Make a batch gingerbread waffles for cozy winter mornings! They’re sweet and spiced, topped with powdered sugar and a drizzle of syrup.

Ready for the best winter tradition? Make up a batch of these Gingerbread Waffles! There’s nothing cozier than the smell of ginger and cloves wafting through the kitchen. We’d rather eat our treats as breakfast than in cookie form, so we created this fun recipe which has turned into a December tradition. Slather them in almond butter and top with a little powdered sugar and maple syrup as a deliciously cozy breakfast treat!

Ingredients in gingerbread waffles

These gingerbread waffles are similar to our Perfect Waffle recipe, with a few added ingredients to bring in that gingerbread cookie flavor. They’re just sweet enough: the ideal sweetness for topping with another drizzle of maple syrup. Here’s what you’ll need to bring it all together:

• All purpose flour and whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour makes a light and crispy texture, so make sure to grab it at the store
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Sugar
• Spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves
• Molasses: this is the kicker; molasses gives warmth and depth to the gingerbread flavor
• Butter
• Milk of choice, either dairy or non-dairy like oat milk or almond milk
• Eggs

Belgian waffles vs standard

You can use this gingerbread waffles batter to make either Belgian or standard waffles. Of course, it simply depends on your waffle iron! Our personal preference is Belgian waffles, since they’re thicker and look more impressive. (Here’s the Belgian waffle iron we use.) What’s the difference?

• Belgian waffles are twice as large as regular waffles. They’re 1.5 inches thick with a deep grid pattern. One serving size is half of a Belgian waffle, since it’s double the size of a standard waffle. When serving, we like to break them apart into wedges.
• Regular waffles, aka American waffles are about 1/2-inch thick. If you’re making a standard waffle, the serving size is 1 waffle.

Tips on cooking gingerbread waffles

For these gingerbread waffles, we tried a new method for cooking them that makes ruffled edges. We love the look of these: and you can make more waffles in a single batch! This may be our new favorite method moving forward. Here’s how to do it:

• Ruffled edges: Simply use a little less batter in your waffle iron: about 2/3 cup for a Belgian waffle maker or � cup for a standard waffle maker.
• Full circular waffles: Use a heaping 1 cup for a Belgian waffle maker or a heaping ½ cup for a standard waffle marker.

Of course, these quantities depend on the waffle maker: so eyeball it and adjust quantities as necessary.

Toppings for gingerbread waffles

One thing we like about these gingerbread waffles? They’re just sweet enough but not overly saccharine. Make sure to add a drizzle of real maple syrup, required to accentuate the sweetness. We like to top them with nut butter to bring some protein to the breakfast and balance out the sweetness. It really makes them stick! Here’s how we recommend serving them, and then a few other ideas:

• Pure maple syrup: Required to accentuate the sweetness
• Powdered sugar: to get that snowy effect
• Nut butter like almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter or walnut butter
• Berry jam or compote like raspberry compote
• Pomegranate seeds
• Whipped cream like homemade whipped cream
• Greek yogurt sweetened with maple syrup

More Christmas breakfast ideas

And that’s it: we hope you love these gingerbread waffles! Here are a few more treats that would work as Christmas breakfast ideas:

• Try cozy Gingerbread Pancakes
• Make a festive Raspberry Braided Bread
• Bake a big pan of Baked Oatmeal or Hearty Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

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Gingerbread Pancakes

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Raspberry Braided Bread Recipe

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Everyday Baked Oatmeal

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Hearty Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

This gingerbread waffles recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

This Christmas wreath charcuterie board is the perfect festive touch to any holiday party! It’s stunning and delicious! Plus, it’s super easy to make and all of your guests will be so impressed!

If you are looking for more holiday appetizers to make this Christmas season then try out these Christmas Cornflake Wreaths, this AMAZING Cranberry Salsa, and these delicious homemade Madeleines!

Christmas Wreath Charcuterie

This wreath isn’t meant to be hung on your door… it’s meant to be eaten! Which is the best kind of wreath in my opinion! I LOVE a good charcuterie (shar-koo-tuh-ree) board! They are SO delicious and you can literally make them for any occasion. I love how fancy they look and how you can put whatever you want on them to make them just what your party needs! This board is no exception! Filled with Christmas colors and delicious cheeses, fruits, and meat… It’s going to catch the attention of each and every one of your guests!

The best part about this is that it’s SO simple to make but it looks like a million bucks! I have included the step-by-step instructions to take you through exactly what you need to do to make this on your own at home. Once you are done, you will want to make a charcuterie board for everything! And you can! I love to make them with kid-friendly snacks for my kids to eat after school. They think it’s so fancy and they love it! There is no right way to make this so get creative and go crazy!

