Gingerbread Scones

So we only have less than a week until Christmas! 

Yeah, crazy right? I'm sure you all are thinking the same thing as I am. Where did this year go? It just flew by so fast. 

Last year I was six months pregnant and we still lived in our home with no intention of moving for at least the next 5 years. Well a lot has changed within that year. It's just amazing where life takes us in such a short time. 

This week I decided to try a recipe that I've never EVER made before. Well, I've never EVER made scones before! At least not this kind of scone. It was an adventure as I followed each step exactly (since I had no idea what I was doing!) I was pleasantly surprised when they turned out so fabulously! 

I also had no idea what to expect when I tasted the first one. Were scones hard or soft? What is the texture like? Well, these scones are slightly crispy on the outside but when you bite in they're so soft! I was really surprised! They are so good I think I'm going to try out some other scone recipes. Maybe after the holidays.

I can't even explain how good these are. They taste exactly like gingerbread cookies. Ginger snaps are one of my favorite cookies too so I naturally love these scones! 

One other thing that surprised me was how simple and easy it is to make such an elegant dessert! To me they look like they'd be difficult but it really wasn't hard at all!

I can't wait for you to try these! They'd be perfect for you neighbors or just for your family. 

Let me know what you think! 

Gingerbread Scones

The Taste of Home Baking Book

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, separated

Sugar

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into the crumb mixture just until moistened.

2. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8-in. circle; cut into 12 wedges. separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. 

This is about how thick it should come out.

This is how round 8 inches is. 

All 12 fit onto a regular cookie sheet.

When you start to cut them out, you need to cut it into four then cut each of those into threes. Then you'll end up with 12 equal pieces. I just started cutting and some were bigger than others but they still baked about the same. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't make the same mistake as I did!

Peanut Butter Cookies

If you love Peanut Butter as much as I do (and oh, do I love it!). 

Then you'll die over these Peanut Butter Cookies from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook! 

They're so soft and moist and so ADDICTING! 

My advice is to make sure you put them in a plastic container or they might lose their moist goodness! 

~And as always, serve with a cold glass of milk~

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. 

2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. 

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. 

4. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. stir in remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough until easy to handle (about 20 minutes).

5. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. roll balls in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (they spread a little). Flatten by making crisscross marks with a fork. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

6. Once cooled, store in an air tight container for up to a week. (But they won't last that long anyway :)

*This post/recipe is dedicated to my Grandma VanWagoner. She is the most beautiful and wonderful grandma in the whole world. I think the reason why I love these cookies so much is because they remind me of her. She always has a cookie jar out on the counter filled with cookies, but the cookies I remember best were her Peanut Butter Cookies. Thank you Grandma for all you've done in your life to get me where I am today!

Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars

So this is my first blog entry for my new cooking/baking blog! I'm so excited to share recipes that I've found, tested and tasted! I hope my comments will make you want to try the same recipes (if they turn out good).

This recipe is from a cook book my Mother-in-law gave to me called The Taste Of Home Baking Book. This cookbook is so amazing! It has everything baking in it. I will probably use this cookbook quite often.

I've left notes within the recipe that I thought would help this dish be better. They are marked with an * sign.

Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars

Prep: 15 min.

Bake: 35 min.

Yeild: 3 dozen

2 Cups all purpose flour

2 Cups quick cooking oats

1-1/2 Cups sugar

1-1/4 Cups butter, softened

1 Can (21 oz.) Cherry pie filling

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 Cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 teaspoon shortening

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly, set aside 1-1/2 cups. * I would actually set aside 2 cups. the crust came out thick and the topping was too thin with just saving 1-1/2 cups.* Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes or until edges begin to brown. *This picture shows me putting the crust up on the sides of the pan. DO NOT DO THIS! I wished I hadn't. Make a slight incline up the side to keep the cherries in but that's it. It will turn out better.*

2. In a bowl, combine pie filling and extract; carefully spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

3. Bake 20 - 25 minutes longer or until edges and topping are lightly browned. In a microwave or heavy saucepan,*I used the microwave.* melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm bars. *use a spoon or if you want to be fancy, put chocolate in a Ziplock back with one corner cut out and pipe on the chocolate.* Cool completely on a wire rack.

This recipe turned out so good! I am highly recommending it to everyone I know. I took this over to my in-laws house for Sunday dinner and it was a hit! You could also serve it with some vanilla ice cream or whipped topping on top!

Enjoy!