Ginger Creams

While I don't have a memory of my grandmother making these for Christmas cookies, my step-mom does. (My grandmother's daughter.) (Gran is my step-mom's mom.) So I made these in 2006 for Christmas because they said "ginger" in the title. And I had a hankering for a ginger cookie. They were so so so good! I made them for a church function. And I told my mom "I made those over there" and she said, "I know - I recognized them." So I guess I made them just like her mom used to make them!! Very cool!! :)

They are uber-yummy also. So while the Cathedral Window cookies used to be my favorite, these Ginger Creams are my new favorite. The Cathedral Window cookies are about the prettiest thing anyone can find on a Christmas cookie plate. But my step-mom and my family say they are bland tasting. I don't really think they are bland. But they are basically marshmallows and chocolate. No complex flavor there.

Since I'm the only one who wolfs the Cathedral Window cookies, I have officially decided* not to make them this year. I lost a lot of weight in 2008, and I can't be the only one eating any of the cookies. (I want to keep the weight off!) In 2006-07 I gained about 10 lbs between Halloween and New Years. I don't want to do THAT again!)

*"decided" is subject to change as Christmas starts approaching.

Without further adieu:

Ginger Creams
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Ingredients:
1/4 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 C molasses
2 C flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 C water

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg, beating well. Stir in molasses. Sift together dry ingredients; add them alternately to creamed mixture and water. Bake 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Frost with confectioners icing. Yield 3 dozen.
Compliments of Dorothy Wendt.

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Notes by Jodi:

Cream together shortening and sugar in mixer set on lowest setting. Add egg, beating well. Stir in molasses. Whisk dry ingredients together in large bowl if you don’t have a sifter (I don’t). Add them to the creamed mixture of shortening and sugar, alternating adding them with adding water to the creamed mixture. Drop by small spoonfuls onto aluminum covered baking cookie sheets. (Small, because they spread out tremendously while baking to produce very large cookies.) Bake 8 minutes at 400 degrees F. Frost with Vanilla icing – pre-packaged is fine. Otherwise, read the confectioner’s sugar box for the buttercream frosting (a standard recipe on the side of the confectioner’s sugar box.)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Based on one I found on Rachael Ray's website; but changed due to what I had in my house...

3 cups heavy cream (whip until maybe one or two soft peaks form)

15-oz can pumpkin purée
7-10 oz marshmallow fluff
1 t. Vanilla extract
1 t. Cinnamon
some freshly ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves if you have them
a pinch of salt

gingerbread (8x8)
3 T cherry juice or apple juice or apple cider

mix all ingredients in the 2nd block of text (pumpkin thru salt)
fold in 1/2 of whipped cream gently...
fold in almost the rest of the whipped cream again

soak the gingerbread (flip it over so the soft side is up; instead of the crusty shiny part) in juice

Blop in the pumpkin/whipped cream mix into the bottom of the trifle dish.
layer on some chunks (crumbs if need be) of gingerbread on top

continue to layer both the pumpkin/whipped cream mix & gingerbread, until you've reached the top of the trifle dish

top with the rest of the plain whipped cream

chill in the fridge until ready to serve. yum!

Gingerbread Family

From December, 2008 issue of "Family Circle" magazine.

Makes 16 cookies
Prep: 15 minutes
Refrigerate 4 hours
Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes

To basic sugar cookie dough, add 1 T ground ginger, 2 t cocoa powder & 1/2 t cinnamon to flour mixture. Continue as directed.

Halve dough and form into 2 disks. Refrigerate 4 hours. On lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk to 1/4" thickness. Using a large gingerbread cookie cutter, cut out 2 figures.

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with a small cookie cutter and other half of dough. Gather scraps and refrigerate. Reroll to form total of 2 large and 14 small cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.

Make Royal Icing. Decorate with Royal Icing, candy and sugars as desired.

Per 1 large or 2 small cookies:
298 calories, 11 g fat (7 g sat.)

