Gingersnap Snowflakes

I wanted to capture the flavor of gingersnaps in a cookie that I could roll out and cut into festive shapes. Every Christmas, I make these with my niece and nephew, who love to cut them into snowflakes. After we bake them, I fill a couple of pastry bags with the icing and let the kids go to town.

For the cookies

• 
  
  13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. ground ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 tsp. baking soda
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. table salt
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
  


• 
  
  3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
  
  


• 
  
  1 large egg, at room temperature
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  
  

For the decoration

• 
  
  1/2 lb. (2 cups plus 2 Tbs.) confectioners' sugar
  
  


• 
  
  2-1/2 Tbs. meringue powder
  
  


• 
  
  Blue food coloring
  
  


• 
  
  Edible silver dragées
  
  

Make the cookies

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.


Divide the dough in half, shape into two balls, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.


Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.


Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it on a lightly floured piece of parchment until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Put the parchment and dough onto another cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut out cookies with a 5-inch snowflake cookie cutter. Remove excess dough from around the cutouts and transfer them with a spatula to the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You can gather and reroll the scraps up to 2 times.


Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies begin to darken around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.


Cool on the sheet on a rack for about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies directly to the rack and cool completely.

Decorate the cookies

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 1/4 cup cold water on low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the icing holds thick, soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Test the icing’s consistency by piping a small amount through a piping bag fitted with a straight #2 tip. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water to the mixture in the bowl. If the icing seems too runny, add confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed to blend. Don’t over-beat, or the icing will stiffen and lose its gloss. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until ready to use, and use the icing the same day it’s made.


Put about three-quarters of the icing in a clean 1-quart container. Put the remaining icing in a small container and tint with the blue food coloring. (Stir in coloring a bit at a time until the desired shade is reached.)


Put a small amount of the white icing in a piping bag fitted with a straight #2 tip and pipe the outline of the cookie.


Stir water, a few drops at a time, into the remaining white icing until the icing no longer stays peaked when piped but creates a smooth surface. To test, put a small amount in another piping bag with a #2 tip (the icing will drip, so have a cloth ready). Fill in the lines on each cookie, allow the icing to spread, and be careful not to overfill—use a small paintbrush to help spread the icing if necessary. Let the cookies air dry until the icing is set; 2 to 3 hours.


When the white icing is completely dry, put the blue icing in a clean piping bag fitted with a #2 tip and pipe branched lines connecting opposite tips of the snowflakes. Decorate with dragées while the blue icing is wet.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Classic gingerbread cookies are dense, heavy on the ginger, and usually flavored with molasses. This recipe is traditional, though it’s been refined over the years. The spice mix has been adjusted to boost the pepperiness of the ginger and intensify the cinnamon aroma, and it has just enough nutmeg and cloves to round things out. A mild molasses flavors the cookies and finely grated orange zest adds a layer of complexity.
This recipe calls for a 4-1/4-inch cookie cutter (we used the gingerbread men cookie cutters from annclark.com), but you can use any size; just keep in mind that the baking time and yield will vary.

For the cookies

• 
  
  15-3/4 oz. (3-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
  
  


• 
  
  2-1/2 tsp. ground ginger 
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. baking soda 
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground cloves 
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. table salt 
  
  


• 
  
  4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened 
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
  
  


• 
  
  1 large egg 
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup mild molasses 
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from about 1-1/2 large oranges) 
  
  

For the royal icing

• 
  
  8 oz. (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. powdered egg whites  
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  
  

Make the cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, mixing until combined, then add the molasses and orange zest and beat on medium speed until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour is incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and sticky.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured baking sheet and pat it flat to a 1-inch thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour and up to 4 weeks.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Cut the chilled dough into quarters On a well-floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/8 inch thick (keep the remaining dough in the freezer). If the dough sticks to your work surface, slide an offset spatula under the dough to release it and dust the work surface with more flour.

With a 4-1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and use an offset spatula to transfer them to the baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. Brush off any excess flour.

Gather and press the dough scraps together, then roll to 1/8 inch thick, and cut out more shapes. Add any remaining scraps to the next quarter of chilled dough. Continue rolling and cutting until the baking sheets are full.

Bake the cookies, rotating and swapping the sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until firm to the touch and the edges are slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Slide the cookies on their parchment onto racks and let cool. Roll out and bake the remaining dough in batches on fresh sheets of parchment.

Make the royal icing

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer) mix the confectioners’ sugar, powered egg whites, and cream of tartar on low speed. Increase the speed to medium low and add 3 to 5 Tbs. of water, 1 Tbs. at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is evenly moistened and the whisk leaves small trails that disappear quickly, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to beat on medium low until the icing is thick, glossy, smooth, and free of lumps, about 5 minutes more.

