Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Orange Cream
I recently got a chance to visit ALDI headquarters near Chicago. I've written a couple of posts on the experience, and this one involves how brands create a "screen of expectation" in you that makes you more likely to enjoy (and therefore buy!) their product. This doesn't bother me, but I do like for it to be transparent. I also don't always want to pay for it -- ALDI strips some of that away and thereby strips costs. Pretty cool. I'm new to ALDI, but it has sort of a cult following if my readers are any indication! Do you guys shop there?
I also made you these Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Orange Cream. They start with rich, spicy gingerbread cups that are gooey on the inside. Light and sweet orange cream is piped over top. They are incredible!
Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Orange Cream
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking using gingerbread adapted from Averie Cooks
Yield: 12 cookie cups
Gingerbread Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulphered light molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Orange Cream Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons triple sec (optional)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
orange zest for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 12-well muffin tin with cooking spray. I also added a little parchment round to each well to ensure the cups wouldn’t stick.
Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave for a minute. Let it cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the egg, then whisk in the egg, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the flour until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the wells of the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 24-26 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the middle cookie cup comes out with moist crumbs but no liquid batter. Be careful not to over-bake. As soon as the cups leave the oven, use a spoon to gently form an indentation in each cookie cup and a thin knife to loosen around the edges of each. Then let them cool completely in the pan before removing them.
When the cookie cups are cooled, place 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water and let it stand for 10 minutes to soften. In the meantime in a chilled mixing bowl, mix whipping cream, triple sec, orange extract, and powdered sugar together on low speed. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds or so and then whisk to dissolve. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add the gelatin while continuing to stir. Continue beating the cream to stiff peaks. Pipe the orange cream into the cooled gingerbread cookie cups (I really piled it high!), top with orange zest, and enjoy.
To read about my trip to ALDI headquarters, learn about how your "screen of expectation" affects what you buy, and see more photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, picturing_food, cooking, bakebakebake
I also made you these Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Orange Cream. They start with rich, spicy gingerbread cups that are gooey on the inside. Light and sweet orange cream is piped over top. They are incredible!
Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Orange Cream
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking using gingerbread adapted from Averie Cooks
Yield: 12 cookie cups
Gingerbread Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulphered light molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Orange Cream Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons triple sec (optional)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
orange zest for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 12-well muffin tin with cooking spray. I also added a little parchment round to each well to ensure the cups wouldn’t stick.
Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave for a minute. Let it cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the egg, then whisk in the egg, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the flour until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the wells of the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 24-26 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the middle cookie cup comes out with moist crumbs but no liquid batter. Be careful not to over-bake. As soon as the cups leave the oven, use a spoon to gently form an indentation in each cookie cup and a thin knife to loosen around the edges of each. Then let them cool completely in the pan before removing them.
When the cookie cups are cooled, place 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water and let it stand for 10 minutes to soften. In the meantime in a chilled mixing bowl, mix whipping cream, triple sec, orange extract, and powdered sugar together on low speed. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds or so and then whisk to dissolve. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add the gelatin while continuing to stir. Continue beating the cream to stiff peaks. Pipe the orange cream into the cooled gingerbread cookie cups (I really piled it high!), top with orange zest, and enjoy.
To read about my trip to ALDI headquarters, learn about how your "screen of expectation" affects what you buy, and see more photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, picturing_food, cooking, bakebakebake