Beth Cato's Blog, page 137
November 20, 2013
Bready or Not: Mini Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
I'm officially in love with mini donuts.
Why? Let me list the reasons.
- mini donuts are small enough to be an indulgence, though that can make them dangerous in an I-can't-have-just-one kinda way
- they bake remarkably fast--much faster than cookies
- glazes can be switched out or omitted, easily changing the flavor
- if I pack them with wax paper between layers, they are very portable
The recipe for these donuts came from the packaging material for my mini doughnut pan. It also was a screwed-up recipe, as it stated that it made twelve donuts. Hello, you included this recipe with MINI DONUT PANS. Math isn't my strong point, but even I could predict it would make 36 luscious little pumpkin donuts.
Speaking of the pumpkin, I had a 1/3 of pumpkin puree left from other recipes. This called for a 1/2 cup. Did I let that stop me? Nope. The recipe turned out just fine, so look at this as a good thing to make if you have just a dab of pumpkin leftover. You could probably even throw in some applesauce if you wanted.
I seriously love the glaze here. I ganked it from another donut recipe where the donuts ended up as tasteless airy things--but the glaze was the keeper. Ah, maple. I looooove maple. It complements pumpkin so well. Since these donuts are so small, they don't end up being overly sweet, either.
Of course, you could just drop these in a bag of powdered sugar or simply sift some over the top, but... but... MAPLE.
DO IT.
Mini Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
Modified from Food Network packaging with donut pan
Donuts:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground nutmeg
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (or use light brown and add a drizzle of molasses)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon maple extract
1) Preheat oven to 425-degrees and use nonstick spray on mini donut pan. Set up cooling racks with aluminum foil or wax paper beneath for easy clean up.
2) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, beat together egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, buttermilk, butter and vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients until just mixed.
4) Using an icing bag or a gallon bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the dough into the mini donut pan. Do NOT fill them to the top--they will double as they bake. [I find three circuits of dough in each mold to be just enough.]
5) Bake 5-7 minutes, until the donuts are springy to the touch. Let them cool in pan a few minutes and then use something like a chopstick to coax them out. Set donuts on rack to cool. Use nonstick spray on the pan before filling with dough again.
Will make about 36 mini donuts.
For the glaze:
Combine sifted powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk, and maple extract. Stir. Add more milk if it's still too thick. Gently dip one side of donut (I do the darker bottom) in the glaze and then set to dry. Coat all donuts and then double-dip some with any remaining glaze.
OM NOM NOM.
Why? Let me list the reasons.
- mini donuts are small enough to be an indulgence, though that can make them dangerous in an I-can't-have-just-one kinda way
- they bake remarkably fast--much faster than cookies
- glazes can be switched out or omitted, easily changing the flavor
- if I pack them with wax paper between layers, they are very portable
The recipe for these donuts came from the packaging material for my mini doughnut pan. It also was a screwed-up recipe, as it stated that it made twelve donuts. Hello, you included this recipe with MINI DONUT PANS. Math isn't my strong point, but even I could predict it would make 36 luscious little pumpkin donuts.
Speaking of the pumpkin, I had a 1/3 of pumpkin puree left from other recipes. This called for a 1/2 cup. Did I let that stop me? Nope. The recipe turned out just fine, so look at this as a good thing to make if you have just a dab of pumpkin leftover. You could probably even throw in some applesauce if you wanted.
I seriously love the glaze here. I ganked it from another donut recipe where the donuts ended up as tasteless airy things--but the glaze was the keeper. Ah, maple. I looooove maple. It complements pumpkin so well. Since these donuts are so small, they don't end up being overly sweet, either.
Of course, you could just drop these in a bag of powdered sugar or simply sift some over the top, but... but... MAPLE.
DO IT.
Mini Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
Modified from Food Network packaging with donut pan
Donuts:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground nutmeg
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (or use light brown and add a drizzle of molasses)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon maple extract
1) Preheat oven to 425-degrees and use nonstick spray on mini donut pan. Set up cooling racks with aluminum foil or wax paper beneath for easy clean up.
2) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, beat together egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, buttermilk, butter and vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients until just mixed.
4) Using an icing bag or a gallon bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the dough into the mini donut pan. Do NOT fill them to the top--they will double as they bake. [I find three circuits of dough in each mold to be just enough.]
5) Bake 5-7 minutes, until the donuts are springy to the touch. Let them cool in pan a few minutes and then use something like a chopstick to coax them out. Set donuts on rack to cool. Use nonstick spray on the pan before filling with dough again.
