Chocolate Cookie Crumbs- From Scratch - For Cheesecake and Pies

Chocolate Cookie Crumbs

More prep for the Holidays.
I forgot to take photos, as I was making these. It's exactly the same process as the graham cracker crumbs.

Ingredients:
3/4cup milk or cream ( I'm considering using strong coffee, instead)
1Tbl molasses
2tsp. vanilla
2-1/2cups flour
1/4cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4cup special dark cocoa
1tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
1/2cup brown sugar
1stick butter-cold

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Whisk together, the milk, molasses and vanilla. Set aside
Whisk together, the flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles sand. (No large particles)
Stir in the milk mixture, and gather the dough into a ball.
Spread the dough, onto the prepared baking sheet, to about 1/8-inch thickness.
This is a really sticky dough, I wet my hands, before pressing out the dough.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch, and crisp around the edges.
Allow to cool, a bit, then crumble into small pieces, and cool completely.
Grind them into fine crumbs, with a food processor. Sift out the large particles, and re-grind them.
To make them a bit deeper, in flavor, I spread a thin layer of the crumbs, on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375*F. for about 7 minutes. Cool completely. there are no preservatives in these, and must to be stored in the fridge, until needed. Makes 5-1/4 cups.

Press the dough, about 1/8-inch thick. I used a pizza cutter, to cut them, but it's probably not necessary. Bake 25 minutes.

Let it cool a few minutes, while still warm, crumble the cookie, by hand.

Cool completely, then grind into fine crumbs in a food processor.

Graham Cracker Crumbs - From Scratch

                            Graham Cracker Crumbs - From Scratch
I'm gearing up for the Holiday season. I go through a lot of graham cracker crumbs, at that time. It can get pretty expensive, cooking for around 30 people, so I try to cut costs, where I can. Plus I get the added satisfaction, of making ingredients from scratch. This makes about 4-3/4cups, if you can keep everyone from nibbling on them, as they are cooling. If you want to make graham crackers instead, chill the dough overnight, and roll on a heavily floured surface, to about, 1/8-inch thick, cut and bake, like a cookie. (which is what graham crackers actually are.) There are no preservatives in these, so you need to refrigerate until needed.

Ingredients:
1/4cup honey
1/4cup milk or cream
1Tbl. molasses
1Tbl. vanilla
2-3/4cups flour
1cup brown sugar
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. baking soda
1stick of butter-cold

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Spray one large, or two regular cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, molasses, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda, until well combined.
With a pastry cutter, cut in the butter, until it resembles sand. (No large particles.)
Stir in the honey mixture until well combined.
Gather the dough into a ball. Press the dough onto prepared cookie sheet(s), to 1/8-inch thickness.
You can bake as is, or cut for easier handling. I use a pizza cutter
Bake for 20-minutes, or until browned, and somewhat firm, to the touch.
Cool, and grind into crumbs, in a food processor.

Combine the flour mixture, and the honey mixture. Form into a ball.

Press the dough, onto a greased cookie sheet. I cut them, to make them easier to break apart.

Bake until they are just beginning to brown, and starting to firm up, a bit. (About 20 minutes)

Let them cool, a few minutes, then while still warm, break them into small pieces, and cool completely.

Grind them into fine crumbs, with a food processor, sift out large particles, with a large mesh, strainer, and re-grind them.

Make your own Breadcrumbs

 Just out of curiosity, I decided to make my own breadcrumbs. I left 10 white sandwich slices, set out on a cookie sheet, to dry for two days. Then crumbled them, in a bowl. I put them in the food processor, a little at a time. Sifted out, the large particles, then -re-processed the large particles. Made 2 cups.

Staples I can't Live Without

You know how it is, browsing through the grocer, minding your business. All of a sudden there it is.
Angel choir begins to sing, the sun comes out from behind a cloud, and cast a beam on... Pureed Ginger.
O.K maybe it wasn't that melodramatic, but it was one of those AHA! moments. This is ingenious. Ginger is so tough and fibrous- such a pain to work with.
I love Asian food, so this is a Godsend for me.
I'm still experimenting, but I think you need only about 1/4 the ginger a recipe calls for- if you switch to pureed.
Love this stuff.  I'm going to add a new tag  -Staples I can't Live Without - and many will have recipes for that product.
Recipe for - Pureed Ginger @ Recipe 4 All


My all time favorite product is bottled minced garlic. I don't know what type of garlic is used for this, but it must be a better variety than most of the fresh garlic bulbs I've used.
I go through about 4 -5 quarts a year. So you might not want to stand too close. :) Anytime I try a new recipe, and think there's somethin' missin' ...PLOP! in goes the garlic, that usually fixes it.
It's touted as one of the "superfoods", also keeps vampires and unwanted relatives  away! good stuff.

Once I discovered Chipotles in Adobo sauce, I was so intrigued by these smoked jalapenos, I started trying them in many of my existing recipes. If you want to add a southwest flair to a dish, try puree-ing  1 or 2 of these in the sauce. The flavor is truly unique. I also use the adobo sauce in the can for cooking. It picks up the flavor of the chipotle but not the heat.
 I try to keep a container in the fridge at all times, but my husband finds them ( He eats them like candy-yuk) So I keep a can or 2 hidden behind my spice jars....shhhh.

Chipotles in Adobo sauce- You can find them in the Mexican section of your grocer.

Chili Garlic Sauce

                      Chili Garlic Sauce- One of my favorite condiments.

Chili Garlic Sauce
I found this over at Viet World Kitchen-Blog
This is a staple in my kitchen. And this recipe is perfect. I have always used prepared sauce, in many of my favorite recipes. It's great to finally find, a really good recipe, for homemade. I also add a little water and use it as a dipping sauce for Naan bread. I'll post a photo when the chilies ripen in the garden.


Lili’s Cooked Chili Garlic Sauce

12 red, ripe jalapenos-diced
3Tbl. minced garlic
1-½ tsp. salt
4- 1/2 Tbl. sugar
4- 1/2 Tbl. white vinegar

Add all ingredients to a blender.
Pulse several times to chop, but not puree.
Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the moisture has evaporated, and you have a thick sauce.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator. Makes 1/2 cup.

Simmer on the lowest heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens

Sweet Chili Sauce

                   Sweet Chili Sauce. This tastes close to Maggi brand.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
3ripe red jalapenos-minced
4Tbl. ketchup
2tsp. cornstarch
Directions:
Pour water and vinegar into a saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in sugar, ginger, garlic, chile pepper, and ketchup; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch. Remove saucepan from stove to cool. Then transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.