Well I have baked up a storm these past few weeks in honour of a friend's fundraising gala for her performance production company Black Pants. I made pfeffernussen, chocolate chip cookies, rosemary honey cookies, brownies, cranberry white chocolate biscotti, shortbread, and gingerbread people.
I promised Noreenah a no-fail gingerbread recipe, so here we go. I would recommend using a standing or hand mixer if you have one for creaming, and for mixing in the dry ingredients. If you haven't one, use a whisk or a pastry blender when adding the dry ingredients. One very important note. It is crucial that the butter be at room temperature, creaming works so much better.Gingerbread Cutouts
(Adapted from Taste of Home's Best Loved Cookies and Bars)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 tablespoons cold water
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in molasses and egg. Sift together the dry ingredients, add to the creamed mixture in fourths alternately with water, mix well. Refrigerate for one hour. (Really)
On a well floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter dipped in flour and place cookies 2 inched apart on greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Remove immediately to wire racks to cool, and decorate. Makes 2 dozen.
Note: Make sure to remove them from oven if the edges brown, even if the cookies appear to be not quite done. They will firm-up as they cool. If the edges brown and the cookies are too soft to remove from the pan, then the issue is probably that your oven is too hot. Try lowering the temperature by 25F or so, and be sure to let the pan cool between batches.
Happy Holidays!
Rebecca
