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There’s sweet, warm, spiced magic in combining ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses to make gingerbread in any of its forms. We’ve got plenty of ideas for indulging your love for gingerbread this winter, from decorative cookies to an eye-catching trifle, plus the perfect cake for a holiday brunch, a very merry margarita, and more.
Spiced Ginger Cookies
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Props Styling Natalie Ghazali
Freshly ground white pepper rounds out the usual spice profile of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in these golden drop cookies from Chicago pastry chef Elissa Narrow. They’re rolled in turbinado sugar for a satisfying crunch.
Gingerbread House
Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Natalie Drobny / Prop Styling by Genesis Vallejo / Gingerbread Styling by Amy Hatwig
This recipe makes one large gingerbread house or five to seven smaller ones for a village. The secret behind the flavor is an all-butter gingerbread and the streamlined, stylish design is a treat.
Spiced Gingerbread Cookies
Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy Jr. / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
Made wonderfully zingy with a touch of black pepper, these gingerbread cookies from baker Julianne Jones have a tender and cakey texture, yet they’re sturdy enough to decorate.
Gingerbread Latte
Eva Kolenko
F&W’s Lucy Simon emulates the warming spiced notes of freshly baked gingerbread by flavoring this hot espresso drink with cinnamon, molasses, and ground ginger.
Gingerbread Ice Box Cake
Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors-Hall / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
This no-bake cake layers pumpkin-spiced whipped cream with deeply spiced gingersnaps, which soften into plush, cake-like tiers as the dessert chills. The lightly sweetened cream highlights the cookies’ molasses and warm spice, creating a flavor reminiscent of a pumpkin spice latte.
Marranitos
Linda Xiao / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
A Mexican bakery favorite, these soft, chewy cookies are spiced with ginger and called marranitos, puerquitos, or cochinitos because they’re shaped like little pigs.
Ginger Spice Cake
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Nashville baker Jennifer Latham’s tender gingerbread cake comes together easily in the blender. She mixes dark molasses into the batter and garnishes each slice with candied ginger and pomegranate to make the seasonal staple extra special.
Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies
Ditte Isager
A hybrid of spicy gingerbread and chocolate, these cookies from Brooklyn’s Baked are made from a supple dough that’s a dream to work with. Cut them into an assortment of fanciful shapes and decorate them as you please.
Gingerbread and White Chocolate Mousse Trifle
Chris Court
Ideal for plated holiday feasts, this seasonal trifle contains three perfect desserts in one: velvety white chocolate mousse, warmly spiced gingerbread, and sweet-tart pomegranate caramel. Guests will ooh and aah at each distinct layer.
Gingerbread with Pears
David De Vleeschauwer
This cake is extra moist and flavorful thanks to diced Bartlett pears folded into the batter. A dusting of powdered sugar dresses it up for any occasion.
Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
Lucy Schaeffer
Every home baker needs a reliable gingerbread cookie recipe in their back pocket, and this one fits the bill. Chef Michael Mina says his recipe is ideal for decorating with kids.
Gingerbread Roll with Cinnamon Cream
Tina Rupp
A riff on a bûche de Noël, this inventive recipe from longtime pastry chef Jennifer Giblin combines tender ginger cake with a tangy cream cheese filling.
Pain d’Épices
Oddur Thorisson
This hearty, honey-sweetened gingerbread loaf from French cook and writer Mimi Thorisson is made extra flavorful with the addition of buckwheat flour and a pinch of saffron.
Gingerbread Margarita
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Made with a spiced orange syrup, this winterized Margarita has a warm, cozy, cake-spice panache that’s perfect for holiday parties.
Lebkuchen
Rick Poon
These delicately spiced ginger cookies are sold at German Christmas markets in various shapes and with an array of colorful decorations; this simplified recipe produces drop cookies that are topped with a powdered sugar glaze.
