Food

A Little History of Peppers and a Fun Giveaway

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I spent five days last week at a writers’ conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had a wonderful time. In addition to learning all kinds of new things and networking with other authors, I got to enjoy some of the local culinary delights. Let me tell you, in New Mexico, that means Hatch chiles in just about every dish. In fact, Hatch, New Mexico is considered the Chile Capital of the World, and they take their hatch chiles very seriously. Spending most of my life in Arizona, I’ve come to love spicy food, so for me this wasn’t a problem. I couldn’t say the same for a few of the conference attendees coming from back east ?

Did you know that peppers made their way to the United States starting from South America around ten thousand years ago? Aztecs and Mayans grew dozens of varieties. The peppers traveled with Indigenous people north as they moved through what in present day Central America and then into Mexico. Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate is credited for bringing the first chile seeds from Mexico to New Mexico. The plants produced from these seeds loved the arid, high-desert climate and thrived, cross-pollinating with other pepper plants to become the different Hatch varieties we know and love today. It’s no surprise that cowboys and chuck wagon cooks used peppers to season their food as dried versions of the plant lasted for months on the trail and flavored staples like beans and stews.

I thought it might be fun to play a little matching game. On top are pictures of seven peppers commonly used in Southwest cooking. On the bottom are the names of the peppers. See if you can match the picture of the pepper to the name for all seven and put your answer in the comments. Everyone who participates will be entered into a random drawing for a “surprise” pepper giveaway. Doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, the fun is in the guessing.

 

Bonus question: What’s the difference between chile and chili? No Googling 🙂

Help Wanted, Cowboy

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I am generally loath to crow about my own books, which is sorta silly when you think about it. I mean, who else is going to crow about my books if not me? I’m not good at look at me, though, and if it were possible in this day and age to simply write a book, hand it to my publisher, and then crawl back into my writing cave and start a new one, without ever having to think about said book again, I would do it that way. But publishing doesn’t work like that these days. Maybe it never did.

Although I’ve been writing since I was a child and starting working as a book editor in 1996, I came into publishing as an author in 2012—on the cusp of digital first and e-books. I joined Facebook about that time and Instagram shortly after, but it took me awhile to figure out how to make those platforms work for me as an author. I’m not sure I’ve mastered it yet, you know, because it means being present when what I really want to do is stay tucked in my little writing space. My fictional worlds are so much safer than the real world of social media and promotion.

All that said, I’m here today to be Nan Reinhardt author (<– over there) promoting a brand-new release — out today, as a matter of fact. If you love romance and Montana and spunky heroines and handsome cowboys with big hearts, Help Wanted, Cowboy might just be the book for you. Rory and Millie’s story is book 3 in my Juniper Falls Ranch series, so if you’ve read books 1 and 2, you’ll recognize Beth and Del Foster, who own Juniper Falls Ranch, Gus, their grizzled ranch hand, Bo Kennedy, the former rodeo cowboy turned ranch foreman, and others, as well as the little Montana town of Marietta. Sage’s Chocolate Shop, the Graff Hotel, Copper Mountain—all the places in Marietta that you already know and love are part of the story, too, as Rory and Millie feel their way to their own happily-ever-after. Because of course, there’s always an HEA in a Nan Reinhardt novel.

I confess, the theme—Millie wants a little favor from Rory—was a tricky one to do in a sweet romance, but we pulled it off, and there is even a treasure hunt up in an old mine in the foothills to add to the fun. I hope you enjoy reading Help Wanted, Cowboy as much as I enjoyed creating it.

GIVEAWAY: To celebrate this book release—#17 with the fabulous Tule Publishing—I’m giving away three e-book copies of Help Wanted, Cowboy to three lucky commenters. Just tell me what attracts you to a cowboy romance—the cover? The blurb? The author? Inquiring minds want to know…

Help Wanted, Cowboy

A Montana bull rider temporarily working as a ranch hand. An OB nurse who wants “a favor.” Two opposites thrown together. A treasure hunt adds to autumn magic. 

When a family emergency brings cowboy Rory Pearson home to Marietta, he hires on to Juniper Falls Ranch for seasonal work. He’s hoping to explore an intriguing family legend. Armed with research and his grandfather’s stories, Rory thinks he’s ready, but nothing goes as planned. Then a sweetly sexy nurse propositions him.

