Show Mom some love this Mother’s Day!

Do not leave your best friend out of your holiday baking this year! Here are 2 tested and bark-approved recipes for gingerbread dog cookies!  We found these recipes on two wonderful websites that are listed below!

Gingerbread Dog Biscuits
By Randi Dukes, of Dukes & Dutchesses

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon Organic Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Organic Ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix in the oil, molasses, and water; let sit for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut out the cookies with bone-shaped cookie cutters. Transfer to the cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes until firm. Take out, cool and beware of drool!

Gingerbread Dog Biscuits
By The Comfy Belly

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oat flour (or brown rice, or other flour)
1 teaspoon Organic Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Organic Ground Ginger
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cooked, pureed squash (butternut, pumpkin, or other kind)
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and blend well.
3. Add the eggs, squash, and molasses to the bowl and blend the mixture until it forms a ball of dough. I use a mixer, but you can also use a spatula, food processor, or your hands.
4. Separate the dough into two balls. Place one ball of dough on a non-stick baking mat, piece of parchment paper or counter-top with some flour sprinkled over it to prevent sticking.
5. Place a piece of parchment paper or other non-stick paper or mat over the ball of dough. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick.
6. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes out and place them on baking or cookie sheets. The biscuits don’t spread so no need to spread them out much across the baking sheets. Repeat until all the dough has been cut into biscuits.
7. Bake the dough for 15 minutes, and then turn each biscuit over and bake for another 15 minutes.
   Cool and store sealed at room temperature for a month or so, or in the refrigerator for a few months.

Makes about 24 biscuits

Holiday time is the time to discover new tastes – and what better way to explore than with cookies! Here are some of our favorites that we are sure you will love this holiday season!!

For Gingerbread Dog Treats recipes click here!

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

This is a slice-and-bake shortbread-like cookie with a hint of Earl Grey tea and lemon. It is a pretty simple cookie with only a few ingredients. We got this recipe from Janet @ The Taste Space. Try it and tell us what you think!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely ground Organic Earl Grey Tea leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt**
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter, sugar, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes; freeze until firm, 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.

5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through,until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies!

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies 

These pumpkin spice sugar cookies are filled with pumpkin pie spice. The frosting is filled with spices and pumpkin spice coffee creamer. We found this wonderful recipe at crazyforcrust.com!

FOR THE COOKIES:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

FOR THE FROSTING:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.

2.  Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in egg and extract. Mix in organic pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour.

3. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough (use a cookie scoop if you have one) onto cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Take them out just as you notice the bottoms start to turn golden (or right before). They’ll finish cooking as they cool. If they get too golden on the bottom before you remove them, they won’t be as pillowy and soft!

5. Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

6. Make the frosting: Beat butter until creamy with a hand or a stand mixer. Mix in salt. Slowly add in powdered sugar until mixture is crumbly. (It will be very crumbly if using a hand mixer, more smooth if using a stand mixer.) Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon creamer. Mix until the frosting comes together and becomes smooth, adding additional tablespoons of creamer as needed for consistency. Frost.

Store at room temperature loosely covered. Frosting will semi-dry and cookies are stackable but some frosting may transfer. Enjoy!
 

Best Snickerdoodle Cookies

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s easy and cookies always turn out SOFT, which is pretty much a requirement for a good cookie! We found this recipe at lilluna.com and changed it a bit to use delicious Ceylon Cinnamon instead of regular cinnamon!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter (softened)
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2¾ cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 TB sugar
1 tsp. Organic Ceylon Sweet Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

2. Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs and blend well.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

4. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies!

Let us know how you like them!! Send us pictures and we will post them! 

Although this is a beautiful spice, it is one that many people are afraid to use.  Pretty to look at but what the heck do we do with it? Well here are some ideas!

What does Star Anise Taste like?

Star Anise has an almost perfect name with its classic star shape and the aroma of star anise is similar to anise seed and fennel but a bit more pungent. The taste is a bit sweet with licorice undertones and it provides a warm and mild numbing effect in the mouth.  Star Anise is often used in Oriental dishes with amazing results!

Star Anise Recipe

Star Anise pairs deliciously with apples!  We love this recipe by Nigel Slater:

Nigel Slater’s Poached Apples with Ginger and Anise!

* Dessert apples 3 small to medium in size
* Juice of half a lemon
*Unfiltered apple juice  400ml
* Golden caster sugar 2  tablespoons tbsp.
* Star anise 2 whole pieces
* Preserved ginger 40g
* Syrup from the ginger jar 4 tbsp

Directions: Peel the apples, halve them and remove their cores. Toss gently in the lemon juice.

Pour the apple juice into a pan (large enough to accommodate the apples later) then add the caster sugar, star anise, the ginger sliced into coins, and ginger syrup. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat so the liquid simmers gently.

Lower the fruit into the simmering syrup and leave partially covered with a lid until they are tender. They are ready when a skewer will glide effortlessly through their flesh, which should take around 15-20 minutes.

Lift the fruit from the syrup with a draining spoon and place on a serving dish or in smaller individual dishes. Turn up the heat and bring the syrup to the boil.

Serve warm, three halves of fruit per person, in little dishes or glasses with some of the apple- and spice‑scented syrup spooned over.

(Photo by Jonathan Lovekin)

Star Anise Crafts

Star Anise is so versatile you can also use it at home to spice up the holiday scents and cheer! Here are delicious ideas!

Star Anise Napkin Rings

This is taken from the Martha Stewart November 1998 issue!

To Make it: Thread a piece of suede cord (or ribbon) under the stiff stem of the spice pod. If there is no stem, place a small dab of hot glue on the back of the spice pod, then press it into the cord or ribbon. Roll your linen napkins, position the star anise in front, then tie the cord in the back to secure it.

Star Anise Wreaths

Star Anise wreaths are easy to make! Simply use a foam wreath (any size) and glue star anise pods all around the wreath! They look beautiful, rustic and smell fantastic! For a little extra spice, add cinnamon sticks!

Star Anise Tea?

You can even add one little star to a cup of tea or brew it by itself (beware it has a very strong flavor)!

It can be helpful to relieve several ailments like bronchial cough, indigestion, and the lower abdominal pain associated with PMS! (Be sure to

Go ahead – Order some Star Anise today!!