Old Fashioned Chocolate Molasses Cookies

I had been looking for a recipe that my mother in law used to make. A chocolate and a molasses cookie all in one. And find it I did, written on a small piece of paper. My mom did the same. Recipes were jotted down on whatever piece of paper was handy. Often it was written on the back of a used envelope, everything got recycled! Now I wish that I had all those pieces of paper in my recipe collection.

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cups milk
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream shortening, sugar and molasses together.
2. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together.
4. Stir into creamed mixture alternately with the milk until well mixed.
5. At this point you can make drop cookies by dropping rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or add enough flour to make a dough that can be rolled, then cut with a cookie cutter.
6. Bake in a 375º oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Frost with a plain vanilla icing.
8. Yield: 2 dozen cookies. My cookies were rather on the large size, just like I remember them.

Vanilla Icing:

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1. Combine and stir till smooth and well blended. If necessary add more icing sugar or milk for spreading consistency.

Bread for the Journey

More and more it seems the world around me is choosing to come against the truth of God's Word. Some of these voices, strong and bold, can confuse me and sometimes because of the labels they attach to anyone who does not have their strong point of view I am silenced. What should I do?

I need to go back each day to the one who is the truth. I need to open the Word of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit read it and hide it in my heart. I need to test the very words that are coming from pulpits and be like the Bereans who searched the scriptures to make sure they were being taught what was true. I need to listen to teaching that is Biblically sound. I need to know that there are popular false teachers in my circles. I need to be a disciple of Jesus, following him closely.

I need to meditate on passages like Psalm 19: 7-14,

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
¹² Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
¹³ Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

I'll leave you with these verses from the book of Jude.
A Call to Persevere
¹⁷ But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Doxology²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Tarts

This is as much a serving idea as it is a recipe.

I purchased a mini cheesecake pan with twelve 1/3 cup portion removable bottoms.

I used my regular favorite pastry and rolled it thinner than I would normally for a pie.

When you line a straight-sided pan with pastry you need to remember that as you fold the crust around the edges it will double in places.. . and therefore the crust must be rolled paper thin.

It was a bit tedious but I surely will be making lots of little straight sided pies of all kinds.

• pastry for a double crust pie
• 1 - 14 oz or 398 ml can pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk or Dulce de leche (which is condensed milk that has been slowly cooked to a caramel color
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Roll the pastry thin on a pastry mat. Cut out rounds. . .(you will need to experiment for your muffin or mini cheesecake pan on the size of your cutouts)
2. Roll the cut out round paper thin (use additional flour to keep it from sticking and then use a bench scraper to carefully lift it)
3. Fold the pastry dough into a parachute-shaped and gently nudge it into your mini cheesecake tin. Use a small straight-sided item. ..I used a flat lipstick tube to gently tap the bottom flat.
4. Cut away the excess with a sharp knife and refrigerate the prepared pan until you are ready to fill it.
5. Combine the remaining ingredients with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined.
6. Fill the mini cheesecake cups until nearly full.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 45 minutes on the bottom rack. You do not want to under bake as your pastry will be pale and the little pie will be too soft.
8. Cool for about 20 minutes and then carefully remove to a rack to cool completely.

I made these ahead of time. ..froze them and warmed them on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a spoon of whipped cream on the side.

This is enough batter to fill twelve 1/3 cup tins

Feta and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is a recipe I got from my son in law Jason who really cooks without a recipe and always serves up wonderfully flavourful entrees. It is delicious and quick to make, and I came up with a recipe from what he said he thought he had added, and it turned out really good. These can be done on the BBQ or baked in the oven. 

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 12 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup green or red pepper, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dry basil
• 1/2 tsp dry oregano 
• 1/2 tsp each fresh ground pepper and salt

Method:

1. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Slit each chicken breast with a sharp knife making a pocket.
3. Stir together feta, cut up tomatoes, basil and peppers. 
4. Stuff pockets of chicken with feta mixture.
5. Brush both sides of each filled chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle with dry spices and salt and pepper.
6. Bake uncovered in 375º oven for 35 minutes or BBQ for 20 -25 minutes with the lid closed. Internal temperature needs to be 165º.

Sweet & Salty Potato Chip Cookies

Who would have thought potatoes belonged in a cookie? I first heard of the concept from a friend and since 'sweet and salty' always appeals to me, I had to give her potato chip cookie recipe a try!  Though the ones dipped in chocolate seem to be the favorite, I prefer them plain.  Here is my version of my friend's recipe.

• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups coarsely crushed potato chips (10 oz. / 275 gr bag)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 8 oz / 225 gr package semi-sweet chocolate (optional, for dipping)

1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, chips, and pecans.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
5. Scoop out rounded tablespoon-sized mounds of dough (or used Pampered Chef cookie scoop) and form into balls.  
6. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving a space between cookies.
7. Flatten the cookies slightly, using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar.
8. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until golden.  (The larger the cookie...the longer the bake time.)
9. Cool completely on wire rack.
10. For chocolate dipped cookies: Melt the chocolate slowly in the top of a double boiler...or for short bursts of time on medium power in the microwave.  Stir until smooth.  Dip each cookie almost halfway into the chocolate.  Place on rack to harden...or place in fridge to speed up the process. 

