gingerbread chicken coops + white house scenes

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seven things i learned about the white house!

1. it is way smaller than i thought it would be. i envisioned a huge building with millions of hallways to get lost in and a state dining room the size of alaska, but that’s not the case! it’s like polly pocket. with a kitchen that is only about twice the size of mine (but then again they do have a separate pastry kitchen and meat room…). 

2. they make 25,000 cookies every holiday season and some of their most popular ones are in the shape of bo and sunny, the white house pups.

3. bo walked by. eggboy saw him. i did not. i was too busy giggling and cookie decorating with joy and ashley, and eggboy didn’t get the memo that you’re supposed to tell everyone else in the room when a white house pup walks by. eggboy is fired.*** 

4. the walls of the white house gingerbread house get baked for eight hours at a very low temperature. this helps them get super duper sturdy and allows them to remain completely flat and not curvy. otherwise the humidity could make them warp. 

5. susie, the white house pastry chef, has been there for 21 years and is a wizard of sugar! the bottom of the white house gingerbread houses are reinforced with a layer of melty sugar that hardens and looks like glass. and all of the trees around the house are also made of sugar. no green frosted ice cream cones in sight.

6. The security men in the little security house that you have to go through to get onto the grounds burn sugar cookie scented candles. idk if this is the norm but when we walked in all of the lights were off and it smelled of cookies and the big beefy security men who were ushering us through the metal detectors seemed to really appreciate it when we complimented them on their candle.

7. the news briefing room is exactly what it looks like on veep and designated survivor. 

***eggboy edit: he wants you to know that he is 99.9% sure that is was bo and is reserving .1% for the possibility that this could have been a bo decoy and eggboy doesn’t want to get arrested if this was classified information. hiiii white house! 

even though we spent less than 48 hours in d.c., we had the gosh darn loveliest time! aside from spending an afternoon at the white house, we hung out with the super awesome ladies of pineapple d.c. at on rye (which is the most insanely delicious new jewish deli (they have babka ice cream sandwiches!!!)), poked around the smithsonian and saw julia child’s old kitchen and got a tour from our new friend jessica, met our congressman who we learned is also a musician, and saw some extremely wonderful old friends!! everybody we saw had so much pride in d.c., and i certainly saw why. it is such a beautiful city with so many cool historical things, which i guess is exactly what you want in a capitol. that’s all i have to say about that, i wish i could say more, we tried to extend our trip because at the end of it we still had a list of people to see and things to eat, but then eggboy got food poisoning and barfed his brains out so we had to leave. he was officially forgiven for not telling me about his bo sighting. 

all of susie’s gingerbread got me inspired to come home and make my own gingerbread houses! it was the first time i’d had any desire to do that since i burnt myself out on making our gingerbread farm. i figured i should ease into it with something on the smaller, simpler side, so here are some gingerbread chicken coops! i searched high and low for chicken cookie cutters but couldn’t find a small enough one, so the official story here is that all of our chickens are dressed up as other animals. 

gingerbread chicken coops

makes 4 small houses

ingredients

for the gingerbread:

1 c dark corn syrup, molasses, or a mix of the two (corn syrup for lighter colored walls, molasses for darker walls)

3/4 c dark brown sugar

3/4 c margarine or butter

4 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

for the gingerbread house glue:

3 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

4 c powdered sugar

for decoration:

candy, sprinkles, shredded coconut, marzipan, chocolate, or other edible things you can find around your kitchen

clues

for the gingerbread:

In a medium saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, combine corn syrup or molasses, brown sugar, and margarine or butter. Heat over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave for 1-minute increments, stirring in between each, until the margarine or butter is melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Stir in the sugar mixture until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F and get your stencils ready. You can either make them or find them online. the coops pictured are about 2 3/4" wide and 4 1/4" tall at the tallest point.

Roll your dough out onto a piece of parchment paper that will fit on your cookie sheet. Lightly flour the dough and place your stencils on top (leaving 1 inch in between them) and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to trace around them. Remove excess dough, slide the parchment onto your cookie sheet, and then bake until the edges just start to brown. Begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes. If you'd like a darker brown color, you can leave them in there for up to 45 minutes. You can re-roll your dough scraps a few times. If it starts to feel dry, microwave it for 30 seconds or so.

allows the walls to cool and then assemble using gingerbread house glue...

for the gingerbread house glue:

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Beat on medium high for 7 to 10 minutes, until very fluffy.

