Category Archives: Holiday Baking

Holiday Gingerbread Syrup

Posted on by

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons molasses
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 4 Allspice berries
  • 4 whole cloves
  • ½ grated tonka bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 strip orange peel

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar
  2. Turn the heat off once the syrup has come to a simmer. Do not boil
  3. Cover and leave the syrup to infuse until cool
  4. Strain into a sterilised, clean jars or bottles. Keep in the fridge for up to two weeks

Why not try out your new Holiday Gingerbread Syrup with this delicious Gingerbread Martini?

Gingerbread Martini

Ingredients

  • 1oz Vodka
  • 2oz Irish Cream liqueur
  • 4oz milk, or half and half
  • 1oz Holiday Gingerbread Surup
  • Gingerbread cookie crumbs
  • Additional Holiday Gingerbread Syrup to rim glass

Method

  1. Coat the rim of a martini glass in gingerbread syrup and dip to coat in gingerbread cookie crumbs. Set aside until needed
  2. Add fresh ice to a cocktail shaker. Combine the vodka, Irish cream liqueur. milk (or half and half) and gingerbread syrup over the ice in the cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for a few minutes. then pour into your prepared martini glass.
  3. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon, a gingerbread cookie and enjoy!

Salted Smoky Maple Pecan Fudge

Posted on by

Makes 36 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 3 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, chopped
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pure Maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, roasted and roughly chopped
  • Kosher Salt, to taste

Method

  1. Line and butter an 8-inch square baking pan or silicone pan with baking parchment, allowing the parchment to extend over sides of pan
  2. Mix the evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter in large saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 236°F on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). (Be patient- this will take about 30 minutes. Also DO NOT leave it unattended!)
  3. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. (Careful! The sides of the bowl will become VERY hot)
  4. Add the icing sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and liquid smoke and beat together with on low speed. Increase speed to medium; beat until thickened and smooth.
  5. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the chopped pecans. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the fudge with kosher salt to your taste. (I usually use 2 good pinches, evenly sprinkled)
  6. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Use baking parchment to lift out of pan onto cutting board.
  7. Cut into 36 squares and enjoy!
  8. If stored at room temperature this will keep for up to a week in an air-tight container, if stored in the fridge it will last for up to two weeks

Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

Posted on by

Makes 16

Ingredients

Bars

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest 1/2 orange
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Frosting and Finish

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest 1/2 orange
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 3oz white chocolate, melted

Method

To make the bars

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper
  2. In bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted butter, brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment at medium speed for between 5- 6 minutes
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the orange zest, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and flour until combined. Set aside until needed
  4. To your sugar/ butter mixture add in eggs, orange extract, and vanilla extract and beat until mixed well. Add in the flour/ dried ingredients mixture, beating until just blended
  5. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries using a spatula. Spread evenly into the bottom of prepared pan
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until set and golden brown at the edges. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool completely before topping with frosting and decorating

To make the frosting and finish

  1. With an electric whisk, beat together the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add orange juice, vanilla extract, orange zest beat again until well combined and smooth
  3. Using a spatula top the cooled bars with frosting. Sprinkle over the chopped dried cranberries and drizzle white chocolate over the top with either a piping bag
  4. Place the bars in the refrigerator for about an hour to help them set up before cutting. Cut baked sheet into half lengthwise, then into 4 so you end up with 8 pieces. Cut each piece in half diagonally so you end up with two triangles so you end up with 16 triangles in total
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Posted on by

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, heat treated*
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons fancy molasses
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • Festive sprinkles, or nonpareils

Method

  1. In the bowl of stand mixer combine the butter, both sugars, salt, fancy molasses and whip together until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes
  2. Mix in the milk and the vanilla extract until combined
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add in the flour mixture by ¼ cupful, beating between until combined, until all the flour mixture has been added
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips. Add sprinkles, or nonpareils, to your liking
  5. Scoop, or spoon, into sterilised mason, or kilner, jars and add some more sprinkles for that extra festive touch. Wrap as you like if you’re gifting to someone- I usually bow and tag the jars with festive ribbon
  6. Cookie dough is best eaten at room temperature

How To Store: Keep this Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Eat it up within 2 weeks!

* To heat treat your flour for safety, place it in a bowl and microwave it in 30-second intervals until the flour temperature reaches 165 F (74 C). Mix with a spoon between intervals. Mine usually takes around 3 bursts. Allow to cool before using. Or you can bake it for 7-8 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F

Edible Cookie Dough Christmas Trees

If you’re not gifting this edible cookie dough (how could you not? It’s the Season of Giving!) a fantastic way of using this delicious treat are these adorable Edible Cookie Dough Christmas Trees. Fun and easy to make, you can also get some little helping hands involved too!

Ingredients

  • Additional waffle/ sugar cones 
  • White, or semi-sweet chocolate, melted
  • Festive sprinkles

Method

  1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment or foil, and set aside until needed
  2. If your edible cookie dough is still soft enough, fill a place in a piping bag and snip the end off.
  3. Pipe the cookie dough into your cones. (If the edible cookie dough is a bit too stiff to pipe, you can use a butter knife, or small spoon, to fill the cone instead)
  4. Coat the outside of your filled comes with the melted chocolate, either by dipping in a deep bowl, or coating using a spoon
  5. Place on your prepared baking tray and let the chocolate set for a minute or two (this will help the sprinkle stick better). Add festive sprinkles to finish your Christmas trees off and allow for the chocolate to fully set
  6. To serve/ eat, push a popsicle stick into the cookie dough, for ease of holding and enjoy!