At Christmas one of my most beloved traditions growing up was to decorate gingerbread houses. I know it is not exactly original, but it was fun. My mother baked, cut out, and assembled about 14 houses a year and we each decorated 1 or 2. Then my mom would deliver the houses to all of our friends. (We continue this tradition with our family, too.)
What could be more exciting for a munchkin? Cookie houses, covered in frosting and bowls upon bowls of brightly colored candy.Uh, yeah, for me that was paradise.
However up until I was married and Justin and I started making them did I realize you could actually eat one of these… we just always decorated them for the fun of it and gave them away.
Only recently did my mom tell me about how good the dough was as cookies.The houses get a bit more flour and cooking time to help them hold their form (see the recipe and baking tips here), but the cookies are soft and delicious.
So, when you’re baking up your other Christmas cookies like peanut butter blossoms, snowball cookies, or your other favorites, try adding these delicious gingerbread cookies to your list.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix with a whisk and set aside.
In another bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and molasses, combine thoroughly. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture, till combined.
Scoop out the cookies and roll in brown sugar. Freeze or bake at this point. If baking, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. (I used a small scoop and it made 4-5 dozen) If frozen simply pull them out and place on cookie sheet and bake.
Food memories are a big part of our family. We love having a big family party and making great food, or heading to Disneyland and trying all the things. Why not allow food to be a happy part of your life. That is what this blog is about. I hope you enjoy our recipes.
Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!
Too much butter made for sticky dough, but delicious cookies. I had to use a spatula to lift these people-shaped cutouts from my flour-dusted countertop and onto a baking sheet. The dough was sticky, which resulted in slightly swollen cookies, but the finished product was nearly perfect.
Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
One of the designations for today, November 21st, is National Gingerbread Cookie Day. The main ingredient of gingerbread is molasses, which is from the juice of sugar cane or sugar beets that is boiled down to remove the sugar crystals.
Make sure you rest it overnight in the fridge then bring it out to come to room temp before you start rolling it out. You will be cursing at it if you try to roll it out straight after making it. This Gingerbread will last for months in cello bags or in airtight containers.
Bake 6-8 minutes. This will vary depending on the size of the cookie and your oven. The cookies are done when they puff slightly and start to crack, and when you touch them lightly with your finger the cookie springs back.
Add molasses and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Dough should be soft (not dry or crumbly) but not sticky.
There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening. If your dough is still too dry, you may need to add more flour.
Golden syrup, or light treacle, is a thick sugar syrup. With its golden, amber color, it is lighter than molasses, though the two are similar in their thickness. Golden syrup also a liquid sweetener, so 1 cup of golden syrup can replace 1 cup of molasses.
In Germany, gingerbread cookies called lebkuchen were heart-shaped and decorated with romantic messages. The city of Nuremberg became known as the "gingerbread capital of the world" in the 1600s, with master bakers creating elaborate works of art.
Molasses. Molasses is an absolutely critical ingredient for true gingerbread flavor. This ingredient is often sold in several varieties, you will want to make sure that you grab a bottle that says “unsulphured” on the label. This has a milder (in a good way) flavor than sulphured molasses.
Medieval gingerbread was not just about showing off to your guests. It also served a practical purpose at feasts. Gingerbread was served as a sweetmeat at the end of a meal as part of the 'void' or 'voidee'. Initially, the 'void' was the term used for the clearing of the table between courses.
You can take a bite or break off a piece. Either way, when you taste it, you'll know for certain if it's done. A cookie that's fully done shouldn't be doughy, nor should it be overly crunchy (unless you're making a really crunchy type of cookie). It should be soft, crumbly, and perfect when freshly baked.
Too much flour will make your cookies crumbly and dry. If your dough is too crumbly: mix in 1 tbsp of milk until the dough is soft and pliable again. Be sure to chill your dough for at least 3 hours. This will help the flavor of the dough and consistency so it doesn't spread when baking.
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