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petreysoccermom
North Richland Hills,Tx
Posts: 1

Baking-Scratch or Mix?

I love baking from scratch, the only problem is finding a good recipe for butter soft sugar cookies that can be cut out.

I also would love to make a ginger bread house and men, I need a recipe for that and what kinds of candy's, icing and where can I find these things that go on the houses and scenes?

"Healthy is living,but eating is having fun living." -PetreySoccerMom

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11/22/2009 3:10 AM

3 Replies to Baking-Scratch or Mix?

sweetpickle1
gail, Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 1

taaaa daaa! help is on the way! (and don't we remember that one?)

have taken Taste of Home for eons........their cookie book have great recipes for SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

soft, but not fall apart.......my gums just don't like to crrrunch so much anymore, and boy! I'm sure a lousy

dunker Big Smile I have found many new twists on old favorites we grew-up with.....ahhhh even had our own

aprons from greatgrandma.....(whisper) and you know what? cowboys running big ol' cattle herds

would stop by Kate Early's to see if she was going to be baking any pies....then the going price was

a quarter.....ahhh....what a time! Sorry about the digressions, just the way I rattle away Wink

wishing you the best of luck...........gail in Santa Cruz, CA

True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost. . .

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11/22/2009 7:50 AM

CateC_BettyCrocker_MOD
The Windy City
Posts: 3031

petreysoccermom:

I also would love to make a ginger bread house and men, I need a recipe for that and what kinds of candy's, icing and where can I find these things that go on the houses and scenes?

Hi Petreysoccermom!

Have you seen the recipes on here?

http://www.bettycrocker.com/search/searchresults.aspx?terms=gingerbread+men

For candies, you really can't go wrong with anything. We used to use our old Halloween Candy. But M&M's and Smarties, little marshmellows, Mike & Ikes, etc. are all fun things to use. Pick things you like to eat also.

Here are some other versions:

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/gingerbread-village-recipe/2/

(Or another version: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/gingerbread-village-recipe/1/)

Ingredients

Gingerbread and Decorations

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup full-flavor molasses
1/3 cup cold water
31/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Assorted candies, nuts, cookies, crackers and cereal

Royal Icing

1 package (16 oz) powdered sugar (4 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Food colors, if desired

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square pan and 15x10x1-inch rectangular pan. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening and molasses until well blended. Stir in cold water. Stir in remaining gingerbread ingredients except assorted candies. Press one-third of dough into square pan. Press remaining dough into rectangular pan.
Bake 1 pan at a time about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 5 minutes. Turn upside down onto large cutting surface. Immediately cut gingerbread in rectangular pan into fourths and then into buildings as shown in illustration. Cut gingerbread in square pan into braces as shown. Cool completely, about 25 minutes.
In large bowl, beat all icing ingredients except food colors with electric mixer on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. Divide and tint as desired with food colors. Decorate fronts of buildings as desired, using icing and assorted candies, nuts, cookies, crackers and cereal. Use icing to attach braces to backs of buildings. Let stand 30 minutes or until icing is completely set. Complete by decorating as desired.

Preparation Tips

Recipe Notes

Do-Ahead

Make the gingerbread the day before the decorating fun begins!
Purchasing

Meringue powder can be found in craft and cake decorating supply stores.
Special Touch

Complete the landscape of your village with a gingerbread cookie tree. Use 5 small star-shaped cookie cutters in graduated sizes. Bake about 5 minutes. When cool, stack with icing in between and decorate.
Success

Royal Icing dries out quickly, so keep it covered with plastic wrap and work with small portions. Place small portions in small resealable food-storage plastic bags, snip off a corner and squeeze the bag for easy decorating.
Variation

Don’t want to get out the mixer to make the icing? Make Quick Gingerbread Frosting instead. Beat 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup shortening, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup and 5 to 6 teaspoons milk with a spoon until frosting is smooth and spreadable.