best and easiest gingerbread cookies ever!

These really were perfect. The dough was pliable and not too soft which meant the kid could roll and mold without getting all frustrated. They came out chewy and spicy and soooo good! The recipe came from Epicurious.com and I didn't change a thing in the actual recipe, although it does call for molasses and states not robust i did use black strap which obviously worked just fab! we also rolled them out to be bout 1 in thick. We like em big and cakey like that.

Enjoy!

2/3 cup molasses (not robust)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring molasses, brown sugar, and spices to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat. Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups flour and salt.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Halve dough, then wrap 1 half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.

Roll out remaining dough into a 14-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer with offset spatula to 2 buttered large baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (re roll once).

Put icing in pastry bag (if using) and pipe or spread decoratively onto cookies.

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!