Gingersnaps

When December rolls around, it is time for Christmas cookies. Mom has an entire separate recipe box filled with just cookie recipes. Mom's gingersnaps recipe caught my eye this year. When I was a kid, I did not like gingersnaps. I was not used to molasses, so maybe that is the flavor that was hard to like. Or maybe it was the ginger that was too much for me. But now that I am an adult, I love all the flavors found in gingersnaps.

Gingersnaps are an old-fashioned cookie, but are so easy to make. And, they come out so perfectly that others will ask you if they are purchased from a store. The dough does need to chill, so it is best to make the dough the day before and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight. Mom's recipe calls for cloves, but since I did not have any, I simply left it out of the recipe.

Gingersnaps 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• sugar for coating the cookies

Blend together all the ingredients except the sugar for coating. Chill the dough overnight. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Pineapple Casserole

My niece-in-law, Christen, makes this delicious casserole for family parties. Because she and Rich host the entire family for Thanksgiving, I have come to think of this dish as a new classic Thanksgiving dish. The picture below is the recipe as it appears in Christen's recipe book. This year, instead of hoping that there will be leftover Pineapple Casserole to take home, I just made it myself.

I don't know what it is about casseroles, but I just love them. Maybe it is the seemingly incongruous ingredients all thrown together into a pan that usually results in a delicious dish. Maybe it is because casseroles are so easy to make. Whatever the reason, I usually love casseroles. This Pineapple Casserole in no exception. It is sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy all at the same time. It is almost a dessert. Because it is so easy to make, give this casserole a try. Next time I make this casserole, I might even add some nuts, such as macadamia nuts, to the topping.

Pineapple Casserole 

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 20 ounce cans chunk pineapple
• 1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and sugar together. Blend in the shredded cheese.  Reserve the juice from the canned pineapple; blend the pineapple with the cheese mixture. Pour the contents into the dish. 

Combine the Ritz cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 6 tablespoons of pineapple juice. Spread on top of the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Day of the Dead Bread

Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2, when offerings are made to deceased relatives. The holiday is primarily celebrated in Mexico and coincides with Halloween and All Souls' Day. The food offerings are meant to honor the dead, and families often hold picnics at their family member graves. There are a variety of traditional foods, including candy skulls, tamales, and other treats. But I personally love Day of the Dead bread, known as Pan de Muerto. I usually buy some at a local Mexican bakery. It is always delicious, but I thought I would try making it myself this year.

Day of the Dead bread is a sweet egg bread. It is often covered in colored sugar, but I skipped the sugar. I made a single large loaf, but smaller individual sized buns could be easily made. During the second rise, set aside some of the dough for the decorative elements on top of the bread. I attempted to make crossbones, but sometimes the extra dough is shaped into a skull. I used anise and orange zest. The anise is what makes this bread special. Sometimes cinnamon is added to the dough.

 Day of the Dead Bread 

• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk 
• 4 Tbsp. butter, softened 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 2 tsp. instant yeast 
• 3 large eggs, divided 
• 3 cups flour 
• 1 tsp. anise seed 
• 1 tsp. orange zest

Combine all the ingredients except one egg white. Set aside the egg white in the refrigerator for the egg wash. When all the ingredients are blended, knead the dough for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about two hours. The dough will increase in size, but will not quite double. 

Break off a piece of dough a little larger than a golf ball and place that dough in the refrigerator. Shape the remaining dough into a ball, place the dough into a greased 9-inch round pan, and flatten the dough. Allow the dough to rise, for about two hours.

Heat the oven to 350. Using the egg white mixed with a tablespoon of water, brush the top of the bread with the egg wash. Using the set aside dough, form a decorative shape, such as crossbones and place on top of the bread. Brush the entire top of the loaf with the egg wash. Bake the bread for about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although this recipe is not from Mom, it has become a family favorite. I love just about all things pumpkin. I found a variation of the recipe somewhere that I can no longer recall the source. Since I first made this recipe, I made several adjustments to suit my preferences. These delicious cookies are now popular at family parties, especially in the fall when pumpkin is everywhere. Even people who don't particularly like pumpkin like these cookies.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Fortunately, these cookies freeze well, so they can be enjoyed for a long time. And the cookies stay soft and moist, even after being defrosted. I prefer using milk chocolate chips, but use any kind of chips you like. I really like the combination of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and you can use more or less of each spice to suit your preferences.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 350. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add vanilla and pumpkin puree. Mix in baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix in the flour until fully blended. Stir in the chips. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Megan's Pulled Pork

A while back, Meg made pulled pork for a regular Saturday night at Mom's house. It was delicious. Her secret was cooking the pork in a slow cooker soaking in root beer. It turns out that this method is not so secret, but in my book, Meg gets credit for it. Be sure to use regular root beer because the sugar, as opposed to artificial sweetener, is what is soaked into the meat.

The key to this recipe is time, not effort. Just put the pork in a slow cooker with root beer for a few hours, shred the pork, then add barbecue sauce. Pulled pork can be eaten on its own, as a sandwich, on a salad, or any other way you want. Because the slow cooker can be set on warm, this is a great recipe for a party.

Megan's Pulled Pork 

• 3 to 4 pound pork shoulder
• 1 can root beer
• 1 bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce

Place the pork and root beer in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 4 hours. Remove the meat and discard the cooking juices. Using forks, shred the pork. Return the meat to the slow cooker, add barbecue sauce and cook on low for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Mint Pesto

As I've mentioned before, Mom's mint plants have taken over her garden. So, with the abundance of mint, I have been making this mint pesto. It is amazing how much mint it takes to make just a little bit of pesto. Rather than complaining about too much mint, I'll just keep making this pesto recipe to use up all the mint. This pesto is delicious on crackers, but I have been adding it to salads instead of salad dressing. However you serve it, you'll enjoy this pesto.

Although pesto is traditionally made with basil, you can just substitute mint for an excellent pesto. The name pesto originates from the Italian word that means to pound or crush. Back in the day, pesto was made using a mortal and pestle. Luckily for us, we have food processors that take so much of the work out of making pesto. Also, I substituted slivered almonds for pine nuts, which are more commonly used in pesto. The amounts listed below are approximate amounts; you may need to adjust to suit your preferences. The pesto will last about a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.

Mint Pesto

• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1/2 cup nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts
• 1/8 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olice oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• dash of salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are broken down and blended to your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This recipe is not a family recipe, although zucchini bread is a favorite especially when made by Jenny. But this recipe uses the fresh mint that is prolifically growing in Mom's garden, so I think it qualifies for sharing here. I wasn't sure that that mint chocolate chip would go with zucchini, but this recipe proves that it does.

The mint leaves blend in well with the zucchini in this bread, so you won't notice the actual mint leaves too much. But the mint flavor comes through nicely. The next time I make this recipe, I might use even more mint. I might also use fewer chocolate chips. As much as I love chocolate, I think I added too much, so I adjusted the recipe below.

 Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread 

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Blend in the sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, and egg until well mixed. Fold in the mint and chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread before slicing. Enjoy!