Elves With Big Shoes - Soft Ginger Krinkles

I made a mistake...  This is what I get for trying to be a Christmas elf.  You would think it would not be a problem filling the shoes of a holiday sprite; it's not like their shoes are particularly large or anything.  But sometimes things just get lost in translation.  This would be a perfect example.

Earlier I spoke of my grandmother's favorite molasses cookie.  Well, I had her recipe and I made them for her. The only problem was, it was the wrong molasses cookie.  (or so I was informed after the fact) It's a semantics issue.  You see, I made Grandma's delicious Molasses Cookies, but afterwards I found out that her favorite cookie is the "Other" Molasses cookie (for which I also have the recipe).  LOL

This started an entire debate on what constitutes a MOLASSES cookie.  Is it the amount of molasses?  Is it the way they are baked?  Is it the mixture of spices, if any?

Case in point. Gingerbread cookies have a significant amount of molasses and spices in them, with Ginger being a primary factor in the flavor.  Yet we call it a Gingerbread Cookie and not a "molasses cookie shaped like a man".  Granted, that would take a heck of a lot longer to say, but I think you see my point.    After reading the recipe, I suggested they would be better named Ginger Krinkles, or maybe "Gingered" Molasses.

Alas, my name change suggestions were cast aside.  So I guess my family makes 2 kinds of Molasses cookies.  One strongly flavored with Molasses and Cinnamon with a chewy interior and a crystalline Demerara Sugar crunch, and the other; softer in texture and spiced with Ginger and Orange peel coated in sparkling Granulated Sugar.

To save everyone else any such misfortune as to make the wrong cookies and thus having to consume them by themselves.  (I know; bummer, huh?)   I am referring to these my one of the names I suggested.   :)   In case your wondering, I did have time to rectify the mistaken cookies before being delivered to Grandma. She has absolutely no idea I made the wrong cookies. That is, until she reads this post.  LOL

Soft Ginger Krinkles

(The right "Grandma's Favorite Cookie") 

2 1/2 cups (12 oz) (340g) AP Flour
1 TB Ginger
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp All-Spice
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
3/4 cup (6 oz) (170g) Unsalted Butter
1 cup (7.1 oz) (200g) Dark Brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1/4 cup (2 oz) (60 ml) Molasses (Robust or Full Flavor)
1 TB dried Orange Peel, or 1 1/2 tsp fresh Orange Zest
Granulated Sugar for Rolling (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup)

Combine Flour, Ginger, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, All-Spice and Salt in a small bowl.

Beat Butter and Brown Sugar in the bowl of your mixer, until fluffy.

Add the Egg and whip until emulsified.

Slowly add the Molasses and beat until well combined.

Add the Orange peel.

Reduce the speed of the mixer and slowly add the Flour, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Once the dough comes together it will be stiff, but slightly sticky.

Move to a surface and give it a little kneed to ensure all the ingredients are well blended, then toss it back in the work bowl.

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and place about 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Scoop out 1 TB sized chunks of dough, roll into balls and roll in the Granulated Sugar.

Place on an unlined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes (no longer than that, unless you made them bigger) until nice and puffed up.

Let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. (They will flatten and krinkle while cooling)

Mangia!!
~~

Oldie But Goodie - Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

I decided that for my second non-shortbread Christmas cookie, I would tackle one of my grandmother's favorite treats.  Old Fashioned Molasses cookies.

That's all. No big uber fantastically sentimental Christmas story behind these.  It's just that she doesn't bake the way she use to anymore, due to her medical issues; so it's up to we grandchildren to carry the torch and provide HER with all the delectable morsels that she has made for US over the years.  And just in case she sees this.... I love you Granny!  You da bomb!

