Chocolate Drizzled Gingerbread Food

CHOCOLATE-SWIRL GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cloves.
• Melt the butter in the water in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg.
• Pour half the batter into prepared pan. With a spoon, drizzle half the chocolate over the batter. Pour remaining batter on top, and drizzle the remaining chocolate over the batter in a decorative pattern.
• Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

GINGERBREAD HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, cocoa powder, sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon nutmeg and allspice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar, cocoa powder and spices are dissolved and the milk is steaming, about 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. Whisk in the chopped chocolate a little at a time until smooth. Divide among 6 to 8 mugs and garnish with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.

GINGERBREAD HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Stir the milk, cream, sugar, orange zest and spices together in a saucepan, then bring to a simmer over a low heat. Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a jug, discarding the clove and orange zest. Pour the warm infused milk back into the pan and stir in the vanilla and chocolate until the chocolate has melted and is smooth.
• Return the pan to a low heat to warm through, if needed, then pour into a heatproof mug. Top with whipped cream and crushed gingerbread biscuits, if you like, then serve.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGERBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, molasses and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and crystallized ginger. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to shape, at least 2 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls; roll in additional sugar. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until until set and edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight containers.