Crystallized Ginger Gingerbread Food

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Line a 9 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg).
• In another bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then stir in molasses. Add eggs one at a time, beating continuously.
• Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the yogurt/buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour; mix until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the pan and spread until even and sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Bake 50 minutes or just until the gingerbread is golden and springy to the touch, and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the loaf stand for a few minutes, then turn the loaf out and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Serve warm, or later!

GINGERBREAD WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan. Mix first 7 ingredients inn medium bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add molasses and egg and beat to blend. Beat in pear nectar, then dry ingredients and chopped ginger. Transfer batter to pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Cut cake into 16 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Place ginger in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Partially cover saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until ginger is almost cooked through but still slightly al dente, about 1 hour. Drain.
• Weigh cooked ginger and return it to saucepan with an equal amount of sugar. Add 2 tablespoons water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until ginger becomes translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring, until ginger is crystallized and begins to clump in the middle of the pan.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle a large rimmed baking sheet with sugar. Pour crystallized ginger onto prepared baking sheet and roll in sugar, separating pieces. Transfer to a sterilized jar and store in a cool place for 3 to 6 months.

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER TOPPING

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in medium bowl until combined.
• Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and buttermilk in large bowl until combined. Add melted butter and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous.
• Whisk half of dry ingredients into wet ingredients until two begin to come together and then add remaining dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined (do not overmix).
• For Topping: Process crystallized ginger with sugar in food processor until finely ground.
• Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin.
• Sprinkle portion of ginger sugar over each muffin. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time.
• Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses.
• Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and baking soda. Stir into batter. Stir in crystallized ginger. The batter will be thick. Roll into 1-inch (2.5cm) balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate. Dip balls into sugar. Place sugar-side up on cookie sheet about 3 inches (8cm) apart, as the cookies tend to spread when baking. Keep dough refrigerated between batches.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cracked on top, slightly firm to the touch and a golden colour. They will soften and crisp up as they cool. Cool on wire racks.

EXTRA GINGERY BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
• Stir together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar with oil, juice, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in a large bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until cake tester comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge to loosen cake, and release pan sides. Serve warm.

CRYSTALLIZED OR CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Cut ginger into 2-inch pieces and slice lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices. Score ginger slices by pricking with a fork.
• Toss ginger with sugar in a bowl.
• Combine ginger-sugar mixture and water in a large skillet or wok; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts into a syrup and starts to crystallize, about 1 hour. Continue stirring until syrup is mostly crystallized and ginger comes together in a pile in the center of the skillet and very little syrup drains out; remove from heat.
• Toss ginger slices gently to cool and separate from excess sugar. Spread slices out on a tray to cool and dry.