Voodoo Shrimp with Spicy Polenta and Greens

I'm not sure why the original recipe developer dubbed this dish Voodoo Shrimp. Poking around a few recipes and sites, there does not seem to be one dished dubbed this title...some are skewer and grilled, some sauteed, others boiled. I found a few drenched in honey and tobasco. Other recipes calling for 2 sticks of butter. The closest recipe I could find similar to the one I based this dish off of hails from The House of Blues. The best I can tell, for this version the Voodoo comes from the beer in the stock...originally Blackened Voodoo Lager by Dixie Brewing Co.  But I'm not going to complain. The heat coupled with the mixture of flavors certainly casts in own special spell.

And beer added into the mix? Yeah, I'm netted. I do not have access to Dixie's brew, but any Schwarzbier will do in a pinch.

The spice list seems long, but you likely already have everything in the pantry. A Cajun or Creole mix would work in a pinch if need be...use about 2 Tbsps. The greens add some much needed color as well as an additional palate to sup up the great sauce. Making the spicy shrimp stock from scratch is truly worth the extra time.

adapted from Home Sweet Jones

Serves 2-3

The Ingredients:
for the shrimp
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb large uncooked shrimp, shelled and de-veined, (shells reserved)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
1/2 c water
6 oz black lager or Schwarzbier
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato, finely diced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

for the polenta

2 Tbsp butter, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1 dried de arbol chile, crushed

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup coarse ground corn meal

salt and pepper to taste

for the greens
1 Tbsp oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches of green (collard, turnip, radish, spinach, etc) about 12 oz

The Process
for the shrimp

In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano and thyme. 

Combine 1/2 the spice mix with the uncooked shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the celery, fennel, and garlic and sauté until fragrant 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp shells, remaining spice mix, bay leaves, lemon juice and zest, water, Worcestershire sauce, and beer. Bring to a boil and reduce. Simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced by about half. Strain the liquid into a measuring cup, discarding the solids. There should be about 3/4 cup of liquid. 

Return the liquid to the pot and set over medium heat. Add cream and brown sugar, shrimp, and diced tomato. Simmer until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Whisk in the butter, basil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

for the polenta 

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chile. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the remaining butter, and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

for the greens
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onion. Saute until fragant, 1-2 minutes. Add half of the greens along with the salt and broth. Sautee until just wilted. Add the remaining greens, cover and remove from heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

to serve

Spoon a serving of polenta on the center of each plate. Top with a generous serving of greens. Divide shrimp among the plates and ladle the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Roasted Potato Salad with Fennel Bacon Dressing

I adore my CSA. I truly do. But at times it can be difficult to keep up with the bounty of produce...particularly the items that are not in my usual repertoire.

Fennel, for example.

I love the slight anise taste of fennel. Shaved in salads, roasted with beets, sautéed and drizzled with vinaigrette, adding a touch of crunch to tuna or chicken salads. But I'm sitting four bulbs right now.

Time to sneak some into a twist on German-style potato salad. Key ingredients? Potatoes. Bacon. Vinegar.

Done, done and done.

The fennel was a surprisingly nice touch, adding a slight herbal not that no one could quite put their finger on...

the recipe is my own

serves 6-8

The Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs purple and/or yellow potatoes
kosher salt
1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp toasted fennel seeds
1 bulb of fennel, diced
6 strips of bacon
1 tsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fennel fronds, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

The Process
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Generously sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned.

In a glass bowl or measuring cup, combine the vinegar and fennel seeds. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes for the fennel flavor to permeate the vinegar.

Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add the diced fennel to the bacon fat in the skillet and sautée for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant tender. Carefully add the vinegar with fennel seeds and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk in the honey, mustard, and oil.

In a large bowl combine the hot fennel dressing with the roasted potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the green onions and fennel fronds. Coarsely chop the reserved bacon and gently toss to distribute. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve warm

Thyme-spiked Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Oh, the early days of summer, how I adored your bounty of rhubarb and strawberries! Growing up, the bulk of rhubarb stalks from our backyard turned into a sauce with a bit of a twist...a packet of strawberry jello. Just a touch of sugar. But nostalgic as it is, fresh strawberries make the compote even better.

