Recipes, Photography, Musings

Month: May 2014 (Page 2 of 5)

Asparagus Time

This spring I am especially excited about asparagus. I think that is because everything is late this year, so we have been waiting a long time for anything fresh and green. I have been to a couple of farmers markets this past week, and asparagus is the best vegetable I can find. So far, it has been hard to find any greens.  Asparagus tastes best with minimal preparation. It needs to be washed thoroughly and can be eaten raw to get the most nutrients. My kids like it best when I stir-fry it in a wok or skillet with a little olive oil and salt.  After washing it, I chop off the tough ends. Then I stir-fry it in olive oil for about five minutes, depending on the thickness and size of the asparagus spears. While cooking, I keep checking the tenderness with a fork, and when the spears are tender-crisp, I turn off the heat and serve them with a little salt and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It is very simple, but sometimes simple is the best when you want to bring out the true flavor of the fresh vegetable.


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Molasses Snaps

Molasses Snaps

  • Servings: approximately 40 cookies
  • Print
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (if you only have salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe)
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark molasses (preferably blackstrap molasses)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Beat or vigorously stir the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually stir in the brown sugar and molasses until fluffy. Add the egg, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt; beat or stir vigorously to blend.
  3. Combine the flour and baking soda in a small bowl. Slowly add to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined.
  4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Place 1 1/2 inches apart.
  5. Bake in preheated oven (375 degrees) for about 7 minutes. Remove cookies from sheets to racks to cool.
  6. Enjoy!

Wonderful Molasses

I have always loved molasses cookies. Maybe it’s because of the rich, earthy taste of molasses, or maybe it’s because it brings back memories of sitting in my Aunt Nell’s house eating her huge, soft molasses cookies and drinking her cool, sweet lemonade. Now I have even more reason to love them. Although it seems to be well-known to some, I have only recently discovered that molasses is full of nutrients like iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and selenium. According to www.whfoods.com, the molasses we produce here in the United States is made from sugar cane. An article on that website goes on to explain that molasses is created during the process of making sugar. It is basically the sugar cane juice that remains after the sucrose has been removed.

There are different types of molasses, based on the amount of processing (which includes spinning and boiling the juice) the sugar cane juice has undergone. The syrup that results from the first round of processing is the light molasses we see at the grocery store. It has the mildest taste and least amount of nutrients of any molasses. The molasses produced by the second round of processing is the dark molasses we see in the grocery store. This version of molasses is thicker, darker, and more concentrated, containing more nutrients than the light version. And finally, a third round of processing is possible, creating what is known as blackstrap molasses. This molasses is the darkest form, and the most rich in terms of minerals. Blackstrap molasses can be a little harder to find, and you may need to buy it at a natural food store. However, it is not expensive–I got a sixteen ounce jar for under three dollars.

I love the idea that an ingredient in cookies is so full of minerals! I am especially interested in the high iron content of blackstrap molasses, because we don’t eat a lot of red meat in my family, so I am always looking for natural ways to get enough iron.

I am going to post a recipe I use for molasses cookies. This version is pretty quick and easy to throw together, and it results in soft, flavorful cookies. I like to make the size of these cookies small so they are easy to grab on the go. My kids love them, and they are perfect for an after-school snack or a dessert in their lunch bags. My husband and I love them as well.

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