Apple Ginger Spice Cake

This is a real crowd pleaser, real nice for the autumn holidays...and it's so simple.

Ingredients:

1 pkg (14.5 oz) gingerbread cake mix
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp almond extract


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 15 X 10 jellyroll pan.
2. Beat all ingredients at low speed for 20 seconds, then increase to medium and beat for 1 minute and then pour into prepared pan.
3.Bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in pan, on rack, for 10 minutes.
4. For glaze, whisk together, 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup sour cream until smooth...then drizzle over cake.
5. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

***serves 12

Gingerbread Cookies

This is a really good gingerbread recipe. It's easy to roll out and cut your favorite shapes to make great cookies for the holidays.

Ingredients:

1 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 & 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbl shortening
3 tbl cold water

Directions:

1. Stir flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
2. Stir molasses, sugar, and shortening together in a large bowl. Then stir in water (mix may look curdled)
3. Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture.
4. Form into disk shape, then wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. When ready to use, preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease cookie sheet(s)
6. Roll dough to 1/8 " thickness on a floured surface, use desired cutters, and place cookies on cookie sheet 2" apart.
7. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Let stand 2 minutes and remove.
8. Cool completely before decorating.

***to make chocolate gingerbread, add 1/4 cup baking cocoa to flour mixture.