Lemon Ginger Cutouts Recipes

REFRESHING LEMON-GINGER DRESSING

Steps:

• Blend olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and salt together in a high-powered blender until smooth.

LEMON GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in 2 Tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger. Dough will be thick and sticky. Scoop small sections of dough (about 1 scant Tablespoon of dough each) and roll into balls. Very lightly dip the tops of each into remaining crystallized ginger. (You don't want too much- just a few pieces.) Place dough balls onto a large plate or lined baking sheet.
• Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (and up to 4 days).
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Arrange chilled cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
• Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk the glaze ingredients together. If desired, add more confectioners' sugar to thicken or more juice to thin out. The thicker the glaze, the whiter (and less translucent) it will be. Drizzle on cooled cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour, so these are convenient to store and transport.
• Cookies without glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies with glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

GINGER SHORTBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until incorporated.
• Roll out the dough until 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies with 3-inch cookie cutters; arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and reroll to cut out more cookies. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and thick. Transfer the icing to a small resealable bag. Snip a small corner and decorate the cookies. Let set 15 minutes.

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth until ready to frost cookies.

LEMON-GINGER REFRIGERATOR ROLL

Steps:

• Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP.
• Spread about 1-1/2 tsp. pudding mixture onto each cookie. Stack cookies, then stand on edge on platter. Frost with remaining pudding mixture.
• Refrigerate 8 hours. Cut into diagonal slices to serve.

LEMON CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and lemon zest; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters dipped in flour. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SALTED LEMON-GINGER SPRITZER

Steps:

• Place the lemon and salt in a large wine glass and using the back of a spoon, lightly muddle to break up and release some of the oils and juices. Add lemon juice and ginger (if using) and top with lots of ice and ginger beer. Garnish with lemon wedge or fresh ginger.

LEMON-GLAZED CANDIED-GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. Add flour mixture, and then beat on medium-low speed until dough just comes together.
• Shape dough into two 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut out 2-inch circles. Place the rounds 1/2 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll out and cut scraps. Refrigerate rounds for 10 minutes.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and edges are light gold, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. (Cookies can be stored for up to 3 days.)
• Whisk confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and juice, honey, water, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set, at least 20 minutes.

GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Beat the brown sugar, molasses, melted butter and egg yolks in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat, gradually increasing the speed to medium high, until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes.
• Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper coated with cooking spray until 1/8 inch thick. Freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Cut out cookies using 2-inch cutters; arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Gather the scraps and chill until firm, then reroll once to cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, 20 minutes.
• Bake the cookies, switching the pans halfway through, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3 to 4 tablespoons water in a bowl with a mixer on high speed until smooth and thick. Transfer to a resealable bag and snip a small corner. Pipe onto the cookies and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let set 30 minutes.