Gingerbread Henna Hand

Gregory's Gingerbread Henna Hand

Great job Greg - high five!!!!!

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz plain flour plus extra for rolling out
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 2 tsp ground ginger
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g/4½oz butter
• 175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
  
• 1 free-range egg
• 4 tbsp golden syrup

To decorate

• writing icing (Henna colour)
• cake decorations

Method

• Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the 4ltr Stainless Bowl.
• Add the butter and rub together until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. 
• Using the Small Mix n Scraper stir in the sugar.
• Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together using a Bamboo Spoon, add to the Stainless Mixing Bowl and stir until the mixture clumps together. 
• Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. 
• Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness on a lightly floured surface. 
• Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread shapes and place on Rectangle Baking Stone, leaving a gap between them. 
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the stone for 10 minutes and then move to a Stackable Cooling Rack to finish cooling. 
• When totally cooled decorate with the writing icing or cake decorations.

Pampered Chef Spring Roadshow 2012

Terrified!  Why, when I've done almost 600 Cooking Shows during the past 8 years, was doing a demo infront of 150 of my peers different? Well, that's just it isn't it?  All 150 of them know what I should be doing so I have to do it well - no, just good isn't good enought for me, nothing less than brilliant would do!

Introduction, recipe and wrap-up in 30 minutes - ok that's do-able; pushing it - but do-able!  Recipe choice, hmmm a tricky one;  no cooking facilities and ingredients need to survive in a cooler bag for most of the day and still look presenatable (thank goodness it's not likely to be eaten after that amount of time out of the fridge!)

In a flash of culinary inspiration - no-cook pizza sprang to mind!  Easy... cook base in advance - chop, assemble and grate it's done (that is meant to be grate - as in cheese) but, even if I say so myself, it was a  great success!!!! 

A good old Pampered Chef favourite fitted the bill - chilled fresh croissant dough forms a crust and bakes to perfection with Athenian style toppings adding a cool twist to this tasty appetizer - perfect!

Cool Athenian Wedges

• 1 packet (240 g) chilled fresh ready to bake dough for six croissants
• 1 packet (200 g) full fat soft cheese, softened
• 1½ tsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp green or Italian basil pesto
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 4 sundried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 4 tbsp chopped green pepper
• 50 g/1 ¾ oz pitted black olives, sliced
• 25 g/1 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley or basil leaves, minced

1.      Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Unroll croissant dough and divide into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on Medium Round Stone with narrow ends toward centre. Using lightly floured Baker’s Roller, roll dough to form 30 cm/12-in circle; press to seal perforations. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

2.      In Classic Batter Bowl, combine soft cheese, mayonnaise, pesto and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.  Spread soft cheese mixture evenly over top of crust. Finely chop sundried tomatoes using Utility Knife. Chop green pepper using Food Chopper. Slice black olives with Egg Slicer Plus.

3.       Sprinkle tomatoes, green pepper and olives over soft cheese mixture. Grate cheese over top using Fine Microplane Grater. Mince parsley using Manual Food Processor or Crinkle Cutter. Sprinkle over top. Cut into wedges using Pizza Cutter; serve using Mini-ServingSpatula.

Serves 4 as a meal
Serves 8 as an appetizer
Serves 20 as a canape

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