$2500 BH&G HOLIDAY WINNER – SANTA’S SPICY GINGERSNAPPERS

This cookie was last year’s holiday prizewinner in BH&G’s contest. After making it, I can see why it won. It’s softly chewy inside, with just the slightest crunch on the outside. The topping (of raisins and pecans) accentuates the additional raisins and pecans on the inside of the cookie. Although the cookie contains orange zest, I couldn’t really taste it. So you can either leave it out or up the amount. Honestly, I don’t think you even need it. And the orange juice in the glaze is also undetectable, so feel free to sub milk, cream or water. Actually, some melted cream cheese icing works very nicely too. The title of the cookie says it’s spicy, but the spice works as an undertone. If you want a really spicy cookie, you’d better up the spices. I liked it just like it was. All in all, this is a cookie worth making. You’ll have trouble staying away from them, because they’re just that good. I made a half batch (17 cookies), but I’m printing the full recipe for you because I think you’ll want all of them.

Santa’s Spicy Gingersnappers Source: Better Homes and Gardens Rating: 10 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup raisins 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger (Increase if you want a spicier cookie) 1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel 1 tsp. vanilla 3-2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (Increase if you want a spicier cookie) 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (Increase if you want a spicier cookie) 1/4 tsp. ground ginger (Increase if you want a spicier cookie) 1/4 tsp. salt 1 recipe Pecan Topping, below 1 recipe Orange Glaze, below 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place raisins and butter in food processor; process until raisins are chopped and combined with butter. Transfer mixture to extra-large bowl. With electric mixer, beat in brown sugar, eggs, crystallized ginger, orange peel and vanilla until creamy. 2. In medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder,nutmeg, ginger and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix until well combined. 3. With a 2-Tbsp. cookie scoop, drop dough 4” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. (Note: I used a rounded Tbsp. of dough and lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper.) Flatten tops lightly. Spoon about 1 tsp. pecan topping onto center of each unbaked cookie. 4. Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are just set. (Note: cookies will be soft and look undone, but they harden as they cool.) Let cool on pan for 2 minutes; transfer cookies to cooling rack. Cool completely. 5. Drizzle cooled cookies with Orange Glaze. Yield: 3 dozen large cookies. (My yield was 34.) Pecan Topping: In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped raisins, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 3 Tbsp. dairy sour cream and 2 Tbsp. caramel topping. (Note: I used 3 Tbsp. cream cheese + 2 Tbsp. Kraft caramel bits.) Orange Glaze: In small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. orange juice. (Or just microwave some cream cheese or butter cream frosting till melted.)