Episode 1: Nicole's Gingerbread Eiffel Tower Show Stopper Recipe

Gingerbread Pieces:

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup molasses blackstrap unsulphured
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground clove
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup water

For the Icing:

• 4 cups powdered sugar (plus ½ cup more if needed to thicken)
• 3 tbsp. meringue powder
• 6 tbsp. warm water
• 1 tsp Lor Ann butter vanilla emulsion
• 1tsp lemon juice
• Rock candy swizzle sticks in white and baby blue
• White sugar crystals
• 16oz grey fondant

Caramel:

1 1/3 cup sugar
¾ cup water

Directions:

For the gingerbread:

1. Mix shortening, molasses, sugar, salt, powder, and spices in a mixer. Once combined add flour one cup at a time until incorporated. Add water until consistency is right.

2. Roll dough to ¼ inch thick between two sheets of parchment. Cut out pieces using a template and remove extra dough. Transfer sheets of parchment to half sheets and put into
the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Bake for 15-17 min then transfer to cooling rack.

For the icing:

1. Make icing – add meringue powder, water and emulsion to mixer and beat until frothy. Beat on medium until stiff peaks form (using paddle attachment).

2. Put icing in piping bag fitted with a PME size 3 tip.

Red Velvet Roll-Out Cookies:

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup salted butter room temp (1 stick)
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 8oz pack of cream cheese softened
• 1 tbsp. LorAnn red velvet emulsion
• 2 tbsp. Hersheys Special Dark cocoa
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

For the Icing:

• ¼ cup + 2 tsbp warm water
• 2 ½ tbsp meringue powder
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 1lb powdered sugar
• 1tbsp corn syrup
• ½ tsp glycerine
• 1tsp LorAnn cream cheese emulsion
• Food Coloring Gels - bright white, ivory, gold, super red

Directions:

For the cookies:

1. Cream butter and sugar, add in cheese, cocoa and emulsion. Add flour until combined. Roll out between two sheets of parchment to ¼ inch thick and cut out. Bake at 375
degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 9 min.

For the icing:

1. Make icing – in stand mixer, mix together water meringue and tartar. Add sugar and mix until incorporated. Add corn syrup, glycerine, emulsion and beat until stiff peaks form.