Chocolate Gingerbread Men

Inside Joke Alert: These cookies were inspired by a stag party in which we took the groom out for a round of paintball... the yellow & orange cookies represents the groom having fun, the blue & purple cookies represent the aftermath of bruises. The bride wasn't too pleased with us... so these cookies commemorate the day we took our friend out in the woods and shot him. Repeatedly. That's how he knows we all care :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 pound butter
1 tbsp grated ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tsp boiling water
7 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup sugar

In a bowl mix together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. In a mixer blend butter, grated ginger, brown sugar, almond extract, and molasses. Dissolve in boiling water the baking soda, then add to the butter mixture. Combine the flour and butter mixtures slowly (half at a time). What makes this recipe a little different here is that instead of chopping the semi-sweet chocolate into the batter, I melt it then mix it in. This produces a more consistent chocolate flavor. Once combined chill dough in a fridge for several hours or over night.

Once the dough has set, roll it into balls, and flatten with a roller pin. Use a cutter to produce the Gingerbread Men.

Preheat the oven to 325F, and bake for 10 minutes. Decorate the Gingerbread Men with melted chocolate.

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe as much as we enjoyed paintball :)

Cranberry-Flaxseed-Pecan-Coconut-Oatmeal-Grand-Marnier-Brandy Cookies

I decided to make a more health conscious cookie so I spent time modifying one of my basic Oatmeal cookie recipes into something more beneficial... the result is a Cranberry Flaxseed Pecan Coconut Oatmeal Grand-Marnier Brandy cookie.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (half the regular amount)
1 cup brown sugar (half cup less sugar than regular)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour (1/3 cup less flour ~ replaced with flaxseed)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (half the salt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2  cup coconut
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pecans (crushed)
1/2 cup flaxseed (crushed)
1 tbsp Grand-Marnier
1 tbsp Brandy

Cream together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Next add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut, pecans, oats, cranberries, flaxseed, Grand-Marnier, and Brandy. Mix until well combined.

Use a table spoon to collect a portion of dough, then roll into a ball. Place these onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, with about 5cm (~2 inch) spacing from other cookies. Use a fork to press the dough flat. Then preheat the oven to 325F, and bake for 15 minutes.

The cookies will not turn a golden brown, so you'll have to keep an eye on them to ensure they do not burn.