Perfect not-too-sweet molasses cookies

One thing I've noticed about dessert recipes: there's almost always too much sugar. Actually, it's not just in the recipes - even in store-bought cookies and pastries, I always found the sugar overwhelming. No, I'm not a sugar hater. I just believe that we eat too much sugar in general. In fact, the average American consumes more than 20 teaspoons of added sugar each day. That's about half a cup of sugar every day, 3 and 1/2 cups of sugar every week and 15 cups of sugar per month. This means that an average family of four eats (drumroll) a grand total of 60 cups of sugar a month.

That's why, of all my cookie recipes, I especially love this one. It's got just enough sugar, a chewy texture and a delightful hint of ginger. If you actually can stop yourself from eating them right away, I really recommend that you store them in a cupboard overnight, because they're even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
• In a large bowl, combine the oil and the sugar. Mix in the egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the oil mixture and mix until well combined.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls, slightly flatten and place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the bottom of the cookie is light brown. Cool on wire rack.

The "everything" bread dough

This is a quick recipe that I use over and over again; because it's so easy, you'll have no trouble memorizing it, and you'll find out that it's more handy than you would have ever believed.

With only this basic dough, you can make pizza crust, flat breads, hamburger buns, regular loaves of bread, raisin bread (my personal favorite), French baguettes, garlic bread... and everything else you can think of. You can probably even make some kind of a sugar/cinnamon mixture and make sticky buns with it. It's up to you to jazz up this recipe as much as you like and create a completely unique creation because somehow, no matter what you add to this dough, the end result tastes perfect.

So, I really recommend that you try out this recipe. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (you can also use whole-wheat flour or bread flour)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp instant dry yeast
• 4 Tbsp white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven at 360° Fahrenheit.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. (Note: if you're making garlic bread or raisin bread, this is where you add the garlic or raisins.)
  
• Combine the water, yeast, and sugar; let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.
• Slowly pour the water mixture into the flour mixture and create the dough. Add extra flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Knead with your fists for 5 - 7 minutes.

- Hamburgers: Divide the dough into 12 parts, shape into buns and place onto 2 greased baking sheets. Let rise in a warm area for 30 - 40 minutes. (Tip: To rush this process, I cheat and install a normal desk lamp with a heating light bulb right next to the buns.) Bake for 20 minutes and let the buns cool down before slicing.

- Pizza crust: Let dough rise until doubled. Roll on a lightly floured surface and place on a large greased oven-safe pizza plate. Cover with toppings of your choice and bake until edges are golden-brown.

- Flat bread: Let dough rise until doubled. Roll on a lightly floured surface and place on a large greased oven-safe plate. Brush with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake for 20 minutes.

- Garlic bread: Finely chop 5 cloves of fresh garlic and add to the flour BEFORE adding the water mixture. Let dough rise until doubled. Roll on a lightly floured surface and place on a large greased oven-safe plate. Brush with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake for 20 minutes.

- Regular white bread: Divide the dough into two parts and place into two greased 8" x 4" bread pans. Let dough rise until doubled. Brush with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake for 20 minutes.

- Raisin bread: Use brown sugar instead of white sugar and add 1 cup of soaked raisins to the flour BEFORE adding the water mix. Divide the dough into two parts and place into two greased 8" x 4" bread pans. Let dough rise until doubled. Bake for 20 minutes.

One of these days...

It's a rainy, humid, and rather unpleasant day. The kind of day when a headache is unevitable, and when you just want to recluse behind your computer screen or TV and forget about the ugly, depressing weather.

It's also the perfect day for an almond bundt cake. The batter takes minutes to put together, then you just shove it in the oven, wait an hour and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 4 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup toasted slices almonds
  

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Set aside.
• In a mixer, cream together the margarine and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture and the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. Combine water and confectioner's sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and toasted sliced almonds; pour over warm cake.

What's your favorite summer food?

