Spiced Ginger Molasses Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

I've got the Rain Bang blues.

When I cut bangs at the end of September (read: the beginning of the Northwest's nine month rainy season), it did not once dawn upon me that I was doing so with potentially bad timing. Until the next day, when it rained, and I experienced my first Rain Bang. 

Nevermind that I had been contemplating bangs for over two years, but saved myself until the time was juuust right. Common excuses included (but were not limited to): "My hair is too short for bangs." "I have to keep my hair back at the bakery anyways." And when I accepted my most recent job: "Are bangs professional? They're totally not professional...are they? Aren't they?"




My favorite Rain Bang Incident was the day I decided to walk to work, rain jacket and boots on my person. Despite my well-protected bang situation, by the time I got to work I was rocking a curly, frizzy bang 'fro. And I was working with one bobby pin. Fun day. Decidedly NOT professional.

These spiced ginger molasses cookies have nothing at all to do with my Rain Bangs. I just wanted to vent, to inform, to warn. Actually, these cookies are the exact opposite of Rain Bangs: they're chewy, sweet with a spicy kick, and full of the potential of helping you make many friends and feel professional (at life).

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber,
you go and do something like this...

[photo from here]

...and TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!"

This here is a story about redemption. And about not letting the world your kitchen have the last word.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, "control-z" doesn't carry over to real life. But don't let that stop you. Found the melted butter in the microwave and realized you forgot to put butter in the brownies? No biggie. Homemade Chocolate Cake looked like a hot mess by the time you were able to de-pan it? Ain't no thang. Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Ribbon overflowed in the oven? Doesn't phase me. [All spoken from experience.]

Still bruised from my latest kitchen snafu, while at home for Thanksgiving, I decided I would have the last word when it came to pumpkin desserts. No one wants to be a prisoner in their own kitchen. That ain't right. So I say, go out and conquer a recipe/ingredient/technique that has otherwise eluded you. You might be surprised at the outcome.

This pumpkin roll is simple, elegant, and is a definite crowd-pleaser. The best part is it is effortless. Just a little rolling and confidence is all that's required. If you're trying to get a few more holiday recipes in before 2012, this is a great place to start.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Ribbon

There are Bad Days. We've all been there. Bad work days. Bad hair days (bad bang days for me, these days).  Bad hangnail days. Bad travel days. Bad TV days (Dear Kim Kardashian: I want those three hours I spent watching your wedding back. And also that entire Sunday I spent glued to E! catching up on your life's happenings in advance of your wedding extravaganza - oh no, have I revealed too much about my single girl behavior? - please and thank you.)

There are Bad Days.

And then there are Bad Baking Days.

The onset of fall was filled with such promise. Leaves turning absolutely gorgeous shades of orange, yellow, and red. Crisp, cool air and peacoats and scarves and tights. Grocery stores stocked with apples, gourds, and canned pumpkin.

I should have known better. I made this recipe at around this time last year. And what happened last year? I put too much batter in the bread pan and my pumpkin bread overflowed in the oven. Like, major. What I failed to do last year was write myself a note on my recipe, reminding me DON'T FILL THE BATTER TOO HIGH, ALEXIS! WOULDN'T WANT ANOTHER EPISODE LIKE THE PUMPKIN BREAD DISASTER OF 2010, NOW WOULD WE?!

Lots of things come into and go out of my brain in a year. Important things like the lyrics to every single Spring Awakening song, the entire Hunger Games series, and Kim's Fairytale Wedding. So when I opened a new can of pumpkin last week, it's completely 100% understandable that I forgot my previous flub.

The parts of this bread that were edible were absolutely delicious. And I think you should go make it. Right after you delete anything Kardashian-related from your DVR. Like, immediately.

 

A V-Day Staple

I know what you're thinking. Huuuuge shocker. Red velvet cupcakes on Valentine's Day. But I'm a big believer in the mantra, "If it ain't broke...don't fix it." And coincidentally, another mantra I live by is, "Everything tastes better with cream cheese frosting." Seriously. Everything.

I visited Manhattan with my sister last fall, and we went to two different bakeries and were shocked and disgusted to discover that neither bakery used cream cheese frosting on their red velvet cupcakes. Buttercream? Really? I flew all the way from Oregon for buttercream? Not up in here.

I have experimented with quite a few red velvet recipes in my day, and this one takes the (red velvet) cake. Happy love day!

 

Fat Witch Cream Cheese Brownies

For Christmas, I asked for the Fat Witch Brownies cookbook. With a subtitle that reads: Brownies, Blondies, and Bars from New York's Legendary Fat Witch Bakery...how could I resist? As it turns out, the owner and author, Patricia Helding, is my homegirl in so many ways. Aside from the fact that she is a successful big city bakery owner, Ms. Helding is also a banker turned baker! She worked on Wall Street as a trader before taking the plunge and pursuing her passion: brownies. (Sidenote: Yes, brownies can be some one's passion.) Let's be honest here. I think most of us prefer indulging in chocolately goodness to the "BUY!...NOOOO!!!...SELL!" craziness that is the New York Stock Exchange. But maybe not. And that's what makes the world go round. But the point is that she had the cojones to go through with it. And now look at her. Opening bakeries, writing cookbooks, and even getting blogged about right here.