FOOD

Baking. Its one of the things that has kept me from going insane lately. Seriously. I've had a couple of loooong days at work the past two weeks, and one of the things (besides someone whose name begins with a C) that has really helped, is baking glorious food (for said person whose name begins with a C).

Make some gingerbread, it's the holidays

Gingerbread cookies (adapted recipe from the most glorious baker of all, Betty Crocker)

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup of shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups of molasses
1/4 cup of honey
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
7 cups of flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. garam masala

Combine first five ingredients and beat them together really well. If you cream the brown sugar and the shortening first, it works a lot better to add the wet ingredients gradually. Then you just beat that to oblivion. Add the spices and salt and baking soda, and finally the flour. I did it in groups of 2 cups at a time, so I wouldn't over mix it. At the end, you have to use your muscles to kind of wrestle it all together. You will have gingerbread coming out of your ears. But don't fear, it's delicious.

Divide the dough in two, wrap it up, and refrigerate it for two hours. (If you're in a hurry like I was, stick it in the freezer til its cold) Then, pull out one section at a time (otherwise you just defeated the whole purpose in refrigerating it) and roll it out onto a floured surface to your desired thickness (the thinner it is, the crispier the cookie). Make sure the surface is REALLY floured. Otherwise the dough will stick and be sad. Then, use fun cookie cutters to make awesome cookies. Bake at 350 for anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes based on the thickness of the dough.

Frost with your fave frosting and sprinkle on some happiness.

Yay for delicious eats. Try them, you will have to eat at least 5...