3D Dinosaur Gingerbread Cookies

My brother got these 3D dinosaur cookie cutters for his birthday and asked me to make some gingerbread cookies. I dutifully obliged and we had fun putting them together. I've never made 3D cookies before and to be honest was a little dubious but was surprised at how well these turned out. His colleagues claim it the best gingerbread ever and they also had fun putting it together and eating it. 

I used a recipe that I'd used previously and made a few gingerbread people as well which the dinosaurs 'attacked'. There are 3 other dinosaur cutters and they also come in a safari theme - giraffe, lion, elephant and hippo which look really cute. Definitely going on my Christmas wish list unless someone wants to get me a belated birthday present....

I'm entering this to Treat Petite. It's hosted by Kat from The Baking Explorer and Stuart from Cakeyboi and the idea is to submit any sweet treat that's individually portioned and not a big cake. The theme this month is 'No Theme' so anything goes.

 simple store cupboard ingredients 

 roll out dough and cut out shapes then bake 

it's a 3D T-rex dinosaur! 

 T-rex eating a gingerbreadman

 Anxious family looking worried and deciding if they should run or not 

 There's a lot of dinosaurs here!

125g unsalted butter, softened
110g dark brown sugar
2.5 cups plain flour, sifted
1 egg yolk
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4-6 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
270mls golden syrup

• Preheat the oven to 160C
• Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk in a bowl until smooth
• Stir in the remaining ingredients until its mixed properly
• You may need to add a little more golden syrup if the mixture is crumbly
• Knead the dough on a floured surface and roll it out to approximately 5mm in thickness.
• Cut shapes using cookie cutters
• Place on a baking tray and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes until they are brown
• Cookies will harden once cool

Crystallised Ginger Biscuits

It feels like I've not baked for a long time so it was really good to get back into the kitchen and bake something. Last month was hectic and I do apologise for the lack of posts here and will try to post more frequently this month. As I'm hosting AlphaBakes this month, I thought I'd better get stuck in and make something before the end of the month. The letter this month is G which immediately made me think of ginger which I actually hate. However, almost everyone I know loves ginger so I knew there would not be a lack of taste testers for the recipe. 

I chose a recipe from Jo Wheatley's A Passion for Baking. She quizzed her team of biscuit tasters to find out which flavour they preferred and the response was ginger. I didn't know this but Jo doesn't like ginger either! I have to say I did taste one and it really was very good although it was very gingery! The biscuits are crunchy on the outside with a strong taste of crystallised ginger. I loved the chocolate bit on top! 

As mentioned I'm entering this to AlphaBakes which I co-host with Caroline from Caroline Makes. The letter this month is G for ginger. 

I'm also entering them to Feel Good Food hosted by Victoria at A Kick at The Pantry Door as the ingredient this month is ginger.

 lots of sugar and spice!

 crystallised ginger 

 the chocolate square did not melt into the cookie as I thought but remained whole and utterly delicious when you bite into it. 

Recipe reproduced with permission from the author Jo Wheatley. Taken from her book A Passion for Baking page 186

Makes 18-20

90g unsalted butter

110g demerara sugar

40g light muscovado sugar

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon flavourless oil (sunflower or groundnut) * 

75g crystallised ginger, chopped

10 squares of dark or white chocolate

* I found my dough to be quite crumbly so I added an egg which worked well. Jo says that there was a typo in the book and the quantity of oil should be increased - I'll update once I know the correct amount. 

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Cream the butter with the sugars until lights and fluffy.
• Sift the flour, ground ginger and cinnamon into the bowl and mix again. 
• Add oil and ginger and process until combined.
• Add an egg or more oil until you get a smooth dough.
• Scoop a small mound of dough into your hand and roll into a ball.
• Place on a lined baking tray and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. 
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Cut each chocolate square in half and push one piece into the top of each biscuit. 
• Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and firm.
• Cool on the baking trays. 

Ginger and chocolate oat cookies

As you know I've recently moved into a new place. More than half of my kitchen is still in boxes but it does not stop me from baking! I asked a friend and her dad to come over to help my build some furniture and thought it was only fair that I provide tea and treats. I chose to bake treats that would fit into my regular blogging challenges as I've missed participating in them. 

These cookies are for We Should Cocoa - a monthly blogging challenge run by Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog and Chele from Chocolate Teapot. This month, it's guest hosted by Jen from Blue Kitchen Bakes and she chose ginger as the ingredient to pair with chocolate. I decided to make cookies as it would be an easy treat to nibble on whilst working so I did a quick google search and got a recipe from BBC food. The cookies were really quick and easy to make. I tried one and actually quite liked it as it was not very gingery at all! It tasted more like a spiced oat biscuit which reminded me of Christmas. 

If I were to make these again, I'd add more ginger (for my ginger loving friends) and maybe some nuts to give it a bit of crunch. I'd also make half the recipe as the recipe says it makes 24 biscuits but I got more than double that amount!

 melt butter and golden syrup (left), lightly beat eggs (right), mix flour, oats, spices and sugar (centre) 

 The cookies look a little wet but don't worry...

... fresh, crisp cookies

 dipped in chocolate

Recipe from BBC Food website

I used 225g chocolate as I ended up with a lot of cookies! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

It's October which means Halloween! On my recent trip to America, I bought a can of pumpkin puree and assorted Halloween goodies. Yes I know you can buy this in London but it's quite expensive here. Anyway, I was quite excited to bake with it as I've never used it before and I remember seeing this recipe on our recent Secret Recipe Club reveal which I'm also a member of.  It was on So Tasty, So Yummy's blog who in turn got it from Loving Life.

