Oatmeal Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Originally,  I had intended to use the Kraft carmel bits instead of the toffee bits, but I must have used them for something else and couldn't find them anywhere, so I proceeded to Plan B which turned out to be the toffee bits.

Oatmeal Apricot and White Chocolate Cookies

First of all, I will confess, I am not a fan of oatmeal cookies with raisins so I look for alternative combinations other than raisins.  Whenever a recipe calls for raisins, I usually turn to my good buddy the craisin (dried cranberry).  In most cases, this works, but once in awhile, you run across a recipe that this substitution fails miserably.  For this recipe you can substitute the apricot for dried fruit like mango, peaches, strawberries, cherries, or cranberries.

Wishkah Chocolate Nirvana Cupcakes

A chocolate cupcake with mini chocolate chips, Wishkah River Whiskey, and fresh grated ginger topped with chocolate buttercream, chopped candied ginger and a pinch of bacon salt. It is a sweet, spicy, smokey treat.

Wishkah Cranberry Harbor Cupcake

This cupcake is inspired by the flavors of the Grays Harbor area.  The Wishkah River Distillery in Aberdeen, Washington that bottles a honey vodka and the cranberry growers in the South Beach area in Grays Harbor County. 

Wishkah River Distillery Infused Cupcakes

Located just down the road is a new distillery Wishkah River Distillery in Aberdeen, Washington

"Wishkah River Distillery is a craft distillery located in Aberdeen, Washington. We specialize in craft spirits created from grain to bottle right here in our distillery. Our signature product is a vodka made from 100% Washington honey. Vodka from Washington Grains, Vodka from Washington Honey, Un-Aged "Bad Water" Whiskey from Washington Grains,"Bullfinch 83" Craft Gin, seasonal Cherry Brandy, and coming soon "13 Corners" Aged Malt Whiskey"

Candied Ginger - Sweet and Spicy

 

I discovered candied ginger a few years ago and love to eat it like candy.  It is sweet and spicy.  Some batches are spicier than others and is difficult to determine the spice level of each batch.  I found Alton Brown's recipe the best for candied ginger from The Food Network website but changed it up slightly.  The recipe is simple but it does take some time.  The cool thing is that there are only 3 ingredients.  The recipe is totally flexible because you can make whatever quantity up to one pound of ginger because you weigh the cooked ginger and use the same weight of sugar.