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Butternut Squash Soup

It's that time of the year. The squash is fresh from the garden and the cool fall days make soup a favorite.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cream

1. Melt butter in large pot, over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onion and ginger root.  Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, or until soft.  
3. Add broth, squash, apples and carrot.
4. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very tender. 
5. Purée soup using a handheld immersion blender.  (Can also be done in a regular blender in small batches.)
6. Return pot to stove and re-heat on medium-low heat.
7. Add seasonings and cream and heat until steaming, stirring as necessary.

Serve with savory cheddar scones or French bread for a delicious lunch. 

Shortbread Pecan Fingers

It is that time of year when I start baking for Christmas. It may feel early to some of you but hey it snowed here this weekend so I am ready to get started. This is a delicious crispy, melt in your mouth kind of cookie. They are one of my favorites on the Christmas cookie tray. They freeze well and can easily be made a few weeks in advance of serving. Dipping the tips in melted chocolate would be a pretty variation.
Looks like a plate ready for Santa.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
• Additional icing sugar for sprinkling on cookies

Method:

1. Cream butter and icing sugar till well mixed.
2. Combine flour and salt and stir into creamed mixture.
3. Stir in pecans which have been finely chopped, this dough will be crumbly but will gather quite nicely into a ball as you can see in the photo.
4. Shape dough into 3" finger lengths. 
5. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
6. Bake in a 350º oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then dust with icing sugar over top. I used a sieve to do this.
8. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Pecan Raisin Tarts

Whether you call them butter tarts, raisin tarts or pecan tarts . . . doesn't really matter . . . the melt-in-your mouth taste always surprises me. You can make these quite easily if you use purchased frozen tart shells . . . using small ones can be a nice addition to a plate of assorted sweets. If you happen to have some time and patience you can make your own delicious, rustic looking shells . . . but it's not necessary.

Ingredients:

18 medium size unbaked tart shells

Filling:

• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cups corn syrup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablspoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cups broken pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins, plumped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. If using frozen tarts, set them out on a cookie sheet.
3. If using homemade pastry, roll out quite thin, cut with a tart cutter or extra large cookie cutter and line muffin tins.
4. Pour boiling water over raisins to rinse and plump them. Drain.
5. Combine all ingredients and fill tarts to about 3/4 full. The filling will rise a bit.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool in pan on a rack.
7. Ease out gently by running a knife around the edges. These freeze well.

Black Bean Chicken wings

This recipe is from my friend Vicki. She is an amazing cook. Each time we are guests in their home I look forward to what she will serve. I am never disappointed! I have used this wing recipe for quite afew years now and the recipe is asked for almost each time. I usually buy 2-3 packages of fresh wings and mini drummettes at Costco and divide. When I need an appie it is so easy. Just thaw and bake.

25 chicken wings

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp black bean sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic-crushed

1 tsp pepper

Marinade wings in sauce for several hours or over night. Line a baking sheet with foil. Bake @ 300 for about 2 1/2 hours. They get more 'sticky' and flavorful the longer they bake. Every half hour I base with the sauce in the pan and turn the wings. These can be kept warm on low in a crock pot. They are best fresh, but I have baked them the day before and heated in a crock pot or dutch oven.

Bread For The Journey

 The Necklace 

I was a young girl, I'm not sure how old but definitely under the age of ten. 

I was shopping  with my mother in the local 5-$100 Store. 

This was long before the popular dollar stores but it was a store filled with a great variety of goods.  

There was so much to look at.   

Not that I expected to be allowed to have anything.

 I knew that was not why we were in the store, but I loved to look! 

My mother was at the till paying for her purchases conversing with the owner's wife. 

I stood waiting, admiring the jewellery that hung from a stand at the end of the counter.

Daring to reach out and touch, I fingered the stone in a necklace pendant. 

To my horror as I pressed my  thumb across it, the stone fell out of its setting. 

My heart racing, I looked around to see if anyone was watching! 

It seemed no one had. 

If I told what I had done, what would happen?  Would they be angry ? 

Would they take me away from my family?  

My heart pounding, my stomach in a knot , I made my decision.  

I slipped the stone out of sight under the hanging jewellery and said nothing. 

I walked out of the store with the guilt and shame of what I had done. 

I spend a sleepless night, fearing that someone had seen me and even if they hadn't, would figure out it was me that had broken the necklace. The police would be called..  would I go to jail?  

Was the sin of hiding my crime worse than the crime itself?
Guilt is not always measured by the severity of the crime, and secret guilt magnifies itself.   

Over time, the guilt was not as deep or as heavy but I never forgot what I had done.
I never told anyone.

Over 20 years later, I had grown up, married and was working at Eatons. 

A new employee was hired to work part time in the fabric department. 

I recognized her immediately as the owner of that 5-$100 store. 

Had God given me another chance to do what was right ? 

  I was in conversation with her one day and I took a deep breath and said,  

"I have something to confess to you."  

She smiled, wondering what it could possibly be! 

And I told her the story. 

She laughed, gave me a big hug and said, 

"I'm sure we must have just glued it back in. 

But thank you for telling me !"  

I was forgiven !!   

Even after all those years it was a burden lifted  -  my heart felt so light !     

Forgiveness! 

What a gift to give or to receive. 

So often we live with the burden of guilt fearing someone's anger or retaliation, 

when it is so much easier just to confess and ask for forgiveness. 

I think of God's forgiveness that He offers as a gift to anyone who asks for it. 

No matter what we have done, He smiles, hugs us and says... 

"You are forgiven, your sin is gone, but thank you for your confession!"  

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I John 1:9