Gingerbread Man: No Christmas without you!

Gingerbread man - the delicacy on the cookie plate

They are the supreme discipline in terms of Christmas cookies: Gingerbread men are not only beautiful to look at and conjure up a smile on everyone's face, they are also the epitome of the Christmas bakery!

No wonder, because here Christmas spices mingle with the pleasant sweetness of honey in a delicious pastry, which is guaranteed to catch the eye in its sympathetic form.

Gingerbread man (or woman) - the best recipe

Ingredients for 12 servings

Ready in 50 minutes + 1 to 2 hours rest

  • Food coloring (for decoration, e.g., red, green, black)
  • 150 grams of brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 200 grams of honey
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 500 grams of flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon soda
  • 0,25 tsp salt
  • 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice
  • 130 grams of butter (soft)
  • 200 grams of powdered sugar (for decoration)
  • 1 pinch of salt (for decoration)
  • 1 egg white (for decoration)

Preparation:

  1. Beat sugar and butter until foamy. Then beat the egg for about two minutes.
  2. Stir in the honey for two to three minutes. Then gradually add the water.
  3. Mix the flour, gingerbread spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
  4. Gradually knead the first mixture with the flour mixture to a smooth dough.
  5. Divide the dough, shape each into pancakes and wrap in cling film. Then refrigerate for one to two hours.
  6. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface and use the cookie cutter to punch out gingerbread men. Place the gingerbread men on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
  7. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for about ten minutes.
  8. Let the finished gingerbread men cool down.

Decorating gingerbread man

  1. For the decoration, a so-called "Royal Icing" (a protein injection glaze) is produced. To do this, beat the egg whites with salt until stiff. Add half of the powdered sugar and stir.
  2. Stir in the second half of the icing sugar for two to three minutes.
  3. Pour a portion of the white icing into a piping bag, surround the males with it, and paint dots for the eyes and sleeves.
  4. Divide the rest of the icing into three portions. One of the portions can be smaller! Now color the icings with a drop of the food color red, green and black.
  5. With the colorful icings the gingerbread men can now be decorated as desired.

The recipe for the gingerbread men comes from the Youtuberin CookBakery - on her Youtube channel she shares her favorite recipes.



© Marie C. Fields / Shutterstock

Baking gingerbread man

The unique taste of gingerbread - or gingerbread - is based on the spice mixture, which is generally made Anise, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and fennel composed. For the sake of simplicity, you will find ginger bread spice now already mixed in the trade. For the dough are still coming Sugar, egg, honey, salt, butter and flour added.

To make the gingerbread dough nice and relaxed Baking soda and soda added. In the meantime, however, it became earlier Potash and staghorn salt the latter, however, causes the acrylamide content of the pastry to rise.

Not only can gingerbread men and women be prepared with this gingerbread recipe, but they can also build a gingerbread house.

Gingerbread Man: You have to pay attention!

The gingerbread man lasts several weeks, but in the meantime should be stored properly and separately from other cookies. For that he is best in one sealable tin box designed with parchment paper done.

Before the gingerbread comes into the can, he should 2 days to cool off, otherwise the pastry still gives off moisture and mold is created! In addition, should every single layer of gingerbread men be separated with parchment paper, First after a week the can is completely closed, before that it should still be slightly open.



Hard gingerbread becomes soft again, though Apple halves in the tin be placed. However, you must be careful to replace them every two days, otherwise there is a risk of mold. Alternatively, the shell of an unsprayed orange, which also transfers its fruity aroma on the gingerbread is also suitable.



Shape gingerbread men

The easiest way is of course, if you have a corresponding cookie mold for the gingerbread man has? so can be cut out in no time many copies. But even without molds can be a whole horde of gingerbread men with a painted or printed template magic.With a toothpick then the shape is transferred to the rolled dough and then cut out with a small kitchen knife.

Then it's time to decorate: With colored Royal icing and one piping bag The gingerbread men can be designed to your heart's content. The smile and the eyes are very important, because it breathes the little little man only life.

And, of course, the curled delimitations for hands and feet as well as the border not missing. As you wish, you can too sugar pearls as a button bar, smarties or candy hearts be applied with the icing.

Gingerbread man: From the gnome gift to the tree decoration

Before the dough goes into the oven, a hole can be made in the figure using a wooden skewer or straw. Once the gingerbread is cooled after baking, the little men are attached to a thread and give as an pendant an original Christmas tree decorations.

Whatever your gingerbread men are missing, one thing is certain: they are unique in each case and are therefore perfect as small gifts from the kitchen. And if you still have dough, then just use it for a homemade gingerbread heart. For what does families and friends say more that you have loved them?

Candy Christmas House! A non-Gingerbread, No Bake Light Up Chocolate Xmas Alternative (March 2024).



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