Will make about 36 mini donuts.
For the glaze:
Combine sifted powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk, and maple extract. Stir. Add more milk if it's still too thick. Gently dip one side of donut (I do the darker bottom) in the glaze and then set to dry. Coat all donuts and then double-dip some with any remaining glaze.
OM NOM NOM.
November 17, 2013
Sunday Quote finds this relevant for Nanowrimo
"I sit down religiously every morning, I sit down for eight hours every day--and the sitting down is all. In the course of that working day of 8 hours I write 3 sentences which I erase before leaving the table in despair... Sometimes it takes all my resolution and power of self-control to refrain from butting my head against the wall." ~Joseph Conrad
November 15, 2013
Historical Fiction Favorites
I read a lot. I'm nearing a total for 90 books for the year, and that includes a lot of Advance Reader Copies. There have been some new books this year I have passionately loved, in part because they offer new magical spins on one of my favorite genres since childhood: historical fiction. From age nine, I was hardcore into Laura Ingalls Wilder, Patricia Beatty, Rosemary Sutcliff, and numerous other authors. Now the books I read are a lot more grown-up, but still cozy and fun.
Another cool thing? I know some of these authors! That still makes me giddy. It's like I know the cool people and they know who I am, too.
The Golden City just came out at the beginning of November. I love this because it's set in 1902 Portugal with magic and SELKIES. If you know me, you know I have a thing for selkies. J. Kathleen Cheney brings a unique spin to marine mythology and creates an incredibly fun and sometimes creepy mystery.
On Amazon.
Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer also has the dark feel of a historical mystery, though this one is set in 1915 San Francisco with a backdrop of the World's Fair. Delia sees ghosts, and San Francisco has plenty of them--even more with a serial killer on the loose.
On Amazon.
I just realized these books are getting progressively darker as I tick through my mental list. Elisha Barber follows a medieval surgeon as he's dropped into warfare and magic. I'm a layman medical geek, as my own healer novels can attest, so this hit on a major interest of mine. E. C. Ambrose (who had a guest post on my blog a few months ago) manages to make a very angry protagonist into a likeable guy--a tricky thing.
On Amazon.
This last book doesn't involve magic. It's pure gritty realism, set in 1840s New York City. Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye is a historical mystery that reminds me a great deal of one of my favorite TV shows, Copper, though the show uses the same setting twenty years later. Gods of Gotham evokes a sense of squalor and desperation so intense you can taste it. It is not a good flavor, either. The sequel Seven for a Secret (which I read as an ARC) isn't quite as strong, but it's still an amazing, horrific book. The racism of the time--against the Irish and blacks in particular--is appalling. These are the sort of books that disturb you and educate you all at once.
On Amazon.
Have you read some fantastic new historical fiction this year, new release or not? Please share! I'm always on the look out for more books (as the stacks on my floor can attest.)
Another cool thing? I know some of these authors! That still makes me giddy. It's like I know the cool people and they know who I am, too.
The Golden City just came out at the beginning of November. I love this because it's set in 1902 Portugal with magic and SELKIES. If you know me, you know I have a thing for selkies. J. Kathleen Cheney brings a unique spin to marine mythology and creates an incredibly fun and sometimes creepy mystery.
On Amazon.
Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer also has the dark feel of a historical mystery, though this one is set in 1915 San Francisco with a backdrop of the World's Fair. Delia sees ghosts, and San Francisco has plenty of them--even more with a serial killer on the loose.
On Amazon.
I just realized these books are getting progressively darker as I tick through my mental list. Elisha Barber follows a medieval surgeon as he's dropped into warfare and magic. I'm a layman medical geek, as my own healer novels can attest, so this hit on a major interest of mine. E. C. Ambrose (who had a guest post on my blog a few months ago) manages to make a very angry protagonist into a likeable guy--a tricky thing.
On Amazon.
This last book doesn't involve magic. It's pure gritty realism, set in 1840s New York City. Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye is a historical mystery that reminds me a great deal of one of my favorite TV shows, Copper, though the show uses the same setting twenty years later. Gods of Gotham evokes a sense of squalor and desperation so intense you can taste it. It is not a good flavor, either. The sequel Seven for a Secret (which I read as an ARC) isn't quite as strong, but it's still an amazing, horrific book. The racism of the time--against the Irish and blacks in particular--is appalling. These are the sort of books that disturb you and educate you all at once.
On Amazon.
