Gingerbread Boys and Girls

Ingredients

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

2 large eggs

1/4 cup molasses

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Food coloring, as desired

Directions

Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula.

Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Take about 1/2 cup of dough at a time and roll onto a floured board until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out with gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters. You can re-roll the scraps. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies from the board to the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes, until just beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

To make the icing, combine the confectioners' sugar and milk. Divide the mixture into thirds; leave 1/3 white, and color 1/3 green and the final third red. Decorate piping eyes, mouths, buttons, and bow ties.

Apple Strudel

Ingredients

Apple Strudel:

• 1/4 cup bourbon or apple juice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 to 3 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound), peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookies
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 5 sheets phyllo dough from 1 pound package of frozen dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing phyllo sheets, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Confectioners' sugar
• Caramel sauce, purchased

Glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons milk

For the Strudel:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, pour the bourbon or apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.

Remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered.

Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Pour over the glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. Pass warm caramel sauce, to drizzle over the strudel.

For the Glaze:

Mix ingredients thoroughly.

*Cook's Note: If too thick add a little bit of milk. If too thin add a little bit of confectioners' sugar.
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Apples

Chocolate Pecan Layer Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter
• 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more, if necessary
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans, for garnish

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.

Stir together the cocoa and boiling water until the cocoa dissolves.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture and the cocoa mixture in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until the center of the cake bounces back when gently pressed and a tester inserted in it comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, and then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Prick the cooled cakes all over with a toothpick. Spread half the filling on 1 cake layer. Top with the second layer and repeat.

For the frosting: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the brown sugar and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. Add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the frosting is too thick. Frost the top of the cake and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will keep for 3 to 5 days.

SOURCE

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Pie:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cups key lime juice
• 1 tablespoon key lime zest
• 1 pint half-and-half
• Fresh lime slices. for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake for 8 minutes and let the crust cool completely before spreading the pie filling over it.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat cream until slightly thickened. Gradually add the sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Add condensed milk and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in lime juice, lime zest, and half-and-half. Once the mixture as reached desired flavor and consistency, gently spread pie filling over cooled crust. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until firm. Cut into wedges and garnish with fresh lime slices, serve cold.

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