Gingerbread House Cookies

gingerbread-house-cookiesI may have gone slightly overboard with my holiday baking this year. I just couldn’t help myself – there were so many adorable, delicious treats to make, and while I feel completely worn out, I’m glad I made all of it.

These gingerbread house cookies were inspired by a cute cookie cutter I found at the craft store last week – a little house, along with a little gingerbread man. I simply had to make these houses, and decorate them as one would a regular gingerbread house (the three-dimensional kind).

The recipe below made 9 cookies, so you’ll want to double the quantities for a larger batch. I had enough dough left over for about 6 miniature gingerbread men as well.

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  •  8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, salt, and pepper; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about three minutes.

Add flour in two batches, beating until well-combined.

Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate about one hour, until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into house shapes.

Bake for about 12 minutes; you do not want the gingerbread to burn, so keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Zella’s Icing

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white
  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons water, if necessary
  • Red and green food coloring
  • Flower-shaped sprinkles, if desired

Preparation

Combine egg white, shortening, salt, and one cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium, then high, and beat for one minute.

Add additional cup powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed for one minute.

Add vanilla and almond extracts.  Beat on high speed for one or two minutes, until very well combined.

Check the frosting’s texture; it should be like very, very soft peanut butter and very easily spreadable.  If necessary, add one to two teaspoons of water to thin the frosting and beat well to combine.

To decorate your cookies, fit a small piping bag with a small plain tip and pipe on doorways and windows. Replace the tip with a star tip to pipe on snow.

Tint frosting green and add wreaths, trees, and shrubs.

Tint frosting red and add berries to your wreaths and shrubs, as well as other decorative dots or shapes.

Use white frosting as glue to adhere flower shapes, if desired.

Allow frosting to set for about 30 minutes before storing. Store at room temperature in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper for about 3 days.

 

Reindeer Cookies

reindeer-cookiesMy goddaughter Maureen and her little sister Margo went absolutely insane for the chocolate bat cookies I sent them for Halloween. According to their mom, they practically licked the crumbs off the table. So what did I bake them for Christmas? Another batch of chocolate sugar cookies, this time in the shape of trees, stockings…and reindeer.

To make these adorable treats, I used a gingerbread man cookie cutter, then flipped the cookies upside down to make reindeer heads. This is another popular item on Pinterest this year, and I admit that I looked at several cookie designs before settling on this one. You could certainly give them Rudolph-esque red noses if you like, but I went with a standard brown, as well as chocolate chip eyes.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation 

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until well-combined.

Slowly add flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl often and beating until a very well-combined, soft dough forms.

Gently knead the dough a few times to make sure it comes together; roll dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; line three baking sheets with parchment or foil.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a bat-shaped cookie cutter; if using different shapes, be sure to bake the same shape on one cookie sheet. Baking different-sized or differently-shaped cookies on the same sheet can lead to uneven results; some of your cookies might be underdone while others will be overdone.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheets for 1-2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Zella’s Icing

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white
  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons water, if necessary
  • Brown food coloring
  • Miniature chocolate chips, for eyes

Preparation

Combine egg white, shortening, salt, and one cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium, then high, and beat for one minute.

Add additional cup powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed for one minute.

Add vanilla and almond extracts.  Beat on high speed for one or two minutes, until very well combined.

Check the frosting’s texture; it should be like very, very soft peanut butter and very easily spreadable.  If necessary, add one to two teaspoons of water to thin the frosting and beat well to combine.

To frost your cookies:

Turn gingerbread men upside down so the feet act as the antlers.

Reserve a small portion of white frosting for the eyes, then tint the remaining frosting light brown for the faces.

Frost the faces using a small offset spatula, then tint the remaining frosting darker brown. Fit a piping bag with a small plain tip and pipe on antlers, the insides of the ears, and the noses.

Use white frosting to pipe two eyes, then place a miniature chocolate chip in the center of each.

Let frosting set for about 30 minutes; store in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper for us to 3 days.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

gingerbread-cakeThis Christmas, I wanted to make something different for dessert, and I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest. Sometimes you never know with Pinterest recipes – but this one is top-notch.

