Ultimate Ginger Cookie Food

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat softened butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon about 1 minute or until fluffy, scraping side of bowl occasionally.
• Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until blended (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.

ULTIMATE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and line a 20cm x 35cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Put the shortbread, sugar and 2 teaspoons of the ground ginger into a food processor and whiz to fine crumbs. Remove 100g of the mix and keep this to one side.
• Add the remaining teaspoon of ginger to the processor, then roughly chop and add the mixed peel and ginger, followed by the flour and baking powder. Pulse until well mixed.
• Melt the syrup, treacle and butter together in a large pan. Once melted, stir in the mixture from the food processor until thoroughly combined.
• Tip onto the baking tray and spread out evenly. Press the mixture down into the tray, using your fingers or the back of a spoon. When the mix is a flat, dense and even layer, pop the tray in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle the hot gingerbread with the reserved crumbs, pressing them down really well with a potato masher or spatula.
• Carefully cut into good-sized pieces with a sharp knife, and leave to cool in the tray before eating.

FRESH GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat ginger, butter, and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Gently fold in flour mixture until just combined. Chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and then roll them in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake until edges start to brown, about 15 minutes. Centers will be slightly soft. Let stand on cookie sheets 1 minute and remove to racks to cool completely.

THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S ULTIMATE GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands.
• Beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the speed to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add crystallized ginger and mix until combined.
• Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers.
• Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place on sheet pans.
• Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be cracked on the top and soft inside.
• Let the cookies cool for a minute or two and the transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

THE ULTIMATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare an ungreased cookie sheet.
• In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• In a medium or large bowl cream butter with sugar for about 3-4 minutes or until smooth.
• Add in egg, vanilla and almond extract; beat until well combined.
• Add in the creamed ingredients into the flour mixture; blend well.
• Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough into small balls.
• Place the balls onto an ungreased cookie/baking sheet.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
• Let stand on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

ULTIMATE EASY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small pan until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the buttery syrup mixture and stir to combine, then use your hands to bring together to form a dough. The dough will be soft at this point, but it'll firm up in the fridge.
• Put the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep it flat, leaving the parchment in place, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. We used 9cm stars, but you can choose any shape. We also made some with smaller stars cut out of the centre to thread ribbon through and hang from a Christmas tree.
• Place the shapes, spread apart, on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 mins. (Depending on the size of the cutters you use, they might need a few minutes more or less cooking in the oven). Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water - you want to create a consistency that's thick and pipeable, and not too thin or it will run. Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle. Find out how to make a piping bag.

ULTIMATE GINGER COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.
• Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.