Baking... with a Vengeance

it's officially february now and winter is still in full swing. :( all this cold, wet, dreary weather (plus some extra time on my hands... gotta love 4th yr, haha) makes me in the mood to bake. below are some sweets (yes, healthy!) to try out for yourself. enjoy!

Gingerbread Squares (courtesy cooking light)

* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or plain nonfat yogurt)
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, and baking soda, stirring with a whisk.
3. Combine sugar, milk, molasses, butter, and egg in large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Fortune Cookies
(courtesy all recipes- fun to make but not sure if it's worth all the effort)

*2 egg whites
*1/4 tsp vanilla extract
*2 pinches of salt
*1/2 cup flour
*4 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
2. Mix egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift flour, salt, and sugar and blend into egg white mixture.
3. Place teaspoonfuls of batter at least 4 in apart. Spread with spoon or tilt sheet to move the batter into round circles about 3 inches in diameter. Make batter as round and even as possible. Be sure it is VERY thin, so that you can almost see the cookie sheet behind it.
(Do not make more than 2 at a time- the cookie has to be really hot to form and once it cools, it's too late)
4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale.

Note: Next steps require FAST movements!!!
5. Remove from oven. Use spatula to flip cookie upside down on plate. Quickly place fortune in middle of cookie and fold cookie in half.
6. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into muffin tin to hold their shape until firm.
7. After all cookies made, turn off heat in oven. Place muffin tin with cookies in them back in oven to get more of a golden color.