Coffee and Chat

Looking ahead to the Mommies' Night Out at Starbucks, here are a few recipes to get us through the week until Friday night.

Just Like Starbucks Molasses Cookies

•3/4 c. butter or margarine
•1 c. brown sugar
•1 egg
•1/3 c. blackstrap molasses (or 1/2 c. plain molasses)
•2 1/2 c. flour (You can use any combination white/whole wheat flour)
•2 t. baking soda
•1 t. cinnamon
•1/2 t. salt
•1/2 t. nutmeg
•1/2 t. ginger
•For rolling dough – 1/2 c. white sugar

1. Cream the butter or margarine and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat for an additional minute.
2. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Sift or stir with a fork or whisk for 30 seconds.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours, until firm.
4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into a ball, then roll through white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
This process will result in light, cake-like cookies. If you prefer crispier cookies, flatten the sugar-coated balls of dough slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

•1/4 c. pumpkin puree
•1/4 c. sugar
•1 t. cinnamon
•1/4 t. nutmeg
•A pinch of both allspice and ginger
•1/2 c. milk or cream
•1 c. strong coffee (I brewed 4 cups of coffee using 7 scoops of ground coffee)
•Whipped cream for garnish, optional

1. In a small bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons to the bottom of a coffee mug. Add 1/4 c. milk or cream and stir to combine. Top off with about a half cup of coffee, or until mug is filled. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
This is enough for two regular coffee-mug sized pumpkin spice lattes.