Adapted from a recipe at Great Grub, Delicious Treats (which was adapted from a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens), this cake and frosting are absolutely delicious. I added allspice and cloves to my batter in addition to the ginger and cinnamon, and I’m very glad I did. My mom and I couldn’t decide whether we liked the cake or the frosting best, and Mike is yet to weigh in. Either way, this cake was a huge hit after our Christmas dinner yesterday.

I cut the original recipe in half for a single layer for just the three of us, and I cut the frosting recipe in half as well, but it was still far too much. The measurements below are adapted further for what I believe would be an appropriate amount of frosting for a single layer 9-inch cake; I have a ton left over in my fridge, which will probably go in cupcakes this week.

Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with a circle of parchment; lightly grease the parchment.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl well. Add molasses and egg and beat well to combine.

Add flour mixture and water alternatively in three batches, starting and ending with the flour and mixing to combine between each.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake this cake, as the sides can easily burn.

Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

Add molasses and vanilla, beating well to combine. Scrape down your bowl well.

Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating to completely combine; continue to beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl well, to reach an easily spreadable consistency.

Frost top and sides of cake.

Store in the refrigerator, but let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes before serving.

 

Shortbread II

shortbread-iiThis is probably the best shortbread recipe I’ve ever found. Again, I say that the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion is changing my life, as this recipe comes from the first page of its shortbread chapter.

Some of the best treats are made of simple ingredients, and this is no exception. A delicious concoction of butter, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour, this recipe is incredibly easy to make and serves several people, which explains why I’ve baked so many rounds of it for Christmas so far.

You could certainly drizzle this with chocolate, but I strongly recommend trying a few wedges plain just so you get the full effect of its buttery deliciousness. While the original recipe calls for slicing each round into 12 wedges, I slice mine into 16 wedges for smaller servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 ounces (about 2 1/3 cups) flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add flour and beat to combine completely. The dough will be ready when it pulls away from the sides of your mixing bowl.

Divide dough in half and press into the bottom of each cake pan, using the palm of your hand to create an even surface.

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and gently loosen the sides, then allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Gently flip onto a cutting board and slice into 16 wedges, then place wedges on a wire rack to cool completely.

Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Note: shortbread must be cut while it’s still warm; once it cools, if you try to cut it, it will break.

Classic Thumbprints

classic thumbprintsThumbprint cookies are a bakery classic. I’ve had some legendary thumbprints at excellent bakeries, fabulous creations that are both tender and appropriately dry, studded with finely chopped nuts and topped with delicious icing. This cookie, I daresay, could compete with such treats.

Adapted from the King Arthur Flour thumbprint recipe, these cookies were an enormous hit in my office on Monday, when my colleagues and I had a little holiday gathering. Next time, I’m going to try filling them with a blob of buttercream frosting, which I think would be delicious…but you can certainly go with a traditional jam filling if you like. No matter what, you’ll have a delicious cookie.

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
  • About 1 cup very finely chopped pecans

For the icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • About 2 tablespoons milk
  • Red food coloring

Preparation

Separate eggs and let whites stand at room temperature while you prepare and chill the dough.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and salt.

Add the almond flour and 2 1/2 cups flour, beating well to combine. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour a few tablespoons at a time, adding just enough to make the dough come together. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place egg whites in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until foamy.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Dip in egg whites, then in finely chopped pecans, and place on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Make a deep thumbprint in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool completely before filling.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a small bowl, stirring well until smooth; add milk about 1 teaspoon at a time to reach a thick drizzling consistency.

Transfer to a sturdy zip-top bag and snip off the corner; fill each thumbprint with icing. Allow icing to set before serving or storing; store cookies between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Spritz

spritz-iWhen I was a kid, my mom and my grandma Zella both made almond cookies using a cookie press. How easily the dough popped out, shaped like trees and wreaths and pinwheels. Tinted green at Christmas, topped with sprinkles or colored sugar, these cookies were a staple in our holidays.

