Three-Dimensional Holiday Decorated Gingerbread Cookies

My kitchen is starting to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas! Saturday’s winter storm was the perfect excuse to stay inside and bake these festive three-dimensional gingerbread cookies.

Not only will these spicy cookies warm you up on a cold day, but once pieced together and decorated, they’ll also warm your home with holiday spirit – and are a perfect afternoon activity while the kids are on winter break.

P.S. These cookie cutters made by Williams-Sonoma make a great holiday gift! They are no longer available in stores, but you can find them on Ebay. 

Holiday Gingerbread Cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

½ cup molasses

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and molasses, mixing until combined.

On the lowest speed of the mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, but do not over mix.

Remove the dough from the mixer, divide the dough in half, and flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick disk. Roll each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8^-inch thickness.  Score the dough with the cookie cutters and transfer to the freezer to harden, about 20 minutes. Carefully, pop scored cookies out from the sheet of dough and transfer to parchment-lined sheet tray.

 

Bake cookies until set and golden brown. Test the cookies by touch, they should bounce back a bit. Smaller cookies will take anywhere from 6-8 minutes, while the larger ones will bake in about 8 -10. Let cool completely before decorating.

Oh and this dough is exceptional for gingerbread houses, too! It is sturdy and retains its shape while baking. Happy baking!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie Filling Recipe

Sugar pumpkins for sale at NYC's Union Square Greenmarket.

It is just one day away from my first slice of pumpkin pie this year, and I can barely wait. Sure, I could eat pumpkin pie all year long, using canned puree to make my favorite filling recipe, but why would I do such a disservice to one of America's most beloved baked goods? Because waiting until pumpkins are at the peak of their season isn't that much of a sacrifice, and homemade puree surely makes all the difference. 

Pumpkin pie recipes galore, from a cookbook published in 1927.

Just look at the recipes listed in this 1927 edition of The Donor Club Cookbook, published in Elgin, Illinois, just a hour outside of my hometown, Chicago. It has four variations on the classic pumpkin pie filling, including a handwritten recipe by its previous owner, and names the recipe that calls for homemade steamed mashed pumpkin "DeLuxe Pumpkin Pie." (Note to self: it also calls for sherry, an ingredient I will try tomorrow in my recipe.) 

Scratch bakers have long known the virtues of fresh pumpkin puree in our holiday pies--and while the canned puree works just fine when combined with extra spices, it's just not as good tasting. So take an extra bit of time and roast a pumpkin to use in your filling this year, by following my simple recipe:

ROASTED SUGAR PUMPKIN PUREE

1. Cut a sugar pumpkin into quarters; remove and discard seeds.

2. Place the pumpkin skin side down in a shallow baking dish. Fill the dish with about ½" of water. Cover tightly with foil.

3. Bake at 375°F until fork tender, about 1 hour.

4. Let cool until just warm, scoop flesh from skins, and puree smooth in a food processor.

And if you want to follow my advice even further, combine your homemade puree with the rest of the ingredients in my perfect pumpkin pie filling recipe.

PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

1 ½ cups Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Puree

4 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

¾ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of ½ an orange

½ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 unbaked pie crust

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients (except the pie crust) until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust and bake until custard is set through the center when the pie plate is slightly jiggled, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled. 

Happy Thanksgiving!