This recipe starts with a perfectly sweet, sour and savory compote dressed up with a bit of thyme. A dollop is spooned into each muffin tin along with the sweet, cakey batter. The oozing filling is the perfect touch to an already amazing strawberry-rhubarb muffin.

adapted from Kosher Camembert

yields 16 muffins

The Ingredients:
for the compote
1 1/4 cup diced rhubarb
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp dried thyme

for the muffins
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup diced rhubarb
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder

The Process:
for the compote
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the rhubarb, strawberry, sugar, and lemon.

Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently mash any remaining fruit pieces with a fork. Allow to cool to room temperature.

for the muffins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil a muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, fruit, and eggs. Stir until just combined.

Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of batter into each muffin cup. Top with a healthy dollop of compote.

Divide the remaining batter between the muffin cups, filling no more than 2/3 full.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Gluten Free Zucchini Crust Pizza

I'm not truly on board with the whole gluten-free movement. I have a co-worker who actually has Celiac's and we accommodate her to the best of our ability when planning snacks and treats for work. But recently I've been running into SO many people who've hopped on the band wagon without the faintest idea about what gluten actually is.

Many such folk rave about their health and weight loss a few weeks into the diet. But inevitably, they slide. Oh, they stay gluten free. But where in those first few weeks bread, pasta, pretzels and the like were either ignored or replaced with low carb and less-processed foods (hummus is gluten-free! And salsa! Who knew! Give me a break...) the weeks that follow see a slow influx of the pre-packaged over processed products that replace the gluten for what? Hopefully nut or alternative grain based flours, but more likely than not an onslaught of chemicals, fat and sugar. Processed food is processed food. Everything moderation...

I digress...

So why this gluten free pizza crust? Quite frankly, I have far too much zucchini on my hands at the moment and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus this glorified zucchini pancake comes together much more quickly than waiting for pizza dough to rise.

What do you put on these lovely little crusts? Whatever strikes your fancy! I pressed out three crusts, which was a hearty meal for two people, but could easily sate three with a salad or side. Our pizzas included a cheese, a cheese and pepperoni, and a spinach, kalamata olive and cheese version. All with red sauce.

Keep the toppings light. The crusts sadly do not crisp up the way flour based crust does. The zucchini pizza, while incredibly tasty, is more of a knife and fork sort of meal. You can blame the gluten for the durability of your traditional pizza.

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

yields three 7-8 inch pizzas

The Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup finely shredded Mozzarella
1/3 cup almond flour/meal
2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten

pizza toppings, as desired

The Process
Pulse the shredded zucchini in a food processor until a coarse mixture forms. Do not over process...the mixture should be crumbly, not a purée. Transfer the zucchini to a cheesecloth lined sieve and allow to drain for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450

Generously oil a baking stone.

After 30 minutes, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as you can. You should have a scant 2 cups.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, mozzarella, almond flour, Paremesan, garlic, oregano and egg. Divide the mixture into 3 balls. On the baking stone, gently press each ball into a disc of uniform thickness, about 7 inches across.

Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes. The crusts should be beginning to brown on top and crisp around the edges.

Top with toppings of your choice and bake an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Allow to cool slightly before serving

Wilted Greens with Runny Eggs

I am a sucker for soft cooked eggs on salads and sautéed greens...rich creamy yolk oozing into the green nooks and crannies. No need for dressing.

To me, this is an ideal breakfast. Warm and filling. Ready in about 20 minutes. Perfectly portioned to share for a light morning nosh. Or generous enough single single serving for a more ravenous appetite.

Any greens will work: kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach.  I opted for turnip greens. Nix the bacon to make the dish vegetarian. Or toss on some hot sauce for an extra punch. I love how easy this types of dishes adapt to many tastes!

the recipe is my own

serves 1-2

The Ingredients:
2 strips of bacon
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bunch of greens, 4-5 oz
2 eggs
salt and pepper

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the green onion and garlic to the bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.  Add the greens and saute until they just begin to wilt, another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Using the back of spoon, create two divots in the greens. Carefully break 1 egg into each divot, taking care to keep yolks intact. Bake until egg whites are set, 5-6 minutes for runny yolks, 8-10 minutes for hard set. Sprinkle with bacon and serve immediately, the eggs will continue to cook from the residual heat in the skillet.

Ginger-Ricotta and Peach Galette

I've been pondering this recipe for a while. Well, many variations thereof. The inspiration came from a botched batch of ginger ice cream...I hadn't anticipated the fresh ginger would curdle my milk. The happy accident delayed the ice cream, but provided me with a sweet gingery ricotta-like mixture. I day dreamed of Danish using the mixture. But the fresh fruits of summer that are beginning to arrive spurred on this recipe instead.

