Gingerbread Cookies

To me, it's hardly Christmas without Gingerbread cookies. It's another thing my Mom used to make when I was a kid. Between the Zucchini muffins and these I'm getting all nostalgic up in here. I'll try to keep the ramblings about Christmases past to a minimum here.

I made these this year for John's and my family and took them with us on the annual Christmas tour and I'm pretty sure they're almost gone now. I think that means they were a success.

Gingerbread Cookies

Source: Adapted from Simply Recipes 

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp baking soda

¾ cup unsalted butter

½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp finely ground black pepper

½ tsp salt

1 large egg

½ cup molasses

Icing

½ cup powdered sugar

2 tsp milk 

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and salt. Set aside.  

In an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and combine on low speed. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing after each addition. You might need to work the dough with your hands after the last addition to make sure the dough is combined. Divide the dough into thirds and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut with desired cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes on the pan then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the icing, mix the powdered sugar and milk together until the two just come together. You want the icing to be stiff so that when you pipe it onto the cookies it won't puddle out and make the gingerbread men look like they have googly eyes. If your icing is a little too runny, keep adding powdered sugar until the lines from mixing it don't sink into the rest of the icing. Spoon the icing into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with one corner trimmed off. Pipe onto cooled cookies as desired. 

Enjoy!

My Favorite Cookies

I haven't done a lot of desserts here on Dinner From Last Night. I think it's time for a change. Don't you? So let's bust out our mixers and get baking.

I found the recipe for these cookies on the back of a Craisins bag. I think Craisins are hilarious for an extremely random reason. And I feel like sharing that reason with you. Aren't you glad?

Several years ago John and I were on a swing dancing trip with a bunch of friends from our college swing dancing scene. We were lounging around between dances and I took out some of the Craisins I had brought to snack on. You get hungry dancing over eight hours a day and sustenance is important.

As I started eating, one of my good friends, Chelsea, yelled from across the room, "It's these things, these... Craisins." She had a look of sheer awe on her face. Apparently she had yet to experience the dried cranberry craze and the fact that they really existed was absolutely amazing. So use these things, these Craisins and make these cookies. That's an order.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Adapted from Craisins

I always use more white chocolate chunks and Craisins than the recipe calls for. I like chunky cookies. It's just the type of person I am.

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press the dough with your fingers to make a flatter cookie. If you're more into the rustic chunk cookie, don't press the dough down. They're delicious either way. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.