By Lisa Fritz

When it comes to holiday baking, nothing personifies the spirit of the season more than a troupe of gingerbread men fresh from the oven.
Their spicy goodness is irresistible to yuletide nibblers of all ages, and an afternoon spent creating gingerbread folk can become a favorite tradition.
For gingerbread purists, a pan of warm, moist, spicy cake is sublime. Some like it with lemon sauce or with a dollop of whipped cream. But gingerbread is really, truly good by itself year-round. Serve it instead of cornbread or muffins, or enjoy it as a heartwarming dessert.
Whatever your recipe preference, make sure your ground ginger is fresh — it loses its power after a few months. And don’t hesitate to experiment with the quantity of ginger in your recipe if you like it really spicy.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Lemon Crème

Basic Gingerbread Dough:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Lemon Crème Filling:
1 (7- ounce jar) marshmallow cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Beat 3/4 cup of the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.  Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Mix marshmallow cream, the remaining 1/4 cup butter, cream cheese and lemon extract in a medium bowl until well blended. Place about 1 tablespoon filling on the flat side of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies. Roll edge of cookies in crushed candy.
Store whoopie pies between layers of wax paper in airtight container in refrigerator up to 5 days. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

Classic Gingerbread Men

Prepare Basic Gingerbread Dough as directed. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just beginning to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired. Yield: 2 dozen.

White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

Prepare Basic Gingerbread Cookie Dough as directed. Refrigerate dough 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a chocolate candy into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
Store cookies in airtight container. Yield: 5 dozen.

Damp Gingerbread
Moist and velvety — the name says it all

9 tablespoons butter
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Lyle’s Golden Syrup
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butter a 9-inch round tin (2 inches deep) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Melt butter with syrup. Into a bowl, sift flour, salt, soda, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.
Pour the syrup and butter onto the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add egg and milk, beat well. Batter will be very liquid. Pour it into the tin and bake at 350 F for 50 to 55 minutes. (The middle should be just set, with the edge pulling away from the pan, and a tester will bring out a few crumbs.)
Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake.
Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread
The historic area’s holiday recipe

1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup unsulfured molasses
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
4 cups stone-ground or
unbleached flour, unsifted

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Add the melted margarine, evaporated milk and molasses. Add the extracts. Mix well. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to fingers.
Knead the dough for a smoother texture. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
When the dough is smooth, roll it out 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface and cut it into cookies.
Bake on floured or greased cookie sheets in a preheated 375 F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The gingerbread cookies are done when they spring back when touched.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Gingerbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup mild molasses
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup hot water

Pumpkin Mousse:
1 1/4-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make gingerbread:
Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle of oven.
Butter a 13×9-inch baking pan. Line pan with foil, leaving an overhang at both ends, then butter foil.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in egg until blended, then beat in molasses and buttermilk. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until smooth, then add hot water and beat 1 minute (batter may look curdled).
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Using foil as an aid, transfer gingerbread to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

Make pumpkin mousse:
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt in a large bowl until combined well.
Beat cream with vanilla using cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly.

Make whipped cream:
Beat cream with sugar and vanilla using mixer until it holds soft peaks.

Assemble trifle:
Put half of gingerbread cubes in trifle bowl. Top with half of pumpkin mousse, then half of whipped cream. Repeat layering once more with all of remaining gingerbread, mousse and cream. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Gingerbread Cake Roll

Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour, plus parchment paper for preparing pans
1/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for sprinkling on towel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Spiced Whipped Cream Filling and Topping:
2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Small amount of ground
cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Prepare one 10 1/2 x15 1/2 x1-inch Jelly Roll pan; lightly grease the pan, line with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust with flour.
Sprinkle a clean towel with 1/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar. Set aside to use after the cake is baked. Tip: A small kitchen towel that is a little larger than the 15×10-inch pan works well.
For batter, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine molasses and melted butter. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and beat 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed until the egg yolk foam becomes thick and lemon colored. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add molasses and butter mixture to the eggs in a very slow steady stream, taking 1 minute to add all of the mixture, and beating until the eggs and molasses are fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add about 1/2 of the flour mixture; mix just until blended, and then add the remaining half. Mix just until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
In another large mixing bowl and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a balloon type whisk or large rubber spatula, gently fold about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten the batter, and then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn the cake over onto the prepared towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, and then roll the cake and towel together tightly, starting with the narrow end. Place seam side down on a wire rack to cool completely.
Spiced Whipped Cream Filling and Topping:
In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar, confectioners’ (powdered) sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft mounds form; gradually add the sugar mixture and vanilla. Continue beating until thick and stiff.
Carefully unroll cooled cake but don’t try to make the cake lie completely flat, the edge should remain curled so that the cake doesn’t split.
Spread 1/2 of the whipped cream filling over the cake, spreading the cream evenly under the curled edge and leaving a 1 1/2 inch border on the far side. Gently re-roll the cake without the towel, starting with the curled end. Place seam side down on a serving plate. Spread remaining filling over the top and sides of the cake.
Cover and refrigerate several hours before serving. Before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust top of cake with cinnamon. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.