Merry Christmas!

As I am writing this, the peanut (aka my dog) snoozes her way on the couch and feels happy and satisfied. Can we all just stop for a minute and appreciate the life we live? Our pets teach us that every single day; to be happy with little things in life. We don't need money to feel rich, nor a lot of friends to feel loved. All that matters are the small things we have.

I wish you all think of something that you really love and appreciate tonight. Have a wonderful Christmas eve and be marry! 

Need some cookie inspiration?

You have probably realized that we are thiiiiis close to Christmas, right? If you are like me, you are freaking out a bit because there is so much to do with so little time. My plan for this week is to prepare the Christmas eve menu.

If you are deciding what to bake, let me help you with some suggestions. Click on the image to see the recipe.

Frosted Gingerbread Bites

Finding a perfect gift for me is always easy peasy. Just buy me an Essie polish or one or two a pair of shoes and that's it. I would also be happy with a cookbook since I love to try out new recipes and treat myself. I came across the Thug Kitchen Cookbook the other day and I love it. It is one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. So witty and fun with lots of good recipes that will make you hungry instantly. Those Frosted Gingerbread Bites are the first thing I had to do when I read the recipe. Besides, who can resist gingerbread in December?? What I absolutely love about those Gingerbread Bites is the fact that they are made in no time. I love Gingerbread Men, but hate to stand in the kitchen for two hours to finish one batch of pastry.

Since the recipe is written purely humorously, I present it to you just as it is. You can find it here.

1 ½ cups flour
2 tea spoons ground ginger
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
¼ tea spoon ground allspice
1 tea spoon baking powder
½ tea spoon baking soda
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup canned coconut milk
½ cup blackstrap molasses

For the frosting:
1 table spoon coconut milk
¾ tea spoon lemon juice
1/3 cup powder sugar, sifted 

Warm the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 baking pan and put a square of parchment paper at the bottom so this motherfucker won’t stick. Grab a medium bowl and dump in the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Whisk all that shit around to get out any brown sugar clumps.

In a small saucepan mix together the coconut milk and the molasses. Put it over a medium low heat until the mixture just starts to bubble on the edges. Slowly whisk the coconut milk mixture into the dry ingredients until there aren’t any more dry spots. The batter is going to be thick like a brownie batter but a little spongy. Calm the fuck down before you email me and just trust that shit is correct. Pour the batter into the baking pan and gently move it around so that it is mostly even. Bake for 25-30 minutes. An easy way to check if it’s done is to poke the middle of that motherfucker with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Once you see that shit is done, pull it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Be sure to turn the oven off. Go check that shit right now, since we’re talking about it. Now you should be able to gently slide the cake out of the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack or plate or whateverthefuck you got. When it’s cool enough, cut it up into two-inch squares. If you want to frost that shit, I recommend doing it the day you serve the bites. 

FROSTING:

Grab a small saucepan and gently warm the coconut milk at a low-medium heat for just about 15-30 seconds. You don’t want that shit boiling, just hot. Turn off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If the frosting looks too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Before it starts to harden, take a spoon and drizzle it over the cake. Crisscross the drizzle and make it look all fancy or just pour that shit on if you don’t give a fuck.