Have you read some fantastic new historical fiction this year, new release or not? Please share! I'm always on the look out for more books (as the stacks on my floor can attest.)
November 13, 2013
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
I used to think there was only one way to do snickerdoodles--the traditional Gold Medal Flour recipe. Then, many years ago, I found out snickerdoodle cakes existed.
Now, thanks to the internet, I am enlightened. I have a snickerdoodle-only board on Pinterest with over 30 entries--a count likely obsolete by the time this post goes live.
I've made a number of variations for my blog already: No-bake snickerdoodle cookie bites with Rolos. Philly cream cheese snickerdoodle cookies. Snickerdoodle loaf cake. Another no-bake snickerdoodle bite, using nut butter or Biscoff spread.
Today is an entirely new snickerdoodle for the list, and this one fits the fall theme.
These pumpkin snickerdoodles don't have a huge amount of pumpkin mixed in--just 3/4 cup. That's less than half a can of puree. That's all the recipe needs to add a gentle pumpkin flavor and vivid orange color. Foremost, the taste is classic snickerdoodle: cinnamon and sugar, and that signature tang of cream of tartar.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
modified from Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Makes about 40 using a tablespoon scoop.
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg until combined, then the pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients last and scrape down the bowl as needed.
3) Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a tablespoon, form dough into a ball and roll in the sugar and cinnamon. Space out dough on cookie sheet so it has room to spread.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set; since the cookies are tinted orange, it will be harder to judge doneness, but snickerdoodles always finish cooking outside of the oven. Cool the cookies on baking sheet about 10 to 15 minutes before moving to rack.
OM NOM NOM.
Now, thanks to the internet, I am enlightened. I have a snickerdoodle-only board on Pinterest with over 30 entries--a count likely obsolete by the time this post goes live.
I've made a number of variations for my blog already: No-bake snickerdoodle cookie bites with Rolos. Philly cream cheese snickerdoodle cookies. Snickerdoodle loaf cake. Another no-bake snickerdoodle bite, using nut butter or Biscoff spread.
Today is an entirely new snickerdoodle for the list, and this one fits the fall theme.
These pumpkin snickerdoodles don't have a huge amount of pumpkin mixed in--just 3/4 cup. That's less than half a can of puree. That's all the recipe needs to add a gentle pumpkin flavor and vivid orange color. Foremost, the taste is classic snickerdoodle: cinnamon and sugar, and that signature tang of cream of tartar.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
modified from Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Makes about 40 using a tablespoon scoop.
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg until combined, then the pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients last and scrape down the bowl as needed.
3) Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a tablespoon, form dough into a ball and roll in the sugar and cinnamon. Space out dough on cookie sheet so it has room to spread.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set; since the cookies are tinted orange, it will be harder to judge doneness, but snickerdoodles always finish cooking outside of the oven. Cool the cookies on baking sheet about 10 to 15 minutes before moving to rack.
OM NOM NOM.
November 10, 2013
Sunday Quote likes odd numbers
"I believe in not quite knowing. A writer needs to be doubtful, questioning. I write out of curiosity and bewilderment... I've learned a lot I could not have learned if I were not a writer." ~William Trevor
November 6, 2013
Bready or Not: Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie with Ginger Snap Crust
And now for something completely different!
This variant of pumpkin pie is no bake, or almost no bake. It's fast, easy, and can be made quite healthy with a few easy modifications. The original recipe was snipped from an issue of Relish Magazine a few years ago.
Most sweet recipes I make, sample, and then send the majority off with my husband to his work. I try to eat healthy for the most part--I've weighed a hundred pounds more, and I don't want to go back there--and pies just plain are not portable. If the pie was going to stay home, I wanted to be able to eat it.
My first concern: the crust. I could have bought a graham cracker crust from the store--making this a completely no bake recipe--but I wanted more control over the ingredients. I compared a couple of ginger snap pie crust recipes and found one with a lower amount of cookies and butter. I also used xylitol instead of white sugar, which lowered the sugar calories by 40%.
The filling: I am not a fan of ice cream. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I am, however, a hardcore connoisseur of frozen yogurt. I adore those pay-by-the-ounce places and love that the yogurts are low calorie and taste amazing.
One of my favorite local places, Dream Swirls, does a nifty thing. When they are running low on a flavor, they fill tubs with the yogurt and then sell it for a good price. I poked around in their freezer for one that was close to vanilla, and chose angel food cake flavor. That's what I used in this recipe.
