Hotpot and mahjong were proposed with enthusiasm, yet only one of two activities would be realized. The mahjong set was regrettably nowhere to be found, or so I was informed.
Eventually, by 8:15 PM, all items came together. I had even managed to construct a last-minute miso soup - impressively delicious, should I say myself - topping it with toasted nori for a boost in fragrance and textural contrast.
The next day, I'd indulge in leftover miso soup, udon, and shabu strips for lunch, granting myself a much-warranted breather from back-to-back meals of fish fillet in corn sauce.
Because two egg whites were necessary for the granola recipe, I strived to prepare a Ginger Molasses Cookie that utilized exactly two yolks. The act would simultaneously answer to my burning desires for a soft, gingery cookie that involved minimal chilling.
The formula commenced with SK's Thick Molasses Spice Cookie, which included a potent - but typical - blend of warm spices. Cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, allspice, and black pepper would be noted within the ingredient list. Instead of adhering exactly, I'd resort to what I do best: intuitive improvisation.
Smitten Kitchen Keepers - Thick Molasses Spice Cookie
- 305 g AP flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp/ 3 g kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 170 g unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
- 150 g molasses
- 145 g dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tbsp/45 g finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 6 tbsp/75 g granulated or turbinado sugar, for rolling
Ingredients
- 600 g AP flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 340 g unsalted butter, melted
- 146 g molasses
- 154 g corn syrup
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 290 g dark brown sugar *
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped into 0.5 cm cubes
- 175-200 g turbinado sugar for rolling
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Combine melted butter with molasses, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until homogenous. Add apple cider vinegar and mix again.
- Add in egg yolk and mix to incorporate.
- Whisk in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then add the remaining 2/3 and fold with a spatula.
- Chill for at least 1.5 h (or 1 h for a single batch).
- Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll in turbinado sugar to coat exterior. Arrange cookies at least 1 inch apart on a line baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 F for 5 mins, then 360 F for 10-12 minutes, until the surface is evenly browned and the centre does not appear foamy.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sugar/Molasses Content
- Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar up to 20%, or sprinkle a heavy-handed pinch of salt, as the resulting batch was a tad sweet for my liking.
- Reducing the amount of molasses in the recipe by slightly more than half was not intentional whatsoever. Due to ingredient availability, corn syrup was the next best substitute, in spite of its lower viscosity and neutral flavour profile. Golden syrup would have been the ideal substitute, however I decided to reserve the ingredient for last-minute pecan pie cravings instead. In order to compensate for the reduction of molasses, I drew inspiration from Claire Saffitz, using apple cider vinegar to ensure complete reaction of the baking soda. After all, nothing could be worse than an alkalinic cookie.
Cookie cravings wait for no one, thus I had attempted to skip chilling the dough altogether. However, the dough was far too soft to scoop without rest.
A total of four trays emerged from the double batch, each baked within 15-20 minutes of one another. Batch #1 was chilled for 1h, Batch #2 for 1.25h, Batch #3 for 1.5h, and Batch #4 for 2h. Chilling facilitated handling and portioning of the dough, for rolling the cookies was tragically difficult when still soft. Alas, whether refrigeration had impacted spread and flavour is another topic altogether, and impossible to conclude given several other variables in play (discussed later).
Due to baking soda being the sole leavener in the recipe, it was crucial to commence the chemical reaction by baking the entire batch at once. As learned from my Holiday Cookie Donation Box project, freezing dough that contains baking soda results in wonky lumps, likely caused by baking soda from reacting prematurely in the freezer.
Batch #1
| Batch #2
|
Batch #3
| Batch #4
|
Worth noting is that my oven temperature is not consistent whatsoever, and results may be impacted due to constantly fluctuating internal conditions. For the purposes of this experiment, temperature cannot be classified as a control variable, as the baking temperature ranged between 330 - 375 F due to unwanted drops. For simplicity's sake, let's presume the cookies to be baked at a consistent 375 F, as SK's recipe had directed, but for a longer duration due to their larger size.
Pan Material
Batch #1 was baked on a nonstick baking tray, while Batches #2-4 baked on "Aluminized steel". Enhanced spread was observed in Batch #1, however it is uncertain where the cause lay with the use of nonstick or reduced refrigeration time.
I expressed personal preference for Batch #1, seeing as the cookie not only perfectly answered my cravings, but the noticeable fissure cracks were the most visually satisfying of them all. On the date of creation, the cookies did not deviate drastically from the beloved SK formula. That said, they grew progressively drier with time, ultimately requiring the power of a microwave to reinstate its plush centre. This lack of moisture is not necessarily bad, for it enables cookies to be stored stacked without fear of sticking to one another or the bottom-most layer becoming compressed.
The next day, the cookies could be microwaved at 20 seconds to obtain the optimal crisp-crunchy edge with a soft centre. Subsequent days would see an increase in microwave time, nearing 30 seconds at 70-80% power. These cookies were definitely not "pillowy soft" like SK's original recipe, but nonetheless scrumptious with the perfect amount of warm spices.
In summary, one could achieve a similarly spiced profile even in the absence of molasses, while reduction of molasses and introduction of apple cider vinegar will replace voluminous, soft cookies with a thinner, crisper, chewier result.
The third dish to emerge from my kitchen was an utterly unplanned one. A case of 8 Apple Mangoes had been procured in the past weeks, yet seen limited interest from the household. I personally consumed four (and eventually grew tired of the fruit), discarded one due to browning, and salvaged the remaining three for use in a sweet-savoury salad, as per my coworker's suggestion.
- 3 apple mangoes, sliced into strips *
- rice vinegar
- salt
- light soy sauce
- sugar
- fish sauce
- gochukaru
- sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds *
Directions
- Toss gently to coat, then allow to infuse in fridge overnight.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Aim to slice the mango as thin as possible; due to the gradual deterioration of the fruit, I refrained from making too many incisions as the surface was already vulnerable to bruising and extremely slippery/difficult to cut.
- If using untoasted sesame seeds, spread in an even layer and bake at 350 F for 3-4 minutes, stirring as needed to ensure uniform colour acquisition.
- Feel free to add lime juice and soft nuts, such as cashews, if desired. I used toasted sesame seeds in place of nuts, as the only soft nut I had available were pecans, which would distract from the overall flavour profile with its distinctive aroma.
Happy New Year!