Holiday Gingerbread Recipes

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan or a square baking pan.
• Stir flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Dissolve baking soda into applesauce and mix into the creamed butter. Stir in 1 teaspoon orange extract. Add flour mixture and mix batter until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out just slightly sticky, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour.
• Beat cream cheese in a bowl with the electric blender until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and beat until well combined. Spread frosting onto cooled cake.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine butter, sugar, and molasses together in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in increments, and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed together.
• Pour the dough out onto the countertop and divide into 4 pieces. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 1 to 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
• Adjust the racks to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.
• Spread 2 large pieces of parchment paper out and very lightly flour them. Place a disk of dough between the parchment sheets and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough. Rework all scraps into balls and re-chill before reusing. Repeat with all the dough.
• Cut out cookies and place on the parchment-lined sheet trays with an offset spatula, leaving 1-inch between each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling to room temperature before decorating the cookies with Royal Icing.
• Add ingredients to a large bowl. Beat, using a hand mixer, until glossy and stiff, about 5 to 6 minutes. Place in icing bags with fine tips to decorate cookies.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease 12 muffin cup/tins.
• In medium bowl, beat the egg, applesauce, oil, molasses and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and add to first mixture.
• Stir in the water, mixing well.
• Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.
• Lightly sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, egg whites and egg until well blended. Add applesauce and molasses; mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt; gradually beat into applesauce mixture until blended., Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Just before serving, top each cupcake with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD PUDDING CAKE!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg in medium bowl.
• Set mixture aside.
• Beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar on medium speed in large mixing bowl until creamy (1-2 minutes).
• Add egg; continue beating until well mixed.
• Reduce the speed to low, continue beating, alternately adding flour mixture with molasses and 1 cup water.
• Beating after each addition only until blended.
• Pour the batter into 13x9-inch baking pan; sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar.
• Combine 1 1/2 cups hot water and 1/3 cup melted butter in medium bowl.
• Carefully, pour over top of batter.
• Bake 40-55 minutes or until gingerbread is cracked on top and toothpick in center comes out clean.
• Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch square pans and two 15x10x1-inch rectangular pans. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening and molasses until well blended. Stir in cold water. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, allspice, cloves and cinnamon until well blended. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Press 1 piece in each rectangular pan. Divide remaining piece of dough in half; press in square pans.
• Bake one rectangular pan at a time, then both squares together, about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 5 minutes; turn each pan upside down onto large cutting surface. Cut off any rough edges. Immediately cut 1 rectangle into back and front pieces (including holes for windows and door), and cut other rectangle in half for side pieces (see diagram below). Cut 1 square into trim and shutters (see diagram below); cut extra square into gingerbread people, or save for another use. Cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat all frosting ingredients except food colors until smooth enough to spread, beating in additional milk if necessary. Leave most of frosting white; remove and tint small amounts of frosting with food colors for decorating front of house
• Cover cardboard or serving platter with foil. Use frosting to stand front piece of house on cardboard. Attach 1 side to front, then 1 back to side, using frosting. Attach back pieces together at center with frosting. Attach remaining side to house. Attach trim along roof of house; attach door and shutters to door and window openings, using frosting. Fill any gaps with frosting and small gingerbread pieces if desired. Decorate house using remaining frosting, jelly beans, pretzel rods and assorted candies, as desired.