triple chocolate cheesecake ala martha stewart and spicy chocolate cutout cookies

the cheesecake was awesome. check out the link above that will take you directly to martha stewart's website for the recipe. we decorated with little ghost and pumpkin marshmallows...didn't eat those though!

the next halloween recipe we made were spicy chocolate cut out cookies. these were puffy, soft and full of flavor. they held together well when littlefoodie rolled them out and used the cookie cutters. i really had nothing to do with the dough after i mixed it up cause littlefoodie was all over that mess...and believe me, i was instructed on how to sprinkle flour, roll out dough and gently press the cutters into the dough. i guess he is listening after all.

enjoy!

3 cups unbleached ap flour
1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa flour (green&blacks!!!!)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup organic natural dark brown sugar
1 lg organic egg
1/2 cup unsulphured organic molasses
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

sift together flour, cocoa, ginger, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

in a mixer beat butter until creamed and fluffy. add brown sugar and beat until combined. add egg, molasses and extracts. add in flour until dough forms. stir in remaining if too tough in mixer.

divide dough in half and wrap in wax paper and refridge overnight.

remove dough. let warm up a bt so you can roll it out.

preheat oven to 375F.

flour table or board and roll out until thin enough to cut out cookies. cut out and place on cookie sheet. bake 6-7 minutes.

cool for a minute then remove from sheet and let cool on rack.

powdered sugar icing:
4-6 cups organic powdered sugar
milk
pure almond extract

sift powdered sugar into mixer. add enough milk, starting with very little and about 1/2 tsp almond ex and beat until no lumps in the sugar and combined. continue add more milk until you get a slightly thick but still runny and glossy icing. tint with natural food coloring if desired!