Elderberry Wine Chocolate Cookies

Dina Ranade — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 17:53:37 +0000

As I sat in my kitchen one morning with my visiting nine-year old niece, her father pushed a bottle of Sambucus Elderberry syrup to her requesting she take her daily spoonful. My obedient niece grimaced, poured the syrup onto a tablespoon, sucked it down and shivered saying yuck. I asked her about it. She said she takes it everyday and hates it because it tastes awful. She told me to try it and see. I did. The syrupy berry flavor masked with a medicine aftertaste was not that appealing, I agreed. Her father laughed a bit and reminded her that it prevented the sniffles.

There is no doubt the reasoning behind taking this commercial illness prevention product for better immunity is based on traditional use of elderberry as well as research. It made me sad to think my niece will associate elderberry with disgust. Herein lies one of the herbal bake shoppe ambitions, pleasant tasting herbalism. To truly bring herbalism back into every kitchen, even the most discerning tasters must believe in tolerable fusion.

Homemade elderberry syrup while a bit more time consuming than buying, is easy. Having it on hand opens possibilities for pleasant medicine taking. Elderberry wine is much more of a process to make but purchasing is still a delicious addition to a kitchen apothecary. While there may not be a medicinal dose of elderberry in each of these cookies, it is there nonetheless and more palatable perhaps than a mediciney syrup.

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Elderberry Wine Chocolate Cookies

Perhaps I date myself in saying while baking these cookies, Elton John’s 1970’s classic Elderberry Wine continuously hums in my head. If you don’t know the song, he sings about missing a wife and happy, carefree feeling gained drinking this wine she made him. I am not sure why he chose elderberry, maybe a reference to homemade wines. In these chocolate cookies, the berry flavor adds richness. Feeling good when eating them could be from the taste or knowing the extra benefit from an immune boosting plant.

Herbelderberry
Apothecaryherbal wine
BakingCookie
Traditional Useimmune protective

Servings	Prep Time
30cookies	25minutes

Cook Time

8-10minutes

Servings	Prep Time
30cookies	25minutes

Cook Time

8-10minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
3/4cup cocoa powder (Dagoba)
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1stick organic unsalted butter, softened
3/4cup organic granulated sugar
3/4cup organic brown sugar
1 organic egg
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup elderberry wine
1/3cup pecans, chopped
1cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars with wooden spoon until well blended and smooth. Add egg, vanilla extract, and elderberry wine. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually in three to four additions, mixing well after each addition. Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets approximately 2 inches apart. Batter will be slightly sticky so you may have to push it off the spoon with another spoon.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are just starting to turn brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Recipe Notes

*I purchased Elderberry Wine online from a distributor. This is a sweet wine and would be delightful mixed as a spritzer.

** Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make your baked goods all the more nourishing. For these cookies, use organic butter, eggs, sugar, and flour if available.

Calendula White Chocolate Cupcakes

Dina Ranade — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:54:02 +0000

Calendula and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Calendula and White Chocolate Cupcakes Closer Look

Calendula Petals

Calendula Infused Wine

Calendula and White Chocolate Cupcakes without Icing

Eating desserts after meals even though I love them leads me to a full and uncomfortable feeling. So I usually take a bite and keep it at that. When the temptation takes over and I eat more, I regret later.

My herbal bake shoppe tasting is done alone between meals. I realized as I sampled these cupcakes over and over (because they are truly scrumptious), I did not get that popped-out stomach bloat and then as a trial of fate, I ate one for dessert, same no fullness. I do not consider it a coincidence that calendula has been traditionally used to decrease gastrointestinal inflammation, that it is soothing and healing for digestive problems. Combined here with the lightness of the batter utilizing cake flour and beaten egg whites, calendula preserves my dessert partaking enjoyment.

Calendula White Chocolate Cupcakes

Herbcalendula
Apothecaryherbal wine
BakingCupcake
Traditional Usedigestion, gastric inflammation, skin irritations

Servings	Prep Time
18cupcakes	35minutes

Cook Time

20-25minutes

Servings	Prep Time
18cupcakes	35minutes

Cook Time

20-25minutes

Ingredients

For cupcakes

3½oz white chocolate(I used Ghirardelli which was 7 squares)
½cup organic heavy cream
½cup calendula-infused wine*
1tsp vanilla extract
1½cup cake flour, sifted
1½tsp baking powder
¼tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
1¼cup organic granulated sugar

For icing

1cup organic heavy cream
¾cup organic granulated sugar
4½oz white chocolate chips
1stick organic unsalted buttercut into slices
1tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For calendula-infused wine*

1 pint glass jar
30grams dried calendula petals
300ml sherry wine

Instructions

For cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Using the foil lined cupcake liners, arrange 18 on a cookie sheet; use 2 cookie sheets if it seems too crowded on one.
Combine white chocolate, heavy cream, calendula-infused wine and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until chocolate is melted and mixture is blended well. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature either in an ice water bath or in the refrigerator.
Combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
With electric mixer, beat egg yolks. Gradually add sugar and beat until thick approximately 4-5 minutes. Gradually with wooden spoon stir in alternately flour and chocolate mixtures.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and clean beater and bowl of electric mixer. Wipe out with a drop of white vinegar and dry.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently and gradually, stir into chocolate and flour batter.
Fill cupcake liners with batter using a ¼ cup measure. Bake for 22-24 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks completely before frosting.

For icing**

In medium saucepan, combine cream and sugar and bring to boil over medium heat. Decrease heat to simmer and continue to cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add chocolate stirring until melted.
Add butter slices, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Put pan in ice water bath and stir with rubber spatula until cool and slightly thickened.
Transfer mixture to bowl of electric mixer and beat on high for about 3 minutes until thick enough for spreading. Do not overbeat.

For calendula-infused wine

Powder calendula petals in a coffee grinder. Pour into glass jar and cover with sherry.
Put on lid and keep in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Strain through a fine sieve and reserve wine in a clean glass jar with a lid. This will keep for a long time as long as it is stored in a cool place.

Recipe Notes

*Calendula can be purchased infused in oil, but I do not think as a wine so this is something that you must prepare yourself at least 2 weeks before making these cupcakes. It does not take a lot of time to put it together and then you just have to shake it once a day until it is ready.

**When I made this icing, I am not sure why but it completely broke apart and although it did get thick, it was not smooth or spreadable. I was going to throw it away and start over, but then I researched how to fix a broken icing. I put the icing in the refrigerator to cool it completely, then removed about 1/3 and in a separate bowl microwaved for 40 seconds until it was liquid and hot. I added this back to the rest of the icing and beat it with a small wire whisk and in just minutes it became beautifully thick, smooth, and spreadable not to mention it tasted delicious.

***Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make your baked goods all the more nourishing. For this recipe, use organic butter, eggs, sugar, and heavy cream if available.

dried calendula flowers

herbal wine – The Herbal Bake Shoppe

Elderberry Wine Chocolate Cookies

Calendula White Chocolate Cupcakes