Nurse Millie Sparks is tired of playing it safe. She’s been too focused on her education and career and romance and adventure have passed her by. Staying on the ranch to care for a patient with a tricky pregnancy, Millie’s interest in Rory is immediate. He offers to teach her to ride, and she wonders if the lessons could extend to something else she’s been hiding.

It’s a game of flirtation and fun. Feelings can’t be serious. But as the clock ticks down, hearts interfere, and saying goodbye just got way more complicated.

Amazon | B&N Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Oh, oh, P.S.: If you haven’t been to Juniper Falls Ranch yet, here’s a great opportunity for a first visit–Forever Cowboy, book 1 in the JFR series is just 99 cents right now! So race over to your favorite book retailer and nab it at that discount before it goes back to regular price.

Come For Supper – 1776 Style!

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If you could go back and sit down to dinner in 1776, the scene would probably look far more practical and lived-in than the polished Colonial Williamsburg reenactment most of us have in our minds. The table might have dense slices of cake made sticky by dried fruit, or bowls of long-simmered stew and greens softened in hot fat. Cornmeal mush would be steaming near the fire while savory pies baked somewhere nearby. If your host was wealthy enough to show off a little, there may even be a tureen of turtle soup on the table. And somewhere nearby, almost certainly, there is alcohol.

Revolution is thirsty work.

Colonial American cooking was practical because it had to be. Refrigeration didn’t exist, roads were rough, and winters could feel endless. Meat spoiled quickly, fresh ingredients changed constantly with the seasons, and much of early American food was built around one central question: How do we keep this edible longer than three days? But the food itself was far from joyless. The flavors were rich, heavily spiced, buttery and often surprisingly elegant, shaped by European traditions, Indigenous ingredients, and the realities of cooking in an entirely new landscape.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, here are some of the dishes that might have appeared on a 1776 menu—some comforting, some genuinely strange, and a few that deserve another shot.

Election Cake

Americans have apparently been stress-baking through elections since the 1700s.

Election cake was especially popular in New England, where communities gathered for long, crowded voting days that involved travel, taverns, speeches and enough socializing to require enormous amounts of food. According to Reader’s Digest, women in Connecticut baked these to help sustain men traveling to the polls.

These were not delicate little snack cakes. Election cake was heavy with dried fruit, warming spices and often whiskey or brandy, placing it somewhere in the neighborhood of fruitcake and spice bread. It was the kind of sturdy baked good capable of surviving both a muddy carriage ride and several hours of political debate.

I guess the colonists enjoyed their carbs even in 1776!

Brunswick Stew

Modern Brunswick stew usually contains chicken or pulled pork. Colonial Brunswick stew was considerably wilder.

Early southern versions often included squirrel meat (I’ll pass, thank you!) simmered with tomatoes, lima beans, corn and okra. Both Virginia and Georgia claim ownership of the dish, though the earliest versions were less about state pride and more about whatever happened to be running through the woods that week.

The interesting thing is that, apart from the squirrel, Brunswick stew still feels remarkably familiar. It’s smoky, slow-cooked and hearty, and it’s still tied to regional ingredients just like Southern cuisine. Corn, tomatoes and beans—all ingredients heavily shaped by Indigenous agriculture—became foundational to colonial cooking.

Thank goodness modern cooks have stopped putting squirrels in it…or let’s hope so!

Wilted Salad

Wilted salad sounds rustic until you realize warm greens dressed with sharp acid and rich fat are still the backbone of half the appetizers at modern farm-to-table restaurants.

Colonial versions usually involved sturdy garden greens tossed with softened onions, mustard, vinegar or lemon and often some form of warm animal fat. Which, frankly, sounds delicious.

This is one of the clearest reminders that colonial food was not all beige mush and aggressively preserved meat. There were fresh herbs, garden vegetables and bright acidic flavors woven throughout daily cooking whenever the season allowed for it.

Succotash

Traditionally made with corn, beans and sometimes squash, succotash originated in Native communities long before European settlers arrived. Colonial Americans adopted the dish quickly, which makes sense given that corn appears everywhere in early American cooking.

