Another Mother Runner

I have been running, with varying levels of seriousness, for about eight years. I recently (finally) ran in my very first half marathon, the Smuttynose Rockfest in Hampton, New Hampshire. I went into the race with the attitude of not caring what my finish time was, but just wanting to finish (but secretly had a 2 hour 30 minute hopeful time in my head)

Picking up  my number for the half marathon!

Despite the cold, rainy day, I was able to run the entire race, not stopping to walk (except for a quick pee break in the woods) in 2 hours and 19 minutes!!! I was super proud of myself and am already looking forward to my next half. I already registered for the New Bedford Half Marathon in March, 2013.

 Anyway, I look for running inspiration where ever I can. One of my favorite sites to give me a little push is Another Mother Runner.   Reading about the highs and lows that other women have in not only the running "careers," but in life as well is not only inspirational, but educational as well.  It shows us that we are not unique in our critiques of ourselves as women, but that despite what we perceive as personal flaws, we cannot and should not let that keep us from getting out there and running toward our goals (pun intended).

Even if you are not a runner, check out the Another Mother Runner site. 

Look To The Cookie

Some people call them Half Moons.  Others call them Black and Whites.  Still other have called them Half and Halfs.  But, they are just plain delicious!

I have been wanting to make these for a while; basically, ever since I purchased my copy of Junior's Dessert Cookbook.  I LOVE these tasty treats.  They are not really a cake, nor a cookie, but a scrumptious circle of wonderfulness all their own!  They even had their 15 minutes of fame in a Seinfeld episode.

Anyway, I finally decided to make these yesterday.  While the process of putting them together is a little bit of work, the result is well worth it, as my co-workers can attest to, as I brought some of these in to work today.  Try for yourself!

Junior's Black and White Cookies (from the Junior's Dessert Cookbook)

Cookies

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2/3 cup heavy cream

Frostings

10 cups confectioners' sugar (2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 hot water, cup plus
3 tablespoons hot water, plus more as needed
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (at least 60% cacao) 

 

For the Cookies:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

 

Grease 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper. 

 

Sift both the flours, the baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Then, sift the mixture again into another medium bowl.
 

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light yellow and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the extracts. 

 

Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the batter and, using a wooden spoon, stir in, then add about one-third of the cream and stir until mixed. Repeat until all the flour and cream is mixed in well. 

 

Using a 1⁄4-cup ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup scoop about 1⁄4 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheets for each cookie. Spread out with a small metal spatula into a 3-inch circle. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart to bake.
 

Bake just until the edges begin to turn light golden and the tops are puffed and spring back when touched, 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies should be only light golden on the bottom, not golden brown. A pick inserted into the center should come out clean. (Do not overbake!) Let the baked cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer, upside down (bottom side up), to wire racks and cool completely. 

 

For the Frosting: 

 

Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1⁄2 cup hot water until smooth. Add more hot water, if needed, a little at a time, until the frosting is spreadable. 

 

Transfer 11⁄4 cups frosting to another bowl; stir in the melted chocolate and the 3 tablespoons hot water. 

 

Cover the frostings with a damp paper towel to keep them fresh and spreadable as you work; if the frostings stiffen too much, stir in a few more drops of hot water.
 

Using a small metal spatula,, spread white frosting over the entire flat bottom side of each cookie. When the frosting feels set, frost half of each cookie a second time, this time with chocolate frosting, layering it on top of the white and making the center line as straight as possible. Let the icing dry until it is no longer soft to the touch, at least 2 hours, and store the cookies, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Do not refrigerate or freeze these cookies.

Obama's Election Night Speech

I certainly don't want to turn this blog into a political one, but I wanted to post President Obama's election night speech.  This is the tone and feeling that he portrayed during his first campaign, and hopefully, can carry through the next four year.

Let's work together!

Vote Vegan Chai Spice Snickerdoodles!

So, since my daughters; elementary school is also a polling location, every year the PTO organizes a bake sale on election day to raise some money for the school.  I always contribute something to the bake sale, and since I am on my vegan baking kick, this year's contribute is also a vegan item.

Thank God (again) for The Post Punk Kitchen and their unbelievable vegan baking recipes!  I chose to make these Chai Spice Snickerdoodles for the bake sale.  These came out so perfectly that it took all my willpower not to eat the entire batch.  The smell was just mouthwatering, and they taste just like chai tea!

OK, I did eat one; I had too, so I could make sure they were OK to sell to the general public!  Again, make these for your family and friends and see if they can even tell they are vegan. 

Chai Spice Snickerdoodles (from The Post Punk Kitchen)

For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch cloves

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a dinner plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix for at least a minute, until it resembles applesauce. Then mix in vanilla.

Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough. Get in there with your hands to mix, it’s the easiest way to get the dough to come together.
With clean, moist hands, roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping and flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread a little). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit browned on the bottoms. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.