Gingerbread With Nectarines And Cream Food

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 CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a parchment round.
• Stir together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the brown sugar and butter in another large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined (it's fine if the mixture looks a little curdled).
• Stir the molasses into the boiling water in a large spouted measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat just until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Once cool, invert the cakes onto the rack, then peel off and discard the parchment.
• For the frosting: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioner's' sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding up to 1 tablespoon of milk if needed so the frosting is spreadable.
• Place one cake layer flat-side down on a cake stand or platter. Top with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, spreading almost to the edges using an offset spatula. Place the remaining cake layer on top, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake and smooth the top and sides with the offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake while you decorate the gingerbread cookies.
• For the decorations: Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until just melted. (Alternatively, melt the chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch the water.) Let cool slightly and put into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (or use a plastic ziptop bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe eyes and smiles on the gingerbread cookie faces.
• Arrange the merry gingerbread men side by side around the bottom edge of the cake, pressing in slightly to adhere. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the nonpareils.

GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Combine egg, sugar, molasses, butter and water; mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt; add molasses mixture. Beat until well mixed. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° until cake tests done, 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares; serve warm with whipped cream.

NECTARINE AND MASCARPONE TART IN GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
• For filling:
• Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in crystallized ginger. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• For topping:
• Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.
• Italian cream cheese available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

FAVORITE OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

GINGERBREAD WITH NECTARINES AND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. In a cup beat egg lightly and stir into flour mixture with sugar, molasses, and oil. Add boiling water in a slow stream, whisking until combined well, and pour batter into pan. Bake gingerbread in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cut nectarines into 1/4-inch-thick wedges and in a bowl toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with vanilla and remaining teaspoon sugar until it holds soft peaks.
• Cool gingerbread slightly in pan on a rack. Cut gingerbread into quarters and put 1 quarter on each of 2 plates. Top gingerbread with nectarines and whipped cream. Remaining gingerbread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen, 2 weeks.

NECTARINE-RASPBERRY COBBLER WITH GINGER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together, then add butter pieces and work into flour mixture with fingers or fork until mixture looks like moist sand. Stir in pistachios and candied ginger.
• Combine eggs and cream and pour over flour mixture, stirring briefly until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Knead dough for a minute or so, then wrap and refrigerate.
• Make filling: Add nectarine slices, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice and nutmeg to a large mixing bowl. Toss with your hands, to ensure seasoning is distributed well. Sprinkle with flour and toss one more time. Fold in raspberries, taking care not to smash them.
• Transfer fruit mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until fruit and juices are bubbling.
• Meanwhile, roll out dough to a rough rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a water glass whose rim has been dipped in flour, cut out as many biscuits as possible. Roll out scraps, and continue cutting out rounds until you have 12 biscuits. Place biscuits rounds on a plate, and refrigerate them for a few minutes.
• Remove baked fruit from oven and arrange biscuit rounds evenly over the top. Brush each biscuit with about 1 teaspoon cream and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar.
• Bake, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, until biscuits are well browned. Let cool slightly before serving.

CARAMELIZED-NECTARINE AND GINGER SHORTCAKES WITH SOUR CREAM

Steps:

• For biscuits:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine first 5 ingredients in processor; blend 10 seconds. Add butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk milk and egg in small bowl. Add milk mixture to processor; blend using 5 on/off turns. Add crystallized ginger. Using on/off turns, blend until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto work surface; knead gently 5 turns. Shape dough into log; cut crosswise into 8 rounds. Pat each round to 1-inch thickness; place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake biscuits until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• For filling:
• Combine half of nectarines, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice in heavy large skillet. Cook over high heat until fruit is just tender and juices bubble thickly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl; repeat with remaining nectarines, sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. for sour cream: Combine sour cream and sugar in bowl; whisk to blend.
• Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place 1 biscuit bottom in each of 8 bowls. Spoon filling and sour cream onto each; cover each with biscuit top.

FRESH NECTARINE-GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Lightly oil and flour a removable bottom cake pan (e.g., angel food cake pan). Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat (or whisk) together the eggs, milk and oil. Grate the zest off the lemon (use the rest for another purpose) and add to the bowl. Mix well then add the 2/3 C sugar and the ground ginger. Beat well; stir in the flour and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
• Wash the nectarines and pat them dry. Cut the flesh of four nectarines into small pieces (1/3 to 1/2 inch). Add to batter and stir gently until the fruit is completely incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Slice the remaining necarine very thin and lay the slices on the top of the cake to cover. Sprinkle with the candied ginger and the remaining 2 T sugar.
• Bake 50 to 60 (or 70) minutes until firm and golden. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving.