Angel Gingerbread Recipes

GINGER ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper. Sift again, then set aside.
• Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla, lime zest and ginger and beat a few seconds to combine.
• Sprinkle one-quarter of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining flour mixture in 3 additions. Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake until the cake feels springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Invert the pan onto a funnel or the neck of a bottle and cool completely. Loosen the edges with a small knife, tap the sides of the pan against the counter and unmold.
• Make the sauce: Puree 2 half pints raspberries in a blender with 2 tablespoons water, the granulated sugar, lime zest and lime juice. Strain to remove the seeds. Top the cake with confectioners' sugar, the sauce and the remaining raspberries.
• SERVES: 8 (Dessert); Calories: 325; Total Fat 0.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Protein: 7 grams; Total carbohydrates: 75 grams; Sugar: 57 grams Fiber: 3 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 150 milligrams

GINGERBREAD ANGELS

Steps:

• Whisk flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, soda, and salt in large bowl. Place crystallized ginger in mini processor; add 1 tablespoon flour mixture and blend until ginger is very finely chopped. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in molasses, orange juice, and orange peel (batter may look curdled). Beat in crystallized ginger mixture. Blend in remaining flour-spice mixture. Gather dough together. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 4 hours.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into 4 portions; shape each into round. Chill 3 rounds. Roll out remaining dough round on floured work surface to generous 1/8-inch thickness. Using floured angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather dough scraps and reroll to generous 1/8-inch thickness; cut out more cookies. Using spatula, transfer cookies to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush cookies with glaze, then sprinkle with raw sugar and/or colored sugar, if desired.
• Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Let stand 2 minutes; transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling baking sheets between batches. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container.

FAVORITE OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

ANGEL GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• 1. Sift flour. Measure. Sift again with soda, spices and salt.
• 2. Cream shortening until soft. Beat in sugar and molasses with rotary egg beater until well blended. Add egg. Beat well. Add flour. Mix well.
• 3. Add boiling water. Stir until well blended. Bake in greased waxed paper lined 8-inch square pan in moderate oven (350) for 30 minutes or until done. Makes 12 squares.
• 4. "This is even more heavenly with whipped cream."

ULTIMATE EASY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small pan until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the buttery syrup mixture and stir to combine, then use your hands to bring together to form a dough. The dough will be soft at this point, but it'll firm up in the fridge.
• Put the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep it flat, leaving the parchment in place, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. We used 9cm stars, but you can choose any shape. We also made some with smaller stars cut out of the centre to thread ribbon through and hang from a Christmas tree.
• Place the shapes, spread apart, on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 mins. (Depending on the size of the cutters you use, they might need a few minutes more or less cooking in the oven). Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water - you want to create a consistency that's thick and pipeable, and not too thin or it will run. Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle. Find out how to make a piping bag.