Gingerbread Squares With Honey Mascarpone Cream Food

GINGERBREAD SQUARES WITH HONEY-MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• For topping:
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, honey, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Cover; chill until ready to serve. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8-inch square metal baking pan. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend well; whisk in crystallized ginger. Whisk oil, molasses, and brown sugar in large bowl to blend; whisk in egg and lemon peel. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients, then boiling water. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely; cover and store at room temperature.) Cut cake into squares; sift powdered sugar over. Serve warm or at room temperature with topping.
• Italian cream cheese available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with baking spray. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
• Combine sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl; mix well. Gradually pour molasses into sugar mixture; stir until well blended. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture; beat well. Spread batter evenly in prepared baking dish.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Cut into 12 pieces. Dust with confectioners' sugar and garnish with Reddi-wip.

GINGERBREAD SQUARES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the dish with parchment paper, letting paper hang over the sides of the dish for easy removal of the brownies.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, molasses, sour cream and eggs. Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring just until no lumps or streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the gingerbread comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the gingerbread to cool in the pan 5 to 10 minutes, then remove by lifting both sides of the parchment paper. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, spread with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Store in an airtight container for up 5 days. Cut into squares and serve, or give as gifts.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 5 days.

EASY MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium bowl beat the cream and sugar until thick peaks appear (very thick).
• In a medium bowl beat (with same beaters) the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
• Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture and whisk strongly until smooth. Don't over mix. Use as a topping for cakes or fresh fruit. Enjoy!

SPICED BAKED FIGS WITH GINGER MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the figs in an ovenproof roasting dish, dot over the butter and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the orange juice and mix lightly. Nestle the star anise amongst the figs and roast for 15-20 minutes.
• When ready to serve, mix the ginger and syrup through the mascarpone. Place 4 fig halves, drizzled with syrup, on a plate with a dollop of mascarpone and some shortbread fingers.

HONEY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch square glass baking dish. Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and 1/4 cup minced ginger. Beat in eggs. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until gingerbread begins to pull away from sides of dish and is springy to touch, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into squares and topped with whipped cream and chopped ginger.

GRANNY'S GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in molasses and egg until well blended. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water., Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack., For caramel sauce, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Serve with warm cake. Top with whipped cream if desired.

GINGERBREAD BELLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and molasses and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine. Form dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. With a 3 1/2-inch bell-shaped cutter, cut out dough (reroll scraps, if desired). Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake until cookies are firm and edges begin to brown, 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, using mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar on low until combined. With mixer on high, beat until icing is whipped and opaque, 4 minutes. Thin with water as needed to make a stiff but spreadable icing. Divide icing among bowls; tint with food coloring. Transfer icings to large separate zip-top bags and snip 1/8-inch hole in one corner of each bag. Frost cookies in one color, then pipe horizontal lines in a different color; drag a toothpick up and down through lines. Let sit until icing is set, 2 hours.