Gingerbread Secrets (Plus A Classic Recipe!)

Making gingerbread is an annual New Year or Christmas tradition for many families.

Making gingerbread is an annual New Year or Christmas tradition for many families. It is believed that the addition of ginger to baking came to us from English chefs. But it is not so.

The history of making gingerbread began much earlier and it was in ancient Egypt. Cooks of ancient Egypt added various spices to pastries to add flavor to the finished dish. It was to my taste. Hence the name "gingerbread" - spices. It was from ancient Egypt that recipes for making gingerbread spread throughout the world and have come down to us.

 

Gingerbread is very popular in America and Western Europe. It is worth remembering the Brothers Grimm with their fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel", where they describe a real house made of gingerbread dough. Or Hans Christian Andersen, when writing his biography, described a dinner in a small tavern, the owner of which asked him to make molds for gingerbread. And for this I received new molds of a soldier and a little dancer.

In America, there is a fairy tale similar to the Russian "Kolobok", only it is about a gingerbread man who left home and got caught by a fox. The same gingerbread man was the hero of the cartoon about Shrek.

 

Gingerbread secrets

Making gingerbread cookies is easy. To do this, you need to know some secrets, we share:

Gingerbread dough must be prepared in advance, 1-2 days before baking. He needs to mature. And it should be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film. Only natural products are suitable for the dough, such as butter, heavy cream or thick sour cream. In no case do not try to replace them with vegetable fats - margarine or spread. Use the most fragrant honey. For this, forest or buckwheat is suitable. Take ginger for the test in a dry, chopped form. Flour is best to take a low grade, coarse. It is she who gives the best result. Gingerbread dough needs to be kneaded long enough. This may take up to 40 minutes. Before decorating, the gingerbread must be completely cooled. On warm gingerbread, the icing will begin to melt and flow.

Classic gingerbread recipe

Handmade gingerbread with love and attention will be a great gift for the New Year holidays. There is nothing more pleasant and reverent than making such gingerbread with children.

Knead the dough and turn on the fantasy.

Ingredients:

Flour - 350 g. Powdered sugar - 150 g. Honey - 4 tbsp. l. Yolk - 2 pcs. Butter - 130 g. Ginger - 2 tsp. Cinnamon - 2 tsp Soda - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch.

Freeze the butter the night before and chop it into small pieces with a sharp knife. Chop quickly, otherwise, it will have time to melt.

Sift the flour several times with the added spices and soda. This will make the dough more homogeneous.

Pour the pieces of butter with the flour mixture and remember with your hands. Add powdered sugar, liquid honey and egg yolks to this mixture. Knead the dough well. If it crumbles, add a little more honey.

Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 days.

 

Before baking, take it out, roll it out to 5 mm thick. Using special shapes, cut out various shapes. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 170°C.

Cool the finished gingerbread cookies completely.

To prepare the glaze, sift 150-200 grams of powdered sugar.

Beat the white of one egg. Gradually add powdered sugar, a little lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of starch to it.

Add food coloring for different colors.

Immediately place the finished glaze in a tight bag, cut off a corner and decorate the gingerbread cookies.

 

Gingerbreads decorated with icing look very beautiful and festive, stay fresh longer and taste good!

Put the gingerbread cookies in a box, tie with a bright ribbon - you have the best (and delicious) gift for the New Year ready.