Food: Chai Spice Cutouts

I didn't get a chance to make cutout cookies for Christmas this year. Or rather, I didn't try to find time...I was a little lazy after hosting Thanksgiving and then being back on the road traveling to Salt Lake City for work. But several months have passed and I'm once again having cravings for something sweet. So it's about time again to start thinking about cookies.

A few weeks ago, I was inspired by an endcap in Target displaying heart shaped cookie cutters, pearl nonpareils, and pink and purple glittered sugar sprinkles. So, I decided I needed to make cutouts for Valentine's Day. Although I do enjoy my mom's traditional sugar cookie recipe, for a holiday about L-O-V-E, I thought these chai-spice cutouts seemed very appropriate. Why? They're warm, spicy, and buttery. (And for those of you who like to sample cookie-dough batter, this stuff is very, very good).

When decorating, feel free to experiment. I've discovered (until I find time to take a professional cookie decorating class) food coloring decorating pens (such as these) are a simple and easy way to decorate cutouts. Just simply ice the cookies with white icing and wait to dry...and then color away! If you have kids (or significant others) helping out, it makes the decorating process really easy and fun. Or, the cookies look pretty lovely just plain...I could see someone dipping half of a cookie in white or dark chocolate and leaving the rest untouched for a pretty presentation on a cookie plate. After all, the little spice bits of the chai shine through and make a rather pleasing picture on their own.

Chai Spice Cutout Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

INGREDIENTS

• 2, chai-spice tea bags
• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 T molasses

DIRECTIONS

• Remove tea bag contents and discard bags. Combine with the cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and molasses.
• Combine the spice mixture with the flour and add in small parts to the wet egg-sugar-butter mix. Add a little more flour if you feel the dough is still too sticky. (Adding in small amounts prevents spraying flour all over the kitchen)
• Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or until easy to handle.
• Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and arrange on the cookie sheets.
• Bake 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
• Decorate with basic powdered sugar icing (1.5 c powdered sugar, 1/2 t vanilla, 4 t milk...more milk as needed to reach desired consistency).

Food: Rhubarb Strusel Bars

If you haven't figured it out already, I greatly adore rhubarb (hence my second posting featuring the ruby-red veggie in the past two weeks). So when I was flipping through magazines last week looking for inspiration, I got so excited when I saw this recipe, I immediately ripped the page out of my Better Homes and Gardens magazine almost tearing it in half (oops!). I don't know how I could have missed it (yes, this recipe was from the May 2008! issue, page 198). The fact I still have year-old magazines sitting around my house is kind of embarassing, but it was a fun to discover something new...and clean my house at the same time ;)

Since I'm not big on super-sweet desserts (sweet-tart is more my style), I decided to leave off the ginger icing and crystallized ginger on the top. This ended up being a good call since the cookie bar-base is very sugary. If I make this recipe again I would probably double the amount of rhubarb and hope it didn't make the crust too soggy since I thought this turned out to be more strusel than rhubarb-flavored. But it was still good nonetheless.

Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb
• 1 recipe Ginger Icing (see recipe)
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8x8x2-inch baking pan with heavy foil extended beyond pan edges.
• In large bowl stir together oats, the 1 cup flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup oats mixture. Press remaining on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl stir together granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and ground ginger. Add rhubarb; toss to coat. Spread on hot crust. Sprinkle reserved oats mixture; press lightly.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on rack. Drizzle icing, sprinkle crystallized ginger. Lift from pan; cut into bars. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 2 days. Makes 16 bars.
• Ginger Icing: In small bowl sitr together 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 3 to 4 teaspoons apricot nectar, orange juice, or milk.