Gingerbread.....

[JoGee]

....my favorite flavor of the holiday season.

I just made a batch of gingerbread drop cookies, which include a banana and orange peel.
Ohhhh, so yummy!
The next batch will be gingerbread chocolate chip! Probably with the other banana that's starting to go soft.

[Connie]

I like gingerbread too. I usually make it in a 9 inch square. Then when cool enough to cut, top it with a hot lemon sauce.

[JoGee]

That sounds excellent, Connie!
I baked the cookies so E knows to limit them...the perpetual snackers!
A cake would disappear before lunchtime tomorrow!

[BarbCA]

I love gingerbread. My grandma taught me how to make it when I was about 8 years old. In 1962 I won the first place for gingerbread at the county fair with that recipe.
We almost always had it with whipped cream because the grandparents had two cows so there was always cream available. Sometimes Grandma would make lemon sauce just to do something different. I like it both ways.

[Paula A]

Jo, would you share your recipe? I have only the rolled out gingerbread cookie recipe. The addition of banana and orange peel sounds wonderful. We love the gingerbread loaf with candied lemon peel at Starbucks.

[JoGee]

If you already have a favorite gingerbread recipe, start with that. I used a box of Krusteaz gingerbread mix that I got for half price...and I trust the name.

Then mash a banana in the mixing bowl mix with orange zest (I used 1 tsp dried; you can zest an orange and chop it small and measure a couple tablespoons or more). I added a large egg and softened or melted stick of butter (mine melted), which is called for on the box. And poured the mix over it, stirring it in well.

I scooped it out with a rounded-tablespoon size scoop onto parchment (you can use an ungreased cookie sheet, or whatever your recipe calls for) and baked at 450 degrees for 11-12 minutes. I let them firm up on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
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Basically you just mix the mashed banana and orange zest into the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients.
If you prefer to roll out your cookies, just follow your instructions. The mix I used can do either, and I didn't read if there's a difference between rolled and drop batters. It gives instructions for both as well as for cake.

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We don't go to Starbucks, but that sounds good. You can pick up candied fruit in the stores now. I bought a small package of candied orange dices. I'm bound to be putting that in something before long.

[Paula A]

Oh, thank you!!!! I think I will do this and include the one child old enough to stir and help. I have a gingerbread mix in the cupboard.
I have a new small container of the diced fruit mix that I use in cookies. We make a mincemeat cookie that I add the fruit mix to.

[JoGee]

Oh, Paula! We are mincemeat lovers! Please share your cookie recipe!

[Paula A]

Not sure where my mom got this recipe, but it makes a good cookie!

Mincemeat cookies
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup chopped nuts
3 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp.baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup mincemeat
( we also have added in fruit cake mix)

Cream butter and sugar, till light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add mincemeat, nuts, mix well.
Stir all dry ingredients together and
Add dry mix to the wet ingredients.
Mix and drop by spoonful onto a Greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350*F. about 15 minutes.

[Paula A]

By the taste of the gingerbread cookie dough, JoGee, I can tell this is a keeper!

[Paula A]

Ok, sorry to keep talking this to death here, but these are so good!!!
Since it called for orange zest I decided to use up some frosting I had and added some zest to that. Next time I am going to use lemon zest and maybe a thin lemon glaze.
Ok, now I am finished. My mom will be excited to get these!

[boffler]

My Grandma use to make what was gingerbread biscuits, had the texture and look of a biscuits, but the sweetness and gingerbread flavor. Is anything ever as we remember it when we were growing up? Maybe it was the lard or the Watson flavorings, etc. they used. Or the love they put into it.

[Schmitty]

Try to make Gingerbread cutout cookies for Christmas....Hannah loves them.... Jo ...have copied your instructions...and will try it for Hannah she will love it.