Molasses Spice Cookies

My grandparents are getting old, as grandparents tend to do. 

And upon moving out of their house and into a retirement facility, they have 

shed their grandparent exo-skeleton of stuff. 

Stuff like an antique fishing lure collection, a giant stereo that would have made 

me the coolest chick ever in the 80's, and spices. 

Every spice you could ever imagine, and even some that you couldn't.

And guess who was granted all of these gems

This guy, right here. 

Shoving past the 4 varieties of Mrs. Dash and the dried herbs in a jar that make you

wonder if grandma was getting into somethin' a little funky on the side, 

there were bountiful amounts of herbs and spices to welcome to my cabinets. 

(along with a new lazy Susan, just upgrading my old lady status a bit.)

So, in honor of my lovely grandma and my newly adopted spice cabinet, we have for you 

today a cookie that welcomes not one, not two, but FIVE spices.

Is it worth it? Let me work it.

These molasses spice cookies kind of taste like a cross between

 a snicker doodle and a ginger bread cookie.

 They are soft and chewy and fabulous and I may or may not have eaten them for breakfast.

and lunch.

This is what adults do, clearly. 

This playlist will sing you through your measuring cup's first dip into the flour pot
til the time when your oven mit closes in around the cookie sheet. 
Enjoy!

                                         

Rosemary Ginger Lemon Drops

I am going to begin this post by asking you to take off your judgement hat. 

Then I am going to proceed to tell you that I have just completed two entire 

seasons of Boardwalk Empire in about a week. 

These are the standards that I set for myself, here. 

On the boardwalk, you see, they are always popping bubbly.

There always seems to be something to celebrate! 

The killing of a hum-dingler, successful election rigging, children out of wedlock, and the list goes on!

Heck, if my name was Chalky or Waxy, I would celebrate every day

just because my name was so cool. 

Needless to say, after all of that, I have been craving some bubbles. 

But, I felt it awkward to sit at home alone while 

my roommates were out having lives,  just sippin' on some champagne. 

So, to cure my cravings for the bubbles, I had to find a box and then think outside of it. 

The result, my friends, was ginger out the wazoo,

 and also me investing in a rosemary bush. 

(Hence all the dirt. Welcome to my home, dirt.)

The recipe boasts piney rosemary that rhymes well with the juniper notes in the gin. 

(If you don't like gin, then you don't like success. 

It's just that simple.

 But I guess you could sub it out with something else if you had to.

Use your discretion. )

Infusing the simple syrup with the ginger and rosemary helps bring the flavors to the 

drink without having to suck down big hunks of pulp. You're welcome. 

The ginger beer comes next and brings those handsome bubbles that I have 

been craving so badly to the drink. 

If you're unfamiliar with ginger beer, it is like the father of ginger ale. Imagine 

what ginger ale would taste like if it wasn't watered down with all that carbonated water and sugar.

 Spicy. Fantastic. 

It has so much more flavor than ginger ale, and it holds up well in cocktails. 

'Nuff said. 

It is finished off with a bit of fresh lemon juice, which helps cut the bite

 of the ginger beer and adds a bit of fresh, sweet, acidity. 

I was feeling more of a savory cocktail, but this combination can go either way!

If you want something more sweet, simply add a bit more lemon juice and simple syrup. 

Recipe:

Simple Syrup:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. water

3 sprigs of rosemary, whole

1 tbsp of ginger, peeled and cut into small discs

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. It will bubble and dance and do wonderful things. This 

is supposed to happen. Let it go. The water and sugar soup will soon turn into a syrup. When it starts to thicken up, remove from the heat and pluck out the unmentionables. 

Drink

1 1/2 oz. Gin

(I used Seagrams)

1 oz. of the simple syrup

1 oz. lemon juice

ginger beer

I like to add the simple syrup and lemon juice first, stirring like a madman to make sure the syrup dissolves into the lemon juice. This way, you won't have a bitter cocktail with a big ole sweet kick 

at the end. Nobody wants that to happen to you. Then, add the gin and ginger beer and stir it well 

just one more time. 

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and cheers your friends, pretending
you just did something epically deserving of a cheers!

Wild Mushroom and Rosemary Pie

Wild Mushroom Rosemary Pie from Hattie Kotz on Vimeo.

The holiday season has come and gone, leaving us

cruising down streets lined with discarded christmas trees and 

families dangling from ladders struggling to untangle strings of lights from 

their porches. 

Leaving us dusting the remaining bits of glitter from beneath our couches and 

choking down the last of the now incredibly stale christmas cookies.

Leaving us reminded that the holidays are what brings magic to the winter months, 

and without them it is just cold and, well, cold. 

Leaving us hungry.

Oh so hungry. 

This week's recipe is like the winter woods took a warm bath and 

rolled themselves in a toasty blanket. The wild mushrooms and rosemary are 

hearty and earthy, resting atop a bed of sweet caramelized onions.

Covered in a warm pour of cream thickened with salty cheese and baked golden,

this pie is a gift sent from the gods of lunch. 

It is filling yet light, perfect for sharing under wool blankets with someone that

makes your days nice. 

Elisabeth of  Weepy Hollow and her boyfriend Jon of Lost Jon & The Ghosts

were happy to cover themselves in flour just to 

lick their crumbs from their plates.

Recipe:

2 1/2 c wild mushrooms

(I used a combination of shiitake, oyster, and portobello)

(clean gently with damp towel! Don't rinse under water!)

1 medium yellow onion

2 tbsp butter

2 cloves of garlic

3 twigs of rosemary leaves

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 c. parmesan/reggiano cheese

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the onion into slivers and cook in melted butter 

on low heat until golden brown and softened. 

Mix in sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, and chopped rosemary leaves.

Once all of the above ingredients are soft and cooked down, 

pour in 1 c. heavy cream, increase

the heat ever so slightly, and let it mingle with the 

flavors til it begins to bubble lightly.

Stir in the finely grated cheese til it is completely incorporated into the cream and vegetable mixture. 

Remove from heat, transfer to mixing bowl, 

and let that bad boy cool off. 

Once it is cool enough to touch, mix in 2 whole eggs. 

These guys will bind it all together and 

make the pie custard-esque. 

Fill a standard sized pie pan lined with unbaked crust 

(recipe linked)

and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, 

or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean. 

The length of this playlist will take you from the tears shed from chopping onions to the sighs expelled as the delicious pie dances down your throat.
Enjoy, Babes!