Oops we missed November.

November flew by without a post so here is a quick summary to catch up on the past month from the West Coast:

I wrapped up the bread portion of my program finishing off the 8 weeks with bagels, pretzels + flat breads. I've been covered in butter since starting + completing the 3 week Viennoisorie portion learning croissants, brioche, danish, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, panettone, pan d'oro, and stollen...just to name a few.

I had family + friends visiting from New York City, Chicago, Miami, London + Portugal via Austin Texas. I went back to Chicago for Thanksgiving but the 20 degree weather reminded me how lucky I am to live in beautiful San Francisco.

It's now Decemeber + time for some holiday baking. Although this recipe is one I made a while ago they are perfect for this time of year. Roll in sugar + enjoy.

Chocolate Ginger Cookies

2 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped or mini chips

additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and all spices, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg, followed by molasses, vanilla and balsamic vinegar. Gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients mixing until flour is incorporated. Stir in chocolate chunks. Scoop dough into balls and roll in sugar. Press lightly to flatten and bake for 10-12 minutes.

*You can also mix in crystallized ginger for added ginger flavor.

Gingersnaps

I just realized yesterday that the Holiday season is right around the corner. Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and we all know what that means- the start of over a month of non-stop parties, gatherings, shopping, eating and drinking. Although Halloween season is my favorite time of year (yes, I know that I am strange), the Holiday season runs a close second in my heart.

To get myself (and hopefully all of you) into the Thanksgiving spirit, I decided to bake something that centers around some holiday flavors: ginger and cinnamon. These cookies are extremely easy to whip up and are perfect to pair with a post-Thanksgiving dinner cup of coffee. Pass the turkey, please.

*I apologize for the horrible picture quality. I didn't have a camera to use at the time and iPhone obviously lacks in the "zoom" and "focus" functions of its camera...

Gingersnaps

2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
11 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mild-flavored molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature

1. Stir together the dry ingredients.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter just until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down any butter clinging to the sides of the bowl.

3. Stir in the vanilla, molasses and egg.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually until the dough is smooth.

5. Divide the dough in two equal portions and roll each on a lightly-floured surface until each is about 2-inches around. Don't worry if they're not perfect; you can neaten them up in a second.

6. Wrap each in plastic wrap then roll them lightly on the counter to smooth them out. Refrigerate, or better yet, freeze the cookie logs until firm.

7. To bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

8. Slice cookie dough into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife. Leave a couple of inches between cookies since they'll spread while baking.

9. Bake for 10-14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until deep-golden brown. The cookies will puff up a bit while baking, then settle down when they're done. Bake on the lower end of the range for softer cookies, and more for snappier ones, depending on your oven.

10. Let the cookies cool two minutes, then remove them with a spatula and transfer them to a cooling rack.