Chocolate Gingerbread Men: Recipe and Cookie Cutters

Christmas is a great time to bring out the Cookie Cutters, and I'll be posting about some of my favorites later this week. In the meantime, I thought I'd post some of my favorite Gingerbread Cookie Cutters. Be sure to scroll down. 

But what's a cookie cutter without a good recipe? Here's my favorite Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Recipe.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
This awesome recipe is from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito - Food & Wine Magazine

Cookies
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
2 ounces dark chocolate (65-70% cacao), melted and cooled

1. In medium bowl, whisk flour with cocoa powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In bowl of standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat softened butter with shortening at medium speed until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add egg to cookie batter and beat until incorporated. Beat in molasses and then melted chocolate. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating between additions. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each part into a disk, then wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate cookie dough until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using 4- to 5-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Reroll dough scraps and cut out more cookies.
4. Bake cookies for about 7 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking until tops are dry. Let cookies cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Gingerbread Cookie Icing Tips!!

You can make Royal Icing or try this Recipe for Mascarpone Filling that doubles as Decorating Icing. Put it in a bag and pipe! Or use Wilton Decorating Icing in the squeeze bottles.

Decorate your cookies. Let stand until icing dries, about 30 minutes.

Make Ahead: Chocolate gingerbread cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

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GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIE CUTTERS
 
Yoga Cookie Cutters Set 1: Lotus Group from Patti Paige Baked Ideas

Yoga Cookie Cutters Set 2: Down Dog from Patti Paige Baked Ideas

GingerDead Men Cookie Cutters:

NinjaBread Men:

Fred ABC Cookies Cutters: Which part do you eat first?

And for some vintage Cutters:

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM PIE

When I was little, we went on long turnpike rides to visit family at the holidays. We always stopped at Howard Johnson's, the roadside retreat, on the way, and my treat was Peppermint Stick ice cream. It didn't matter what the weather was like outside, that Peppermint Ice Cream was delicious--rich and creamy filled with lots of crunchy peppermint pieces. It was served in simple cones then, but this recipe for Peppermint Ice Cream Pie takes it one step further.

It's cold outside but  that shouldn't keep you from making this simple delicious Peppermint Ice Cream Pie. As a matter of fact, now's the time to make this when the Limited Edition flavors hit the frozen dairy case.  Dreyer's Ice Cream (Edy's in the Midwest and on the East Coast) has a very good Peppermint Ice Cream. Fenton's, a local favorite, has terrific Peppermint Ice Cream.

So here's another Peppermint and Chocolate recipe that's simple to make and great to serve and eat! This is a simple alternative to the Chocolate Peppermint Pie recipe I posted on Friday. And, of course, you can use any Peppermint Ice Cream you like! You can even make your own!

I've changed the Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust recipe a bit. Put it into the freezer rather than refrigerator for an hour before filling, so it doesn't get soggy.

Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust
2 1/4 cups of crushed Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joes (oreo-like with peppermint filling), finely crushed (whirl in a blender or put in plastic bag and use rolling pin)
2 1/2 ounces of melted sweet butter

1. Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter in a bowl
2. Pour mixture into 9 inch pie pan and press into the bottom and up the sides evenly
3. Smooth surface with the back of a spoon
4. Freeze pie crust for at least an hour

Filling:
1 carton (1.5 quarts) Peppermint Ice Cream  (leave out for 10-15 minutes to soften)
2 candy canes, crushed

Directions:
Spread softened ice cream evenly on frozen crust.
Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Freeze for several hours until firm.
Cut into wedges to serve.

Crisco Christmas Cookies: Retro Ad & Recipes

I've mentioned the virtues and history of Crisco with a recipe for Retro Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookies. This unique product had a real impact on baking.

Being that it's the holiday season, I'm posting this fun Vintage Ad with recipes from December 1952 for several different holiday treats that use Crisco. Get Baking!

Chocolate Eggnog Swirl Pie: National Eggnog Month

It should come as no surprise that December is National Eggnog Month. What a perfect month for Chocolate Eggnog Swirl Pie. This recipe is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens. As Always, use the best chocolate...and the best eggnog. Here's a link to Cooking with Amy's recent Eggnog Product Taste Test!

Chocolate Eggnog Swirl Pie

Ingredients 
1 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 ounces dark chocolate, grated
1/3 cup sweet butter melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups quality eggnog
1-1/2 ounces of dark semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons of rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup of whipping cream, whipped
Grated fresh Nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium bowl, combine flour, nuts, brown sugar, and grated chocolate. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of deep-dish 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

In small bowl, stir gelatin into cold water; set aside. In medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar and cornstarch. Stir in eggnog. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved.

Divide filling into two equal portions. To one portion, add melted chocolate; mix well. To other portion, add rum; mix well. Cover surfaces of both fillings with plastic wrap; cool for 2 hours.

Fold whipped cream into rum filling; spoon into crust. Top with chocolate filling. Using table knife or narrow metal spatula, gently swirl chocolate filling into rum filling to marble. Chill for 4 to 24 hours. Sprinkle lightly with grated nutmeg.