Corn appears constantly across colonial cooking because settlers quickly realized Indigenous crops and agricultural knowledge were far better adapted to the local landscapes than the European traditions they arrived with.

Today, succotash still feels like the sort of dish that typifies the season: sweet corn at its peak, tender beans and fresh herbs melting into the mix, and the faint feeling that summer is starting to slip away.

However, beneath the unfamiliar names and occasionally alarming preservation methods, much of colonial American food still feels recognizable. Its rich stews, buttery cakes, creamy desserts and communal meals were built around comfort, abundance and, of course, the occasional cocktail.

 

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Copycat Recipes

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Have you ever gone somewhere, eaten something amazing, and then returned home, determined to recreate that wonderful thing you just ate?

If you’re like me, trying to get it exactly right can prove challenging, and I find myself looking for “copycat” recipes.

Over the years, I’ve collected a few “copycats” and among our favorites are a doughnut recipe, a cheesy corn bake, and my husband’s can’t-watch-the-Super-Bowl-without-it Dill Pickle Dip.

Because winter seems like a perfect time to make doughnuts, I thought you might enjoy the recipe. If you don’t like to cook, just swing by Krispy Kreme and grab a box of their glazed doughnuts.

Raised Doughnuts

2 packets yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup shortening

5 cups flour

oil

Glaze

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

4-6 tbsp. hot water

Scald milk and then cool.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and two cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until blended, scraping the bowl frequently. Once all the ingredients are combined, mix on high speed for two minutes.

Stir in remaining flour until well blended.

Cover and let rise until double (about an hour).

On a floured surface, very gently roll out the dough until about 1/2 inch thick. Handle the dough as little as possible. Cut with a doughnut cutter (if you don’t have one, any circular object like a glass will work. I used a Wilton cake decorating coupler to cut out the centers.)

Cover and let rise until double (about 45 minutes).

Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy-duty pan until it reaches 350 degrees.  Slide doughnuts into hot oil very carefully. Cook until golden brown. I may have had my oil entirely too hot, but it was taken about 30 seconds per side. You can watch the inside of the doughnut hole and when it starts to turn brown, flip the doughnut over.

Remove carefully from oil when brown and drain.

Dip warm doughnuts on the glaze then set on a rack to cool slightly before devouring way too many!

To make the glaze, melt butter, stir in vanilla and powdered sugar then add enough hot water, one spoon at a time to reach desired consistency. It should be fairly thin. I placed the doughnuts right in the bowl of glaze, flipped them over to coat both sides then moved to the rack to finish cooling.

Makes approximately 24.

What’s your favorite copycat recipe to make, or the original to enjoy?

Have You Had This Culinary Combo? By Pam Crooks

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Chili and Cinnamon Rolls!

We’re smack-dab in the middle of winter, many of us are suffering from the cold and snow, and that means it’s soup and chili time!

It’s funny how different parts of the country have their renowned favorites that others who live even a few states away have never heard of. Remember Runzas that I blogged about several months ago? (You can view it HERE if you haven’t already.) Many of you were unfamiliar with such a thing even though Runzas are hugely popular in the Midwest.

Chili and Cinnamon Rolls are another phenomenon around here, one I hadn’t heard of myself until a number of years ago. Since then, I’m learning how hugely popular the unusual combination is, especially in school cafeterias, as a fundraiser feature, in restaurants, and even at Nebraska Husker football tailgates.

The first reference was found in 1905, and then another popped up in California in 1953. They were noticeably not common at the time, however, until Congress passed the National School Lunch Act in 1946, whereby the USDA included chili in its recipes-for-schools collections. Shortly thereafter, schools in Greeley, Colorado, were the first to serve the combo to their students. There’s even a story told that loggers had a bowl of chili poured over a cinnamon roll in the morning before they headed out for a long day of logging.

My husband and I grew up in Nebraska during this time, and neither of our schools’ cafeterias offered the pair. It was likely not until the advent of folks raving online decades later that spurred the popularity of such an unusual combination.  That and word of mouth from popular local restaurants.

Never heard of them? What is the appeal, you ask?

It’s all about the contrast of the salty, slightly spicy texture of the chili with the soft dough sweetened with sugar and cinnamon. If you want to get scientific about it, the sugar and butter cool the chili’s capsaicin, and the sweet-and-salty elevate the taste of the cinnamon.