Spinach and Ginger Frittata

1 Serving

This light, low-carbohydrate breakfast or lunch dish combines two of Dr Weil's favorite ingredients - greens and fresh ginger. Baby spinach or other baby greens work great in this recipe.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup spinach leaves (or other greens) torn
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
1 tsp Italian or other seasoning mix
1 tbsp salsa

Instructions:
Tear up the spinach leaves and steam very briefly. (Put the torn leaves in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup of boiling water, cover the saucepan, turn off the heat and allow to steam for about 3-5 minutes. Baby spinach leaves take just 3 minutes.) Fold into the beaten

eggs with the grated ginger, salsa and seasoning. Cook on a non-stick pan sprayed with cooking spray, turning as needed until the eggs are set.

Ginger Almond Pears

6 Servings

Pears are one of the few fruits that actually improve in texture and flavor after being picked a little green. You can store them in a paper bag for a couple of days to speed up ripening. A little softness around the stems and a change in skin color means they're ready. Bartletts, red Bartletts, or Anjou varieties have the best flavor and are good for cooking. When the time comes for thickening the pear sauce, I prefer arrowroot over cornstarch, although it is a little harder to find. Arrowroot comes from a tropical tuber whose root stalks are dried and ground into a fine starchy powder that's very easy to digest. Sauces thickened with arrowroot are a little finer than those thickened with cornstarch but you can use either.

The most potent ingredient in this dessert is the ginger. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is known throughout the world for its tonic and spiritually uplifting properties. When used fresh, it's especially effective at improving digestion and calming nausea and indigestion — making it a great follow-up to any hearty meal.

Ingredients:
5 firm ripe pears
3 cups apple cider
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Peel the pears, quarter them lengthwise, and core. Slice pears thinly and place in a saucepan with the apple cider and ginger root. Add a pinch of salt.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pears are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Dissolve cornstarch or arrowroot in 1/3 cup cold water and add to the simmering pears, stirring, until the sauce is thick and clear.

4. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Serve warm or cold.

Asian Noodle Soup

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

2 cans ready-to-serve chicken or vegetable broth (14 1/2 oz each)

3 T soy sauce

2 t finely chopped garlic

2 t finely chopped fresh ginger (or 1 t ground dried ginger)

1 C angel hair pasta broken in pieces

3/4 C cooked, shredded chicken or cubed tofu (about 4 oz)

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 t Asian sesame oil

Thinly slice shiitake caps (makes about 2 1/2 cups). In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine chicken broth with 1 1/2 C water, the soy sauce, garlic and ginger; bring to a simmer.

Add mushrooms, pasta, chicken (or tofu) and carrot; simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil and, if desired, 1/4 C thinly sliced green onions.

Yield: 4 portions (about 5 3/4 cups)

Baked Potstickers with Sweet Asian Dipping Sauce

1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
¼ cup grated carrot
fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 egg white
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
24 square wonton wrappers
Pantry Basil Oil from Pampered Chef

Dipping Sauce
½ cup red jalapeño jelly
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

Preheat oven to 425ºF. For potstickers, in large bowl, combine chicken,
water chestnuts, green onions, carrot, gingerroot, soy sauce, egg
white, mayonnaise and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.

To assemble potstickers, place 12 wonton wrappers onto smooth surface.
Lightly brush edges of each wonton with water. Using Small Scoop, place
a mounded scoop of filling onto center of each wonton. For each
potsticker, fold one point over filling and overlap with the opposite point.
Repeat with remaining two points, folding envelope style. Place
potstickers on Large Round Stone; lightly spray with oil using Kitchen
Spritzer. Repeat with remaining wontons. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges of
potstickers are golden brown; remove from oven.

For dipping sauce, place jelly in small bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-40
seconds or until warm; add vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk until well
blended. Transfer potstickers to serving platter; serve with dipping sauce.

Yield: 24 potstickers