Every few months, Chef Freak (aka Kyle Bowlby, pictured) and his cooking partner Matt Johnson put on a cannabis-infused, multicourse smorgasbord through their catering company, Two Ginger Chefs (named for their red beards).
When he cooks with weed, Chef Freak says he uses anything from butters and oils infused with cannabis to tinctures. His personal favorite to use is an alcohol-diluted THC concentrate he calls "green dragon" that packs a major punch, with 30 mg of THC in a single drop (most edibles at the store recommend 10 mg as a single serving).
Not only does your body process cannabis differently when you eat it (time for a friendly reminder to wait at least 90 minutes after your first nibble to see how well it's working for you), but Chef Freak says the types of food you make with it also can affect the high.
"If you're eating carbohydrates or fatty substances, like cheeses, dairy, those kinds of things, they can kind of enhance that high," he explains.
Luckily for GZQ readers, Chef Freak was happy to share some tricks of the trade with his recipe for cannabis-infused gingerbread cookies.
For this recipe, he recommends making cannabutter. One method he uses is simple: take 1 pound of unsalted butter, 1 cup of water, 1 ounce of ground cannabis flower (decrease the amount if you want something less potent) and throw it all in a crock pot on low for 8 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain it into a hot- and cold-safe glass container, cool it, then take out your infused butter and get rid of the water. ♦
This article first appeared in the Inlander's quarterly cannabis magazine, GZQ.
Freak's Treats
3¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup unsalted cannabis butter at room temp
½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
½ cup molasses
1. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together until well mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the cannabis butter and sugar together, with a hand or stand mixer, until fluffy. Turn down the butter and sugar mix to medium speed, and add the egg and molasses. Slowly add the sifted flour and spices to the mixer until a ball forms. Split the ball in two, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Flour a flat surface and roll the dough out until it's one-eighth of an inch thick, then stick the dough back in the fridge for about 5 minutes, in order to make an easy cut. Use your favorite cookie cutter, then bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 to 12 minutes until they're golden in color, not crisp.
