Gingerbread cookies are a staple of the holidays this version, is soft, sweet and delicious. The Maple Glaze makes it extra sweet. You will also enjoy these delicious cookies without the icing as well. Feel free to decorate for the season/holidays. My granddaughters enjoyed adding their special sprinkles to their cookies.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Glaze

INGREDIENTS:

Gingerbread Cookies

• 3/4 cup salted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (10.75 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1–2 teaspoons ground ginger
• granulated sugar for rolling

Maple Glaze

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 to 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• pinch of salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses; mix until incorporated.
3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Mix until a soft dough forms.
4. Scoop into small balls (a little smaller than the size of a golf ball) and roll in sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes; remove from pan so the cookies can sink / flatten slightly as they cool. 
5. Allow the cookies to cool fully. Whisk maple glaze ingredients together until smooth. Dip one side of the cooled cookies into the maple glaze, set on a piece of wax paper, and add a few festive sprinkles before the glaze sets! So fun

Recipe from PinchofYum

My Air Fryer was calling to me to please try this recipe. I love artichokes, I love salad with parmesan, so what’s to lose! The air fried artichokes were delicious, just to start, but the crunch of the brussel sprouts and celery with the flavorful lemon Parmesan dressing was delicious. I served the dressing separately so I could enjoy the leftovers the next day. It’s a delicious salad that I’ll be making again soon!

Air Fried Artichoke Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans artichokes in water, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 6 cups Brussels sprouts
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 can white beans, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for topping, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the Air Fryer Artichokes:
2. Pat drained artichokes well with a tea towel, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Toss artichokes with minced garlic, one tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
4. Transfer them to an air fryer basket and air fry for at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.
5. Once they are crispy and browned, let them cool for a couple of minutes, then slice in half. Reserve.
6. To Make the Dressing and Salad:
7. In a glass jar or bowl, combine the minced shallot, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
8. Whisk or shake to combine.
9. Shave the Brussels sprouts thinly on a mandoline, or using a very sharp knife.
10. Add these to a large serving bowl along with the white beans, celery, artichokes and parsley.
11. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
12. Top with a little bit more Parmesan, if desired, and serve.

Recipe from Kathleenashmore.com

Thai food is so delicious but always seemed overwhelming to make. Once I tried some of IowaGirlEats Thai recipes, I knew I could make these dishes at home. Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup does not disappoint and is a quick, easy recipe. At first the ingredients may seem overwhelming, but it’s worth it. I was leary about the amount of red curry paste but 4 tablespoons yielded a mild amount of heat and added wonderful flavor. I added about 1 T. of fresh cilantro to the soup for even more flavor. Some of my family are anti-mushroom, but replacing with carrots would be delicious! IowaGirl Eats also suggests subsituting the rice for riced cauliflower and that would make this dish even healthier.

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large shallot or small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3-4 Tablespoons gluten free red curry paste, depending on how hot you like it
• 2 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 15oz can coconut milk (I prefer full fat in this recipe)
• 1 Tablespoon gluten free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
• 2 teaspoons gluten free fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper
• 1lb 16/20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8oz mushrooms, very thinly sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, cut in half, one half sliced into wedges
• For serving: cooked rice, chopped cilantro (For even more flavor add 1 T. of fresh cilantro to the soup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add shallot or onion then saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger then saute until extremely fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add red curry paste – careful, as it may spit a bit – then saute for 1 more minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth while scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot then add coconut milk, gluten free Tamari, fish sauce, coconut sugar, dried basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat up to high to bring the soup to a bubble then turn heat  down to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Turn heat up to high to bring soup to a rolling boil then add shrimp, mushrooms, and spinach. Simmer until shrimp are fully cooked through, 4-5 minutes, then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lime and stir. Serve soup with cooked rice, lime wedges, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Recipe from IowaGirl Eats

Raspberry Crumble Bars are so delicious and easy. Daughter, Megan, introduced me to this great recipe and it hits the mark with my love of raspberries and a crunchy oatmeal base. For some reason, the childhood saying of ‘yummy, yummy in my tummy’ comes to mind.

Raspberry Crumble Bars

INGREDIENTS:

Raspberry Filling

• two 12-ounce bags of frozen raspberries (see notes)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (more depending on tartness of your berries)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• juice of one lemon

Crumble Layer

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups brown sugar (loosely packed)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups melted butter (I prefer salted)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep Raspberries: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place raspberries in a large colander. Run warm water over them for a minute, and then let the liquid drain out for about an hour until softened and thoroughly drained (see notes). Mix raspberries with sugar, flour, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
2. Soft Delicious Crust: Mix the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, and salt together into a crumble-like mixture. Press two thirds of the crumble into the bottom of a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Bake: Arrange the raspberry layer on top of the baked bottom layer. Sprinkle with remaining crumble. Bake for another 25-30 minutes.
4. Finish: Remove from oven. They will need a little time to set up into “bar” formation, so chill them for a few hours to get them really solid. Orrrr… cut into it right away and eat it like a soft fruit crisp! You should be able to remove them from the pan easily by pulling up on the edges of the parchment paper.

Recipe from PinchofYum