Molasses Cookies

Made these last Christmas.  Spicy yummy goodness!



Makes 36

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.
3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.
4. Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies - Martha Stewart Recipes

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

From the most recent Weekend Kitchen newsletter, a great recipe for my first attempt at Thanksgiving Pie!

Thanksgiving Twofer Pie
Can't decide what kind of pie to make this year.  Dorie Greenspan has the answer in her twofer pie- Pecan and Pumpkin.  Don't forget the home made whip cream or vanilla ice cream with this one!

Baking: From My Home to Yours
by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
Saveur Magazine Link to recipe

FOR A 9" SINGLE CRUST:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 sticks (10 tbsp.) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted
   butter, cut into tbsp.-size pieces
2 1/2 tbsp. very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable
   shortening, cut into 2 pieces

*** Short on time and  need to buy a crust?  Try the Trader Joe's pie crusts.  They are really good and not full of as many ingredients you can't pronounce as the other brands.

FOR THE PUMPKIN FILLING:
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. dark rum
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

FOR THE PECAN FILLING:
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (about 7 oz.) pecan halves or pieces
1. For the crust: Put flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor; pulse to combine. Drop in butter and shortening; pulse to cut into flour. What you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing, gradually add about 3 tbsp. ice water-add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again; keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get water into flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened, pulse in up to 1 tbsp. more ice water, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. For the pumpkin filling: Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor. Leave filling in bowl.
3. For the pecan filling: In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except pecans until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 450°. Roll dough out to a 12" circle on a floured counter, turning dough over frequently; keep counter floured. Slide dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes to rest and firm up. Fit dough into a buttered 9" pie plate; cut excess dough to a 1/4"-1/2" overhang. Fold dough under itself, so that it hangs over the edge just a tad, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge.
5. To assemble: Give the pumpkin filling one last quick pulse, then remove bowl, rap it on counter to debubble batter, and pour filling into crust. Top pumpkin filling evenly with pecans, then pour over pecan filling. Poke down any pecans that float to the top and aren't covered with filling. Bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300° and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until it is evenly puffed and a slender knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pie to a cooling rack and let it stand until it is just warm or until it reaches room temperature.

MAKES 1  9" PIE