Soft Gingerbread Cookies

• ¾ cup unsulfured molassesa
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
• 2¾ tsp. ground ginger
• 2½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3⁄8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 4¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2⁄3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

The secret to keeping these cookies soft and chewy is to roll out the dough on plastic wrap or wax paper while it’s still warm; then chill it before cutting into shapes. To take to a party, stack the plastic-wrapped, prerolled strips of dough on a baking sheet. For an easy decorating option, pipe melted chocolate and Royal Icing out of plastic sandwich bags: simply snip a tiny corner off each bag.

Directions

1. Combine molasses and brown sugar in saucepan; heat over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until sugar dissolves and bubbles appear around edges of saucepan. Remove from heat, and stir in baking soda. Add butter, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves, stirring until butter is melted. Stir in egg, then flour, and mix until no white streaks remain. Add crystallized ginger.

2. Line workspace with 10-inch-long sheet plastic wrap. Roll out still-warm dough to 3/8-inch thickness on plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap, and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill 10 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters, and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Press scraps together and repeat. (If dough is too warm, refrigerate 10 minutes.) Bake 10 minutes, or until firm to touch. Serve warm, or transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Halloween Pomegranate Margaritas!!!

This makes one margarita, you can make this to order in a cocktail shaker OR multiply this recipe by 8-12 and mix in a large pitcher :)

1. In cocktail shaker, combine tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice and pomegranate juice. Add ice, and shake well. Pour over ice, and serve in glasses rimmed with margarita salt.  

• 1 oz. tequila
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 2 to 3 oz. pomegranate juice
• Margarita or coarse salt

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups fresh or canned pumpkin purée
• 
  
• Streusel Topping
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 Tbs. butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 10-inch square pan with nonstick spray or butter.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in separate bowl until fluffy. Mix eggs and pumpkin into butter mixture. Gradually stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Spread in pan.
3. To make Streusel Topping: Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Spread on coffee cake. Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes, then slice into squares, and serve.

Thai Coconut Tofu Curry

* 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
* 1 package extra-firm tofu, remove water and cubed
* 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
* 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* carrots, peas, beans, brocolli, squash etc any vegetable
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tbspn ground ginger
* 1 can coconut milk
* 2 teaspoons curry powder or more
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cut tofu, season with salt and cook until golden on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove to paper towels, and set aside.
2. Melt butter or oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, ginger and/or other vegetables; cook and stir until tender. Stir in coconut milk, curry powder, salt, pepper and cilantro. Return the tofu to the skillet. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.