Chocolate Gingerbread House Petits Fours Food

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREADS

Steps:

• Beat 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar and 1 stick butter until fluffy, then beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger and a large pinch each of ground cinnamon and cloves with the egg. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; stir into the butter mixture. Do not chill. Drop by tablespoonfuls, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 8 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD HOUSE PETITS FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Line bottom with parchment, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
• Stir together boiling water and baking soda in a small bowl, and set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, spices, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add molasses and eggs, and beat until creamy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the baking soda mixture, and beat until combined. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat for 15 seconds.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. (To prevent cake from falling too soon, do not open oven for the first 35 minutes of baking.) Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen, and invert onto rack. Remove parchment, turn cake right side up, and let cool completely. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
• Using a serrated knife, trim edges of cake so they are straight. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes. Cut 25 cubes on the diagonal into triangles. Spread frosting on long sides of triangles, and place one triangle on top of each cube, frosting side down, to create roofs. Insert a piece of licorice in top of each roof for the chimney. Dust roofs with confectioners' sugar. Petits fours are best the day you assemble them.

PETIT FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush 3 (12 1/2 by 9-inch) rimmed baking sheets (otherwise known as quarter sheet pans) with melted butter. Line the pans with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on opposite sides. Butter the top of the parchment paper as well, then set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 5 minutes. Add the almond extract. Roughly cut the room temperature butter into pats and gradually add to the almond paste-sugar mixture. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the flour and salt and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared baking sheets, about 2 1/4 cups each sheet, smoothing the batter out with an offset spatula. Gently tap the baking sheet on the table to remove any air pockets in the batter. Air pockets will cause holes in the baked cake and give a ragged look to the finished product. Bake until just set, but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Give the baking sheets a turn halfway through baking, after about 8 minutes, for even baking, if needed, but don't worry too much because we're covering the cakes. Test with a toothpick or skewer and if clean, remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.
• To make the jam easier to spread and to prevent tearing the cake, puree the raspberry jam in a food processor. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn 1 cake layer out onto the lined baking sheet. Spread half of the raspberry jam in an even layer over the cake. Carefully flip the cake out of the baking sheet and top with a second cake layer. Spread with the remaining jam. Carefully flip the final layer out of the baking sheet and top the cake. Place a piece of parchment paper over the final layer and top with a second baking sheet. Weigh down with 2 large (28-ounce) cans. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and cut into 1-inch squares. Place onto a wire racks over at least 2 baking sheets, leaving at least 1-inch between each cake piece.
• Place each of the tinted royals icings in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, with the bottom of the bowl not touching the water, until pourable. You should have about 8 cups total. You'll be using about 1 heaping tablespoon icing on each. Carefully place a cut cake on a chocolate fork/dipper (or a small fork). Place the cake over the icing and spoon the icing onto the cake. If the cake drops into the icing, carefully pick it up with your spoon and place back onto your fork/dipper. Place back onto the wire rack using another dipper or fork to slide onto the wire rack. Top with decorative dragees, as desired. Repeat with the remaining icing and cakes. Alternately, for each tinted frosting, set 3 cooling racks over baking sheets and divide the cut cake pieces evenly among the racks. Pour the tinted frosting slowly over the cake pieces. If you need extra frosting, just remove the cooling rack, scrape the excess frosting from the baking sheet, melt or microwave until pourable and touch up any area that the frosting didn't coat the first time. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes at room temperature or cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 week until ready to serve.
• Put your raspberries and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it's at a simmer, partially cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Pass the berry mixture through a food mill and measure the liquid that remains. You need 3 1/2 cups. Add more water if there isn't enough.
• Put the berry liquid into a new saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer again. Once it simmers, start adding your sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Give it a stir to incorporate and bring it back to a simmer before adding of the next 1/2 cup sugar. Once the last 1/2 cup is added, bring the liquid to 216 to 218 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Stir constantly.
• Let this cool to room temperature prior to using. If not using right away, refrigerate for up to 1 week. Yield: 2 cups.
• In a large heatproof bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon water, corn syrup and almond extract. Once incorporated, slowly whisk in the sugar until fully combined. Alternately, slowly mix together in a stand mixer and transfer to a heatproof bowl prior to icing cakes.
• Divide the icing into 3 heatproof bowls. To make a pale green color, add a little less than 1 drop green food coloring to the first bowl. To the second bowl, add 1 drop purple coloring for a lavender color. And leave the final bowl white, or add another color, as desired.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• For the gingerbread: Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves into a large bowl. Set aside.