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

270g (9.5 oz) (2 cups) AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
113g (8 TB) Unsalted Butter
200g (1 cup) Light Muscovado Sugar (or Dark Brown Sugar)
2 TB Nut oil (Such as Peanut, Hazelnut or Walnut)
80ml (1/3 cup) unsulphured Full Flavor Molasses (I think "Grandma's" brand calls it"Robust")
1 large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 - 3/4 cup Raw Sugar or Demerara Sugar

In a small bowl, combine AP Flour, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves, whisking well to disperse the spices.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat Butter and Muscovado Sugar until fluffy. (Light Muscovado is a little darker than "Dark" Brown Sugar and a little moister, so you get more flavor and more "chew" in the final cookie)

Add Oil and continue beating to combine well.

Slowly pour in the molasses (I use Brer Rabbit because that is what my grandmother always used)

Once the molasses is combines well and it doesn't look like it has separated, add the Egg and beat until everything is all light and fluffy like frosting. (about 2 minutes)

Add the Vanilla extract and beat an additional minute.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and begin adding the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.

The dough will almost be as soft as "batter"; don't worry, it's still fine.

Move to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Place 1/2 -3/4 cup of Demerara or Raw Sugar in a bowl. (you can use white sugar, but Raw & Demerara have more molasses flavor)

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into 1 inch balls.

Roll them in the Raw Sugar or Demerara Sugar until completely coated.

Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (they will puff up and then sink back down in a nice crackled pattern when done)

Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.

Then move them to a cooling rack.

Mangia!!
~~

Carried Away With Caraway - Polish Buttermilk Rye

I love homemade bread.  Love it!
I just don't normally make it due to the amount of time it takes.  Let's face it, when one is producing bread, one must be in the general vicinity of the dough for the duration.  You mix up a Starter, Mother, Biga or Poolish then that must "ferment". Then you mix up the actual dough and add the Starter, Mother, Biga or Poolish... and that must rise, then you form loaves and THAT must rise... Then you have to bake it.  Time - Time - Time - Time - Time.   (did I mention it takes time?)

On the flip side, there are those easy breads such as Foccacia and Pizza dough.  I make those all the time due to their hands off approach.  You simply activate the yeast in warm water, then simply mix up the dough and toss it in the refrigerator for 8 hours to do it's thing.  Totally hands off, until you are ready to form the pizza crust or loaves.

While I am thinking about it, I would like to put forth a terminology change. This form of raising dough and/or batter, as in the case of Brussels waffles, in the refrigerator is usually referred to as "slow rising", or worse, "retarding the rise".  And while I do enjoy the extra flavor this gives to the dough, I don't really care for the first term and I find the second one particularly offensive to be honest.  Since I have been brewing beer, which involves yeast as well, I would like to point out that any beer in which the yeast is fermenting (breaking down sugars to produce various organic compounds as well a carbon dioxide) under refrigeration temperatures is called "Lagering" (This is where the term "lager" beer comes from) So I propose that raising dough under refrigeration hence forth be referred to as "Lagering the dough"  I just had to put that out there...  OK, back to our regularly scheduled Blog post.

Of all the more complicated breads out there, my ultimate favorite is Rye bread... Be it Russian, Dark, Pumpernickle, Jewish, Polish or any of the other million variations they are all just darned yummy.

Working with Rye is particularly tricky though, because of the grain's makeup.  First off, Rye is low in gluten, which is what really holds bread together and allows it to contain the carbon dioxide thus allowing it to rise.  The second issue is the particular enzymes in the grain which differ from those of wheat.

Warning....   I am about to geek out.....   ;)

There are two basic forms of grain starches.... Amylose and Amylopectin.  You may remember these from my risotto posts.  Shorter grained "risotto rice" such as Arborio & Carnaroli contain higher quantities of Amylopectin which is responsible for the creamy deliciousness that is Risotto.  OK.  Well, all grains have these two starches in different ratios, whether Rice, Wheat, Rye, Triticale or Barley.  Because Rye is lower in gluten (which is a protein, not a starch) the structure of the Rye bread is more dependent on the Amylose starch than on Gluten protein.

