Homemade for the Holidays

For our December issue, we gathered up eight delicious recipes for holiday fêting, including Charleston hot pepper jelly and spicy cheese straws. But we a have feeling you’re craving some cookies about now, so here find recipes for…

Gingerbread Men
From the kitchen of Kudzu Bakery & Market

(Yields about 18 cookies)

6 small cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
12 oz. unsalted butter, plus more for brushing on cookies before baking
1 small cup brown sugar
1 tsp. table salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 box Lemonhead candies (optional)
2 cups granulated sugar

Combine the flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and salt in another large bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, molasses, and corn syrup and beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually blend in the flour mixture on low speed until mixed well and dough comes together.

Divide dough in half and shape into two large disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured work surface. Cut dough into gingerbread men using five-inch cookie cutter. Place them one inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Process the Lemonhead candies and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Brush the cookies with melted butter and sprinkle with Lemonhead-sugar mixture. If omitting the candies, sprinkle cookies with plain granulated sugar.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are set and begin to brown. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for four minutes, then, using a spatula, place cookies on wire racks to cool completely.

Decorate as desired with icing and candies such as Red Hots and chocolate chips and store in an airtight container up to five days.

Find them: 794 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant; (843)284-8847; kudzubakery.com

Iced Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
From the kitchen of Luckhaus & Brubaker Sweets & Treats

(Yields about 30 cookies)

8 oz. unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. mint extract

For the icing:

8 oz. unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs. whole milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
12 candy canes or peppermint candies, crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until combined. Add the flour and cocoa in stages and mix until all ingredients are combined. Add extracts and combine until uniform.

Portion the dough using a 1/2-ounce scoop or kitchen spoon and roll each into a ball in your hands until smooth. Evenly space 12 balls on 11 x 17-inch parchment-lined baking sheets. Then gently press down on them to slightly flatten them into disks.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the center seems slightly firm to the touch and the dough no longer looks wet. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla extract and beat until light in color and texture. Using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, ice one cookie with the desired amount of frosting and immediately sprinkle with peppermint candies. Repeat this process with each cookie; the icing will harden quickly. If the icing sets too quickly, simply scrape off, stir, and re-ice the cookie.

Note: The dough can be made and shaped ahead of time and kept frozen for four to six weeks. The baked cookies can also be frozen for three to four weeks.

Find them: 1939 Maybank Hwy.; (843) 576-4388; lbsweets.com

For the rest of the festive recipes in our “Homemade for the Holidays” feature, click here.

To read more from our December issue, click here.