Best Gingerbread Mousse With Red Wine Glazed Baby Pear And Warm Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

JOHANNA'S GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda in a bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the molasses. Slowly add the flour mixture. Mix well after each addition of flour. The dough will be stiff.
• Divide dough in half, flatten into 2 thick circles and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to roll out.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out, cut into desired shapes and bake until golden brown.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the brown sugar, shortening, and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat on medium, stirring constantly until the shortening is melted. Put all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl; then add the warm sugar mixture, stirring until all of the ingredients are well blended. The dough will appear crumbly but will hold together when rolled out. Use the dough immediately, while it is still warm. If it starts to crumble, place it in a warm oven for 1 to 2 minutes until it softens a bit.
• To make decorated cutout cookies; Roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out gingerbread women and men with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on foil-lined cookie sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on racks before decorating.
• To decorate, tint a recipe of royal icing to your desired colors. Keep the icing covered with a damp towel while you are working to prevent it from drying out. To cover a cookie with icing, thin some of the icing with a little water and spread it on the cookie with a knife or metal spatula. Leave some of the icing thick for piping borders or other designs, using the #2 tip. Add dragees, edible glitter, colored sprinkles, or other decorations to the wet icing. To attach candies to un-iced cookies, brush a thin layer of clear piping gel on the cookie with a small paintbrush and add decorations.
• Royal icing is very versatile. It is pure white and dries very hard, so it is perfect for making flowers and bows and delicate piped work. It can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. You should stir the icing to restore its original consistency after storage, but do not rebeat. Royal icing does not work well in high humidity.
• Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat slowly until they are all blended. Then beat at medium speed until the icing forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add more sugar if the icing is not stiff enough, or a few drops of water if it is too stiff. Use immediately or cover the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent drying when not in use. Allow at least 24 hours for royal icing decorations to dry, at room temperature.
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.
• Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Got scraps? Form the scraps into a ball, press it flat and chill in the refrigerator. These cookies may be a little more "tough" because the dough will have been worked a little more than the others. Why not have a little frosting on your gingerbread?
• In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together to combine. If too thick in consistency, add a touch more orange juice or water to thin out.
• Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting between 2 of the gingerbread cookies. Press the 2 cookies halves gently together.
• Variation: I love springerle, the German anise-flavored cookies, for the delicate molds (and carved rolling pins) used to make them. I have made this recipe with springerle molds with stunning results. The kind of cookies that make people marvel at how great they look before they eat a half a plate of them! Simply dust the decorative molds (or rolling pin) with flour, shaking lightly to remove any excess. Roll the dough very thin (between 1/2 and 1/4-inch thick). Press or roll the dough into the molds and trace the shapes with a sharp knife to extract the cookies. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet (with some space between them) and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Not using molds? Scoop the batter in teaspoons and roll them into balls. Press the balls onto a greased baking sheet or press with the tines of a fork to make ridges. Bake until brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. These cookies are so beautiful, they can stand alone. Or...make gingerbread sandwiches using the above frosting as the filling...

GINGERBREAD DUTCH BABY WITH POACHED MAPLE PEARS AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• For the creme fraiche topping: Whisk together the creme fraiche, vanilla extract, orange zest and vanilla bean seeds in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight to allow flavors to meld.
• For the poached maple pears: Meanwhile, combine 4 cups water, the sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange peel and vanilla bean in a high-sided medium skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the pears and cook, turning a few times, until a thin-bladed knife meets no resistance, about 20 minutes. Remove the pears to a plate and let cool, then then slice each half in half again.
• Bring the poaching liquid back to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups. Remove the cinnamon sticks, orange peel and vanilla bean. Add the maple syrup and the poached pears and cook 1 minute longer. Keep warm.
• For the Dutch baby: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the eggs in a blender and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and pale in color. Add the flour, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, molasses and salt, and blend until smooth.
• Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat, swirling it up the sides to evenly coat the pan. Pour the batter into the skillet and immediately transfer to the oven. Bake until the pancake is puffed and browned, and crisp at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Dust the Dutch baby with powdered sugar and cut into wedges. Top each wedge with creme fraiche topping, some poached pears and a drizzle of the pear syrup.

TARTINE'S SOFT GLAZED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• To make the dough, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Add the egg and mix well. Add the molasses and corn syrup and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer again and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it on a large piece of plastic wrap into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, cover the dough with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
• Unwrap the dough and place on a floured work surface. If using a plaque with a design, roll out the dough 1/3 inch thick, lightly dust the top with flour, press your cookie molds over the dough, and then cut out the shapes with a small knife and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Alternatively, using the mold as a guide, cut around it with a small knife, flip the mold over so the design is facing you, and place the dough over it, pressing it into the design. Unmold the shapes onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
• If using a patterned rolling pin, lightly dust the lined baking sheet with flour and transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it into a rectangle about 1/3 inch thick with a plain pin. Then, using the patterned pin, roll over the dough with enough pressure to ensure a clear impression of the design. Trim the sides with a small knife. It is not necessary to cut into smaller sizes before baking.
• Bake the cookies until lightly golden along the sides but still soft to the touch in the centers, 7 to 15 minutes. The timing will depending on the size of the individual cookies, or if you have made a single large patterned piece that will be cut after baking.
• While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and water until smooth.
• When the cookies are ready, remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, while the cookies are still warm, using even strokes, brush a light coat of glaze on the top of each cookie, evenly covering it.
• Let the cookies cool completely. When the glaze dries, it should leave a shiny, opaque finish. If you have used a patterned pin to make a single large plaque, cut into the desired sizes with a small, very sharp knife. At the bakery, we cut them into 3-by-4-inch rectangles, but 1 1/2 by 4 inches makes a nice smaller size.

SOFT-BATCH GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the gingerbread cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
• Cream the butter, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on a medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes lighter in color. Mix in the egg and molasses on a medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
• Sift the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and salt) into the wet ingredients. Mix on low until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
• Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to shape and roll 14 cookie dough balls using about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies seem set in the center. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
• For the buttercream frosting: While the cookies bake and cool, mix the butter on a medium speed in a large bowl for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix on a medium speed until combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and milk on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, mix for an additional minute on a low speed to give the frosting a super smooth consistency.
• For the cookie decorations: Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cooled cookies using a small offset spatula or butter knife. Top with sprinkles, then enjoy!