Gingersnaps
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/3 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon together; set aside. Using a mixer, beat shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add salt, baking soda, egg, and molasses and beat until well combined. Add flour, ginger, and cinnamon, to make a smooth, slightly stiff dough. Using a small scoop or 2 spoons, drop (1-inch) dough balls into sugar-cinnamon mixture, turning to coat entire ball. Place on trays, leaving an inch or more in between each ball as they will spread as they bake. Bake for 12 minutes and cool in pan on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 heaping teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ brown sugar, packed
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together molasses and egg; set aside. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and molasses mixture until batter is smooth, then gradually add dry ingredients. Split dough in half and roll each half out onto a floured sheet of parchment paper to ¼-inch. Place sheets of dough on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into desired shapes and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
Yield: 3-4 dozen cookies (depending on size of cookie cutter)
Gingerbread Cupcakes
1¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup molasses
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients; set aside. In a measuring cup, whisk together molasses and buttermilk; set aside. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and the together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla. Add half of dry mixture to mixer and mix well. Add molasses-buttermilk mixture to bowl and blend. Add remaining dry mixture and beat until mixture is well combined. Evenly distribute mixture in 12 cups, filling each ¾ full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center of a cupcake. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting. When ready to assemble, pipe each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and garnish with a small gingerbread cookie.
Yield:12 cupcakes
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of alt
In bowl of an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter. Add Confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time and beat until mixture is smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined.
Yield: 5 cups frosting
Gingerbread Truffles
These are so easy to make, and they look really beautiful!
4 cups gingersnap cookies (store-bought works best)
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces Ghiradelli white chocolate melting wafers
Royal Icing decorations
In bowl of a food processor, place gingersnap cookies and pulse until finely crushed. Add cream cheese and vanilla to crushed cookies and pulse until mixture comes together. Scoop mixture one at a time onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, rolling between palms of your hand to make smooth balls and place back on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. Melt white chocolate melting wafers according to package direction. Pour chocolate into a clean, dry bowl. Remove truffle balls from freezer. Using a fork, dip each ball into chocolate about halfway down. Place dipped truffles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining truffles. Once dipped truffles have set, turn them over and dip again, coating both halves. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately top with royal icing decoration. Refrigerate to let chocolate harden. Serve truffles chilled.
Yield: 20 truffles
Gingerbread Layer Cake
Salted Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
Gingerbread Cake
2¼ cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup molasses
¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
For Salted Caramel Sauce, add sugar and water to a large saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until dissolved. Swirl pan, but do not stir. Brush sides of pan down with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Continue swirling and cooking until mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color, about 8 to 12 minutes, keeping an eye on it so sugar does not burn. Carefully add butter, whisking until completely melted. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream, vanilla, and salt. When completely cool, pour caramel sauce into a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Gingerbread Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (6-inch) cake pans with non-stick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and ground cloves; set aside.
Add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together for 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in a little bit at a time until all is combined. Evenly divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
Melt chopped white chocolate over barely simmering water. Remove from heat and cool slightly. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add softened, unsalted butter and whip until very pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add cold cream cheese and mix until combined. Add cooled white chocolate to cream cheese mixture and mix until fluffy. Sift in confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time until incorporated and fluffy.
To assemble, wrap layers in plastic and chill for several minutes. Apply a thin coat of icing to each layer and chill again. Place a dollop of cream cheese frosting in center of each cake and spread out evenly over the top. Stack cakes evenly on top of each other and finish icing entire cake. When ready to serve, pour chilled caramel sauce into a piping bag fitted with a small opening. Go around top edges of cake and squeeze caramel so it starts to drip down sides of cake, about ½ inch between drips. Pipe remaining caramel on top of cake and spread with an offset spatula. As it sits, caramel will come together to form a beautiful finish. Transfer remaining frosting to a pastry bag and pipe dollops of icing around top edge of cake and around bottom, or however you desire. Decorate with gingerbread cookies or candies.
Yield: 8 slices
Gingerbread Old Fashioned
2 ounces bourbon
½ ounce ginger syrup (recipe below)
1 teaspoon molasses
3 dashes gingerbread bitters or 1 dash ginger bitters
Garnish: gingerbread cookie and orange peel
In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine ingredients and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with ice cubes. Garnish with a gingerbread cookie or orange twist.
Yield:1 cocktail
Gingerbread Espresso Martini
Honey
Crushed gingersnaps
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces Irish cream liqueur, such as Baileys
1 ounce coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
1 ounce gingerbread syrup (recipe below)
2 ounces espresso coffee, chilled
Pour a small amount of honey is a small dish and dip martini glass in honey. Place crushed gingersnaps in a second saucer and dip glass in the crumbs; set aside. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add vodka, Irish Cream, coffee liqueur, gingerbread syrup, and cooled espresso coffee. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour into martini glasses and serve.
Gingerbread cookies for garnish (optional)
Gingerbread White Russian
2 ounces vodka
1 ½ ounce Kahlua
2 ounces gingerbread syrup (recipe below)
2 ounces heavy cream
Peppermint or cookies for garnish
Fill a glass with ice. Add vodka, Kahlua, and gingerbread syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake well to combine. Pour mixture into a glass and add cream and stir. Garnish with peppermint sticks or gingerbread cookies if desired.
Yield: 1 serving
Gingerbread Syrup
1 1/3 cup water
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, add water, honey, molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil for 3 to 5 minute. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a covered jar until ready to use.
Gingerbread Apple Cocktail
2 ounces Domaine de Canton Cognac
1 ounce vanilla vodka
2 ½ ounce apple cider
Dash lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
Apple slices for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour cognac, vodka, apple cider, lemon juice, and honey over ice and shake well. Pour into a chilled glass with ice and garnish with apple slice.
Yield: 1 serving
