Whole Wheat Gingerbread Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT GINGERBREAD PANCAKES

Steps:

• If you're using an electric griddle, go ahead and preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, egg, molasses, maple syrup, butter and vanilla extract (if you're using coconut oil and it solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, just warm the mixture in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, until it melts again, or let the mixture rest for a few minutes in a warm place). Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour into the flour mixture and stir just until the mixture is incorporated and no big lumps of flour remain.
• If you're not using an electric griddle, heat a stovetop griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan over medium-low heat. It's hot enough when a drop of water sizzles against the pan. If necessary, grease the pan with a pat of butter or non-stick cooking spray (my griddle is non-stick so I didn't use any).
• Give the bowl one more stir and pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan (if at any point the batter becomes too thick, just stir in a tiny splash of milk). Wait until the outer 1/2″ of the pancake is no longer shiny, then flip it with a spatula. Cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Serve the cooked pancake immediately or keep warm in an oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeat with remaining pancakes, adjusting heat as necessary to achieve pancakes that are cooked through and golden brown on both sides.

WHOLE WHEAT GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients; add to wet ingredients and mix until well blended and dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before handling. If chilled overnight, allow the dough to warm up slightly or it may crack when it is rolled out.
• Preheat oven to 350F (175C.) Line two baking trays with parchment paper, set aside. Divide dough into 4 pieces; roll out one at a time keeping the remaining dough refrigerated.
• Roll dough to ¼ inch (½ cm) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes using floured cookie cutters. Carefully transfer to prepared baking trays.
• Bake for 7-9 minutes, rotating trays top to bottom halfway through, or until cookies are set. Cool 1-2 minutes on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
• Tips: Make a simple Royal Icing to decorate. It will harden overnight, making the cookies stackable for storage. Lightly whisk together 1 egg white and ¼ tsp (1 mL) lemon juice. Gradually beat in 1 ½ - 2 ½ cups (375-625 mL) of icing sugar to desired consistency. Tint using food colouring, then pipe onto cookies using a zipper storage bag with the corner snipped off. Allow the icing to dry overnight before storing in an airtight container.
• More cookie recipes are available at www.walmart.ca/recipecentre.