Baking gingerbread on the eve of Christmas is a long-standing European tradition that has become popular all over the world. According to legend, the gingerbread appeared in Europe in 992 thanks to one monk, while another version says that for the first time gingerbread was brought by the crusaders, and the homeland of the gingerbread is somewhere in the Middle East.
A few gingerbread tricks
- As you know, gingerbread can be not only a delicacy, but also a decoration for the New Year tree. If you decide to cook such edible toys, then do not forget to make a small hole in each blank of the future gingerbread before baking. You can then insert the ribbon into it. Use a thick cocktail straw or poke the dough with a Japanese chopstick to get a neat and optimal hole.
- The gingerbread dough should be soft and pliable enough. Line a baking sheet with oiled parchment before baking, then spread the gingerbread cookies over the surface. During baking, the bottom of the gingerbread should darken slightly, and the top of the dough should turn golden.
- Ready-made gingerbread cookies are covered with sugar icing, which is traditionally made from powdered sugar, egg white, lemon juice and a little drinking water. The consistency of the glaze should be thick enough. If the mass is thin, you need to add more powdered sugar.
Christmas gingerbread made from rye flour
Ingredients:
- 200 g rye flour;
- 300 g wheat flour;
- 250 g caster sugar;
- 2 eggs;
- 1 bag of gingerbread spices;
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- 250 g icing sugar;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon or orange juice.
Preparation:
1. Chop the cooled butter, add spices for gingerbread and rye flour sifted through a sieve. Stir in wheat flour, baking powder and beat in chicken eggs.
2. Stir the ingredients until you get a plastic dough. Roll a ball out of it, wrap with cling film and put in the refrigerator for half an hour.
3. On the prepared work surface, roll out the dough into a layer and cut out the blanks using curly molds. Transfer to baking sheets and place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 15 minutes. Make sure that the gingerbread cookies are not overly browned.
4. Prepare the icing with powdered sugar and orange juice by mixing the ingredients thoroughly to form a thick mass. If the icing runs, add more powdered sugar.
5. Place the icing sugar in a cornet or a regular plastic bag with a cut corner. Cool the baked gingerbread cookies and decorate with icing. Leave to dry for a while.