• Combine the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, vanilla and egg and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sifted flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined into a smooth dough, about 1 minute. Form the dough into a flat square, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until just firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, make templates for the gingerbread house. Gather 3 sheets of stiff paper or 2 manila folders (split at the seam), scissors, a ruler and a pencil. For the side panels, draw and cut out a rectangle that measures 4 by 7 inches. For the front and back panels of a house with a peaked roof, draw and cut out a template that is 6 inches wide at the base, 4 inches to the roofline and 4 1/2 inches slanted to a peak. The template for the roof panels should measure 4 1/2 by 8 inches.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the dough and cut into 3 equal pieces (a pizza wheel is handy for this). Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the other pieces refrigerated, roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using the template, cut out the side panels and remove the scraps around the cutouts. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough, cutting out the front and back panels and 2 roof panels. If the dough gets too soft while rolling, return it to the refrigerator for 15 minutes before proceeding. (Discard the dough scraps or reroll to make cookies.) Chill the dough pieces on the prepared baking sheets for 15 minutes.
• Bake the dough pieces until crisp almost all the way through (the very center will still be a little soft), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans 10 minutes on a rack, then remove the house pieces to the rack to cool completely.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add the vanilla and 5 tablespoons water and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if needed. Divide the icing between the 2 prepared piping bags (one fitted with a small plain tip and the other fitted with a large plain tip).
• Decorate the side panels: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe icing to draw a window on 1 of the side panels; press nonpareils around the edges to line the window frame. Pipe icing onto the backs of 2 of the gummy candy canes and attach them on either side of the window. Attach a row of 8 of the chocolate-covered mints along the bottom by piping pea-size dots of icing onto the backs and pressing them on. Repeat with the second side panel. Let the panels rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the front panel: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe a double line of icing across the front panel where the roof starts to incline; press on 13 of the chocolate chips. Pipe a large dot of icing onto the back of 1 of the chocolate hearts and attach it to the panel just above the line of chocolate chips; outline the heart with icing. Pipe icing to draw a door; attach a nonpareil with a dot of icing to make a doorknob. Pipe icing to draw 2 windows; line the windows with nonpareils. Pipe icing onto the backs of the gummy penguins and attach 2 on either side of the door. Let the panel rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the back panel: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe a double line of icing across the back panel where the roof starts to incline; press on the remaining 13 chocolate chips. Pipe a large dot of icing onto the back of the remaining chocolate heart and attach it to the panel just above the line of chocolate chips; outline the heart with icing. Pipe icing to draw 2 windows; line the frames with nonpareils. Let the panel rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the roof panels: Pour half of the melted chocolate onto 1 of the roof panels; using an offset spatula, spread it to form a thin, even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate-coated roof panel with the chocolate curls. Repeat with the other roof panel. Refrigerate the panels for 15 minutes to let the chocolate set.
• Assemble the walls: Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe a 6-inch line of icing on the foil-wrapped base (this will be for the front of the house). Press the front panel into the icing and pipe a line of icing along the inside of the panel at the base to reinforce it. Prop up the front with a can. Pipe a 7-inch line of icing perpendicular to the front panel. Pipe icing up the edge of 1 of the side panels. Press the side panel into the icing on the base and against the edge of the front panel, creating a corner. Pipe a line of icing along the inside of the panel at the base to reinforce it. Prop up the side with a can. Repeat the process with the second side panel and the back panel. Let the house rest until the icing is firmly set, at least 1 hour.
• Attach the roof: Gently test the walls to make sure the icing is set. If they give, let the house rest until firm. (If you add the roof too soon, the house will collapse.) Once the walls are set, remove the cans. Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe icing along the angled roof edges on 1 side of the house. Pipe icing on the unfrosted side of 1 of the roof panels along the 2 short edges (where the roof will attach to the slanted edges of the house). Press the panel onto the house and hold it in place until the icing sets, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the other side and the remaining roof panel. Let the roof rest until completely dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Landscape the yard: Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe a rectangular icing walkway in front of the house; line the edges with the brown candy-coated chocolates and pave the middle with candy rocks. Pipe pea-size dots of icing onto the backs of the chocolate-covered raisins and press them in a row along the bottom of the back panel. Use the piping bag fitted with a large tip to pipe icing snowdrifts around the walkway and the base of the house. While the snowdrifts are still wet, sprinkle them with chocolate puffed cereal and snowflake sprinkles, pressing gently to help them adhere.
• Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe icing along the top seam of the house where the roof panels connect; line with a row of the chocolate kisses. Let the house rest until dry.