Gingerbread and gingersnaps, those unassuming, rust-colored sweets, are a quiet herald of the holiday flavors to come—sweet and spicy but not full-on nutmeg and cinnamon just yet. We're huge fans of the cake and the cookies, and we've got nine interesting recipes to try. Some even include chocolate.
FIRST ROW: Gingerbread
1. Dark Gingerbread Pear Cake. We've made this many times, always to rave reviews. It's easy and beautiful.
2. Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Gingerbread Cake, from A Cat in the Kitchen. Topped with a thick, chocolate icing. Unconventional, but how can it be bad?
3. Chocolate Gingerbread Bars, from Everyday Food. Another combination of gingerbread and chocolate, cut into brownie-sized pieces.
4. Gingerbread, from Gourmet. A solid, basic recipe for the purists.
5. Upside-down Quince Gingerbread Cake, from Redbook. This calls for a boxed cake mix (we guess it's troublesome enough to find good quinces), but you could easily make your own. It would be good with apples or pears, too.
SECOND ROW: Gingersnaps
6. Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Gingerbread. Ok, this is sort of a hybrid—a gingery shortbread that's mostly cookie but certainly not the traditional snap.
7. Classic Gingersnaps. Emma's recipe for simple, comforting, spicy cookies.
8. Chez Panisse Gingersnaps. A great make-ahead recipe (you freeze the dough and slice off cookies) with an interesting back story.
9. Gingerbread Christmas Tree Ornaments, from Chocolate Shavings. Too early? Make pumpkin-shaped ones and hang them from a chandelier.
Related: DIY Recipe: Gingerbread Latte
(Images: Faith Durand; Dagmar/A Cat in the Kitchen; MarthaStewart.com; Stephanie Foley/Gourmet; Tina Rupp/Redbook; Chris Terry; Emma Christensen; Jennifer/Chocolate Shavings)
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I would love to see someone Americanize that Jamie Oliver recipe (though the link seems to be broken--I had to search his site for it). A few things about it had me scratching my head.
when I make gingerbread cookies for Xmas I always decorate them with melted chocolate. SUCH a great combination, not sure why it's unconventional though
is there a difference between Gingerbread cookies and Ginger Snaps? I love chewy gingerbread cookies and i'm looking for a good recipe - ideas beyond the ones here?
Laurie Colwin's gingerbread is, hands down, the best. The recipe itself can be found on various foodie site, but the purist needs to read her essay on gingerbread in 'Home Cooking' to get the full experience.
I made this gingerbread almost weekly during fall and winter when my son was in elementary school. The smell of it baking cozies up the whole house on a cold day.
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Cooking-Kitchen-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307474410/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287519194&sr=1-1
Gingerbread is my OBSESSION! I agree with the post re Laurie Colwin -- her books are amazing and so is her gingerbread, but in the past couple of yrs I have found some other strong winners: the gingerbread recipe in the "Crabtree & Evelyn Cookbook" (not sure if this is still in print but totally worth seeking out) is FAB, and so is Martha Stewart's recipe in her "Favorite Comfort Food" cookbook -- it uses freshly grated ginger AND powdered. Also, in a pinch, Trader Joe's boxed gingerbread mix is really good and is actually my small daughter's favorite. This year I am going to try Nigella's chocolate topped version -- I've been meaning to try it for ages!!!
Here's a direct link to the Jamie Oliver gingerbread: Ultimate Gingerbread