Note: I realize this is another food posting. I really like food. I always enjoy cookies. And these were fun, colorful and delicious.
I often lament the fact that I can't get fruit in season. Watermelon in the winter simply isn't even worth the effort of putting in the cart. Gingerbread cookies are one of those things I don't mind having out of season though. But it's would be ridiculous to actually make gingerbread men and women when it's summertime. Hence, gingerfruit.
I thought these strawberry, pineapple and pear shapes were fun. Everybody loved them too. The gingerbread topped with lemon icing is fun. And if you want to imagine it's Christmas time, just close your eyes and imagine the crunch of the sesame seeds are actually bits of candy buttons.
Perhaps the back story with these cookies is the real insight into my psyche and soul. The reality is these sweet little treats have a bit of a dark side to them.It started a couple of years ago during the Christmas holiday season. You know, the time of year when neighbors bring over high-calories goodies to ensure you don't drop too many pounds as you sit around the house and do nothing at the end of the year except eat and eat and then go somewhere else and eat. What is it with all the food? Well, I had a taste of a gingerbread cookie that would begin to haunt me. It wasn't so much the cookie that haunted me but the fact that the friend wouldn't share her recipe with me. That's just not cool! But when I can't get my hands on a recipe it simply motivates me to figure it out on my own. So, the kitchen became my laboratory.
For months I tried different recipes. I would pour over the ingredients considering how I thought the final morsels would taste. Nothing was working. Then one day I came across a recipe that was considered an old fashioned style New England cookie. As I read the ingredients I thought it just might work. After about three or four rounds of slight modifications I had about the closest variation I thought possible. Success!
So, what is this all really about. Well, the cookies are good. I'd say they are great but then I'm a freak for cookies so I figure most people would simply say they are good. Perhaps more telling though is the fact that I was so consumed with the need to figure out a recipe I could use. I had to know. I had to be able to make the cookies for myself!
Now that I've figured it out the question I guess the only real question that remains is whether or not I'll be taking my friend a few cookies come Christmas time. If I do, let's hope I can figure out a way to at least mask my freakish need to say, "Look I did it!"
6 comments:
my question is "may I have the recipe?"
Of course. I'll e-mail it after the reunion! Remind me if I forget. I probably should have included it in the post but then you wouldn't have had to ask for it. :)
Hey why didn't you bring some of those to the reunion. They look great!
Wow I can't believe you made those. They look amazing! Yeah, and I guess we do need the recipe.
Gingerbread Cookies (modified from a Bon Appetit recipe)
Dough
6 cups (about) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Water
Food coloring (optional)
Decorations (such as colored sugar crystals)
For dough:
Combine 5 1/4 cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using electric mixer, beat butter and shortening in large bowl to blend. Add 1 cup sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and buttermilk. Stir 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in small cup to blend; beat into butter mixture. Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions. Stir in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until slightly firm dough forms. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each into disk. Wrap disks and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly before rolling out.)
Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 16x12-inch rectangle, occasionally lifting paper to smooth out wrinkles. Using 4- to 5-inch cutters, cut out boy and girl gingerbread people. Pull away excess dough around cutouts; flatten, wrap, and chill excess dough. Slide rimless baking sheet or inverted baking sheet under waxed paper with cutouts and chill until firm. Repeat with remaining dough disks, refrigerating cutouts on waxed paper on baking sheets. Roll out excess dough and make more cookies, using all of dough. (Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using thin metal spatula, lift chilled cookies off waxed paper and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until darker at edges and just firm to touch in center, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Bake remaining cookies, 1 sheet at a time.
For icing:
Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup. Mix in enough water by teaspoonfuls to form smooth icing soft enough to pipe but firm enough to hold shape. Divide into 3 or 4 portions and tint with food coloring, if desired.
Spoon icing into pastry bag (or bags if using more than 1 color) fitted with small (1/16- to 1/8-inch) plain tip. Arrange cookies on work surface. Pipe icing onto cookies in desired patterns. Apply decorations as desired. Let cookies stand until icing is dry. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)
These cookies look amazing. Thanks for sharing the secret recipe. I thought were were going to end the post with a taunt like "Don't you wish you knew the recipe!"
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