hope and cookies

I’ve been tagged in a blog relay about hope by a fellow blogger, Somer at Good Clean Food to write on the subject of hope. I’ve been reading a Barbara Kingsolver novel, so I found a quote by her:

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. ~ Barbara Kingsolver

While I’m not certain I have figured out the whole of what I hope for, I know that I seem to have a running list of hopes throughout my day. There are, of course, overall hopes of continued good health for myself and my family and friends, but I am (as usual) an instant gratification kind of person and focused on the short-term. Today’s list (well, it will be yesterday’s list by the time I post it) –

• I hope the small kid didn’t wear her good shoes in the barn again
• I really hope that the tall kid’s hormonal freak-out this morning doesn’t happen again tomorrow
• I hope I miraculously grow another half inch so that I can be taller than my 11-year-old
• I hope it rains soon
• I hope the cat hasn’t re-damaged his hip – he’s been walking with an even bigger hitch in his giddy-up this weekend
• I hope there is something dessert-ish at home to eat

There wasn’t. The dessert-ish thing, that is. While I often entertain hope that the dad will feel like baking, he didn’t. So I decided to make some cookies.

Since we are on the subject of hope, let’s make them endorphin stimulating spiced chocolate cookies. Both chocolate and spicy foods stimulate endorphin production, which in turn just makes you happy. Who wouldn’t have hope when happily eating spicy chocolate cookies. These have a little heat to them – they remind me a little of my new favourite Lindt chocolate chili bar. The heat isn’t too intense, so if you like it hotter, up the cayenne pepper a bit.

Hope Cookies (Spiced Chocolate Cookies)

adapted from Savour Fare

• 1  1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl combine the flour, spices, and cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until the  mixture is fluffy. Add honey and vanilla; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat  half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture, then  remaining half of flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and refrigerate for about  30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I use a silpat).  Roll  dough into 2-inch balls, roll dough balls in granulated sugar and place on  baking sheets.  Transfer to oven and bake until surfaces crack  slightly, about 18-20 minutes. They should be slightly crunchy outside (like me!), but soft in the middle.

And here I pass the baton on to a few bloggers to give their thoughts on hope in any form that they would like: Luanne at At The Homefront – because she has a wonderful way of grouping words together, Seasoned With Sarcasm – because I like her sense of humour and am interested to see what she would write about, and Sarah at Sarah’s Place, whose food and knitting always look so much better than mine.

Linked to Frugally Sustainable, Simple Lives Thursday, A Pinch of Joy