Immediately spoon into a piping bag and use. Any frosting that's not being used should remain under plastic wrap (the plastic wrap should touch the surface of the frosting), so that it doesn't dry out.

to assemble the coops:

use the glue like mortar, pasting together the walls. reinforce every corner on the inside with more glue. prop them up to dry before gluing on the roof.

once all of the coops are assembled, let them dry for about 15 to 20 minutes. then, use your remaining glue to decorate! 

-yeh!

hibiscus almond marshmallows + coconut hot chocolate

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it was negative 28 degrees this weekend!!!!!! do you know what this means?! it is likely going to be physically impossible for the snow to melt before chrismukkah, so we are going to have the white chrismukkah that dreams are made of. yas. 

i've become accustomed to wearing a layer of long underwear at all times and giving myself an extra 10 or so minutes before leaving the house to *get in costume* with all of my additional fluffy warm layers. my hats, scarves, and mittens all live in a large metal bucket next to the door, the kind of metal bucket you'd go bobbing for apples in if bobbing for apples was your thing. even a trip to the grocery store requires a few inches of padding between my skin and the air, just like a big green baymax. that doesn't apply to everyone though: you can tell a native around here if you see them running into the store in just a hoodie and sweatpants, leaving behind their pickup truck that's still got the engine on. 

the weather has naturally led to more hibernation time at home, which i live for. there are just two main challenges: getting my bum to the gym and dressing up for the holidays. i am trying to fix the gym part by downloading workout apps that i can do in my living room. and for the holiday dress-up thing, i partnered with old navy again this month and found an answer that doesn't require tights, a dress, and freezing off both of my legs (and bonus: it also helps me maintain my naptime-chic aesthetic): velvet pants + faux fur. i am really excited about this. usually around the holidays i brute force my fanciness with black jeans and a nondescript sweater but that tends to not feel fancy enough, so these velvet pants are my new nice uniform, and i'm pairing them with velvet flats that fit snuggly into a bag to be slipped on once i remove my snow boots inside. the faux fur is, yes, like a wearable blanket, and what completes this ensemble is some color by way of jewelry, colorful outerwear, and... marshmallows. is that a stretch? that's probably a stretch. i just feel like if you're going to be showing up at a party with a tray of treats, why *not* try and have them be as festive as your outfit??

or maybe i'm just really into the color combo of my new yellow hat and these naturally dyed hibiscus marshmallows. i'm so into all of it that we took my new warm festive look for a spin by climbing to the top of our grain leg for a little hot chocolate date! don't worry, it wasn't -28º on this day, just a balmy 6º or so. here is the view from our grain leg:

here is us being merry and bright:

and now let's talk marshmallows and cocoa! hibiscus is my new favorite natural food coloring. it's such a great shade of pink and it imparts a nice citrusy berry flavor that helps balance out the sweetness of a marshmallow. the first time i had hibiscus i knew its brightness would go well with nutty almond, so i went with two-tone bbs that help make the prettiest cup of hot chocolate you've ever done seen. and my new go-to hot chocolate is dead simple: good chocolate + a can of coconut milk. so easy. but you're going to want something easy after you spend an afternoon making these marshmallows, they are a bit labor intensive but look at them! i think they're worth it :)

hibiscus almond marshmallows

yields 20 massive marshmallows

ingredients

1/4 c powdered sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 c dried hibiscus leaves

1 3/4 c water

3/4 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c light corn syrup

1/4 tsp kosher salt

 

clues

in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch. coat an 11" x 7" baking dish with cooking spray and dust the bottom and sides with half of the powdered sugar mixture. pour any excess mixture back into the bowl.

steep the hibiscus leaves in 1 cup boiling water, covered, for 20 minutes. strain out the hibiscus leaves and measure out the water. (It should be around 3/4 cup. add a little tap water or pour some out to make 3/4 cup.) Stick it in the fridge to allow to cool completely while you make the almond marshmallow layer. 

to make the almond marshmallow layer: in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine 1/2 cup of water (not the hibiscus water, just plain water), the almond extract, and vanilla. sprinkle 2 envelopes of gelatin over the liquid.

in a small saucepan, stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup more water (again, not the hibiscus water, just plain water). clip on a candy thermometer. heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches 240ºf, then immediately remove it from the heat and bring it over to the mixer.

