Portland

Haven't written anything for a while as I was visiting my niece in Portland.  The Portland in Oregon .  I took my iPad, but no matter what anybody tells me, I can't use it to write on my blog.  Or the ways are too complicated for my wee brain.  So I took a break!

Portland is a foodie paradise!  But Natalie's girls have some allergies, so we spent a lot of time finding gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, corn free things they could eat.  Not easy, but WAY easier in Portland than it would be here in Roanoke.  We found a few recipes to make for kids, by kids and are talking about making a YouTube channel for the girls, starring the girls as chefs.  They like to cook and are VERY smart and cute, so I think it will be fun!  They are coming to visit this summer, so we will try to do something then.
 

Natalie and her girls visiting with my girls.  COUSINS!

The Cooking Channel has a show called Unique Sweets and they have a lot of places in Portland.  We tried Kyra's Bake Shop where EVERYTHING is gluten free.  You can't taste any difference from gluten costly...er, expensive?   Full 'o gluten?  It was so successful that Natalie took the girls there for a treat after I left.

Natalie took me to Powell's Books.  Here is the Yelp link.  They have more than one store, but the one she took me to is an entire city block. At least two floors.  Might have been more but we had already fed the parking meter.  TWICE!

It had new and used books all mixed together.  The staff is knowledgeable and there is also a café.  The main store has over a million books.  Plus gifts and maps and it is fabulous.  I grew up going to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, so I KNOW fabulous bookstores.  Powell's is a fabulous bookstore!  Natalie and I bought a lot of books, but I had to leave before I was ready.  Only had one suitcase.

Mustard and Ginger Cookies

One of our guilty pleasures is watching Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel.  It is usually on late at night and it makes us so hungry.  And sad that the bakery that was supposed to go in the empty building in town never did.

Recently they were discussing mustard cookies.  Naturally, I had to do some recipe cruising on the internet and I found a recipe to try.  It is basically a ginger and spice cookie recipe with the addition of the mustard.  There was also a chocolate and mustard cookie recipe and I may try that another time.

 

Mustard and Ginger cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup sugar

 

Don't pre heat the oven.  This recipe has to sit in the refrigerator for one hour before baking.

Beat the butter until very light and fluffy.  This is best done in a stand mixer.  I used my Kitchen Aid.  When it is very light, and you will have to scrape the bowl down a few times, add the brown sugar and resume beating.  Beat until it is light brown and fluffy.  Once again you will have to scrape the bowl.

 

Next add the molasses and the egg.  Beat until incorporated.

 

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, mustard, pepper, salt and cloves.  Add them to the creamed mixture in three mostly equal batches.

 

When the flour is all mixed in, place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for one hour.

 

Heat the oven to 375°.  Place the 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl.  Use a medium cookie scoop and drop about four scoops of cookie dough in the sugar.  Roll them until covered in sugar and place on a cookie sheet.   I used a Silpat to keep them from sticking.

 

Bake for the surface cracks, about 11 to 14 minutes.  Let cool for about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

These cookies were very good.  But I was unable to taste any mustard.  Next time I make them, and I will, I will increase the amount of mustard used. I may even go up to 1 teaspoon and see what happens.