Spiced Apple Gingerbread Food

STICKY APPLE AND GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C / 390F and line a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with baking paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and ginger together in a medium bowl.
• Melt the butter, syrup and sugar together in a saucepan. Add to the flour together with the stem ginger, dried fruit, apple and egg. Stir it all together with a wooden spoon until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake for 30 minutes until risen and golden. Cover with foil half way through cooking to prevent over-browning.
• Optional: Melt the white chocolate in a jug in the microwave (in 30-second spurts - I find 3 times does it), then drizzle all over the cake.
• When cool (and the chocolate - if you've used it - is set), slice into 8 bars.

GINGERBREAD AND APPLE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter 1 large loaf pan or 2 smaller ones.
• Warm up syrup, water, butter, and sugar in a pan over low heat until butter and sugar are just melted. Remove from heat and mix well.
• Grate apples directly into the pan. Sift flour, baking soda, ginger, and allspice into the batter. Stir until just combined; do not overmix. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

GINGERBREAD SPICE JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep 30 minutes., Discard tea bags. Stir in the sugar, apple juice and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into 5 hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. (Jelly may take up to 2 weeks to set.)

EXCELLENT APPLE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples; cook and stir until tender. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup of butter, honey, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing each one until blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ginger and salt; stir into the batter, alternating with the milk. Stir in the walnuts and cooked apples just until evenly distributed. Divide evenly between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes on a wire rack. Keep the oven on for the walnuts.
• To make the candied walnuts for the top of the cake, whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until foamy. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.
• To make the frosting, mix together the butter, confectioners' sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Place one layer of cake on a serving plate and spread with a thin layer of the cream cheese icing. Top with most of the apple filling and spread evenly. Place the other layer of cake on top with the bottom facing up. Spread remaining cream cheese icing over the top and sides. Decorate the top with remaining apple filling and sprinkle with candied walnuts.

THE SPICIEST GINGERBREAD COOKIES EVER

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes (scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed). Beat in the molasses until combined, then the egg (the mixture will look curdled). Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in 2 pieces, flatten each half into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Position 2 racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Keeping one disk refrigerated, roll the other disk on a well-floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick, sprinkling flour on and under the dough as needed and sliding a spatula underneath every so often to prevent sticking (If the dough looks crackly or breaks apart, press it back together from the outside edge in). Using cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread shapes as close together as possible. Pull away the extra dough around each shape then use a small offset spatula to transfer the shapes to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Freeze the cookies until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through cooking, until they are slightly firm to the touch but not browned at the edges, about 12 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting and baking with the remaining dough disk.
• Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes (The cookies will continue to firm as they cool).
• Make the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3 tablespoons water in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the frosting thickens, trying not to incorporate too much air. (The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly.)
• Scrape the icing into a resealable plastic bag and snip the corner to the desired size. Pipe the icing onto the cookies to decorate, as desired, sticking the candy onto the icing while it is still wet. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the icing hardens, at least 1 hour.

GINGERBREAD-SPICED APPLE PANCAKES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the apple juice to a boil over high heat.
• Boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup.
• Cover and set aside to keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 200°; have ready a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a food processor fitted with the shredding disk, or the large holes of a box grater, shred the apples.
• You should have about 1 1/2 cups.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, rubbing the brown sugar through the mesh with your fingers.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter.
• Pour over the flour mixture and add the shredded apples.
• Stir just until combined; to not overmix.
• Place a griddle over high heat until hot.
• Lightly oil the griddle.
• For each pancake, pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle and spread it slightly with the back of the measuring cup.
• Cook until bubbles form and break on the surface, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Flip the pancakes and cook until the other sides are golden brown, about 1 minute more.
• Transfer to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
• Repeat until all of the batter is used, oiling the griddle as needed.
• If batter begins to thicken, thin it with a bit more milk.
• Serve the pancakes piping hot, with plenty of butter and the syrup.

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.

APPLE AND GINGERBREAD TRIFLE

Steps:

• Mix Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Ginger, and Allspice in bowl.
• In separate bowl, beat butter and 4 Tablspoons Sugar until smooth.
• In third bowl, Mix milk and Molasses together.
• Mix third bowl into the Butter Mixture and then FOLD combined mixture into the Flour Mixture.
• Pour into a pan (I use an 8" x 8" x 2") that is lined with Wax Paper.
• Bake in oven at 350 F for about 35- 40 minutes.
• Let stand for 5 minutes and remove the Gingerbread to a rack to cool.
• Peel, core and dice apples in small pieces.
• Put them into a pot with 4 Tablespoons of Sugar and 1/2 cup Water.
• COVER and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to stir continuously until mixture STARTS to thicken.
• WHIP Cream and 4 Tablespoons of Sugar until it forms Peaks.
• PLACE slices of Gingerbread, Applesauce on top and Whipped Cream on top of that in bowl and repeat in layers until bowl is full.
• NOTE: ROUNDED Glass Bowl makes lovely presentation!
• TOP with toasted nuts and CHILL for about an hour!
• ENJOY!