Spicy Chocolate Gingerbread Creams

I had some leftovers of the Cream Cheese Icing from the cupcakes I made the other day and I spent some time brainstorming what type of biscuit / cookie it would go best with. So many options: lemon, monte carlo (an Australian honey/coconut biscuit), chocolate, oatmeal? ... I decided that something spicy to contrast the cream cheese would be lovely – gingerbread! The original plan included adding lemon butter/curd to the middle – but I test tasted one and although delicious, the lemon really wasn’t necessary (and I’d rather eat the lemon butter out of the jar myself!).

The gingerbread was based on a basic “Gingerbread Men” recipe from Delia Smith and I’ve increased the spices and added cocoa (valrhona of course!)

Spicy Gingerbread

150g dark brown sugar
4 tblspns golden syrup
4 tblspns treacle
2 tspns cinnamon
5 tspns ginger
1 tspn ground chilli
finely grated rind an orange
200g butter or margarine
1 tspn bicarbonate of soda
100g dutched cocoa (valrhona)
400g plain flour (plus extra)

Cream Cheese Icing (see recipe in my previous post)

In large saucepan place sugar, syrups, spices and rind. Heat until boiling – keep stirring to make sure it doesn’t stuck, remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted. Add bi-carb soda, then add in cocoa and flour in a couple of batches – mix until it forms a ball. You may need to add extra flour. Shape into logs (I made square and round ones), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180degC. Slice logs into 1/4” thick slices (I got 40 slices) and place on lined baking tray (they expand a little bit, but not much). Alternatively you can roll it out and cut out gingerbread men or other shapes. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until firm (as they are brown it is hard to see before they burn!). Cool on rack. Pipe or smear on cream cheese icing and top with another biscuit. Makes 20 double biscuits.

These are quite spicy – probably not suitable for most children. My eaters really enjoyed them and they went fast! My test ones were also very nice with lemon curd on them.

I do have to admit my own weakness when making gingerbread – I love the uncooked mixture ... I’d rather eat that than the baked outcome ... so the recipe may actually make more if you take out all the “tastes” I had along the way!!!

Next week I have a break from baking ... off on a work conference (to a rural retreat that is closer to the city than my own house!) ... but I’ve got plans for the weeks following! Request I’ve got have been for danishes, custard tarts and “something lemon” ... will have to think of something interesting for the lemon one. I saw a cooking show on television recently that created a lemon tart filling by processing whole lemons (pips removed) ... might be worth a try!