Cheese to Use for a Christmas Wreath Charcuterie

I like to start out building up a charcuterie board with my cheeses. As I said, feel free to use whatever items that you want on your board! Here are the cheeses that I used on this board:

• Garlic Herb Brie
• English Cheddar Cheese
• Cranberry Cheese
• Cranberry Cinnamon Goat’s Milk Cheese

If you love cheese and want to add in some more or these cheeses aren’t available then you could also try manchego, provolone, and pepper jack! You can’t go wrong with using more cheese!

Meats To Use on a Christmas Wreath Charcuterie

I didn’t load up this board with too many meats! But the beauty of these boards is that you can do that and use only exactly what you want! I used one specifically because I knew that I could form it into a gorgeous flower! For this board I used:

• Italian Dry Salami

If you want to add in more meats and less cheese and fruits then I suggest using some pepperoni, prosciutto, Spanish chorizo, or capocollo!

Next Comes the Fruit!

The key to making a Christmas charcuterie wreath turn out so festive are the colors that you put on it! And the most color that you will get will be from the fruits that you pick! I picked some bold colors so that they would really pop on my board. Here are the fruits that I used:

• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Pomegranate
• Cranberries
• Blueberries

I especially like to add fruit to a charcuterie board not only because it’s a classic ingredient but because of the great taste and texture. It’s nice to have some juicy, fresh taste to complement all of the savory meats and cheeses!

Don’t Forget the Nuts, Crackers and Sweets!

The final ingredients that you add to this board really take it to the next level in taste and texture! Adding in the nuts, crackers, and chocolates will be what set your board apart, and finish it off before you are ready to garnish! Here are the nuts, crackers, and sweets that I used:

• Pistachios
• Candied pecans
• Baked crackers
• Ghiradelli peppermint bark squares

This part of the board is a big mixture of salty and sweet which is so important! Using both makes it so that they will go with everything else on the board! If you would like to add more of these things then you can try using some chocolate whoppers, wheat thins, walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts!

Let’s Put it All Together!

Now that you’ve gathered all of the ingredients for this board, it’s time for the fun part! To put it together and make this Christmas wreath charcuterie board! It’s so pretty and delicious! It will definitely be the star of the party!

1. Add cheese: In a circular shape, start assembling your board by adding the cheeses.
2. Arrange the meat: Then, you want to add the meats. I used a small cup and arranged the salami like a flower.
3. Place the fruit: Add in your fruits
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients: Fill the board in with chocolate, nuts and crackers.
5. Garnish: Add the rosemary in the center and outline the wreath. Then, add some sprigs in the outside edges.

These Potato Latkes are a delicious recipe to make for celebrating Hanukkah or just because.

When I was in college, I worked at a Jewish elementary school for a couple of years. I’m not Jewish myself, but I did have the opportunity to learn about a lot of the Jewish traditions and foods associated with them. I ate a lot of challah bread and sampled many potato latkes too.

Ingredients needed:

• potatoes
• onions
• eggs
• matzo meal
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• peanut oil
• sour cream and applesauce, for serving

How to make Potato Latkes:

Grate the potatoes and onion together in the food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate them both by hand. The juices from the onion will help prevent the potatoes from turning brown. Transfer the grated onion/potato to a clean dish towel, wrap it up and squeeze the liquid from the mixture. Squeeze hard to get it all out!

Put the squeezed-dry onion-potato mixture in a bowl. Stir in eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a pan. Add a small amount of the onion/potato mixture to the pan and fry it on both sides to test out the temperature of the oil. You want it to be golden brown on both sides.

Fry the latkes by adding 1/2 cup of the mixture to the pan shaped in pancake form. They will need to fry for about 5 minutes on each side to be nice and golden brown and cooked through.

One tip to keep in mind as you’re forming the latkes is that the leftover liquid is going to accumulate on the bottom of the bowl. So as you get to the last of the potato mixture, just give each batch a squeeze so you’re not bringing extra liquid into the pan.

What do you serve with latkes?

You can eat potato latkes on their own. But they’re especially good with a little sour cream or applesauce. Chives are good on top too.

Here are a few more potato recipes you might like to try:

• Hasselback Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Air Fried Buttery Steakhouse Potatoes
• Lemon Salt-Roasted Potatoes
• Twice Baked Potatoes

The post Potato Latkes appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

Talk about decadence, these brownie sandwich cookies are simply swoon-worthy, with a duo of fillings sandwiched between two rich, brownie-like cookies. They’re part cookie, part brownie, part chocolate truffle… and entirely delicious.