turn the mixer on low and drizzle the corn syrup mixture in a slow and steady stream down the side of the bowl. once the entire mixture is in, gradually increase the speed to high and let it mix for 7 to 10 minutes total, until lukewarm and fluffy. while the mixer is running, grease a rubber spatula and have that standing by the mixer, as well as the prepared pan.

using your greased spatula, immediately scrape the mixture into your pan and spread it out evenly as best you can with the spatula. set this aside while you make the hibiscus marshmallow layer.

clean and dry your mixer bowl, whisk attachment, spatula, and small saucepan.

now, make the hibiscus marshmallow layer: repeat the process but use the hibiscus water this time! in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add 1/2 cup of the hibiscus water and then sprinkle the remaining 2 envelopes of gelatin over the liquid. 

in a small saucepan, stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/8 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/4 cup hibiscus water. clip on a candy thermometer. heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches 240ºf, then immediately remove it from the heat and bring it over to the mixer. 

turn the mixer on low and drizzle the corn syrup mixture in a slow and steady stream down the side of the bowl. once the entire mixture is in, gradually increase the speed to high and let it mix for 7 to 10 minutes total, until lukewarm and fluffy. while the mixer is running, grease a rubber spatula and have that standing by the mixer, as well as the pan with the almond layer.

using your greased spatula, immediately scrape the mixture into your pan and spread it out evenly as best you can with the spatula. dust the top with about half of the remaining powdered sugar mixture.

let set for at least 1 hour. cut into squares and dust the edges of the squares with the remaining powdered sugar mixture. 

coconut hot chocolate

makes 2 to 4 servings

ingredients

1/2 c good semi sweet chocolate

1 can coconut milk (full fat or light)

clues

combine chocolate and coconut milk in a small saucepan. heat over medium heat until chocolate melts.

divide among mugs, top with marshmallows and enjoy!

-yeh!

pictured: sweater // pants // coat // shoes // gloves // hat // vest

thank you, old navy (@oldnavy), for sponsoring this post! post your own style tips with the #oldnavystyle hashtag! disclaimer: per my sponsor agreement, the product links in this post are affiliate links. 

molly on the range bonfire outtakes + links!

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i am ketchuping. 

1. putting ketchup on everything because i:

          a) like ketchup a lot, and

          b) am mourning the loss of my summer tomatoes

2. catching up on various exciting things like mail (fall cookbook season, fuck ya!) and friends (you're dating who?? you've birthed a what?! when are you moving to l.a. again??) and sleep, and unexciting things like laundry and showers because i am home for a week! 

i had such a wonderful time in minneapolis this past weekend and now i have a few days before i leave again so i am savoring this bit of time at home, cooking dinner for eggboy and spending my evenings watching silicon valley on the couch. on tuesday, i am off to the west coast! is it still warm there? do i need to shave my armpits? i just found out that akhnaten is going to be in l.a. when i'm there and i am so wildly excited for this, i've got to remember to pack my opera glasses...

right now on the farm, we are in the calm that comes between the end of beet harvest and the beginning of winter. eggboy and eggpop are cleaning up the tractors so that they can go into hibernation, and macaroni have begun to slow their egg production. finally we can keep up with their eggs!

today i'm sharing some outtakes from one of my favorite sections in molly on the range, the bonfire party! almost exactly a year ago, i had my fargo friends and grand forks friends come over in their flanneliest selves and we roasted wienies and made s'mores. the whole thing was inspired by this phase that i went through in high school where every single day my friends would come over after school and we'd sit around a fire in broad daylight, roasting wieners and having senioritis. for the book, i updated the s'mores with homemade rosewater marshmallows and the wienies with jerusalem bagel dogs and harissa ketchup. adrianna made the jerusalem bagel dogs on her blog, so head that way for the oven method recipe! (the bonfire cooking method is in the book.) and below are some more recipes that my friends have made from the book. their posts, as well as all of the instagram and facebook posts that you guys have shared of adventures in molly on the range, have brought me so many happy tears it's like why do i even wear mascara anymore? i know i am bad at being mushy and lovey dovey but i am so gosh darn grateful for the support and excitement that molly on the range has received, i want to give you all one giant squeeze. 