I have never had such luck with the cookie press.

I tried valiantly this time with a spritz recipe I found at Land O’Lakes, and while I did manage one good batch of trees (pictured here), I admit that my dough softened too much and refused to cooperate for the wreaths and pinwheels. Instead of fighting my dough (or chilling it a second time, which I should have done), I rolled it into balls, flattened them with my hand, and baked them as buttons. Since spritz are so named for the German word “spritzen,” which means “to squirt,” I can’t say the buttons were true spritz cookies…more like absolutely delicious butter cookies. Either way, the results of this recipe are supremely tasty.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • Colored sugar, if desired

Preparation

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, egg, and salt. Cream together until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add flour and beat at low speed until well-combined. Cover dough and chill for about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line three baking sheets with foil.

Fit a cookie press with your desired shape and fill with dough; press onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired. Alternatively, roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with your hand, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 6-9 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Note: the recipe will yield different amounts depending on the shapes you choose; my recipe made about 3 dozen.

Triple Chocolate Shortbread

triple-chocolate-shortbreadThis recipe was inspired by a cake that my friend Scott’s family has made for many years, an ultra-chocolatety confection involving chocolate cake, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and chocolate ganache frosting. I worried at first that these treats would been too chocolatey (because yes, there is such a thing), but was assured by everyone who tried them that they were indeed delicious.

You could certainly use different kinds of chocolate or chocolate chips to dress up the shortbread itself, but according to Scott (a chocolate expert for sure), the semi-sweet glaze and miniature chips are just perfect. Make sure you sprinkle on your miniature chocolate chips immediately after you glaze each wedge so they stick.

Ingredients

For the chocolate shortbread

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ounce (about 1/3 cup) Dutch-process cocoa
  • 7 1/4 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour

For the glaze

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • About 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips, for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla, then beat in cocoa powder and flour.

Divide dough into two 12-ounce portions and press each portion into the bottom of the cake pans, using the palm of your hand to flatten the dough as evenly as possible.

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until it appears done around the edges. Remove from oven and loosen the sides with a knife, then cool in pans for 5 minutes.

Carefully turn one shortbread round out onto a cutting board and cut into 16 wedges; place wedges on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second round. Allow wedges to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and shortening over low heat (or in the microwave), stirring until smooth.

Using a spoon, pour glaze over each wedge, then sprinkle on miniature chocolate chips. Place glazed wedges on parchment or waxed paper and allow to set completely before storing.

Store in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper at room temperature for about 4-5 days. Makes 32 wedges.

Note: shortbread will break if you try to cut it once it’s cool, so you must cut the rounds into wedges while they’re still warm.

Chocolate Shortbread

chocolate-shortbreadThe possibilities of shortbread are endless; you can glaze it, fill it, flavor it with all manner of extracts and spices. This recipe for chocolate shortbread is an adaptation on one from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, also known as my new bible.

I used sweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder because that was all I could find at the store, but you can certainly order the unsweetened variety from King Arthur Flour online. Dutch-process cocoa powder is not the same as natural cocoa powder; it is a less acidic version, will yield a different taste, and won’t react with baking soda to create leavening. As such, recipes that use Dutch process cocoa usually rely on baking powder for leavening, so make sure you don’t use the two interchangeably. In this recipe, we don’t have to worry about a leavening agent, but I did scale back my sugar to adjust the sweetness. I’ve also begun weighing the flour in my shortbread recipes, so the measurements below are given in both weight and volume; I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale and weighing instead of measuring my volume.

These treats were quite popular in my office this week. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ounce (about 1/3 cup) Dutch-process cocoa
  • 7 1/4 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla, then beat in cocoa powder and flour.

Divide dough into two 12-ounce portions and press each portion into the bottom of the cake pans, using the palm of your hand to flatten the dough as evenly as possible.

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until it appears done around the edges. Remove from oven and loosen the sides with a knife, then cool in pans for 5 minutes.

Carefully turn one shortbread round out onto a cutting board and cut into 16 wedges; place wedges on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second round.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4-5 days. Makes 32 wedges.

Note: shortbread will break if you try to cut it once it’s cool, so you must cut the rounds into wedges while they’re still warm.

Black Forest Cupcakes

black-forest-cupcake-1My cube mates and I all have nutcrackers on our desks for the holidays. Because we’re writers, we’ve decided that these nutcrackers need personalities and back stories. My nutcracker, Karl Henrik, hails from a tiny hamlet deep in the Black Forest…which made me really want to make Black Forest cupcakes.

This treat is much more fun to say in German: Schwartzwalder kirschtorte. Technically, this recipe is a very American adaptation on the German classic; it uses a dark chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve baked many times before, cherry pie filling (because one cannot find fresh tart cherries in Pittsburgh in December), and a kirsch-flavored whipped cream frosting. Mike proclaimed this cupcake delicious, whether it’s true to the original recipe or not. Someday, I’ll make a real Black Forest cake, but for now these treats will do!

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • Cherry pie filling*

*You’ll need half of a 21-ounce can; you can reserve the other half, as well as your cupcake cores, for a cherry chocolate trifle later on. 

Kirsch Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well-blended, then make three wells for the wet ingredients.

Place vinegar, vanilla, and vegetable oil into the wells; add water and mix until the batter is smooth. The mixture will bubble up slightly when you add the water, so just keep mixing until you get a smooth consistency in the batter, which will be fairly thin.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter into cupcake wells, filling no more than 3/4 full.

Bake for 13-16 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Immediately remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

Once cupcakes are completely cool, use a small knife to cut into the center of each cupcake at a 45-degree angle, about 1/8 inch from the edge, all the way around. Remove the core and reserve for another use (like a cherry-chocolate trifle, for example).

Spoon cherry pie filling into each center, being careful not to over-fill (which I definitely did). You should be able to fit about two cherries in each.

For the frosting: place heavy cream in a mixing bowl and, using your whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and kirsch, beating on high speed for another 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

Fit a piping bag with a large plain tip and pipe frosting onto cupcakes; gently smooth with an offset spatula to cover most of the top of the cupcake.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Peanut Butter Snowballs

peabut-butter-snowballsA few weeks ago at work, my friend Kristin and I talked about whether you could make buckeyes with vanilla candy coating instead of chocolate. Later that day, Taste of Home shared this recipe for peanut butter snowballs on Facebook. They are the exact treats we’d discussed: a combination of peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar coated in vanilla. I took it as a sign, and of course, had to make them.

You see, I can’t eat chocolate anymore. This delicious and magical food can be, for some people, a migraine trigger…and boy, do I have migraine issues. Not just the headache kind, but also a type called vestibular migraines, which cause dizziness, vertigo, and anxiety. Preventing them takes a combination of vitamins, medicine, daily exercise, meditation, physical therapy, and a diet low in sodium and devoid of caffeine (hence no chocolate), alcohol, and various other trigger foods.

The good news is that I’ve always loved vanilla, so I can still enjoy all manner of treats, including these peanut butter snowballs. They are a delightful alternative to the classic buckeye; smooth in texture and in flavor, with a nice crunch from the candy coating. This recipe makes 18 snowballs, but could be easily doubled for a larger batch.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 pound vanilla candy coating, chopped*

*I used Log House Candiquick Vanilla Candy Coating, which I found in the baking aisle at Target. While it comes in a microwave-safe tray, I chopped mine and put it in a large glass bowl for melting. You’ll have plenty left over, which you can pour out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, allow to set, break into pieces, and store in an airtight container for a future use. It sets up incredibly well, with no need to refrigerate. 

Preparation

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well-blended.

Add powdered sugar and beat until completely combined and smooth.

Shape into 1-inch balls (I used a 1-inch cookie scoop) and place on the baking sheet, then chill for 30 minutes.

Place vanilla candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until completely melted; you’ll want to stir the coating between each interval to distribute the heat.

Dip peanut butter balls in candy coating and return them to the baking sheet to set.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.