Gingerbread Boy Cookie Recipe

Finished product, hanging from the Christmas tree

Hi friends!  Good to be back! When I had left Blogplanet, it was to take a break while family were here. In the next few days I'll be posting more photos of our time together (quit complaining and indulge me). ;-) For now, I'm giving you my favorite gingerbread boy cookie recipe. Then I'm going to put in a 'Touch of Frost' DVD and take a nap.

Cookie slaves

(daughter and SIL) pressing out some Spritz cookies

Note the backup Walker Shortbread on the counter.

My favorite kitchen appliance,

blood red KitchenAid mixer

(the color in the photo turned out a bit too orange)

Gingerbread boys (and others)

Ready to eat

Also, my mom's vintage cookie cutters

that work so much better than plastic ones.

7 (yes SEVEN) hours later, the cookie harvest

Gingerbread Boys Recipe:

This makes a double batch. We put half the dough into the freezer to use later. (Minnesota grandsons, please remind me when you're here!)

1 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 c. dark molasses

1/2 c. water

6 c. flour

1 1/2 t. salt

1 t. soda

1 1/2 t. ginger

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. allspice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In electric mixer bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Stir in molasses and water.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, soda, and spices. Gradually add them to the mixer bowl while the mixer is running. Do this on a relatively slow speed so you don't burn out the motor, and so that you don't end up with flour flying everywhere.

Roll dough out 1/8" thick (or a tad thicker) on a floured countertop. Cut out cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Use a drinking straw to make the hole in the top if you want to hang them on the tree.

Place raw cookies on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick baking spray. You can put them pretty close together.

Place baking sheet of cookies into the oven on medium rack.

Bake 12 minutes at 325 degrees. Take from oven and let cool on baking sheet before removing.

Note:  This makes a hard, crisp cookie (which I prefer). If you want a soft gingerbread cookie, roll them out 1/4" thick and bake them at 375 degrees F. for 8 minutes. Soft gingerbread cookies do not work as ornaments.

Note 2:  If you have a dog, place these cookie ornaments high up on the tree so your dog doesn't get them and choke on the ornament hanger. If you have a cat, all bets are off.

Cookie? Did you say cookie??

***

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and A Creative Princess and  Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Florentines - Recipe

 Florentines, ready to serve

I don't know why I'd never made these before. They're mostly almond, something I eat a lot! And then you add dark chocolate to the top. What a spectacular combination!

So, in between bouts of frustration with the USPS online service (Grrrrr), I was working on making a batch of these delicious treats.

Florentines: Recipe
This recipe is from www.foodnetwork.com

5 oz. finely ground almonds (You can buy them that way, and they're a lot cheaper than whole or sliced almonds)
3 T. all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (Appx. 2 T.)
1/4 t. fine salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. heavy cream (I used heavy whipping cream)
2 T. light corn syrup
5 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping, optional. (Optional?? Are you kidding?)
2-4 oz. semisweet chocolate (I used 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine almonds, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.

Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally (I didn't take any chances. I stirred it constantly) until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoons (? I made dough balls that were the size of shooter marbles and got a dozen balls on each large baking sheet. They will spread out, so leave plenty of space around each dough ball.)

Just out of the oven

I had a dozen cookies on each of two baking sheets. It worked well to place one on the middle shelf and one of the shelf above that. I baked them for 5 minutes, switched pans to the opposite oven racks, and baked another 6 minutes. I let them completely cool on the pans before spreading chocolate on top.

In a double boiler, melt the semi-sweet chocolate pieces. I couldn't manage to drizzle this, but spread a spoonful onto each cookie, then sprinkled additional ground almonds on top.

These cookies need to be chilled to help the chocolate set up. Then they're ready to serve or store. Right now, I have a box of them sitting outdoors on the deck where it's -5 degrees F.  I'm pretty sure they'll stay cool enough there.

EASY and DELICIOUS

FLORENTINES

on one of my mom's Christmas plates. :-)

This post is linked to: Amaze Me Monday and Skip to My Lou and What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Made By You Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and Making Monday Marvelous and Made from Scratch Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Two Maids a Baking and Overflowing with Creativity and  What's Cookin' Wednesday and We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Lisa's Gluten-Free Blog and Favorite Things Friday and I'm Lovin' it Friday and It's a Hodgepodge Friday  and Home and Family Friday

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