What can I say? Everyone loved it! It was delicious and moist, almost like a carrot cake with the spices but with a different texture. My kitchen smelled amazing when I baked this! I have to make this again even if I have to buy expensive pumpkin puree. Or perhaps they'll go on sale after Halloween? :) 

The other great thing about this recipe is that I can enter it to multiple blog challenges this month. You know how much I love my blog challenges so here goes.... 

We Should cocoa was created by Choclette and Chocolate Teapot and this month is being guest hosted by Nat from Hungry Hinny. The special ingredient this month is pumpkin.

The One Ingredient Challenge is hosted by Nazima from Franglaiskitchen and Laura from How to Cook Good Food. The theme this month is pumpkin and squash. 

As pumpkin is a seasonal ingredient, I'm also entering this to Simple and in Season created by Ren from Fabulicious Food and is being guest hosted this month by Franglaiskitchen. 

As I mentioned earlier, this pumpkin puree came all the way from America and it's also a common American ingredient especially at this time of the year for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I'm therefore entering it to United Bakes of America hosted by Gem from Cupcake Crazy Gem.

Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes (this month's host) and Laura from Laura Loves Cakes have chosen Halloween as their theme for October. This would be the perfect Halloween treat. 

I bookmarked this recipe as soon as I saw it on reveal day as I knew I wanted to make it one day. I'm so pleased I didn't wait too long to try it out. I'm therefore entering this to Bookmarked recipes hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes.

 My well travelled slightly squashed can of pumpkin puree 

 gorgeous colour! 

 ready to go in the oven 

 fresh from the oven 

Recipe adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy (I reduced the sugar amount and chocolate chips and it turned out beautifully) 

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

225g butter

225g sugar

1 eff

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

300g chocolate chips 

• Preheat oven to 180C. 
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.  
• Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. 
• Add pumpkin puree. 
• The mixture will appear curdled - don't worry! 
• Reduce speed to low and add in dry ingredients. 
• Finally, stir in chocolate chips.
• Spread batter evenly in  a baking tray.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares. 

Nigella's Spruced up Spice Cake

Well it's Christmas Eve and the day we've all been waiting for is almost here so what better way to celebrate this festive season than with a classic Nigella recipe. I've been making one of Nigella's recipes for the past few Christmases so I'm really pleased that this month's Forever Nigella has a Christmas theme as I'd always wanted to participate but never got round to it. Coincidentally, I was flipping through my beloved copy of Nigella Christmas when I saw the tweet announcement about this challenge.  This challenge is hosted by Sarah from Maison Cupcake and there is still time to enter as the deadline is 31st December 2011. 

I debated about what to make and finally settled on this spruced up spice cake as I really wanted to use my new snowflake moulds. I don't have the spectacular bundt tin that Nigella has but I think the snowflakes and stars work well. The recipe can be found on her website here.  I made the spiced version and modified the spices slightly by adding 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.  I halved the recipe which yielded 6 snowflakes and 3 stars of the size shown.  The cake is delightfully moist and the spices are present but not overpowering. I hope everyone will enjoy it on Christmas Day. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone best wishes for the festive season. See you soon - I'll be back before New Year :)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !! 

 Mr Snowman and Santa would also like to wish you Merry Christmas! :) 

 Sprinkling of icing sugar

Ninjabreadmen

This Christmas I present to you some 'Ginja Ninja's!' Everyone loves gingerbread (possibly with the exception of myself!) and this is a really fun twist to making gingerbread.  It's simple to bake and if you have kids, they can join in the fun too. 

I was sent these ninjabread cookie cutters by find-me-a-gift.co.uk to review. They are made of stainless steel and come in a set of three. There's a recipe for gingerbread on the back of the pack which I used to make these ninjas.  These are seriously cute cookie cutters and I'm sure I will be making lots of ninjas throughout the year.  Everyone has been impressed with the results and keep asking where they can buy these cookie cutters. Unfortunately the supplier has run out of stock currently but they should be getting more stock in so check back to find-me-a-gift.co.uk later. They would make excellent Christmas presents :)

*update: cookie cutters are now back in stock. Click here to buy some for yourself * 

The fun thing about making gingerbread ninjas (or men or women) is that you can be really creative with the decorating.  I'm afraid I'm not terribly creative and just went with the picture on the website and the pack. I might try my hand at royal icing next time.

As this is a Christmassy treat, I am entering this into the tea time treats challenge. This is a monthly event hosted on alternate months by Kate from What Kate Baked and Karen from Lavender and Lovage.  Kate, the host for this month has chosen Christmas as the theme.

I'm also entering it into Vanessa's Let's Make Christmas event. Do check out her blog if you haven't already for the ultimate guide to making your own edible Christmas gift.

And to Let's Cook for Christmas Red and Green, hosted by simply food

And to the holiday goodies link up over at Diary of a Semi-Health Nut hosted by Amanda

 the ninjas! 

 making ninja's

 ready to go in the oven 

 

 

 

 spot the odd one out :) 

Many thanks to find-me-a-gift.co.uk for providing me with the ninjabreadmen cookie cutters. 

Recipe from the back of the pack: Makes 24 ninja's and 1 gingerbreadman 

350g plain flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger (I used 3)

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g butter or margarine

175g soft light brown sugar

1 egg

4 tablespoons golden syrup (I used just over 5 as the dough was still crumbly)

• Preheat the oven to 190C.
• Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. 
• Sift the flour, ginger and soda into a bowl.
• Rub in the butter with your fingertips. 
• Add the sugar then stir in the syrup and egg. 
• This should make a firm dough.
• Roll out onto a floured surface about 5mm thick and cut out your ninjabreadmen. 
• Place onto baking trays, spacing them apart as they will expand.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
• Once cooked, leave to firm up for about 10 minutes before placing on to a wire rack to cool completely. 
• Decorate with coloured icing.