Welcome to Thursday Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a while and let us know what is new with you. One of my absolute favorite spices is ginger. I actually have a recipe for ginger cookies that uses ginger in three different forms.
Ginger root is one of the important medicines in traditional Chinese medicine. It is frequently used to help settle stomach upsets. While Western medicine is still studying ginger they are especially focusing in the areas of digestion, blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma, and cancer.
I use ginger as a food product and love the warming taste of it. You can find fresh ginger in the produce section. You should pick light firm fleshed roots. Fresh ginger can be fibrous. It can be finely minced or grated on a microplane grater. I have also used it as julienned slices in dishes.
I loved candied ginger and use it whenever my stomach is upset. You can find this in the ethnic section of many stores. I get mine at Harris Teeters.
What are some of your favorite spices?
The Ultimate Ginger Cookie
Cookies: 60
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
¾ cup unsalted butter -- softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar -- packed
¼ cup molasses
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 whole egg
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ginger root -- finely minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ ounces crystallized ginger -- ground fine
¼ cup sugar
Heat oven to 350°F.
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in the molasses and egg. Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, crystallized ginger, and ginger root.
Shape dough into walnut size balls and roll in sugar. Put on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool on rack.
Per Serving: 64 Calories; 2g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 44mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; ½ Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
L'arpie Michele and Three Kinds of Ginger