The cookies themselves are soft, chewy, and undeniably fudgy, with a silky smooth chocolate ganache filling and a hidden core of raspberry jam. The tartness of the raspberry counterbalances the richness of the chocolate ganache filling perfectly, resulting in an unforgettable sandwich cookie that you have to taste to believe.

Start your ovens, cookie season is upon us!

When I was developing my my stuffed Cosmic brownie cookies, I remember thinking that the soft, flat chocolate cookies (sans filling) would be perfect for sandwich cookies, filing away the though for later.

The recipe itself is nearly identical, just smaller and with the filling sandwiched between cookies rather than baked inside. I also added a pinch of espresso to the cookie base to further intensify the chocolate flavor.

The smaller cookies don’t spread quite as much as the stuffed versions (I’d have been ok if they had come out a wee bit thinner), but the cookie is so perfectly rich and fudgy that I really didn’t want to mess with it.

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I was pulling the sad remnant of a vanilla bean from a bag of sugar the other day, and it got me thinking about using whole vanilla beans. The entire pod. I’m sure this isn’t a unique concept, but for whatever reason, it’s not something I’d ever considered before. I started thinking it through a bit, and landed on the idea of pureeing a whole pod in a food processor to use in something. Perhaps adding some sugar to bulk it out the vanilla bean a bit. After a bit of experimenting, I landed on these little cookies. I love them!

These cookies are super simple to make – snappy, small, and fragrant, with a sloppy kiss of vanilla, and a right hook of salt to balance everything out. Any tiny pieces of vanilla bean that survived the processor are a bit like having vanilla-kissed flecks of raisins cut into the dough.

I made the cookies with a blend of rye and all-purpose flours, but I suspect you could make them using either all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour without any trouble. And, as far as the vanilla bean goes, the key is starting with a good pod, one that is pliable and from a reputable source. I tested these with Nielson-Massey beans because I know many of you have access, and they seem to be widely distributed.

I love sharing these as part of a cookie plate, or cookie gift box alongside other favorite cookies. You can have a look at all the past cookie recipes, or jump right into these favorite shortbread, sables, snickerdoodles, puddle cookies and the like!

Have you all come across other whole vanilla ideas/recipes? – I’ve held off googling.

Continue reading Whole Bean Vanilla Cookies on 101 Cookbooks

Growing up we called these cookies “chocolate gingersnaps” but they’re not like a crunchy gingersnap at all, they’re actually a classic soft and chewy molasses cookie full of warm spices and chunks of melty chocolate. These Chocolate Molasses Cookies are the perfect cozy cookie for cold winter days and they pair perfectly with a hot cup of cocoa or coffee (especially with my gingerbread creamer). And the best part? They freeze beautifully, so you can keep a batch in your freezer and just take one or two out at a time to enjoy with your afternoon cup of tea or coffee. :)

Originally posed 12/11/2011, updated 11/29/2021.

Why You’ll Love these Molasses Cookies

Molasses creates an incredible chewy texture when added to cookies, as well as a slight sweetness with a rich and earthy flavor. If regular cookies tend to be a bit too sweet for you, I bet you’ll be a fan of these chocolate molasses cookies. Not only is the sweetness not super over the top, but the warm spices and semi-sweet chocolate give the cookie a little kick that helps counteract the sweetness. The flavor combination is absolute heaven!

What Kind of Molasses to Use

I used Grandma’s Original Molasses for these cookies. While you can use blackstrap molasses, keep in mind that it has a much more intense, slightly bitter flavor and the ingredients in these cookies were not formulated using that type of molasses. Will it still be good? Maybe! At the end of the day, that’s going to be a matter of personal preference.

How to Store Chocolate Molasses Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, store them in an air-tight container to keep them from going stale. The cookies will keep at room temperature for about a week, or you can freeze them for about three months. I absolutely love keeping these in the freezer so I can take just one or two out at a time. I like to microwave the frozen cookie for a few seconds to make it extra soft and gooey.

Can I Substitute the Fresh Ginger?

While I do think the fresh ginger is what makes these cookies extra special, you can substitute it for more ground dried ginger if needed. If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, use two teaspoons of dried ginger instead of the 1 ¼ tsp listed in the recipe below.

 

How to Make Chocolate Molasses Cookies – Step By Step Photos

Add 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1.25 tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, and 1 tsp baking powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.

Add 8 Tbsp room temperature butter, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ cup molasses to a separate bowl.

Use a mixer to beat the wet ingredients together until they are light and creamy.

Begin mixing in the flour mixture at low speed, adding about ½ cup at a time, until all of it is incorporated.

