Jenna's Gingerbread Sandwiches with Chocolate Butter Cream

 These photos were featured in the Savannah Morning News with Miss Sophie's weekly food column this morning.  Gingerbread cookies with chocolate buttercream frosting; who would have thought of such a combination?  

I was quite skeptical when Miss Sophie told me she was making this for Jenna's party.  I figured since I love chocolate butter cream, I could always lick the filling off the gingerbread cookies, right?
But the moment I took a bite, I tasted all the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but even better, with smooth, silky, chocolate buttercream too.  

Improving on the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving and Christmas?  Yes, folks.  It can be done. 

These are on my 'must make' list of cookies for the year.  

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OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD COOKIES

From “White Jacket Required” by Jenna Weber.  

Used with permission by author

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large heavy-bottom pot, combine brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and white pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove pot from stove and add baking soda, stirring to combine well (be careful: the mixture will bubble up here – just keep stirring!). Add butter a few chunks at a time, stirring to combine with each addition. Add egg and stir, Stir in the flour and salt gradually. The dough will be very soft and still warm.

Roll the dough 1/4 – inch think on a floured surface and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter or large glass.

Bake cookies, spaced 2 inches apart, until golden and just set, about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. The cookies will firm up as the cool.

To make sandwiches, spread Chocolate Buttercream Icing on one cookie and top with another cookie.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

From “White Jacket Required” by Jenna Weber. This is a delicious and easy frosting recipe that would also be delicious on white or yellow cupcakes. 

Used with permission by author

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

Pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla for 5 minutes on high speed. Add the cocoa powder and milk and keep beating for another 8-10 minutes until very light, thick and fluffy.

Jenna's Book Launch Party Recap

Happy Monday everyone!  We had the absolutely best time at Jenna's Book Launch party last week at Miss Sophie's Marketplace in The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum!   How about some photos from the party?  

Here is Jenna flanked by two middle-aged women who adore her.  Just look at her; how could we not? 

The buffet table was filled with goodies Miss Sophie and I made: 

Crab Cakes with Remoulade

Chicken Satay with Red Chili Sauce

Beef Sliders with Pepperjack Cheese (Adam's favorite)

Mini Pimento Cheese Biscuits with Ham and Apple Butter (Yum!)

Charcuterie with Roasted Red Bell Peppers, fresh Mozzarella and imported olives

 Fruit display

And for dessert, mini cupcakes and Jenna's Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Miss Sophie made Jenna's gingerbread cookies from her book and filled them with chocolate buttercream.  Holy smokes, these were good! The recipe will be posted next Monday!

A wonderful classical trio played for this special event, thanks to a generous friend who hired these three teenagers. That's my son playing the cello, with his incredibly gifted friends, the Holliday boys.  

Conversations flowed and new friendships were made.  Hey there, Adam in the back!

There were over 90 guests who attended the party, and Miss Sophie and I couldn't have been happier sharing this gifted writer with our Savannah friends.

Oh yeah, she even got to speak at a podium with a microphone for the first time.  

I assure you, Jenna, a podium may become very familiar to you in the future.
Check out Jenna's schedule for remaining book tour dates and locations here!

Our author says there will be another book ahead.  It sounds like Miss Sophie and I will be planning another party.... 

Girls' Night Turkey Burger Recipe and Book Giveaway!

Good Monday morning!  It's September and the heat blanket which has been hovering Savannah for last three months has lifted.   And everyone, including my dog Brie is happy to be breathing crisp, cool air.  Without the oppressive Southern heat, our steps have springs and days are much more enjoyable to do school, work, and play. I love Savannah in September!

And to add to this excitement, here is my first giveaway on my blog.  I'm giving away three autographed copies of White Jacket Required-Culinary Coming of Age Story written by my very special friend, Jenna.  She is an amazing chef/writer of Eat, Live, Run, incredibly beautiful inside and out, and a daughter of my most favorite couple at my church!  

To learn more about Jenna, please visit http://www.eatliverun.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter

 And since Jenna will be coming through Savannah for her book signing tour in October,  Miss Sophie and I are throwing a big party to celebrate her and her new book.  So if you are in the area, please come and join us!  

Click here to make a reservation (there is no cost).....

Here is one of Jenna's mouth watering recipes in the new book,  Girls' Night Turkey Burgers.  These were served at our church's Wednesday Noon Service lunch, (topped with Pepperjack cheese and tomato-caper salsa) and everyone LOVED them!  

To enter to win a copy of Jenna's new, autographed book,  all you have to do is leave a comment on this post by answering this question.

I absolutely love Fall and all the bounteous food that comes from it.  

What is your favorite Fall food? 

Sweet potatoes? Turkey? Pot Pies?

• Contest ends Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at midnight EST. 
• One entry per person, please. 
• Winners must have a US mailing address. 
• Three winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email.

Girls' Night Turkey Burgers with Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Reprinted with permission from White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story © 2012 by Jenna Weber, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Serves 2
Old Bay seasoning is the secret ingredient in these easy and healthy turkey burgers. I like to serve mine with melted cheddar or pepperjack cheese on top. The spicy sweet potato fries (baked of course!) complete the meal.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into matchstick-thin slices 

Sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 

Cooking oil spray

½ pound lean ground turkey 

1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 

1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 slices cheddar or pepperjack cheese (optional but delicious) 

2 hamburger buns, toasted (preferably whole wheat) 

Ketchup or hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a cookie sheet.

Arrange the sweet potato slices in one layer on the sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and cayenne. Spray fries with vegetable oil spray and bake for 30 minutes, turning each fry over midway through baking.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg, salt, Old Bay seasoning, and bell pepper. Mix thoroughly either with your hands or with a spoon until everything comes together and is combined well. Form into two even patties.

Cook the burgers in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Top each with a slice of cheese and cook two minutes longer, allowing the cheese to melt.

Remove from heat and serve on toasted buns, topped with desired accompaniments. Serve with hot sweet potato fries and plenty of ketchup and hot sauce.

The above is an excerpt from the book White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story by Jenna Weber. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted with permission from White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story © 2012 by Jenna Weber, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.


Jenna Weber, author of White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story, is the author of the highly successful food blog Eat, Live, Run. In 2007, she attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida. White Jacket Required is her first book. She lives in San Francisco, California. Go to www.eatliverun.com for an up-to-the-minute look at Weber's world of food.

For large volume cooking:  10 lbs of ground turkey was used to yield about 32- 5 oz burgers.

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