Magnolia Cookies, by Diane

We ground the petals into a jammy center!

I saw this recipe on @blackforager’s Instagram, and a friend and I tested them out today. Magnolia’s are not only edible but they taste like ginger! So we made these “magnolia snap” cookies with magnolia syrup (which was liquid GOLD- make this ASAP!!) and magnolia petals from the strained syrup that we ground into a jam and filled with cookies with (also absolutely amazing!). The cookies themselves were so-so, because the texture was too chewy, next time I would try this with Cheryl and I’s tried and true ginger cookies (swapping the molasses for magnolia syrup). All in all this was a really fun way to spend a beautiful spring day!

Magnolia Syrup: Combine 1.5 cups white sugar, 1 cup water, and about 40 magnolia petals in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the sauce turns brown and tastes like heaven. Strain the flowers and reserve (they also taste amazing!). 

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

3.5 cups flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup magnolia syrup, flowers reserved

1 tbsp grated frozen magnolia petals

1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and sugar. 

2. Add remaining ingredients except white sugar and combine well.

3. Grab some dough, stuff with some magnolia petals, roll into a ball, and roll in white sugar. 

4. Place cookies on an ungreased baking tray for 15 min at 350. 

Gingerbread Cookie Pumpkin Trifle, by Diane

 

This is the first post that I won’t be able to add a “healthy” tag onto in a very long time, and well worth it!! This recipe takes our beloved Unbelievably Soft Ginger Cookies and mixes them into a layered trifle with pumpkin pie filling, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream. What’s not to love?? 

Ingredients:

1 batch ginger cookies

1 can puréed pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 box vanilla pudding mix, prepared

1 container cool whip, thawed (I would use fresh whipped cream next time as we didn’t have enough of this and also the cool whip didn’t spread well)

Directions:

1. Mix the pumpkin, spices, sugar, milk, and prepared vanilla pudding together. 

2. Keep a few cookies aside for decoration, then crumble remaining cookies.

3. Layer the trifle with cookies, pumpkin mix, whipped cream and repeat once more for 6 total layers. 

4. Top with decorative cookies.