Holiday Baking

Sugar and spice make everything nice! Ginger and cinnamon are the two spices most often associated with the holidays—add some sugar and you have a winning combination in favourite recipes. The ginger-cinnamon loaf and decorated gingerbread cut-out cookies make great gifts for the holidays as well as delicious treats for the family. These recipes can be prepared well ahead of time and frozen. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Gingerbread Cut-out Cookies

Makes 18 large cookies

Cut these crispy, sugary cookies into favourite shapes such as ginger boys and girls, and decorate with icing and candy.  Let children help with the decorating and then box the cookies for giving as gifts.

250 ml (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

125 ml (1/2 cup) brown sugar

125 ml (1/2 cup) white sugar

125 ml (1/2 cup) fancy molasses

150 ml (2/3 cup) golden corn syrup

1125 ml (4 1/2 cups) all-purpose four

10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) ground ginger

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda

2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground cloves

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, add molasses and corn syrup and mix until well combined. 

Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, and cloves and add to sugar mixture with a wooden spoon until a stiff smooth dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes. 

Roll out dough to 1/4-cm (1/8-inch) thick on a lightly floured surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out various shapes. Bake on parchment-covered cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on racks and decorate with icing, candies, and mini-icing decorations from baking supply stores.

Decorator icing:

500 ml (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

25 ml (2 tbsp) meringue powder

40 ml (3 tbsp) warm water

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Beat at medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7-10 minutes. Meringue powder is available at bulk or cake-decorating supply stores.

Holiday Ginger-cinnamon Loaf

Makes one 20x10-cm (8-x4-inch) loaf

75 ml (1/3 cup) packed brown sugar

50 ml (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

125 ml (1/2 cup) unsulphured molasses

3 ml (3/4 tsp) baking soda, divided

175 ml (3/4 cup) boiling water

325 ml (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

10 ml (2 tsp) ground ginger

5 ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground cloves

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Grease a 20x10-cm (8x4-inch) loaf pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. In a small bowl, beat 2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda into the molasses until frothy, then add to the sugar and butter and egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix 1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda in boiling water and add to the molasses mixture alternately with the dry ingredients. 

Pour into the loaf pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes or until the loaf springs back when lightly touched in the centre. Cool 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan. Cool completely. Spread icing on top of the loaf and sprinkle with candied ginger.

Icing:

25 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature

250 ml (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

25 ml (2 tbsp) milk or cream

2 ml (1/2 tsp) pure vanilla extract

50 ml (1/4 cup) candied ginger, diced fine

Combine all ingredients except candied ginger in a small bowl. With an electric mixer, beat together on medium-high speed until icing is light and fluffy.