Enter the nasty bad evil amylase.  (at least as far as bread is concerned, for beer its a good thing)

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down a plants starch reserves, similar to the way your body uses lipase to breaks down fat. (remember, plants store food a starches not fats) This enzyme is alive and active in Rye flour as well as Wheat flour.  However, the amylase in wheat is more susceptible to heat and becomes inactive, while the Rye amylase is unaffected and continues breaking down starches during the baking process.  So while you are depending on starches gelling properly for your Rye bread structure the evil amylase is tearing it down and releasing your carbon dioxide, making your bread flat. This is not as big of a deal with Wheat bread, as you have plenty of gluten for support.  But as I said, Rye is low in gluten and what little gluten it DOES have is very weak.

Luckily, there is a solution.  Acid.  For while heat has very little effect on the Amylase in Rye, acid stops it dead in it's tracks.

THUS, most Rye bread starts out as a sourdough containing lactic acid, courtesy of the lactobacillus bacteria that are living symbiotically with the yeast (saccharomyces).  But, you can "cheat".  Hee hee hee hee.  Buttermilk is an excellent way of acidifying your Rye dough and saving you a weeks worth of cultivating a Sourdough starter.  What could be better?  It adds richness to the dough, cause it's milk, and acidifies at the same time, thanks to the lactobacillus bulgaris.  AWESOME!!!! 

So here is my cheaters Buttermilk Rye bread...

Polish Buttermilk Rye Bread

2 1/4 cups (18 oz) (532 ml) Buttermilk (I prefer Bulgarian because it's more sour)
1/4 cup (2 oz) (60 ml) Water
2 TB Unsalted Butter
1 TB Sugar
1 TB Molasses 
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 package (1/4 oz) (7 g) Active Dry Yeast
4 cups (16 oz) (452 g) Rye flour
2 1/2 cups (13 1/2 oz) (382 g) Bread flour
2 TB Caraway seeds
1 beaten egg white for egg wash

Heat the Buttermilk to 120 degrees....

Remove from the heat and add Butter Molasses, Sugar and Salt, then stir until the butter is completely melted.

Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the somewhat cooled mixture.

Pour into the work bowl of your mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment, then sprinkle 3 cups (12 oz) (340 g) of the Rye Flour over the buttermilk mixture.

Beat until thoroughly combined.

Add the remaining 1 cup (4 oz) (112 g) of Rye flour and continue beating until combined.

Quickly oil a large bowl with either Olive oil or Vegetable oil.

Scrape the Rye "paste" from the mixing bowl and into the oiled bowl.

Cover and set in a warm place to rise, until doubled in volume (about 1 hour)

Clean your mixer bowl and fit the mixer with the dough hook.

When doubled in size, remove the Rye "paste" from it's place of raising and scoop it back into the mixing bowl.

Begin "kneading" with the dough hook while slowly adding 2 cups (11 oz) (312 g) of the bread flour and the 2 TB of Caraway Seeds.

Once it has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a surface that has been floured with the remaining 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) (70 g) of bread flour.

Knead by hand until it has been incorporated as well. (you can technically do this with the mixer, but I like to get my hands in the dough to make sure it feels right)

Divide the dough in 2 pieces of about 1 lb 10 oz (26 oz) (737 g) each.

Form into either rounds or longs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Cover again, with a towel this time, to allow for vapor loss, and let rise for 1 hour.

When there's about 15 minutes left for the rise go ahead and begin preheating the oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees.

When the loaves have finished rising, make 3 slices in the top of each loaf, then brush the tops with beaten egg white.

Place in the oven  and bake for 50 minutes.

Turn loaves out onto a cooling rack, and let cool. (I know it's hard, not to cut into it right away, but you need to let the gelled starches set completely after baking)

Once cooled, slice a big hunk and enjoy.

Can't eat 2 whole loaves before they go stale?  That's alright, you can slice one up, place it in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Mangia!!
~~