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How our hobbies teach us when we're not even looking

7/22/2022

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Ginger cookie in the shape of a heart on a white plate
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Not much snap and even less ginger
When the recipe for gingersnaps called for more ground cinnamon than ground ginger, I questioned it. Seems a recipe for gingersnaps should call for more ginger than cinnamon, right?

I love to bake, especially cookies, and I've been looking for recipes that are a little more substantial, with less sugar (I know, it's a cookie, they are inherently sweet). Anyway, I found a recipe to try, but did raise an eyebrow when it called for more cinnamon than ginger.

I decided to follow the recipe as it was written, and no surprise, they tasted like cinnamon cookies ... and not at all snappy.

Experimenting
But I wanted to try again, this time eliminating the cinnamon altogether, doubling the ground ginger, and adding fresh ginger.

They're still not snappy, but that's OK, I like them ... and even the one who usually raises an eyebrow at my "crunchy granola" experiments likes them.

While I have no idea how the science of baking works, like why we use baking soda vs. baking power (or with these cookies, add both), I knew I could eliminate the ground cinnamon, replace it with ground ginger, and add the fresh ... from lots of other baking experiments.

Learning without even trying
It's why I love hobbies. We get to learn and experiment while doing the things we want to do. To follow our interest as long as we want. Or quit if that feels better ... which is why I like to bake cookies, not bread.

What are your favorite hobbies ... and which were your one-and-done?

Let me know!

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Summer, and the baking is easy

6/29/2020

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Picture
Crumb, cobbler, or crisp?

What's the difference? A fruit crumb is a lot like a crisp with a streudel-like topping, but a crisp has oats in the mix. Cobblers have a dough that bakes on top of the fruit.

They're all good, but I must say, crisp is my go-to preference. It's easy, requires only a few ingredients, it's really good, and you can go from recipe to plate in an hour or less.
sliced peaches
Fruit Crisp:
4-6 cups fresh fruit
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut up
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats

Preheat over to 350°F
Arrange fruit (sliced peaches, nectarines, apples) on the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish (or a pie plate, or loaf pan will do).

Using a fork or  your hands, combine the sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt. Add rolled oats.

Sprinkle mixture over the top of the fruit.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, the edges are browned, and crumb topping is golden brown.
baked peach crisp with a dollop of vanilla yogurt
Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt, or whipped cream. Or eat it straight up. Oh, and it's really good warm.

*You can also use blueberries or a combination of fruits like blueberries and peaches, apples and cranberries (a good autumn combo).

Let me know if you make it or have a different recipe to share.

Picture
Weird but good.
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