuchen imported to the US available in packaged form in European food markets or online. I had my first taste of Lebkuchen at a stand in the Christkindlemarkt (a Christmas market) in Bethlehem, PA a few years ago. This version comes very close to my first taste.

Nürnberger Lebkuchen
Translated and adapted from Einladung zu Kaffee & Kuchen
1995 Mosaik Verlag München
Makes 24 rounds (70mm wide)

Dough:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar (caster or superfine granulated sugar)
1 large packet of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar (available at most grocers)
3 cups of finely ground almonds (pulse whole raw almonds in a food processor)
3/4 T mace
2 tsp cardamom
3/4 T cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp rum
1/4 cup (generous) roughly chopped candied lemon peel
1/4 cup (generous) roughly chopped candied orange peel
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 T baking powder
24 oblaten rounds (alternatively spread or pipe dough into round shapes on a prepared baking sheet)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T (or more) fresh lemon juice
Drop or two of almond extract or Amaretto
24 whole, raw almonds (for top)

Prepare two aluminum baking sheets with parchment paper. Lay out 24 oblatens on each.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugars until frothy and thick. Meanwhile whisk together the flour and baking powder. Reduce speed of the mixer and gradually add ground almonds, spices, rum, and candied citron. Gradually add flour and baking powder.

Pick up one oblaten and using a knife, shape and spread the dough onto the round. Alternatively, spread the dough into a circle onto the parchment paper. Continue with each. You may need to wash or rinse your hands to handle the cookie dough. It will be sticky.

Let cookies dry overnight (about 8 hours). Do not cover. The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 15 minutes just until edges begin to darken.  Prepare glaze as cookies are baking. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and extract with a fork. Remove cookies from oven. While cookies are hot, quickly press a whole raw almond into the center of each and place cookies onto a cookie rack. Use a pastry brush to glaze each cookie on the rack. Cool completely before placing inside bags or tins. The flavor will improve the next day and the day after.

 



 

 

 

There's a recipe in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking for Ginger-Amaranth Shortbread. I switched some of the sugar, added peanut butter, cut them into small square bites and covered them with a ginger icing. These are soft shortbreads, not very dry, and leave a buttery kiss on your tongue.

 Ginger Amaranth Shortbreads
Adapted from Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Cooking

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1 T ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened/room temperature
1/3 cup sucanat
1/3 cup natural cane sugar
1 1/2 T low fat creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup (scant) chopped dried sugared ginger

Icing: 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 cup powdered sugar, and soy creamer

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flours, salt and ground ginger.

With a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars, and the peanut butter. Continue to mix and add the dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped ginger. Knead the dough if necessary and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 35-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes or form 1/4" rounds and place onto parchment covered cookie sheet. Freeze the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before placing into the oven to preserve desired shapes. Bake for 10 minutes more or less depending on the size of the cookie until slightly golden.

Remove and cool. Using a fork, mix together powdered sugar, and teaspoon of ground ginger. Adjust to taste, and spread on top of each cooled cookie. Let cookies rest on the sheet or cooling rack until the icing has hardened.       

 

Last night, in preparation for our trip to Germany, I baked some of my favorite cookies to take to our Berlin friends. Hopefully the TSA won't help themselves, and that they'll stay nicely together on the transatlantic flight. Only time will tell!

Two of these cookies I usually make at christmas time. Chocolate Gin Raisin cookies (thank you Gourmet magazine, it's one of your favorite's too!), and Wildflower Honey Anise sandwich cookies. The third batch, Molasses Sesame Peanut cookies.

I'll be spending the next few weeks traveling throughout East Germany, Prague and taking a short trip to Bristol in the UK.  Much love to my friends and family in the states and I'll be back before you know it!

One of my favorite recipes from the Veganomicon cookbook is for Peanut Ginger Sesame Cookies. I've made them for family on multiple occasions. Now, I'm whipping up a batch for our friends we're going to visit in Germany.

My adaptation makes this recipe not Vegan. I use real butter. My flours and syrups are different as well. I add more ginger and omit the extracts.

Peanut Ginger Sesame Cookies
Adapted from the Veganomicon Cookbook

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1 /2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup super chunky peanut butter
1/8 cup (dry measure) sorghum syrup
1/8 cup (dry measure) baking molasses
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
4-6oz dried candied ginger, diced into pieces
white and black sesame seeds (if desired) for rolling

Preheat: 350 degrees

In a medium to large mixing bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger and cinnamon together. In a large stand mixing bowl, cream the butter, and add peanut butter, sorghum syrup and molasses, sugar and soy milk. Slowly add the flour mixture to combine. Fold in the chopped ginger.

Roll into walnut sized balls, roll the balls into sesame seeds and bake, 10-15 mins. I like them soft and chewy, so I only bake them for about 10 minutes.
 

Today is Mary Jo's birthday, and I've crossed my fingers to hope that she'll like these cookies. If not, I've played it a little safe and have dried fruit/nut friendship bars, ready to go as an alternative.

Instead of working with a recipe as a base and modifying it, I decided to go back to step 1, assess what spices, dried fruits, and flours I have in the pantry and see what happens.  I enjoy figs, have been baking with amaranth powder frequently, and like the taste of anise. Figs and anise are a common combination.  I had moist almond meal readily available, but it was left over from a successful first attempt at making my own almond milk. That's not something I have ready to use on a frequent basis, but a good way to use the leftover meal.

These are soft on the inside, dotted with figs, anise flavors, rolled in granulated sugar. Just sweet enough to eat another! If you try them, let me know!

Amaranth Fig Cookies with Anise

1 cup moist almond meal/flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground anise seed
a sprinkling of whole anise seed

10-12 black mission figs, chopped finely
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

6 tablespoons softened butter
2/3 cup demerera raw sugar
3 drops of amaretto flavoring

Granulated sugar, for coating.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder,  salt and spices together in a large bowl. Add the finely chopped figs to the flour and spices. In a separate small bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer. Make a small well in the batter and pour the creamed butter mixture into the dry batter. Knead, making sure all the flour has been absorbed. Roll batter into small 1" balls and coat in granulated sugar.

Place balls onto cookie sheet and gently flatten with a spoon or bottom of a small jar. Bake, rotating if necessary, 15 mins.

Yield: 3 dozen, 36 small, 1" round cookies.