There are several ways to eat the pairing:

  1. Eat them separately with the cinnamon roll as dessert. My daughter will let her kids have half the cinnamon roll first, then once their chili is gone, they can have the other half of the roll. 🙂
  2. Use pieces of the roll to dip into–or scoop up–the chili.
  3. Simply alternate bites of chili and cinnamon roll.
  4. Crumble the roll like a cracker and sprinkle on top or stir into the chili.
  5.  Or (and this is what I like to do) put the cinnamon roll in a bowl and pour the chili on top.

I have eaten them every way except #4. But trust me, the combo is delicious any way you do it.

Have you ever heard of Chili and Cinnamon Rolls? Have you had them?

What is the strangest food combo you’ve tried – and liked?

 

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Biscuits, Beans, and Bacon – What Cowboys Actually Ate

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I’ve spent the better part of the week pouring over research for a new book. And as usual, I find myself going down the rabbit hole…AGAIN!

While looking for authentic Civil War recipes, I happened upon cowboy cuisine, and as much as I love, love, love cowboys, I don’t think I could handle a steady diet of biscuits, beans, and bacon.

The romantic image of cowboys feasting on juicy steaks by a roaring campfire differs from the gritty realities of life on the trail. Beyond the cattle drives, roping skills, and dusty landscapes, lay the daily struggle for survival, and a critical element of that survival, was of course food. What did these men, often far from civilization for months at a time, actually eat?

Beans were the undisputed backbone of trail cuisine for cowboys, favored for their durability and nutrition. Whether pinto or navy, these legumes provided a vital source of protein and fiber, keeping hunger at bay during long rides. Much like today’s camping meals, beans were easy to store, transport, and cook in a single pot over the fire.

Salt Pork and Bacon were prized trail foods, valued for their long shelf life and high calorie content. Unlike the bacon we know today, these cuts were heavily salted and cured, making them tough but ideal for travel. Preserving meat with salt or smoke was essential to prevent spoilage on the dusty plains.

 

Coffee, often called the cowboy elixir, was more than a beverage…it was a daily ritual and morale booster for weary cowboys. Brewed strong and black, coffee provided much-needed energy for long, grueling days. Without fancy equipment, cowboys simply boiled grounds over the campfire, sometimes letting the grounds settle or straining them through a bandana. Often, they used the same pot day after day, thus contributing to the unique flavor of cowboy coffee. (Note: I enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the a.m. but require my hazelnut creamer or during the holidays, pumpkin pie spice!!!)

When real coffee ran out, they turned to resourceful substitutes like roasted chicory or dandelion roots. These stand-ins provide a warm bitter brew that mimicked coffee’s comfort, if not its flavor or strength.

Dried Fruit, like raisins, apples, or peaches, served as portable treats for the hard-working cowboys. They provided a rare sweetness and vitamins on the trail, breaking up the monotony of the constant savory dishes.

Canned Goods were a rare luxury on the trail, thanks to advancement in food preservation. Occasionally, cowboys enjoyed treated liked canned peaches or tomatoes. However, these items were heavy and expensive, so they appeared only when supply wagons had extra storage space. Still, even a single can could lift spirits and remind cowboys of comforts far from home.

Fresh Game supplemented the cowboys’ diet, its success dependent upon sharp shooting and the abundance of wildlife along the trail. Compared to salted pork or hardtack, rabbits, prairie chickens, or wild birds offered richer flavor and variety to their diet.

Sourdough Bread starters were a trail cook’s secret weapon for baking fresh bread or biscuits on the open range. Kept alive with regular feedings, these starters allowed cooks to whip up hearty, tangy loaves and fluffy biscuits right over the campfire.

Jerky–dried, salted strips of beef or buffalo–was a trail for its portability and long shelf life. ? Packed with protein, it could be eaten on the go, making it perfect for busy days in the saddle, providing energy when time or conditions make cooking impossible.

Molasses and Sugar were precious commodities on the trail, reserved for sweetening beans or biscuits on special occasions. Even a small spoonful transformed otherwise bland food, making them a special treat for cowboys craving a taste of sweetness.

