Gingerbread and the shapes it takes have a long history. An early form of gingerbread can be traced to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who used it for ceremonial purposes. Gingerbread made an appearance in Europe when 11th-century Crusaders brought back ginger from the Middle East for the aristocrats' cooks to experiment with. As ginger and other spices became more affordable to the masses, gingerbread caught on.
An early European recipe for gingerbread consisted of ground almonds, stale breadcrumbs, rosewater, sugar and, naturally, ginger. The resultant paste was pressed into wooden molds. These carved works of art served as a sort of storyboard that told the news of the day, bearing the likeness of new kings, emperors, and queens, or religious symbols. The finished cookie might be decorated with edible gold paint (for those who could afford it) or flat white icing to bring out the details in relief.
In the 16th century, the English replaced the breadcrumbs with flour, and added eggs and sweeteners, resulting in a lighter product. The first gingerbread man is credited to Queen Elizabeth I, who knocked the socks off visiting dignitaries by presenting them with one baked in their own likeness. Gingerbread tied with a ribbon was popular at fairs and, when exchanged, became a token of love.
Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft?
Gingerbread cookies should be soft. They should be supple. They should bend to your teeth before the cookie skin breaks and the crumbs fall all over you. They should retain a bit of elasticity, and maybe you can even leave your fingerprints on the cookie if you hold them too hard because you're just that excited.
How do you know when gingerbread is cooked?
Bake the cookies approximately 8 - 10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are firm when gently touched. Let cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes then carefully move to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired, leave plain or dust will a little powdered / icing sugar.
NOTE : The dough will be super soft, take required amount of dough and work on it and remaining dough kindly keep in fridge and use when required.
LETS GET COOKING:
Gingerbread Man Cookies | Gingerbread Christmas cookies
Course : Snack
Cuisine : Global
Prep time : 5 minutes
Process time : 20 minutes
Total time : 25 minutes
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 1 cups
Ginger powder - 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 cup at room temperature
Honey / Molasses - 1/4 cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
White chocolate(melted) - for decor the man
Instructions:
In a bowl add butter(room temperature), Brown sugar, honey or molasses, egg, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract.
Beat all the wet ingredients until they combine together.
Now add flour to the wet ingredient and mix well.
Knead them to form a dough. The dough will be super sticky.
Place the dough in cling wrap,keep in fridge and chill for 4 hour or over night.
Now take the chilled dough into rolling board and roll them thick.
Cut the dough with ginger bread man shape or any cookie cutter shape you have.
Place them on parchment lined baking tray and bake them in pre-heated oven in 200 degree for 10 minutes.
Even after baking the cookies will be soft. So allow them to cool down they will turn as soft cookies.
Once baked cool the cookie and decorate them with white chocolate as eyes. and serve.
Pictorial :
Run, run as fast as you can!You cannot catch me.I am the Gingerbread Man!
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