Ginger Chocolate Ninja Cookies, #CreativeCookieExchange

NinjaBaker — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 05:02:57 +0000

Japanese ninja are skilled in the art of stealth, secrecy and surprise. I’m wondering if Father Time is the original ninja. The arrival of the holiday season has caught me off guard. Thanksgiving is next week! AND Christmas trees sporting ornaments and tinsel line Beverly Hill’s Rodeo Drive.

Thanksgiving may have to be a fend for yourself sort of affair. But, I did stop reeling from the dizzying blow and realization that Christmas is nearly here. I baked up a batch of ginger chocolate ninja cookies donned with Santa caps.

Almond Marzipan Candy Caps on Chocolaty Ginger Ninja Santa.

As I cut out the ginger chocolate ninjas out of the rolled dough, I had pangs of missing my ebullient great-nephew. (He’s living in Qatar with his mom and grandma at the moment.) Holiday magic and miracles do prevail for adults and children alike. But, there is an extra sparkle to the season when believers of Santa are near. The senses are heightened. Scents of melting chocolate, butter and cinnamon seem sweeter. Even without my little great-nephew around, though, my baking ninjas exuded heady scents of ginger and chocolate.

A Ginger Chocolate Ninja Santa Cookie Happy Dance

I’m grateful to the Creative Cookie Exchange for choosing a November ginger theme. Thanks to the cookie-baking maestros, I’ve now got yummy ginger chocolate ninja Christmas Santa cookies ready!

Ginger Chocolate Ninja Santa Cookie Power!

Ninja Note: Initially, the only chocolate components to the ginger cookies were mini chocolate chips. But as I gingerly placed the cookies on the baking sheets, the white flour marring the golden color dismayed me. So, I sprinkled unsweetened cocoa atop the ninjas. My ninja cookies benefited in appearance and taste. As for taste, the ginger chocolate ninja cookies are a beautiful blend of ginger and chocolate. Happy Holidays!

Ginger Chocolate Ninja Cookies

Dressed up for the holidays, ginger and chocolate kiss in one beautiful Ninja Santa cookie.

Adapted from a ginger cookie recipe at About.com

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses
1 egg
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon Penzeys Cake Spice (optional)
1½ cups mini chocolate chips
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa for dusting the cut-out cookies
1 (7 ounce) tube of marzipan almond candy dough
Red food coloring
1 can of vanilla frosting
½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Over low heat melt the butter in a large pan. Dissolve the brown sugar and the molasses in the melted butter. Cool. Pour into a large bowl. Whisk in the egg.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, ginger and cake spice to the large bowl. Combine well with a wooden spoon or Japanese shamoji rice scoop. (Avoid tough cookies: Do not over mix and stay away from the electric mixer.) Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Divide the ginger chocolate cookie dough in half. Shape into medallion disks. Refrigerate overnight.

Bring the dough to room temperature.

Roll out the dough to a ¼ thickness on flour covered cutting board. Cut out the ninjas on a flour covered board. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cocoa. Freeze for 2 hours or more.

Bake the cookies in a 350 degrees oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Knead red food coloring into marzipan. Roll out into ¼” thickness. Cut out Santa cap triangles.

Whip up the vanilla frosting with the powdered sugar. Pipe buttons and Santa cap lining with a writing tip. You can use the same frosting to attach the Santa hats to the ginger chocolate cookies.

The theme this month is Ginger! Dried and ground, candied, fresh--if you like ginger in your cookies you have come to the right place! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

Ginger Curry Sugar Cookies from The Spiced Life
Favourite Gingerbread Cookies from What Smells So Good?
Vegan Ginger Cookies with Cardamom from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Ginger Chocolate Ninja Cookies from NinjaBaker
Ginger Lemon Sandwich Cookies from Sweet Cinnamon & Honey
Buttery Ginger Shortbread Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Pepparkakor-- Swedish Ginger Cookies from A Baker’s House
Oat, Orange and Ginger Crisps from Made with Love
Séches aux Gingembre from Food Lust People Love
Ginger Sour Cream Cookies from Basic N Delicious
Ginger Molasses Cutout Cookies from Magnolia Days
Chewy Ginger Cookies from Spiceroots
Chocolate - Ginger Chewies from Baking in Pyjamas
Orange Ginger Cookies from Indian Curries/stew
Refrigerator Ginger Cookies from DessertStalking Blog

Wishing you happy holiday ninja moves in the kitchen and in the shopping malls!

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

Tags:

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The Ninja Baker - #ginger #chocolate #Ninja #cookies

Ginger Chocolate Ninja Cookies, #CreativeCookieExchange