Chocolate Gingerbread Hugs Recipes

GINGERBREAD KISSES

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in egg and molasses. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to shape, about 4 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into sixty 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes., Press a chocolate kiss immediately into the center of each cookie. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats, and set aside. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream grated ginger and butter until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
• Add the flour mixture in batches until fully incorporated. Mix in chocolate, cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the sugar in a pie plate. Using a 1-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop the dough into a bowl filled with sugar. Roll each ball of dough in sugar. Bake until surface cracks slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, gingerbread spice and salt in a medium bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the whole egg and egg yolks and beat 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the water. Beat until just smooth, being careful not to overbeat (the batter may look curdled).
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack, remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• Beat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the ginger jam in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Carefully cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife and spread one half with the ginger filling. Top with the other cake layer and cut lengthwise, then crosswise into 6 equal rows, making small cubes. Freeze the cubes until firm, about 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan. Hold each cake square over the bowl on a fork and spoon chocolate over the top until evenly covered. Let the excess drip off, then transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet. Top with crystallized ginger. Let set, about 2 hours at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator; before completely set, loosen with a spatula.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREADS

Steps:

• Beat 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar and 1 stick butter until fluffy, then beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger and a large pinch each of ground cinnamon and cloves with the egg. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; stir into the butter mixture. Do not chill. Drop by tablespoonfuls, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 8 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

EASY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil and molasses until well blended. In another bowl, whisk cake mix, flour and ginger; gradually beat into egg mixture., Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press raisins into cookies for eyes., Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with frosting and candies as desired.

CHOCOLATE-GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. Sift 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour, cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter and ginger together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
• Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture followed by remaining flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1-inch thickness; seal with plastic. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll in white sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD TWIGS

Steps:

• Melt bittersweet chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth; remove from heat. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and molasses and beat until smooth. Beat in bittersweet chocolate, then flour mixture, until combined. Divide dough in half; form each half into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 30 minutes. Dough can be made 3 days ahead and stored in refrigerator, or frozen up to 1 month.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out each piece of dough to a rectangle 1/8-inch thick, with 1 side roughly 12 inches long, on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Transfer rectangles on parchment to baking sheets and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 1/4-to-1/2-inch-wide irregular strips, each about 12 inches long. Separate strips on parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake until slightly darker around edges, about 12 minutes. Let twigs cool completely on baking sheets.
• Melt white chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Paint chocolate along length of each twig with a pastry brush to create a faux-bois look. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Twigs can be made 3 days ahead and stored in a cool place.

GINGERBREAD CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat until combined. Add molasses and beat until combined.
• Dissolve baking soda in boiling water in a small bowl.
• Beat half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add baking soda mixture and beat until combined. Add remaining flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Turn dough onto plastic wrap and pat out to about 1-inch thickness. Cover completely in plastic wrap and place dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Roll chilled dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Roll balls in sugar and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the surface of the cookies crack, 10 to 12 minutes.

MARTHA STEWART CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together, flour, ginger,cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and ginger on medium speed until lightened, about 4 minutes.
• Add brown sugar,beat until combined. Add molasses, beat until combined.
• In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water.
• Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.
• Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining flour mixture.
• Mix in chocolate, turn into plastic wrap.
• Pat out to 1" thickness, seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325*.
• Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls, place 2" apart on baking sheets.
• Chill 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar.
• Bake until surface just begins to crack, 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through.
• Let cool 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

CHOCOLATE-GINGERBREAD HUGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F; you'll need a baking sheet.
• Place chocolate and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until melted.
• Stir until well blended and smooth.
• Stir together gingerbread mix, chocolate mixture, flour and hot water in a large bowl with rubber spatula until well blended.
• Put sugar in a small bowl.
• With floured hands, shape scant tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls.
• Roll balls in sugar to coat.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake 10-12 minutes until tops crack slightly but are still soft to the touch.
• Place baking sheet on a wire rack.
• Immediately press a Hug in center of each cookie.
• Transfer cookies from baking sheet to rack to cool completely.
• Store airtight at cool room temperature up to 2 weeks.