Ginger Molasses Muffins

These muffins go well with the pumpkin soup.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses (I actually ran out of molasses so used half honey)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (I keep fresh ginger root in the freezer and when I need fresh ginger, I take it out and use the zesting plane.)

• Grease a 12 cup muffin pan and set aside. (I used muffin cups.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
• Beat eggs, oil, molasses and milk in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on slow speed. (I just mixed by hand.)
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine well until glossy and smooth. It will be pretty runny.
• Add the ginger and just stir until incorporated into the batter.
• Pour batter evenly into greased muffin cups and fill 2/3 full. (I had to fill mine almost to the top because there was so much batter. You could probably make 14 muffins but I squeezed mine all into 12 tins and then they spilled over the edges some.)
• Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Pumpkin Soup with Garam Marsala

Oh my gosh! I made the best soup tonight and I wanted to document the various things I did since I modified a few recipes. It was so good.

Makes enough for 2 very hungry people to eat a lot on fast Sunday and at least 1 more day...probably 6 servings?

Ingredients:

• 4 C cooked pumpkin chunks (I cut up a pumpkin, placed it skin side up (without removing seeds or slimy stuff inside) and baked for about 2 hours at 350. I probably didn't need to bake that long but it makes it easier to remove. After it's cool the seed part scrapes off really easily and the pumpkin can be chopped and cut off the skins.
• 4 T butter
• 2 onions, chopped (I use the veggie chopper)
• 4 carrots, chopped (veggie chopper again)
• 2 applies, peeled and chopped (peeled and then...yes...veggie chopper)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp garam marsala (you could add more. It has just a tiny kick with this much but dad doesn't like things too spicy.)

Saute the above in a big soup pot for 8-10 minutes. It's ok if things start to get sort of mushy because you'll be pureeing it.

Add 2 c water (or chicken broth--I made my own broth so I just add water and then put the bullion in later) to vitamix. Add sauteed veggies. It will be really full so start slow and get it pureed nicely.

Pour back into pan and add 4 more cups chicken brother. (so you'll have 6 cups chicken broth total.)

Add 1 can of coconut milk and simmer for 5 min; don't boil.

Add salt and ground pepper to taste.

Mom's Pizza Dough

 In bread mixer combine:

• 2 1/2 c warm water
• 3 Tbsp honey or sugar (I usually use honey)
• 1 Tbsp dough enhancer (optional)
• 1 1/2 c cooked grain (I usually use a combination of kamut, sweet brown rice, spelt and quinoa--cook in the rice cooker just like rice)
• 3 c flour (high gluten preferred but I don't usually use it)
• 2 Tbsp yeast

Mix well. It will be runny. Let it sit for 10-15 min. This is called "sponging" it and it allows the yeast to make it airy. Pulse your mixer to release the air.

Add:

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 c flour

On top of flour add:

• 2 tsp salt

Mix/knead. Add flour a little at a time while mixer is kneading until the dough pulls away and cleans sides and bottom of mixing bowl. (In the kitchenaid its sometimes easier to scrape the sides with a spatula as you go.) Then knead 10-15 min.  I usually have to keep adding flour because it starts to get runny after kneading for a while.

Separate pizza dough into 1 3/4 lb-2 lb balls. (Or whatever size will work with your pans.)

Rub olive oil on the outside of the ball and let it 'relax' for 5-10 min. (Pizza will roll out easier if you don't knead it after it has relaxed.)

Place on piece of parchment paper. Put toppings on and bake at 450-500 for 5-9 minutes.

The key to not having doughy pizza is to preheat the oven with the baking stone inside for at least 15 min. Then slide your parchment paper (with pizza on top) onto the stone that is in the oven.  (This is where a pizza paddle comes in handy!)

Best Ever Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp (I think this is the best one I've ever made.)

posted by request from Peter and Lia

Preheat oven to 350.

Apples:

10 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Fuji but I imagine any of the tart ones would be good too.)

1 c sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients together and then mix with the sliced apples. Put in 9x13 pan.

Topping:

1 c quick-cooking oats

1 c flour

1 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c butter, melted  (Oops...my bad...I cut the butter in. Mixing it melted would be much easier!)

 Combine all together and crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 45 min.  (I baked longer because my apples weren't soft enough.)

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake 
recipe from Karen Greulich

Cake
Boil 2 minutes:
1 cup water
5 Tbsp cocoa
2 sticks of butter

Mix with boiled ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Pour into greased cookie pan; Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Icing
Boil 1 minute:
1 stick of butter
6 Tbsp milk
5 Tbsp cocoa

Add 1lb powdered sugar. Boil and beat with whisk. Add 1 tsp vanilla.