Rice and Cornmeal added much-needed variety to the cowboy diet, often cooked into hearty porridges, grits, or mush. These staples reflected the influence of Southern and Mexican cooking. Cornbread, in particular, was a favorite, easily baked over coals, while rice provided a filling base, helping stretch meager rations even further.

Onions and Potatoes were tossed into stews, beans, or skillet meals, adding vital nutrition and ample flavor to otherwise plain dishes. These hardy vegetables could survive for weeks without spoiling, making them a practical addition to the chuck wagon’s limited pantry.

Dried Chili Peppers and Spices were essential for livening up bland trail food. Mexican vaqueros, in particular, brought the tradition of adding heat and flavor with chilis and seasonings–particularly in the colder weather–transforming meat or beans into a satisfying meal and adding a taste of home to the trail.

 

 

The real diet of cowboys was shaped by necessity, resourcefulness, and sheer grit. From beans and biscuits to foraged greens and rare treats like canned fruit, these simple, rugged meals fueled long days in the saddle and left a lasting imprint on American folklore. Their adaptability in the face of hardship is as legendary as their cattle drives.

Next time you enjoy a campfire meal, remember the inventive spirt of the Old West–and try adding a cowboy twist to your own menu!

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Coming next month…

“Your journey doesn’t have to end in disappointment.”

Lila Hartley had waited for hours on the frozen train platform, a mail-order bride no one came to claim, her trunk beside her like a tombstone. The man who’d promised her marriage, a home, and a future, left her stranded two thousand miles from Boston with nothing but the clothes on her back and a heart full of shattered dreams.

Just when hope was fading, a man emerged from the white curtain of snow like an apparition, took off his coat, and changed her life.

Clay McCallister viewed every woman who had taken a chance on the frontier as the sister he’d failed…a woman who’d risked everything for the possibility of something better, much like the woman standing on the platform in the bitter cold.

Sometimes warmth doesn’t always come from fire — sometimes it comes from the heart.

Pre-Order Link

 

 

 

 

Have you ever heard of a Runza? by Pam Crooks

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If you’re not from the Midwest, I suspect you haven’t.  But here in Nebraska, this beloved sandwich was born and bred only 45 minutes from where I live.

Runzas are hugely popular as a hand-held meal with browned hamburger, shredded cabbage, and onion wrapped in soft dough, served warm, and often with ketchup. Thousands have been sold at Nebraska Cornhusker football games, for example. Drivers will make a pit stop off of Interstate 80 to grab a few for the drive to their destination.  Even my brother from Amarillo, Texas, ordered a dozen frozen Runzas to be shipped to my niece in Dallas who was pregnant and craving them.

They’re that good.

Their start in Nebraska actually had its roots planted when Germans started moving to Russia in the 1700s at the invitation of German princess Catherine the Great, who married into Russian royalty.  As incentive for her countrymen to move to Russia with her, she offered free land, religious freedom, and no requirement to serve in the Russian military.  It was inevitable that the Germans became influenced by Russian dishes, specifically the “pirozhki,” a baked-or-fried hand pie stuffed with savory or sweet fillings.

Also inevitable was the Germans tweaking the pie to suit their own tastes, and their version was called the “bierock.”  It’s said that farmers enjoyed them as a hot meal while they worked in the fields.

By the late 1800s, the promises made by Catherine the Great began to fade, and the Germans were being forced to assimilate into Russian cultures, including their military.  Rebelling, the German Russians fled the country and settled in the Great Plains of America. By 1940, nearly 1/2 million had settled in the United States, with roughly 20,000 of them in Lincoln, Nebraska, alone.

Two German Russian siblings, brother Alex Brening and sister Sally Everett, both of whom lived in Lincoln, began selling the homemade bierocks as lunch for factory workers. The bierocks were so popular that the siblings eventually opened their first restaurant location in Lincoln in 1949.

But trademarking their recipe proved a bit difficult since “bierock” was too general and too cultural, so they named the pies “Runza,” believed to have been poached from “krautrunz,” German for bierocks, or “runsa,” German for ‘belly’ from the rounded pouch shape of the pie.

In 1966, the siblings opened their second location. By 1979, franchises for Runza Restaurants became available.  Today, there are 85 Runza locations throughout Nebraska, with six more in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota.

