Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sunday

Not putting much on here today. I'm gonna take it easy today. So everyone enjoy your sunday, and I'll see ya Monday!
Kent

After The Station Fire-Angeles Crest Hwy

Thought I would put this up. Gives a little idea of the magnitude of the Station Fire here in So.Cal. Sorry , this video is a little big here. if you want to view it on You Tube, then hit the play button, and after the video starts, click on it ( the video)and it will take you to YouTube.



Almond & Honey-Butter Cookies



This thumbprint cookie uses honey as the only sweetener and tender ground almonds to replace much of the butter found in similar cookies. Just a touch of butter mixed with honey in the filling gives it a rich flavor without too much saturated fat.


Ingredients


1 cup whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Note)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup honey, divided

1/3 cup canola oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, (see Tip) for garnish


1.Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 1 1/4 cups ground). Transfer to a large bowl and add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt; stir until just combined. Beat 2/3 cup honey, oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

2.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

3.Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press the tip of your index finger in the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake the cookies, in batches, until set and barely golden on the bottom, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 30 minutes.

4.Combine the remaining 1/4 cup honey and 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl until creamy. Use about 1/4 teaspoon to fill each cookie and top with 2 sliced almonds, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Tip: To toast whole almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Ingredient note: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

Nutrition

Per cookie : 94 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 8 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 43 mg Sodium; 9 mg Potassium



1 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other), 1 fat




 

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

The deep flavors of molasses, pumpkin and spices make these wholesome cookies delicious without the addition of butter--and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour.



36 cookies -Active Time: 15 minutes;' Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients


2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin puree, (See Ingredient notes)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, or 1/3 cup

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup raisins




1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.

2.Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.

3.Whisk pumpkin, brown sugar (or Splenda), eggs, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.

4.Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container, with wax paper between the layers, for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.

Ingredient Notes: As you might suspect from its orange color, pumpkin puree is an excellent source of beta carotene.

Substituting with Splenda: In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, sucralose is the only alternative sweetener we test with when we feel the option is appropriate. For nonbaking recipes, we use Splenda Granular (boxed, not in a packet). For baking, we use Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking, a mix of sugar and sucralose. It can be substituted in recipes (1/2 cup of the blend for each 1 cup of sugar) to reduce sugar calories by half while maintaining some of the baking properties of sugar. If you make a similar blend with half sugar and half Splenda Granular, substitute this homemade mixture cup for cup.

When choosing any low- or no-calorie sweetener, be sure to check the label to make sure it is suitable for your intended use.

Nutrition

Per cookie : 68 Calories; 2 g Fat; 1 g Mono; 12 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 1 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 67 mg Sodium; 76 mg Potassium



1 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate