Best Crystallized Ginger Gingerbread People Recipes

GINGERBREAD WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan. Mix first 7 ingredients inn medium bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add molasses and egg and beat to blend. Beat in pear nectar, then dry ingredients and chopped ginger. Transfer batter to pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Cut cake into 16 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

EXTRA GINGERY BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
• Stir together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar with oil, juice, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in a large bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until cake tester comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge to loosen cake, and release pan sides. Serve warm.

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER TOPPING

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in medium bowl until combined.
• Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and buttermilk in large bowl until combined. Add melted butter and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous.
• Whisk half of dry ingredients into wet ingredients until two begin to come together and then add remaining dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined (do not overmix).
• For Topping: Process crystallized ginger with sugar in food processor until finely ground.
• Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin.
• Sprinkle portion of ginger sugar over each muffin. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time.
• Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER GINGERBREAD PEOPLE

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, whisk together first 8 ingredients; set aside. 2. Place crystallized ginger in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse to coarsely chop. Add brown sugar and zest, and process until ginger is finely chopped and incorporated into the sugar. 3. Combine butter and sugar-ginger mixture in a bowl; cream together until light and fluffy. Add molasses; beat to combine. Add egg; beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and drop onto large sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks about 1-in. thick and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs. 4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the sheets. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface, 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8- to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into shapes. Place 1 in. apart on baking sheets. 5. Bake 6 to 8 min. Cool cookies on pan for about 8 min. Transfer directly onto a wire rack to cool completely. Re-roll dough scraps and cut out more cookies. 6. To make icing, combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding juice until the desired consistency. Decorate completely cooled cookies as desired using small bits of candied ginger for eyes and buttons.