Romy's Baking and Cake Decorating

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread I'm not making a Yule Log this year or any other complicated dessert because we have to go to Grandpa's house again and I don't feel like working in someone else's kitchen. But I still wanted to make something for us to enjoy and a recipe in the New York Times for Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread caught my eye.  Here is the recipe: INGREDIENTS for 8-10 servings 2 cups (266 g) fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup/200 g granulated sugar 1 stick butter 2/3 cup /133 g dark brown sugar 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup molasses 1.5 cups/185 g all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon/14 g grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece) DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 350F and line a 9" square or round pan with parchment 2. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan stir together ...

It was only the three of us for Christmas this year, and I didn't want to make another Yule Log.  It seemed like the perfect time to try something new and I've had a Cranberry Custard Pie on my bucket list for a while. There's no time like the present! I chose  this  recipe from Everyday Pie.  I liked that it didn't require Jell-o, and I was intrigued by the ginger crust. As it turned out, this pie was disappointing and I'm glad I didn't bring it to a family gathering as it would have caused me some embarrassment. First of all the crust, which turned out underdone, tough and too thick. This recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups of flour and 1 stick of butter; whereas the other crust recipes I've used and which have turned out well call for 1 and a 1/4 cups of flour.  So there may have been too much flour in the crust.  It called for crystallized ginger and I didn't want to buy a specialty ingredient, so I put some ginger chewy candy in the food processor with ...