michelle made italian rainbow cookie salad // sherrie made all of the alliums fried rice // jeanine made cauliflower shawarma tacos //sarah made the chocolate scone loaf and added orange! // billy made lindsay lohan cookies // nik made marzipan mandel bread // jessica made gruyere mac and cheese with caramelized onions // cindy made sprinkle cupcakes // betty made scallion pancake challah // brandon made walnut and brie mac and cheese // lyndsay made chocolate tahini cake // elizabeth made sprinkle cake // katherine made halva and added pumpkin spice (!) // tessa made sprinkle cake // jonathan made mini tater tot hot dishes // francesca made chocolate tahini cake // marie made chocolate tahini cupcakes // laura made baked oatmeal with maple cream and hawaij // brett made challah

...and if you've made something from molly on the range, remember to post it on instagram by the end of the month with #mollyontherange and #8daysofgiveaways to enter to win all of these fun things!

-yeh!

all photos by chantell quernemoen!

apple, onion, and aged cheddar mini pies

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hi from minneapolis where i have just arrived with the smallest suitcase i've used all year. it is a carry-on and in it i have squeezed three pairs of shoes, my buttercream sweater, and a small stack of sugar beet tattoos which i have to conserve because they are almost gone!

i am packing light for this two-day trip and considering it a test for my theory that packing light is wildly overrated. i decided this back in may when i went to ireland and hemmed and hawed so hard about bringing both my green clogs (since everyone told me i'd be miserable in them due to the rain in the forecast) and my rain wellies (since that would have required a second checked suitcase). in the 11th hour i brought a second suitcase of shoes to ireland and ended up being extremely happy with my footwear options because in the end it barely rained at all and when it did i was covered. as i rolled down the irish hills in my favorite clogs in the world on my sunny birthday, and then sloshed through the rain the next day with a bowl of carrots and labneh, i decided that it's much more important to be over prepared than it is to prove whatever you're trying to prove when you pack light. (WHY ARE PEOPLE SO PROUD OF THEMSELVES WHEN THEY PACK LIGHT???) i had to explain this all to the customs lady when she questioned my decision to bring two suitcases for a five-day trip. 

but now i'm testing my theory for no real reason other than i was running late this morning and wouldn't have made it to the airport by the time cutoff to check a bag. 

oh, maybe that's a reason to pack light. 

more importantly, i am so freaking excited for my minneapolis events! i'm spending the day tomorrow at cooks of crocus hill (12pm signing that is free and open to the public!) and then having brunch with my minneapolis homeslices and of a kind, in celebration of the new line artisanal kitchen supply from bed bath & beyond! in between i'm going to go to spoon and stable, marvel bar, and the bachelor farmer. yay!

and speaking of ireland, i have a recipe for you today that uses some irish cheese!!! if you have been to ireland you are aware that it is the land of cheese and butter. and if you have not been to ireland, you can experience this all by coming over and opening up what has essentially turned into my cheese refrigerator. i got to meet some kerrygold cows when i was in ireland, and they are so beautiful and happy in their green rolling fields, it was pretty clear how they're able to make such tasty stuff. kerrygold's aged cheddar is one of my favorites, it's a rich cheese, the kind you want with an apple pie. so here is my version of an apple pie (it's savory!), which combines apples and onions in a grownup mac and cheese-type sauce. it's perfect for a fall picnic or road trip! 

apple, onion, and aged cheddar mini pies

makes 9

ingredients

2 tb butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large apple, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne

2 tb flour

1/2 c veggie broth 

1/4 c dry white wine

2 oz kerrygold aged cheddar, shredded

 

14-15 oz pie dough

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tb water

clues

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a 12 cavity muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, apples, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add a few turns of pepper, the paprika, and cayenne and cook 1 more minute, until fragrant, and then stir in the flour. Add the broth and white wine and cook until thickened and then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Taste and add salt as needed. Remove from heat and let cool while you shape the dough.

Roll out the dough to 1/4” thickness. Cut out nine 4” circles and nine 2 1/2” circles, re-rolling scraps when needed. Press the 4” circles into the muffin tins. Spoon the onion mixture into the tins and top with the 2 1/2” circles. Fold the edges over and pinch to seal them. Use a fork to poke holes in the tops. Brush with a thin even layer of egg wash and bake until golden brown. Begin checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove to the rack and serve.

-yeh!

thank you for kerrygold for sponsoring this post!