Gingerbread Mascarpone Frosting

If you’re a fan of gingerbread, this simple and flavourful frosting might be your new festive-frosting-go-to! It yields about 1 ⅔ cups (400 mL) – perfect amount for an 8 X 8-inch pan of brownies or cookie bars.

‘Tis the gingerbread eating season – and I’m here for it!! Seriously, this frosting might just blow your mind!

Ingredients

• 4 oz (120 g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature (about ½ cup (125 mL) brick style cream cheese can be substituted)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) butter (I like salted butter)
• 2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
• 2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
• 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) each of: ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) molasses
• ½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat mascarpone (or cream cheese) with butter until well combined.
2. Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining ingredients until just combined (this will eliminate icing sugar flying everywhere when you begin to beat it). Once combined, beat on high speed for about one minute, until all ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Cover and refrigerate (for up to one week) until ready to use. Remove frosting from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before using. If icing is still too stiff to spread, beat on high speed for a few seconds.
4. Makes about 1 2/3 cups (400 mL) icing.

Black Bean Brownies with Gingerbread Mascarpone Frosting

Black beans – not just for your favourite tex-mex salads anymore! These fudgy brownies are absolutely delicious (gluten free too!), and made even better when slathered with gingerbread frosting.

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60 mL) softened butter
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 mL) quality cocoa powder
• ½ cup (125 mL) dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

Garnish

• edible glitter *found at bulk food stores/or baking section of grocery store and/or festive decorative sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Place beans in a bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until roughly chopped.
3. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla and pulse until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.
4. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until batter is very well combined.
5. Pour batter into an 8 X 8 inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper (check out my parchment paper trick at bottom of this post).
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
8. Once cooled frost brownies and garnish with festive sprinkles (if using). Chill for about 30 minutes to set frosting before cutting.
9. Once frosting has set, cut brownies into 16 even pieces and spray with edible glitter (if using).
10. Store brownies in an airtight container for up to one week (but they won’t last that long).

White Chocolate Cookie Bars with Gingerbread Frosting

When white chocolate cookies and gingerbread collide! I dare you to have just one – not possible. Eat three, thank me later. You’re welcome!

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) butter
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour an all-purpose gluten free flour could be substituted
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
• 1 ¼ cup (325 mL) white chocolate chips (approx. 1, 226 g bag)

Garnish

• edible glitter *found at bulk food stores/or baking section of grocery store and/or festive decorative sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 C (190 F). Beat together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla.
2. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture until well combined.
3. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly combined.
4. Press mixture into a parchment paper lined 8 X 8-inch square baking pan (check out my parchment paper trick at bottom of this post).
5. Bake in the center of preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center is just set. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
6. Once cooled frost cookie bars and garnish with festive sprinkles (if using). Chill for about 30 minutes to set frosting before cutting.
7. Once frosting has set, cut cookie bars into 16 even pieces and spray with edible glitter (if using).
8. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week (but they won’t last that long).

Delicious & Doable Tip:

• add ½ cup (125 mL) finely diced candied ginger to cookie batter before baking.
• no white chocolate? No problem! Use milk (or semi-sweet) chocolate chips instead

Where to Find ‘Delicious & Doable’ Across Ontario

Find ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ on Amazon (click here) or at one of the below retailers across Ontario:

Type Books ~ 883 Queen Street West, Toronto
Lemonberry ~ 2 Orchard Heights Blvd #10, Aurora
Fanfare Books ~ 92 Ontario St, Stratford
Casual Gourmet ~ 1027 King Street West, Hamilton
The Post Office – 18 Front St. N, Thorold
Chef’s Paradise ~ 1314 Bank Street, Ottawa
Gift It Grey ~ 19492 Opeongo Line, Barry’s Bay
Creative Cook ~ 35 Manitoba St, Bracebridge
Muskoka Brewery ~ 1964 Muskoka Beach Rd, Bracebridge
Stephen’s Butcher Shop ~ 8 Harris St, Port Carling
Hilltop Interiors ~ 1150 ON-141, Rosseau
Cedar Canoe Books ~ 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Clark’s On Main ~ 1090 Main Street, Dorset
Bigley’s Cottage Kitchen ~ 39 Bolton St, Bobcaygeon
Farmer’s Daughter – 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Kitchen Bits ~ 1390 Kingsway, Greater Sudbury

Heading to Muskoka this winter? Click here for a list of my upcoming cooking classes at The Creative Cook!!
Hope to see and feed many of you soon!

Charmaine Broughton is a Muskoka/Toronto-based cooking show host & guest expert and author of ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life‘.

‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ is on Amazon! Get your copy today!