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 Butter Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1 cup apple butter
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs. Gradually add milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set.

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Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

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Pumpkin Rum Pie

Ingredients
1 (9-inch) premade pie shell
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup Praline Pecans, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Partially bake the pie shell, according to the package directions.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream, sour cream, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, dark rum, and vanilla. Pour into the shell. Bake for 10 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve.

With the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream on high speed until the cream starts to froth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and whip on high until the cream stands in peaks. Either spoon or pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie and garnish with Praline Pecans.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Praline Pecans:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
In a small skillet melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Add the pecans, stirring until bubbly; about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour onto aluminum foil. When the pecans are cool, crumble into small pieces and sprinkle the topping on top of the whipped cream.

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Ginger Biscuit Cake

Ingredients
1 (25-ounce) bag frozen Southern-style biscuits, baked according to package directions, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (5 1/4-ounce) package ginger thins, crushed (recommended: Anna's Ginger Thins)
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
4 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (recommended: Grandma's Molasses)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Molasses Butter Cream Sauce, recipe follows
Chopped walnuts, for garnish


Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.


Place the biscuit pieces evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crushed ginger thins evenly on top of the biscuits. Top evenly with the crystallized ginger.


In a large bowl, combine the half-and-half, eggs, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and butter. Pour over the biscuits layer and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minute. Bake until fluffy and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm with Molasses Butter Cream Sauce. Garnish with walnuts, if desired.


Cook's Notes: Day-old biscuits work best in this recipe. To easily crush ginger thins, place in a plastic resealable bag, seal, and crush with a rolling pan.


Molasses Butter Cream Sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup molasses (suggested: Grandma's Molasses)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, cream, milk, and molasses. When at a low simmer, add the brown sugar and Irish cream liqueur. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened. Stir in the walnuts.


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Magnolia Lace Trumpets

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon Irish Cream Liqueur, optional
• Filling, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Lightly grease the foil; set aside (if you don't grease the foil, the cookies will stick and be ruined).

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, butter, and syrup. Cook mixture over low heat until butter melts; remove from heat. Stir together flour and ginger; add dry mixture to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in Irish Cream, if desired.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 3 to 4 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake only 2 or 3 cookies at a time because you must work quickly to form the cones before they cool and become brittle.*

Bake in preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Quickly invert cookies onto another cookie sheet, and wrap each cookie around the greased handle of a wooden spoon or a metal cone. When cookie is set, slide cookie off spoon or cone; cool on a wire rack. Fill cookies with filling.

To store: Place unfilled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days or freeze unfilled cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies and fill.

*If cookie gets too brittle to roll, run back in the oven for a minute to soften.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot milk

Cream together shortening and butter. Add sugar and beat well. Add egg white and vanilla; beat thoroughly. Add hot milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until creamy. Put into pastry tube with star tip and fill cookies.

Yield: frosting for 30 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes per 3 in batch

Ease of Preparation: Easy

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Paula's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg,cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

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