I baked my crust for five minutes. I assembled the pie contents. When I went to lick the bowl afterward, I was appalled. The flavors were too strong. I was in dread that the whole pie would need to be dumped.
Don't go by first impressions!
The first day, the initial flavor is very strong, especially from the molasses. After that, it mellows considerably. It actually gets more delicious by the day. The ginger snap flavor pairs beautifully with the pumpkin. I added a touch of maple syrup to the recipe, too, and I think it softens the heaviness of the molasses. Really, the pie is a great marriage of autumn flavors, and it's ideal for a Phoenix autumn because it's nice and cool.
This is a recipe I will make again and again.
Ginger Snap Crust
tweaked from Relish Magazine
Ingredients:
30 hard ginger snap cookies (about 1.5 cups in crumbs)
2 Tb white sugar or xylitol
4 Tb (half stick) melted butter
water (if needed)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a blender or food processor (or use a gallon bag and rolling pin), crush the cookies. In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. If you pinch the mixture between your fingers, it should stay solid. If not, add water by the teaspoon and mix until it cooperates.
3) Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate; evenly cover bottom and edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove. Let crust cool before putting cold ingredients inside.
Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie
modified from Molasses Cream Pie from Relish Magazine in print, date unknown
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or ginger snap pie shell
1 pint (16 ounces) softened vanilla bean ice cream or yogurt
2 Tb molasses
1/2 Tb maple syrup
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree*
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
(* or use 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin pie mix, which is already spiced)
Directions:
1) Combine ice cream/yogurt, molasses, maple syrup, pumpkin, and spice. Mix until it's all combined and pour into the prepared shell.
2) Let set in freezer for several hours. For serving, let sit at room temperature for about ten minutes to soften for cutting. Use a fork to loosen the pie piece at the bottom and back. It might crumble a bit, but that's okay. It'll still taste awesome.
If desired, top pieces with Cool Whip or whipped topping or a drizzle of caramel, or just happily eat it by itself. The pie's flavor will be very strong initially but will mellow by the day. Keep stored in freezer.
OM NOM NOM.
This variant of pumpkin pie is no bake, or almost no bake. It's fast, easy, and can be made quite healthy with a few easy modifications. The original recipe was snipped from an issue of Relish Magazine a few years ago.
Most sweet recipes I make, sample, and then send the majority off with my husband to his work. I try to eat healthy for the most part--I've weighed a hundred pounds more, and I don't want to go back there--and pies just plain are not portable. If the pie was going to stay home, I wanted to be able to eat it.
My first concern: the crust. I could have bought a graham cracker crust from the store--making this a completely no bake recipe--but I wanted more control over the ingredients. I compared a couple of ginger snap pie crust recipes and found one with a lower amount of cookies and butter. I also used xylitol instead of white sugar, which lowered the sugar calories by 40%.
The filling: I am not a fan of ice cream. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I am, however, a hardcore connoisseur of frozen yogurt. I adore those pay-by-the-ounce places and love that the yogurts are low calorie and taste amazing.
One of my favorite local places, Dream Swirls, does a nifty thing. When they are running low on a flavor, they fill tubs with the yogurt and then sell it for a good price. I poked around in their freezer for one that was close to vanilla, and chose angel food cake flavor. That's what I used in this recipe.
I baked my crust for five minutes. I assembled the pie contents. When I went to lick the bowl afterward, I was appalled. The flavors were too strong. I was in dread that the whole pie would need to be dumped.
Don't go by first impressions!
The first day, the initial flavor is very strong, especially from the molasses. After that, it mellows considerably. It actually gets more delicious by the day. The ginger snap flavor pairs beautifully with the pumpkin. I added a touch of maple syrup to the recipe, too, and I think it softens the heaviness of the molasses. Really, the pie is a great marriage of autumn flavors, and it's ideal for a Phoenix autumn because it's nice and cool.
This is a recipe I will make again and again.
Ginger Snap Crust
tweaked from Relish Magazine
Ingredients:
30 hard ginger snap cookies (about 1.5 cups in crumbs)
2 Tb white sugar or xylitol
4 Tb (half stick) melted butter
water (if needed)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a blender or food processor (or use a gallon bag and rolling pin), crush the cookies. In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. If you pinch the mixture between your fingers, it should stay solid. If not, add water by the teaspoon and mix until it cooperates.
3) Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate; evenly cover bottom and edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove. Let crust cool before putting cold ingredients inside.
Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie
modified from Molasses Cream Pie from Relish Magazine in print, date unknown
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or ginger snap pie shell
1 pint (16 ounces) softened vanilla bean ice cream or yogurt
2 Tb molasses
1/2 Tb maple syrup
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree*
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
(* or use 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin pie mix, which is already spiced)
Directions:
1) Combine ice cream/yogurt, molasses, maple syrup, pumpkin, and spice. Mix until it's all combined and pour into the prepared shell.
2) Let set in freezer for several hours. For serving, let sit at room temperature for about ten minutes to soften for cutting. Use a fork to loosen the pie piece at the bottom and back. It might crumble a bit, but that's okay. It'll still taste awesome.
If desired, top pieces with Cool Whip or whipped topping or a drizzle of caramel, or just happily eat it by itself. The pie's flavor will be very strong initially but will mellow by the day. Keep stored in freezer.
OM NOM NOM.
November 5, 2013
Over at Every Day Fiction...
... you can find my steampunk flash fic "Frail Men of Metal and Bone." I wrote the rough draft of this at Cascade Writers last year.
This is also the release date for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls.
This is also the release date for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls.
November 3, 2013
Sunday Quote happily counts down to Thanksgiving
"If you try to nail anything down, in the novel, either it kills the novel, or the novel gets up and walks away with the nail... Never trust the artist. Trust the tale." ~D.H. Lawrence
November 1, 2013
Don't Smash Your Face
Today begins Nanowrimo. Here's a repost of advice I posted on October 31st, 2010. For context: I did Nanowrimo in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2011 I acquired an agent. In 2013 I sold a two-book deal to HarperCollins Voyager. I'm speaking from experience here.
DON'T SMASH YOUR FACE.
I've been doing parts of the P90X exercise routine. At one point the host, Tony Horton, leads the group in a triceps exercise that involves lying down and lifting a weight overhead. After the exercise he looks straight into the camera and intones, "Tip of the day: Don't smash your face."
You can watch the clip here. Jump to the one minute point.
How does this fit into writing and NaNoWriMo? It's all about ego and how far you can push yourself. In P90X, it's all about building muscle. But once you're to the point that your muscles are quivering and the posture is going, you're done. Stop doing the move. Go and get a lighter weight. Take a break.
The same is true of NaNoWriMo. It's enormously stressful to do 50,000 words in one month. We're all adults. We have a hundred different demands on us every day. Kids, work, pets, chores, friends, and on and on. Then when you finally sit down to write, the words flow with the consistency and quality of raw sewage… and the clogs are constant. What's the point? It's hard to do two hundred words, much less 1,667 a day.
That weight is hovering over your face and your muscles are quivering like Jell-O. You want to get in just a few more reps, even though your elbows are lowering and a big hunk of metal is aiming straight for your nose.
Stop. Take a breath. Step away from the computer. Tell your ego to shut up. Don't smash your face.
Go for a walk. Make dinner. Let your mind work through your scene as you busy your hands in other tasks. Heck, go take a nap. Know your limits and give yourself permission to take it easy. It's okay to have a bad day, or many. Set a low goal or give yourself the day off. If 50k for the month seems impossible, aim for 10, and relish in it. This isn't about what everyone else is doing. This is about YOU and what YOU can accomplish.
And don't smash your face.
DON'T SMASH YOUR FACE.
I've been doing parts of the P90X exercise routine. At one point the host, Tony Horton, leads the group in a triceps exercise that involves lying down and lifting a weight overhead. After the exercise he looks straight into the camera and intones, "Tip of the day: Don't smash your face."
You can watch the clip here. Jump to the one minute point.
How does this fit into writing and NaNoWriMo? It's all about ego and how far you can push yourself. In P90X, it's all about building muscle. But once you're to the point that your muscles are quivering and the posture is going, you're done. Stop doing the move. Go and get a lighter weight. Take a break.
The same is true of NaNoWriMo. It's enormously stressful to do 50,000 words in one month. We're all adults. We have a hundred different demands on us every day. Kids, work, pets, chores, friends, and on and on. Then when you finally sit down to write, the words flow with the consistency and quality of raw sewage… and the clogs are constant. What's the point? It's hard to do two hundred words, much less 1,667 a day.
That weight is hovering over your face and your muscles are quivering like Jell-O. You want to get in just a few more reps, even though your elbows are lowering and a big hunk of metal is aiming straight for your nose.
Stop. Take a breath. Step away from the computer. Tell your ego to shut up. Don't smash your face.
