My Best Freinds (Geman) secret family recipe - Amazing use Lebkuchengewürz - German Gingerbread Spice (see other recipe)

These smells bring us a little closer to Christmas. I had wanted to make these cookies for a long time and taking advantage of the fact that I had a dinner with some friends, I made them to give them as gifts. I have made holes in the top so that they can be hung from the Christmas tree too

This cake is inspired by the amazing Chef John @foodwishes. This cake is moist, dense and fudgy. The only kinda cake which I would eat, as you should have known by now. I love the wonderful aroma of gingerbread spice, especially during final baking process. If I were to compare my previous pumpkin cake and this gingerbread cake, I would definitely go for gingerbread.What really got me is the hint of molasses aftertaste. It lingers at the back of my mouth for quite awhile which leaves me wanting for more. Pls do not use fresh grated ginger. It will overpower everything else (speaking from experience). Just use regular ground ginger. I also added a pinch of Chinese 5 spice for that oomph undertone flavor.I also decided to add a touch of lemon glaze to bring freshness to the cake. You can of cos serve the cake as it is, or you can go the extra mile and serve it with ice cream and tuile. Pls do not be intimidated by the look of it. It is actually fairly simple and easy. If all hell breaks loose, try again cos at the end of the day, it is just a kitchen fail down the bin. What you gain is experience, which is priceless. Okay, enuff of ranting and let's get started with the recipe.

Light and very moist and full of spices, this gingerbread is a holiday favorite. Don't let the addition of black pepper and cayeene stop you from adding it, it brings just a slight warmth that sets this gingerbread to a new level. Pair it with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream for a amazing holds treat!

I use blackstrap molasses. It gives the gingerbread richer flavor. Also, for a treat, I will chop up 2 tablespoons candied ginger and use real butter.

I found this recipe on a blog called food.com. It was submitted by Heather Sullivan. However, the measurements were in metric so I had to convert it. In that process I got a much sticker dough than I could roll out. So I settled for a ginger drop cookie.

Omi Wohlrab's recipe. I never knew my Omi from Vienna. But Pappilein made sure that I know her through his cooking. This is her recipe passed down the generations.

I've always loved ginger loaf so I decided to make a homemade one and test it out against the shop brought ones. Off course the homemade loaf wins.

My British mother-in-law taught me how to make these since Christmas was near. She said my husband used to make these with her when he was a child.In England, you can find molasses easily, but I'm not sure about Japan... It tastes just like kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup). I imagine that you can substitute it with brown cane sugar syrup in Japan.If the dough gets sticky when cutting the cookies, dust some flour on your working surface. For 20 large cookies. Recipe by MrsSTRAW.

A great recipe to make classic gingerbread men with whatever shapes you'd like. These are great to make with the kids during the holiday season. They stay soft and hold their shape once baked fairly well. Recipe Source : Sallysbakingaddiction.com

Baked in the traditional way with all organic ingredients. This recipe probably came from my great-grandmother. It was in my old cookbook that belonged to my Nanna.

These are quick and easy, a traditional gingerbread recipe, in a cupcake they are very moist and full of flavor. They are great heated just until warm in the microwave and topped with whippec cream! They are equally as good with my basic buttercream frosting. Recipe included instep 9 with the whipped cream recipe.