First things first: I am definitely NOT a summer person. At least, not in Montreal. If I lived in Alaska, then maybe I'd be a summer person. But honestly, who likes 36° C weather with 54% humidity? At least there might be a thunderstorm coming later on, but that's my only hope of making this day better. Until then, I'm going to hide inside the house and wish we actually had air conditioning.

Now that I've ranted a little, let's get to the nicer part of summer. Fruit smoothies, cold cucumber soups, chopped vegetables with fresh creamy dips, hotdogs fresh off the barbecue, lemonade with ice cubes, juicy watermelons... What is your favorite thing to eat on a boiling hot summer's day? Let me know! Post a comment below to share your opinion.

Your classical American meal... healthy and made from scratch.

It's a hot summer day, you're hungry and you really don't want to go to the grocery store. How would you like a juicy burger with crispy French fries on the side?

In this consumer world, it's hard to believe that you can actually make a hamburger completely from scratch - with French fries on the side. Believe it or not, though, it's possible. With a little bit of patience, a stove and some simple ingredients, you can put together a healthy classical hamburger dinner for the whole family.

First you'll need my quick & easy hamburger bun recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dill
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp dried yeast
• 4 Tbsp white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven at 360° Fahrenheit.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, garlic and dill.
• Combine the water, yeast, and sugar; let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.
• Slowly pour the water mixture into the flour mixture and create the dough. Add extra flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Knead with your fists for 5 - 7 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 12 parts, shape into buns and place onto 2 greased baking sheets. Let rise in a warm area for 30 - 40 minutes. (Tip: To rush this process, I cheat and install a normal desk lamp with a heating light bulb right next to the buns.)
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Let the buns cool down before slicing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
  
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup oatmeal flakes

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet, and cook the onion until tender.
• Combine all of the ingredients (including the cooked onion) and mix until the meat holds together. Add more oatmeal if necessary.
• Shape about 8 patties, and cook each side for about 8 minutes over medium-low heat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large potatoes (cut into French fry shape!)
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven at 400° Fahrenheit.
• Combine oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder and parsley. Coat potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 40 minutes in preheated oven.

Might as well start with a favorite.

I'm really excited to get this blog up and running; and since it's a cooking blog I really better start posting some recipes... Of course, the first one that comes to my mind is also my favorite. (Or one of them.) It's a rich and creamy vegetarian version of a popular Indian dish: korma.

As described by Wikipedia, "Korma (sometimes spelt kormaa, qorma, khorma, or kurma) is a dish originating in South Asia which can be made with yoghurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk; it is usually considered a type of curry."

This particular recipe, which I originally found at AllRecipes, has been a hit with every single person I've served it to. Slightly sweet and just a little spicy, it will be loved by adults and children alike.

Serve it on basmati rice, garnish with fresh coriander and offer naan bread on the side. I've also served it next to tandoori chicken and it was fantastic. In the future I also want to try it out with cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 3 large potatoes, cubed
• 4 carrots, cubed
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
• 5 tablespoons ground unsalted cashews
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

• In a medium pot, steam the potatoes and carrots together until the potatoes are cooked but slightly firm.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix in potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
• Enjoy!

Well, this is me.

Let's start with the basic, boring stuff: my name is Maia. I'm 15 years old (going on 16) and I live in beautiful, sunny Montreal, Canada.

I love to live & learn. I guess you could call me a "multi-talented" person but frankly, I'm far from being talented at everything I do. I'm trying my hand at cooking, gradually getting better at web design, discovering photography, and so much more really. I guess I'm more of a freak than anything else.

I'm really excited about getting this blog up; cooking is a part of my life and always will be. While some people may see it as a bothersome chore, I see it as something which can be turned into an adventure. It's a necessity, and can't be avoided; but it can be made into something much pleasanter if you put your heart into it.

Why do I cook? Well, my parents are pretty busy. My sister apparently decided early on in her childhood that she sucked at cooking. So, I just decided I'd do it, and since I'd do it I might as well enjoy it. I really started loving cooking when I discovered AllRecipes.com (I highly recommend this website!). Most of my recipes come from there.

I'm definitely looking forward to chatting about this great hobby on my new blog... thanks for reading this far already.