Go for a walk. Make dinner. Let your mind work through your scene as you busy your hands in other tasks. Heck, go take a nap. Know your limits and give yourself permission to take it easy. It's okay to have a bad day, or many. Set a low goal or give yourself the day off. If 50k for the month seems impossible, aim for 10, and relish in it. This isn't about what everyone else is doing. This is about YOU and what YOU can accomplish.
And don't smash your face.
October 30, 2013
Bready or Not: Maple Spritz Cookies
You've probably noticed that I do a lot of drop and bar cookies. The flavors tend to be along my lines of preference, but they are also straightforward to make.
Cut-out cookies and cookie press cookies give me terrible grief here in Arizona. It's dry. A lot of these recipes advise chilling the dough before shaping it. A lot of times, I try to follow such directions on my first try for the recipe. It never, ever works for these particular kinds of cookies. Even wrapped in plastic, the dough dries out like uncapped Play-Doh.
That's what happened with this lovely dough. So, I did what I always do--dropped it back in the mixer and added water until the dough was pliable.
Therefore, I added a note to this recipe. The good news is that most folks probably won't have this problem, but if you do, it's an easy fix. Because trust me, this isn't a dough you want to give up on and toss in the trash.
If you love maple flavor, oh man, the flavor is subtle and fresh here. Spritz cookies are so light and airy, and that works well with that touch of a heavy flavor like maple. This would really be a fabulous cookie all through the Christmas holidays, and I bet it'd be great with sprinkles or glaze.
Maple Spritz Cookies
modified from Basic Spritz Cookies - Maple Variation at Cooks.com
[Cookie volume depends on size and disc used. Using the pumpkin disc, I had to pump 3-4 times for each cookie and the recipe made 40. The original recipe says it can make 6-7 dozen.]
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons maple flavor
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1) Preheat oven at 375-degrees and set a metal cookie sheets (or sheets) to chill in the fridge.
2) Cream together the butter and shortening. Add sugar gradually until the mix is light and fluffy, about three to five minutes.
3) Add the egg and maple flavor. Slowly pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt until it's incorporated.
If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it until firm (and turn off your oven). If the dough's too hard, add water in slow increments until it's pliable. (Note: I live in Arizona where it's extra dry and had to add about 1/4 cup of water for the dough to work in my cookie press.)
4) Assemble the cookie press with your desired disc and fill the container with dough. Press cookies onto the chilled cookie sheet.
5) Bake 7-8 minutes, until the cookies are just barely turning color at the edges.
OM NOM NOM.
Cut-out cookies and cookie press cookies give me terrible grief here in Arizona. It's dry. A lot of these recipes advise chilling the dough before shaping it. A lot of times, I try to follow such directions on my first try for the recipe. It never, ever works for these particular kinds of cookies. Even wrapped in plastic, the dough dries out like uncapped Play-Doh.
That's what happened with this lovely dough. So, I did what I always do--dropped it back in the mixer and added water until the dough was pliable.
Therefore, I added a note to this recipe. The good news is that most folks probably won't have this problem, but if you do, it's an easy fix. Because trust me, this isn't a dough you want to give up on and toss in the trash.
If you love maple flavor, oh man, the flavor is subtle and fresh here. Spritz cookies are so light and airy, and that works well with that touch of a heavy flavor like maple. This would really be a fabulous cookie all through the Christmas holidays, and I bet it'd be great with sprinkles or glaze.
Maple Spritz Cookies
modified from Basic Spritz Cookies - Maple Variation at Cooks.com
[Cookie volume depends on size and disc used. Using the pumpkin disc, I had to pump 3-4 times for each cookie and the recipe made 40. The original recipe says it can make 6-7 dozen.]
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons maple flavor
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1) Preheat oven at 375-degrees and set a metal cookie sheets (or sheets) to chill in the fridge.
2) Cream together the butter and shortening. Add sugar gradually until the mix is light and fluffy, about three to five minutes.
3) Add the egg and maple flavor. Slowly pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt until it's incorporated.
If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it until firm (and turn off your oven). If the dough's too hard, add water in slow increments until it's pliable. (Note: I live in Arizona where it's extra dry and had to add about 1/4 cup of water for the dough to work in my cookie press.)
4) Assemble the cookie press with your desired disc and fill the container with dough. Press cookies onto the chilled cookie sheet.
5) Bake 7-8 minutes, until the cookies are just barely turning color at the edges.
OM NOM NOM.