Roughly chop the semi-sweet chocolate. You definitely want it to be fairly chunky.

Stir the chopped chocolate into the cookie dough.

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic, then refrigerate for about an hour to help firm it up. You can refrigerate overnight if needed.

When you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place ¼ granulated sugar in a small bowl. Divide the cookie dough into four equal-sized pieces, then divide each quarter into six small pieces (24 total pieces). Roll each piece into a ball, then roll the ball in the granulated sugar to coat. 

Place twelve of the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the cookies in the preheated 325ºF oven for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly cracked on top. Repeat with the second 12 cookies.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes, or serve warm. Allow the cookies to cool completely to room temperature before storing in an air-tight container.

The post Chocolate Molasses Cookies appeared first on Budget Bytes.

This easy vegetable pasta pairs spaghetti with colorful roasted veggies! It’s a healthy dinner idea for loading up on the good stuff.

No matter how many healthy, easy dinner ideas we have in our repertoire, we’re always in need of another. Here’s our newest idea for loading up on good stuff: meet this Vegetable Pasta! It’s a combination between cozy comfort food and a vegetable-powered healthy meal, pairing roasted vegetables with bright marinara and Parmesan cheese. Here’s how to make it!

Elements in this vegetable pasta

This vegetable pasta is the best combination of loads of veggies and the homey feel of a great spaghetti marinara. For the veggies, we wanted to select colorful vegetables with peak nutrition. Here’s what you’ll need (though of course, you can substitute any of your favorite veggies):

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Bell peppers (red and yellow)
• Onion

This vegetable pasta is full of Vitamin C! Half of a bell pepper provides 84% of your daily vitamin C, and one serving of cauliflower has 77%: not to mention other nutrients and vitamins. It’s a great way to eat your veggies while slurping up a bowl of pasta. (See more at Bell pepper nutrition and Cauliflower nutrition).

More vegetables to add

Many different types of vegetables work in this vegetable pasta recipe! You can add about another 8 ounces of veggies to the quantities in the recipe below. But keep in mind: the quantity is important. You’ll need to divide it all the veggies between two baking sheets without stacking them (otherwise the veggies steam instead of roasting). Here are some other vegetables that would taste great here:

• Mushrooms (add 8 ounces to the other vegetable quantities below)
• Brussels sprouts, cut in half
• Sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
• Green beans
• Asparagus

Protein adders for vegetable pasta

This vegetable pasta recipe is a tasty dinner idea for when you want to infuse veggies into your life. But keep in mind: you’ll need to supplement it with some protein for a filling meal. Here are some ideas for what you can add, either in the pasta itself or on the side:

• Chickpeas: make these Easy Chickpeas while the veggies roast
• White beans: make these Easy White Beans
• Edamame: try this Skillet Edamame
• Goat cheese: stir in 2 to 4 ounces goat cheese for a creamy sauce
• Shrimp: make Sautéed Shrimp
• Chicken: add cooked chicken
• Vegan meatballs: add these protein-packed Vegan Meatballs

Tips for cooking pasta to al dente

The key to this roasted vegetable pasta recipe, outside of the veggies? Cooking the pasta to the perfect al dente. Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian: pasta that’s tender with a firm center. Overcooked pasta turns out rubbery and unappetizing: and it actually has less nutrients and makes you less full! Here are some tips on how to cook pasta to al dente:

• Set your timer a few minutes before the package instructions indicate. The timing on many pasta packages makes for overcooked pasta. Start taste testing the pasta a few minutes before the package says to.
• Taste test and look for small white fleck at the core. You want to catch it right when there’s a small white fleck at the core, or just when it disappears. Move quickly: pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in a matter of seconds!

Vegan variation

How to serve this vegetable pasta as vegan? There’s one easy swap: omit the Parmesan cheese or use this homemade Vegan Parmesan! It’s made with cashews, garlic powder and nutritional yeast, and it adds a nice boost of savory flavor. It’s not required here, but it does elevate the recipe.

More vegetable pasta recipes

There are so many tasty ways to add veggies to your pasta! Here are some great pasta recipes that make healthy dinner ideas:

• Opt for fan favorite Roasted Eggplant Pasta
• Try Cherry Tomato Pasta
• Go for Vegan Pasta Primavera
• Try Creamy Cavatappi Pasta with cauliflower sauce
• Opt for Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

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Roasted Eggplant Pasta

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Mushroom Pasta with Parmesan

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Vegan Pasta Primavera

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Cherry Tomato Pasta

This roasted vegetable pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese or use Vegan Parmesan.

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A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.