The recipe looks tedious, and it is. The crust and ricotta are made from scratch, adding a substantial time commitment. I suppose if you really wanted to, you could whisk some fresh ginger and sugar into a cup of store bought ricotta, and wield the pre-made pie crust.

But where's the fun in that?

the recipe is my own

yields two 7-inch galettes

The Ingredients
for the ricotta
2 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp fresh ginger, very finely minced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp heavy cream (optional)

for the crust
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and chilled
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2-3 Tbsp ice cold water

assembly
2 medium peaches
2 Tbsp honey, divided

The Process
for the ricotta
Line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth or muslin and set aside.

Pour the milk, ginger and sugar into a large non-reactive saucepan with a heavy bottom.  Heat slowly over medium high heat, stirring the milk constantly to prevent scorching.  Bring to a gentle boil and stop stirring. It will look like nothing is happening until the milk reaches about 175-180.  Once the mixture reaches this temperature curds will begin to form and clump on the surface.  Gently stir to encourage the curds to separate from the whey.  If no curds begin to form, stir in 1 tsp of cider vinegar and remove from heat. Stir infrequently at this point...over stirring will break up the curds too much and yield a drier ricotta. 

Ladle the cloudy liquid (whey) through the clothe lined sieve, working slowly to avoid breaking up the curd.  Once most of the whey has been ladled out of the pot, carefully pour the rest of the curd/whey mixture through the sieve.  Allow most of the liquid to drain.  Gather the edges of the cloth together to form a bag.   Thread a dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon through the knot and suspend the bag over a pot or the sink.  Allow to slowly drip drain for about 30 minutes.  Resist the urge to press the ricotta. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

for the crust
combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture forms course crumbs with pea sized bits of butter. With the machine running on low, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to come together. Dump the mixture out on a floured board divide into two portions. Gently bring each portion into a ball and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Can be made a day ahead of time

to assemble

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking stone with parchment.

Pit the peaches and slice into thin wedges. 

Whisk the ricotta until smooth, thinning with a touch of cream if necessary.

Working with one dough ball at a time, place the dough onto a well floured surface and roll 1/8 inch thick. Trim to a 10-inch circle (a dinner plate makes a great template). Transfer to the parchment lined baking stone. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Spoon half of the ricotta onto each crust, and spread to within an inch of the edge. For each galette, arrange half of the peach slices in concentric circles, starting from the outside edge. 

Fold the outer edges of the pastry over the peaches, creating overlapping folds as you work around the perimeter. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of honey over each galette and bake for an addition 5 minutes.

Allow the galette cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Cut into wedges to serve.

Bourbon Soaked Bundt Cake

With nearly a cup of bourbon and three sticks of butter, this is a cake to reserve for special occasions. Happy birthday, Love!

adapted from Bake it with Booze and the Brown Eyed Baker

yields 1 cake

The Ingredients

for the cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/3 cup bourbon

Bourbon Soaking Sauce

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup bourbon

The Process

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously oil a 10 cup bundt pan and set aside. 

In the large bowl, cream together the butter with the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes on medium high using a stand mixer or hand held beaters). Scrap done sides of bowl as needed. 

Beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the bourbon and buttermilk. 

Alternately add the flour mixture and bourbon mixture to the butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the last addition by hand, folding until flour is just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake, uncovered for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven to a wire rack and allow to cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.

While the cake cools prepare the bourbon soak by Melting the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the bourbon. Whisk until fully combined.

Using a long skewer, poke several holes throughout the cake. Slowly pour about 3/4 of the bourbon soak onto the cake, allowing to soak in. Reserve the remaining bourbon soak.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the bundt pan, about 2 hours. Once completely cool, invert the cake onto a serving platter and remove from pan. Rewarm the remaining bourbon soak and brush onto the surface of the cake to glaze. 

Slice and enjoy!

Pecan Meringue Cookies

Have you made much ice cream or custard this summer? This simple meringue cookie will help use up some of those egg whites.

adapted from Elise Bauer's recipe on Simply Recipes

yields about 2 dozen cookies

The Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
3 egg whites, brought to room temperature
pinch of salt
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp white vinegar

The Process
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place pecans in an oven proof dish and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Using a blunt object, smash pecans until broken into small pieces. Set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 300.

Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add salt. Whisk the eggs on low, gradually increasing the speed until frothy and soft peaks begin to form, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly add the sugar 2 Tbsp at a time. Allow each addition to thoroughly combine before adding the next. Continue to whisk the eggs and sugar for a 2-3 minutes. Add the vinegar to the bowl. Increase speed to high and whisk until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.

Gently fold in the pecan pieces. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Leave them in the oven overnight to dry. In the morning the cookies should be crisp on the outside, but light and airy on the inside. If they are a little marshmallowy or chewy on the inside in the morning, allow them dry out for a few more hours.

Store at room temperature in an air tight container.

Lemongrass Beef Short Ribs

If you have an afternoon to babysit this batch of braised short ribs, I promise you will be deeply rewarded. Three hours is a lot of time to commit to a dinner, but during the process, the kitchen will be engulfed in an incredible aroma. The meat begins shrinking from the bone about a half hour into cooking and towards the end fall off with the slightest touch. So incredibly tender. And I am so happy to have leftovers.

adapted from Eat, Drink, Paleo

serves 4

The Ingredients:
3 lb beef short ribs
4-5 lemongrass stalks, bruised
Medium knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium orange, peel and juice
1/2 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp Tamari sauce
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 to 1 tsp chilli flakes
1/4  tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp of Chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 cup of water
1 crown of broccoli, cut into florets

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Arrange the short ribs in a single layer in a deep roasting pan. Scatter the lemon grass, ginger, onion, garlic and orange peel around the beef. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, tamari sauce, water and seasoning. Pour mixture over the beef. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake, covered for 30  minutes at 400, turning the meat halfway through.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 and cook, covered, an additional 2 hours, flipping the meat every 30 minutes.   

Uncover the roasting pan and remove the meat from the bones. Roast, uncovered another 15 minutes. Add the broccoli, tossing to coat in the juices. Roast another 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp and the meat has browned.

Bock Tracks Ice Cream

 

Beer and ice cream has come together again. I wanted to vamp on rocky road but was a bit stumped on which beer to use. Bock seemed like an ideal fit...particularly due to the name of the style. Bock. Goat. And their tendency to frolic among rocky crevices and outcroppings.

Thus, Bock Tracks was born.

In order to keep the boozy flavor of the bock in the forefront, I opted to skip the traditional chocolate base rocky road ice cream is know for and instead just stuck with those classic mix-ins of nuts, marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen and The Brown Eyed Baker

yields about 1 quart

The Ingredients:
12 oz bock beer, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

The Process:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 10 oz of the beer, reserving the remaining 2 oz. Reduce to about half, stirring to prevent the beer from foaming up. Combine the reduced beer to the reserved 2 oz. Add the vanilla and set aside to cool.

Set up an ice bath of cold water and ice in a large bowl. Set fine mesh strainer over a medium-sized bowl and position into the ice bath. Set aside.

In a clean, medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until smooth. Whisk in the cream until well combined. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard begins to thicken. Keep the stovetop low and continue gently stirring to avoid inadvertently making scrambled eggs. Bring the custard up to 180 F and promptly remove from heat.

Carefully strain the custard through the fine mesh strainer into the bowl set over the ice bath. Pour slowly...you don't want to capsize the custard into the ice bath below. Whisk in the reduced beer. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, stirring periodically. Remove from the ice bath, cover, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Using an ice cream maker, freeze the chilled base according to the manufacturer's directions.  Once the ice cream has finished churning fold in the marshmallows, nuts and chocolate chips.

Transfer the ice cream to a 1.5 qt container and allow to set in the freezer for an additional 24 hours.

Spent Grain Cookies with Pecans and Coconut

SO much grain! I had requested a pail of spent grain from a local brewery after their next brew day. My husband came home with a Rahr grain bag nearly half full. Sadly, there is only so much I can do with limited time and oven rack space. Some has been frozen for future wet grain recipes. Some was been dried to be ground into spent grain flour. The immediate use of wet grain called for dog biscuits. And cookies for us.

These cookies are reminiscent of classic oatmeal cookies. They have a pleasant amount of spice, a lot of tooth from the grain and a soft and chewy center.

adapted from Brooklyn Brew Shop

yields abut 2 1/2 dozen cookies

The Ingredients:
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups wet spent grain
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350

Lightly grease 2-3 baking sheets and set aside.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices.

On low speed and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing only until a little flour remains. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the spent grain, pecans and coconut.

Spoon the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the outside edges are just set and light golden brown, and the middles are puffed.

Gently transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool