Ginger Orange Stars Recipes

GINGER-ORANGE STARS

Steps:

• For cookies:
• Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in molasses, egg yolk, orange peel, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Gather dough into ball. Divide into 4 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic and chill until cold and firm, at least 4 hours.
• Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 piece of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2- to 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart (cookies spread very little). Gather scraps and reroll dough, cutting out more cookies. Bake cookies 5 minutes. Reverse baking sheets; bake until cookies are puffed and look slightly darker around edges, about 5 minutes longer. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks; cool. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
• For icing:
• Sift 1 1/2 cups sugar into medium bowl. Add 5 teaspoons water and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Whisk in more sugar by tablespoonfuls, if necessary, until icing falls thickly off whisk. Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch plain round tip or resealable plastic bag (cut tip off bag). Pipe icing onto cookies. Let stand until icing is hard, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper.)

SWEDISH ORANGE GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl or standing mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light. Beat in 1 egg and mix in the molasses, orange juice, and zest. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir them into the wet ingredients to make a soft, smooth dough, adding more flour if dough is too sticky. Knead the dough three times on a lightly floured board.
• Shape the dough into 3 logs, about 8-inches long, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice logs into thin circles, less than 1/8-inch thick. Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

GINGER-ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Spray jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x1 inch, with cooking spray.
• Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg.
• Mix all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and ginger in small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating on low speed until blended. Stir in orange peel. Spread in pan.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all frosting ingredients until smooth, adding enough orange juice for desired spreading consistency. Spread over cooled bars. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

GINGER STARS

Steps:

• Beat the cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, grated ginger and salt in a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix until combined. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, then fold into thirds like a letter. Roll out again to about 1/3 inch thick. Cut into stars using 1 1/2-to-2-inch cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and repeat. (Refrigerate the dough if it gets too soft.)
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Lightly brush the cookies with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the crystallized ginger and coarse sugar. Refrigerate the cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies are slightly puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

GINGER ORANGE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• Shred Brussels sprouts in a food processor.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir shredded Brussels sprouts in the hot oil until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir pecans into the Brussels sprouts until pecans are fragrant and toasted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir orange juice into Brussels sprouts mixture; fold in cranberries and ginger. Simmer mixture until juice is mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

ORANGE-GINGER ROUNDS

Steps:

• Place two 12-by-16-inch pieces of parchment on a work surface. Divide dough in half; form each half into a rough log on parchment. Fold parchment over dough; using a ruler, roll and press dough into a 1 1/2-inch cylinder. Wrap. Chill at least 3 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Spread crystallized ginger on a work surface. Unwrap logs; roll in ginger to coat. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place on sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until edges turn slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

GINGER ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Grate the orange to get all the peel. Set aside. Then halve and squeeze the orange and get all the pulp you can. If you don't have a full 8 ounces of orange juice, add water until you get to a cup or get another orange.
• Add the grated orange rind, ginger, applesauce, cinnamon, orange juice and cranberries to a pan. Simmer until all the cranberries pop.
• Remove the cinnamon stick.
• Alternately, you can use star anise instead of ginger. Add two star anise at the beginning and remove with the cinnamon stick.
• Serve warm or chill.
• This makes 8 large or 16 small servings. As a side dish at Thanksgiving, everyone took small amounts.

ORANGE GINGER BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients into the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and press Start.
• When the machine signals the end of the cycle, remove the dough. Roll into a loaf, and place in a 9x5 inch bread pan. Set aside to rise until doubled, or until your finger leaves a dent when the dough is pressed lightly.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the bread for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a rich golden brown.

SPARKLING GINGER-ORANGE COCKTAILS / MOCKTAILS

Steps:

• COCKTAIL:.
• Place 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger in a piece of cheesecloth, and squeeze juice from ginger into a large pitcher; discard cheesecloth and solids.
• Stir 2 bottles sparkling wine, 1 container orange juice, and 1 can chilled pineapple juice into ginger juice.
• Serve over ice, with orange slices and fresh mint sprigs for garnish.
• MOCKTAIL:.
• In a large pitcher, stir together 1 container orange juice, 1 bottle chilled ginger ale, and 1 can chilled pineapple juice.
• Serve over ice, with orange slices and fresh mint sprigs for garnish.

GINGER-ORANGE REFRESHER

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove colored layer of peel from oranges in strips, leaving the white pith. Cut oranges crosswise in half; squeeze juice from oranges., In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and orange juice; bring to a boil. Stir in mint, ginger and orange peel; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Cool syrup mixture completely., Strain syrup, discarding solids. To serve, fill 10 highball glasses halfway with ice. Add 2 ounces syrup and, if desired, 1/2 ounce rum to each glass; top with soda.