Chocolate, Nut, Molasses Cookies

Cooler weather always brings out the desire to have hot tea and eat wonderful cookies. These cookies are my latest experiment in the kitchen.  The recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies that are about 2 inches in diameter. You can make the "drops" larger or smaller to your liking.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cup molasses (black treacle if you live in Africa)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 gently rounded tablespoons unsweetened chocolate (I used cocoa powder)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used a mix of white and whole wheat)
• 1 cup of  oatmeal (or enough to make a drop cookie batter, see photo)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs, vanilla and salt, beating until well blended. Beat in chocolate and stir in flour and chopped walnuts.  Add oatmeal until you have the desired consistency.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on well-greased baking sheet.I have a coated sheet so I did not grease the pan.


Bake in preheated 350° oven 10 minutes, or until edges are crisp. Cool for 1 minute; remove to rack to cool completely.

I enjoyed these cookies. You can readily taste the molasses, chocolate and nuts. If you don't like the strong flavour of molasses you could substitute about 1 cup of sugar for the molasses.  I've read that the treacle is not as dark as molasses so I'm assuming that molasses also gives the cookie a stronger flavour. 

Enjoy the cookies with hot tea or milk.

Monday & Meeting a Blogger Friend

Today is a beautiful, sunny day in Vancouver.  Though there are some grey clouds around it is a bright and beautiful day.

Taken Monday from my balcony.

Yesterday, it was so lovely to meet Kay from Medicine Hat and her Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel blog.  Kay came into the city while visiting family and friends in the Lower Mainland. We had a chance on Grey Cup day to meet and get to know one another over coffee.

The coffee shop was jam packed with students studying and cramming and people watching the Grey Cup game on the courtesy screens. At times it got a little loud, but we carried on talking over the din.

Kay and I have a mutual blogging friend, Jo, and that is how we came to know each other's blogs.  Kay has a kind heart as she was one of the people who contributed to help this little boy in Kenya.  We didn't get a chance to take a photo together.  Perhaps next time.

This is Kay.

 Kay is such a world traveller and we had a lot to talk about.  If I keep on travelling perhaps I can catch up to her journeys and perhaps some day we will have another chance to meet again.

I'm happy because this is the second blogger buddy I got to meet in person.  Both experiences have been wonderful. I hope I get even more opportunities in future to meet more blogging friends.

 To cap off the day, the BC Lions won the Grey Cup!! Yeah!!!

I was pleased to see I had captured seagulls in flight in both my photos today.

Mountains in Scripture

 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

 Isaiah 55:12

Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

Micah 6:1

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.

 Luke 3:5

How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, 

"Your God reigns!"

Isaiah 52:7

We've had a beautiful day here today. 

I send you wishes for a wonderful weekend.

Macro Flowers ~ November 25, 2011

I'm digging around my archives to see what macro flowers I can offer up this weekend.

All of the flowers here are gone until the Spring. 

Flowers always make me smile and bring me jOy. 

I am not entirely sure what this flower is called but I believe it is a "wood anenome". 

Please join Tina at Pic Story and Maia at Macro Flowers Saturday.

Skywatch Friday

We've been having storms and very high winds today so I've dug through my archives for today's submission to Skywatch Friday. 

These photos of a June sunrise are taken from my patio.
Isn't the sky beautiful?

I miss summer already :-( 

Join in here for more beautiful skies from around the world.

It's Gonna Be a Loud Weekend

Today the sun came out unexpectedly (to me anyway) and the sky had a beautiful blue that a few clouds could not diminish. In these days of rain and days which begin and end earlier in darkness, it is always a treat to see a blue sky.

Here it what it looked like this afternoon. There are low lying clouds that make the mountains disappear!

The City is preparing for a huge sporting event which will take place here on Friday. I have it on good authority that there was a buzz in the air downtown today much like during the Winter Olympics held in 2010.

Newly refurbished roof on BC place. At night, this big white dome on our city skyline is light up in colour.  My photo isn't that great as I took it quickly as I was walking to my acupuncture appointment.

This year's Grey Cup Festival takes place here in Vancouver from November 24-27, 2011 and the host football team is our very own BC Lions.  Downtown will be alive with free concerts and Festival activities from Friday, November 25 through Sunday, November 27th, and there are many different activities taking place for adults and children alike.  However the big event is obviously the  99th Grey Cup game on Sunday between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions.

Photo credit: Grey Cup Festival Website - This is what the stadium looks like when a professional photographer takes a photo from the right location, with the right equipment.BC place is the building that looks like a tiara on the right (beyond the water).

I'll be staying away from downtown. 

Amongst other things, I don't like large and raucous crowds.  But I do hope our City puts on a good and safe event that will be remembered for years to come by those with the courage to head downtown and the funds to spend on those expensive Grey Cup tickets.

Chocolate Goodness

With the cold weather we had over the weekend, I craved hot tea and some sweet goodness. Internet surfing led me to this chocolatey concoction. It was good enough to share.

Ingredients:

Brownies
2/3 cup (125 mL) butter
2/3 cup (150 mL) milk chocolate chips (4oz/125g)
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup (175 mL) flour (I used a mix of white and whole wheat flour)
3 -4 tbsp (30 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt (I actually omitted this)
2/3 cup (150 mL) milk chocolate chips (4oz/125g) (I omitted this too. I was low on choco chips).
Topping
1 cup (250 mL) miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Melt together butter and chocolate chips. Cool slightly. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time and then vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, salt and chocolate chips. (I omitted the salt).
4. Pour  into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until just set (center will still be moist), sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips during last 5 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on rack.

This was VERY tasty; especially good for chocolate lovers.

Notes:  I did not add the 2nd amount of chocolate chips called for. After I mixed up the batter, I realized that the original recipe was not going to produce enough batter my smallest pan. I then increased the egg (by 1), butter (by about 1/2), flour (by about 1/2, sugar (1/4 cup), and added and extra teaspoon of vanilla. The increased amounts are captured in the ingredient list above.

The end result is that the brownies were delicious but they were very soft. After sitting overnight the consistency was perfect.  I overcooked the marshmallows because I wanted to be sure the brownie mixture was fully cooked in the middle. I think next time I would wait for the brownie mixture to finish cooking and add the marshmallows for just long enough to barely melt, yet retain their shape.