To test for proper consistency, put a dot of icing on the counter with a toothpick. If, when you pull up the toothpick, the icing forms a peak that slowly melts back into the dot, the icing is ready. If the peak stays up, it’s too stiff: Add 1 tsp. of water to the icing, beat to combine, and test again. Repeat if necessary. 

Decorate the cookies

Scrape the icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. (You can also use a plastic squeeze bottle or a plastic sandwich bag with a corner trimmed off.) Decorate the cookies as you like and let sit until the icing is completely set, about 40 minutes. 

Store baked and decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

Double Ginger Shortbread Cookies

Ginger two ways—fresh and crystallized—adds a little zing to otherwise classic shortbread.

• 
  
  12 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan(s)
  
  


• 
  
  15 oz. (3-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. cornstarch
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. table salt
  
  


• 
  
  5-3/8 oz. (1-1/3 cups) confectioners’ sugar
  
  


• 
  
  2/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  
  


• 
  
  4 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract or paste
  
  

For rectangular cookies, lightly butter the bottom of a straight-sided 9x13-inch baking pan. For wedges, lightly butter two 9-1/2-inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough begins to form moist clumps, about 1 minute.

Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (if making wedges, divide the dough between the two pans). Using lightly floured fingertips, press the dough into the pan(s) to form an even layer.

For rectangular cookies, use a bench knife or a paring knife to cut the dough all the way through into 40 bars. With the tines of a fork, prick each bar twice all the way through, spacing the holes evenly and on the diagonal. Lightly flour the tines as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.

For wedges, cut each pan of dough all the way through to form 12 wedges. With the tines of a fork, prick the wedges three times all the way through, spacing the holes evenly over the dough. 

Freeze the dough while the oven heats. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.

Bake the dough, rotating the pan(s) halfway through, until the top(s) looks dry and golden-brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan(s) to a rack. Using a paring knife or bench knife, immediately re-cut the cookies along the lines. Cool completely before removing them from the pan(s). 

Moroccan-Style Spice Rub

Give your vegetables a Moroccan kick by tossing them with this warm spice mix before roasting. It pairs especially well with sweeter or starchy vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips.

• 
  
  2 tsp. ground cumin
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. chili powder
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1/8 tsp. cayenne
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch ground cloves
  
  

In a small bowl, mix all of the spices. In addition to the oil, salt, and pepper in the master recipe, toss 1 tsp. of the spice blend with a batch of vegetables before roasting.

Gingersnap Snowflakes

I wanted to capture the flavor of gingersnaps in a cookie that I could roll out and cut into festive shapes. Every Christmas, I make these with my niece and nephew, who love to cut them into snowflakes. After we bake them, I fill a couple of pastry bags with the icing and let the kids go to town.

For the cookies

• 
  
  13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. ground ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 tsp. baking soda
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. table salt
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
  


• 
  
  3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
  
  


• 
  
  1 large egg, at room temperature
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  
  

For the decoration

• 
  
  1/2 lb. (2 cups plus 2 Tbs.) confectioners' sugar
  
  


• 
  
  2-1/2 Tbs. meringue powder
  
  


• 
  
  Blue food coloring
  
  


• 
  
  Edible silver dragées
  
  

Make the cookies

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.


Divide the dough in half, shape into two balls, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.


Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.


Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it on a lightly floured piece of parchment until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Put the parchment and dough onto another cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut out cookies with a 5-inch snowflake cookie cutter. Remove excess dough from around the cutouts and transfer them with a spatula to the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You can gather and reroll the scraps up to 2 times.


Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies begin to darken around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.


Cool on the sheet on a rack for about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies directly to the rack and cool completely.

Decorate the cookies

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 1/4 cup cold water on low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the icing holds thick, soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Test the icing’s consistency by piping a small amount through a piping bag fitted with a straight #2 tip. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water to the mixture in the bowl. If the icing seems too runny, add confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed to blend. Don’t over-beat, or the icing will stiffen and lose its gloss. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until ready to use, and use the icing the same day it’s made.


Put about three-quarters of the icing in a clean 1-quart container. Put the remaining icing in a small container and tint with the blue food coloring. (Stir in coloring a bit at a time until the desired shade is reached.)


Put a small amount of the white icing in a piping bag fitted with a straight #2 tip and pipe the outline of the cookie.


Stir water, a few drops at a time, into the remaining white icing until the icing no longer stays peaked when piped but creates a smooth surface. To test, put a small amount in another piping bag with a #2 tip (the icing will drip, so have a cloth ready). Fill in the lines on each cookie, allow the icing to spread, and be careful not to overfill—use a small paintbrush to help spread the icing if necessary. Let the cookies air dry until the icing is set; 2 to 3 hours.


When the white icing is completely dry, put the blue icing in a clean piping bag fitted with a #2 tip and pipe branched lines connecting opposite tips of the snowflakes. Decorate with dragées while the blue icing is wet.