Chocolate Ginger Bathing Beauties Recipes

CHEWY CHOCOLATE-GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
• In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies are best the day they are made but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED GINGER

Steps:

• Line baking sheet with parchment.
• Brush off excess sugar from ginger.
• Dip each piece of crystallized ginger into melted Victorian Epicure Belgian chocolate.
• Place on Parchment let harden at room temperature for 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE-GINGER BATHING BEAUTIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside. Put shortening and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Mix in egg. Reduce speed to medium. Mix in vinegar and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture until soft dough forms. Let stand at room temperature until slightly firm, 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into thirds. Roll 1 piece between 2 sheets of parchment paper to just over 1/8 inch thick. Transfer parchment and dough to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking them on the same baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours (or chill in freezer 1 hour).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer 1 sheet of dough on parchment to a lightly floured work surface. Peel off 1 layer of parchment, and then pat it back into place. Flip dough; peel away second sheet of parchment, and discard. Cut out shapes using a 4-inch gingerbread-man cookie cutter, transferring to parchment-lined baking sheets as you work. Roll out scraps; repeat.
• Bake cookies until edges are just browned, about 7 minutes. While cookies are warm, poke eyes and noses on half of them using the blunt end of a skewer. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough and scraps.
• Decorate the cookies that have faces with candies, using a small amount of melted chocolate to adhere them. Let ice cream stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Spread 1/2-inch-thick layer of ice cream onto the underside of an undecorated cookie. Place a decorated cookie on top. Smooth edges using a knife or small spatula. Transfer to a baking sheet in freezer. Repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream. Freeze until set, about 1 hour, before serving.