Gingerbread Christmas Folk
I never associated gingerbread men or gingerbread biscuits with Christmas until I came to America. For me gingerbread men sat on the other side of the glass, all year around, at the bakery in SuperValu. Their smarties for eyes and buttons and their legs and head dipped in milk chocolate. I would peer at the little lads until my mam would get me one and she always would so whenever we were going shopping or even passing through the shop I’d go straight for the bakery. I love gingerbread men.
I’m really excited to share this recipe and also to have had the opportunity to get my beautiful Christmas tree into one of my baking photos! I won’t keep you from the recipe too long, I’ll briefly throw you a few tips/my two cents.
Leave the dough to chill. I always try and make it the day before to save time and clean up.
Use as good quality products as you can afford, I like King Arthurs Baking all purpose flour, Nellie’s free range eggs and sea salted butter, and as good quality vanilla extract as I can find.
I use ratio 1:1:1 of sugar, butter and molasses and multiply that by 2.9 for the flour.
My recipe makes 70 little gingerbread kids, approximately 3.5 x 3 inches. Feel free to directly half this recipe, I like to do massive batches if it’s around the holidays and I know I can get rid of them.
I know royal icing is traditional with gingerbread but I think chocolate when I think gingerbread and because I want to jazz them up for Christmas I use white so my coloured sugar will stand out.
Decorate your cookies however you like. If you like royal icing then use it, if you want to try my chocolate dipped ones then do that. If you want to dip the entire cookie in chocolate then definitely do that!! Just do your own thing!
NOLLAIG SHONA!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! (pronounced null-ugg hun-aah)
GINGERBREAD FOLK
recipe
⏲ PREP TIME: 1 hour
⏲ BAKING TIME: 10 minutes
⏲ RESTING TIME: 1 hour
🍪 SERVINGS: 70 biscuits
EQUIPMENT
stand mixer/ hand mixer
mixing bowls
whisk
spatula
offset spatula
2 non-stick baking sheets
2 baking trays
cookie cutters
INGREDIENTS
870g all purpose flour
5g baking powder
5g baking soda
300g salted butter
300g dark brown sugar
300g unsulphered molasses
2 large eggs
30g ground ginger
20g cinnamon
15g vanilla extract
325g white chocolate (i like lindt or milky way)
95g smarties (m&ms, jelly tots or sweet of choice)
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Cream butter and sugar together on medium in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer. It should be thick and fluffy.
2.
Add your molasses and vanilla extract and mix through. Add your eggs, one at a time, and mix until fully combined and smooth.
3.
Weigh out your flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and powder into a bowl and mix through.
4.
Add your flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until completely combined each time. By the time you get to the last of your flour it should be hard for the mixer to move it around so you should finish it off by kneading it in the bowl with your hands.
5.
If you make the full amount in the ingredients list then split your dough into four and flatten each out into a rough rectangle and place in a ziplock bag and into the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
6.
Preheat oven to 350°F, 180°C.
7.
If you've left your dough overnight then you'll need to leave it out on the counter for at least 30 minutes until it's back to room temperature and easy to roll out.
8.
Roll each rectangle out to about 1/4 inch. Use a mix of flour and confectioners sugar to dust the countainer and on your dough if she's sticky.
9.
Using your gingerbread cookie cutters, or whatever shapes you like, cut out your shapes and place them onto a baking sheet on a baking pan, about an inch apart.
Use a cocktail stick or pin to make eyes and/or other details on your cookies. I press down the arms and heads with my finger tips.
10.
Put into the oven for 10 minutes. This gives me the perfect ratio of crispy edge and chewy center.
Feel free to leave them in for 12 minutes for extra crisp or roll them out thinner. A mixture is always a good idea to please everyones preferences.
11.
Let cool in the tray and then transfer to a baking sheet. They cool pretty quick. I had two trays alternating and made 70 cookies so it took a bit of time but while one tray is in the oven you can roll out, cut and get your other tray ready. It'll fly by.
12.
Melt white chocolate in the microwave, stirring at 15 second intervals, until melted. It won't take long.
13.
Dip your gingerbread in the chocolate, shake the excess, and sprinkle on coloured sugar over a bowl to catch the flyaways. Dip the end of a spoon into the chocoalte and dab it onto the gingerbread wherever you want to place your sweets and then press the sweet down. I like to use them as eyes or buttons.
14.
Leave them on a baking tray to set and then store in an airtight container up to a week. These are so cute, they're perfect for a christmas party, dinner or as a little gift.
