Crystallized Ginger Gingerbread People 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!

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.

OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
• Place the rum and raisins in a small pan, cover and heat until the rum boils. Turn off the heat and set aside. Place the butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth. Drain the raisins and add them and crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice and pour it onto the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set. Cut the gingerbread into 9 squares.

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 CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Peel the ginger using a sharp-edged teaspoon (or a small knife) -- yep that is the easiest way, just scrape it toward you and all comes off. In the joints just break apart the pieces to get all the peeling.
• Now slice it in 1/4-inch-thick slices -- I used the Cuisinart since I was doing so much but you can use a mandoline or sharp knife.
• Place the slices in a large nonreactive saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain, cover with fresh cold water, boil, and again cook 15 minutes. Repeat this blanching process 2 more times, for a total of 4 blanchings in all.
• After the last blanching, drain and cover with 6 cups of fresh cold water and 3 cups of sugar. Slowly bring the syrup to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ginger is translucent and the syrup is thickened, about 20-30 minutes; watch carefully. Remove from heat.
• You now have Canton candied ginger and can store it this way (in it's syrup, in a sterilized jar with a tight fitting lid, and refrigerated) for practically forever.
• Or, for crystallized ginger, let stand for about 30 minutes, for the ginger to absorb more syrup. Then you can take the pieces of ginger from the syrup and toss it in granulated sugar and put it on a rack (or on a parchment lined baking sheet) to dry, uncovered at room temperature, for at least 8 hours or overnight, until the sugar coating is firm and the slices are no longer sticky. This also keeps for at least a year, stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container.
• Notes: Save the syrup for flavoring, it has a strong ginger flavor and can be used to flavor drinks-- it is so yummy! I also save the sugar that I tossed it in to use in recipes.

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.

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.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER GINGERBREAD PEOPLE

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, whisk together first 8 ingredients; set aside. 2. Place crystallized ginger in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse to coarsely chop. Add brown sugar and zest, and process until ginger is finely chopped and incorporated into the sugar. 3. Combine butter and sugar-ginger mixture in a bowl; cream together until light and fluffy. Add molasses; beat to combine. Add egg; beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and drop onto large sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks about 1-in. thick and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs. 4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the sheets. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface, 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8- to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into shapes. Place 1 in. apart on baking sheets. 5. Bake 6 to 8 min. Cool cookies on pan for about 8 min. Transfer directly onto a wire rack to cool completely. Re-roll dough scraps and cut out more cookies. 6. To make icing, combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding juice until the desired consistency. Decorate completely cooled cookies as desired using small bits of candied ginger for eyes and buttons.

PEAR CRUMBLE WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Make topping:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.
• Make filling:
• Combine pear slices and lemon juice in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to blend.
• Transfer filling to prepared dish. Sprinkle topping over. Bake crumble until pears are tender and topping is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.