Parmesan Puff Gingerbread Men Recipes

Steps:

• For the gingerbread people: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice and salt in a medium bowl until well blended. Beat together the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer starting on low and increasing speed, scraping the sides of the bowl down as needed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses and vanilla until combined, then beat in the egg. (The mixture will look curdled.) Turn to low speed and beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together, then increase speed and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated and you have a sticky dough. Divide the dough in half, flatten into 2 discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Position 2 racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Keeping the other disc refrigerated, roll 1 disc on a well-floured surface to a thickness of just over 1/8-inch, sprinkling flour on and under the dough as needed and sliding a spatula underneath every so often to prevent sticking. (If the dough looks crackly or breaks apart, press it back together from the outside-edge in.) Dust off the excess flour. Cut out gingerbread people using a 3-inch gingerbread cookie cutter, cutting as close together on the dough as possible. Pull away the extra dough around each cookie and use a small spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets about 1/2 inch apart, placed in 3 rows of 4. Gather together the scraps, leaving behind the excess flour, then knead them a few times to form a smooth dough again. Reroll them in the same way. If the dough gets too sticky, put it back in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for a few minutes. (If there are any pieces of dough stuck to the work surface, scrape them away with a spatula, flour the surface again and then continue to roll the dough.) Freeze the cookies on the baking sheets to firm them, about 5 minutes.
• While the cookies chill, roll the dough scraps together into a long 1/4-inch rope and cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove the chilled cookies from the freezer and extend the left arm of each man with the 1-inch dough pieces by pressing the dough piece onto the tip of each person's arm. (This will reinforce them and double their length.) Make sure the gingerbread people are lined up evenly.
• Wrap eight 12-inch-long and 1/4-inch-diameter wooden dowels tightly with foil (keep them smooth), then spray them liberally with cooking spray. Line up 4 gingerbread people head-to-toe and wrap their left arms around the dowel, so that 4 people can hold one dowel at a time with 1/4 inch of space in between them. Repeat with the remaining groups of 4 and chill the cookies on the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second disc of dough on the second baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies, rotating and switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through, until they are slightly firm to the touch but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool the cookies 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack and give the dowels a gentle twist to loosen them. Let the cookies cool completely, then slowly slide the cookies off the dowels one at a time, being careful not to break their arms. (The cookies will continue to firm as they cool.)
• For the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons water and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until the frosting thickens and becomes pure white. Separate the icing into bowls and color as desired.
• Put the icing into piping bags or resealable plastic bags and snip the corners to the desired size. Use the icing to decorate the cookies, then allow to dry, about 1 hour.
• Carefully slide the candy canes in place, with the hook facing behind each head, and pipe a small amount of icing in the holes to lock them in place. Rest on the edge of a cookie sheet with the hooks hanging off to set, about 1 hour.
• Hang cookies on a mug or glass filled with your favorite holiday beverage.

Steps:

• Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla;mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to5 days.

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and shortening in a medium saucepan; remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and molasses. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Add the egg to the butter mixture; beat with a mixer on medium speed until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in two additions until just combined. Divide the dough in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and pat into 1/2-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out gingerbread men with a 3 1/2- to 5-inch cookie cutter and arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate the cutouts 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Decorate with royal icing and let harden at room temperature, about 1 hour.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F.
• Cut out pastry with a 2 or 3 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Brush the with the egg wash.
• Place 2 teaspoons of parmesan and a pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika on each round along with some sprinkles of fresh thyme leaves.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches oil in a deep 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer.
• While oil heats, mix together cheese, flour, pepper, and salt in a bowl until combined well. Beat whites in another bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold in 1/2 cup cheese mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cheese mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Drop about 8 teaspoons of batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, into oil and fry, turning occasionally, until balls of batter are puffed, crisp, and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain briefly. Make 3 more batches in same manner, returning oil to 360°F between batches. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Sieve the flour, salt, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Heat the butter, sugar and syrup until dissolved. Leave the sugar mixture to cool slightly, then mix into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins.
• On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Stamp out the gingerbread men shapes with a cutter, then re-roll any off-cuts and repeat. Place your gingerbread shapes on the lined trays, allowing space for them to spread. Cook for 10-15 mins, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
• Cut out rounds of pastry with a 5cm diameter pastry cutter, and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Brush the rounds with the egg wash.
• Place 2 teaspoons of parmesan and a pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika on each round.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.