 

 

My daughters LOVED Runzas when I made them for dinner, and now they make them for their own children.  Here’s my recipe:

RUNZAS

1 1/2 lb of hamburger, browned and drained

1/2 head of small cabbage, grated

1/2 onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper

2 frozen bread dough loaves (or individual frozen dinner rolls)

Directions:

Add cabbage and onion to hot, drained hamburger.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Stir well and leave in kettle with lid on while preparing bread dough.

Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut dough into serving size squares, about 4 x 4 inches.  Fill centers with hamburger mixture.  Pull up sides of dough and seal.  Place sealed side down on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with ketchup, if desired.

These make great leftovers, too.

 

 

Have you ever heard of a Runza?  Or had one?

What is your favorite fast food sandwich?

Let’s chat, and you could win a $10 gift card for your favorite fast food sandwich!

 

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Cowboy Cookie Exchange with Linda Broday

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Wow, and here we are at New Year’s Eve! How did that happen? This month has zoomed. Cookies have always been favorites of mine. They’re just so yummy either by themselves or with something hot. Here’s one I hope you enjoy and very simple. No eggs, flour, or sugar. It’s really healthy and good for diabetics of which I am one unfortunately.

PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES

2 1/2 cups Rolled Oats

2 cups Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 cup Maple Syrup (can use Agave nectar)

Optional – Chocolate chips (or any kind of chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl mix together the oats, pumpkin and syrup. If using chocolate chips, add them also and fold in really well.

Roll into balls and press down on a cookie sheet. You can put them pretty close together since they don’t spread.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

There are any number of substitutions. You can add vanilla, nuts, cranberries, and pumpkin pie spice to make them even tastier.

I eat these for breakfast and also as a snack. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Happy New Year!

Cowboy Cookie Exchange with Karen Kay

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Howdy!

Well, here we are on the sixth day of the twelve days of Christmas!  Are you still baking Christmas cookies?  Must admit it’s this time, when I’m not so stressed getting everything ready for the big day, when I have the most fun in the kitchen.

The recipe I’m going to share with you today is an old recipe, passed down from our neighbor down the street when I was very little.  It is one our family has loved for as long as I can remember.  It is called Mom Johnson Cookies.  My only addition to it is to use organic ingredients.  Otherwise, it is the same and this recipe makes lots of cookies to fill up that cookie jar.

Mom Johnson Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sour milk (one can make this by adding 2 TBs vinegar to milk if you don’t have sour milk on hand)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 BIG tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

5 cups of flour

Optional:  Red hots

Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  We always put a red-hot atop each cookie before baking.

Upon reading over the former posts, I’m going to get out my recipe cards and write down some of these recipes!  They sound so good!

May the joy of these next few days in the twelve days of Christmas be yours and may the New Year be full of love, romance and lots of happy reading!

Cowboy Cookie Exchange with Shanna Hatfield

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I LOVE to bake during the holidays.

One of the first Christmas presents I remember receiving was an Easy Bake oven. While my mom rushed around trying to get ready for 40+ people to descend on our house for Christmas dinner, I sat up my little oven on the kitchen floor and baked a batch of cookies for my grandma.

I have so many wonderful memories of spending time in the kitchen baking with my mom, and I think that’s part of the reason I still enjoy it so much.

There’s also the fact that I enjoy a good cookie!

The recipe I’m sharing today will fill your house with the most decadent delightful scent as it bakes. I used to spend hours rolling out and frosting gingerbread which never turned out just like I hoped. Then I switched to making these Gingerbread Bars. It takes far less time and mess, and they always turn out great.

Gingerbread Bars

INGREDIENTS:

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 ¼ cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cups packed light-brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1 bag white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a 17×12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment cut to fit and coat parchment with spray.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and molasses. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars or use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Store in an airtight container.

Pro Tip: Spray your measuring cup with non-stick spray and the molasses will slide right out.

Yield: 3 dozen bars

If you want, you can cut shapes out of the bars (then someone has the task of eating those leftover pieces)!

Wishing you a beautiful holiday season

brimming with joy

and a new year full of hope and love!

 

 

Petticoats & Pistols