Baking gingerbreadów is one of the most pleasant pre-Christmas obligationsów. A dark brown cake with a distinctive spicy aroma has been part of the Christmas tradition for years. Although we think that gingerbread is our native invention, it started its career as early as in ancient Rome! For centuries it was seen rótively – As a sweet snack, a snack ideal during heavily drunken feasts, and even a medicine. Before we sit down at the table, let’s get to know the gingerbread story of Christmas Eve.
It all started with honey…
Gingerbread is a veteran among theód bakingów. One-of-a-kind taste and aroma ignite the imagination! Few sweets have lived to see so many interruptionsótions of legends about their origin. Many nationsów claims the title of twórcy of the Christmas delicacy. Meanwhile, the first references to it appeared in cookbooks written in ancient Rome. Their author, Apicius, mentioned honeybread seasoned with pepper, whichóry is considered the ancestor of our gingerbread.
In medieval times, ancient inspirations were eagerly drawn upon. Honey baked goods with lots of spices were becoming a specialty of monksów, notably the Benedictineów. Thanks to the Crusades, Europe was getting to know more and more spices from distant regionsóin the world. When, over time, successive subrófter people explored overseas, gingerbread smelled stronger and stronger. Because of the aromatic additives thatóre not cheap, it has become a luxury product. Yes, our homemade gingerbread hosted only on the elegant tables of the wealthy elite! Specialized bakery guilds began to appear, watching over the high quality of baked goodsów.
Dough for special tasks
It performed various functions. One of the oldest known recipesów dates back to 1725. Surprisingly, it didn’t make it into the pages of the cookbook. There was a factor sought in the ingredientsóin fighting colds and improving digestion. So the recipe was placed in a medical compendium! What else happened to gingerbread? It became famous as a party snack, as evidenced by the saying who does not drink booze and shuns it, he is not worthy of sweet tasting gingerbread. Due to the preservative properties of móthroat can be stored for a very long time – so it became an important part of the soldier’s menu.
Most bakery recipes were a closely guarded secret, often passed down within the family from generation to generation. We are of the opinion that it is definitely better to share recipes for sweet delicacies! The secret is in the detailsółach… Addition of crunchy nutsów and sour cranberries will create a dessert thatóry will certainly go down in history! Detailsólnie that this unique recipe will help us prepare a delicious cake, whichóre represents a symbol of action „Share a piece of happiness!”. The aim of the action is to return theóprice due to the situation of children from homeóin the child and bringing them Christmas joy.
Gingerbread with cranberries
- wheat flour – 450 gramsów
- baking powder – 1 teaspoon
- cocoa – 2 spoons
- baking soda – 1 teaspoon
- milk – 250 milliliteró
- Baking cube Kasia – 250 gramsów
- miód – 150 gramsów
- gingerbread spiceów – 1 package
- eggs – 3 pieces
- cranberry jam – 1 pack
- walnuts – 120 gramsów
- dark chocolate – 200 gramsów
- 30% cream – 150 milliliterów
- Kasia baking cube – 50 gramsów
- ready-made white chocolate glaze – 1 packet
- cranberry – 1 handful
- sugar stars – 1 tablespoon
- sprig of rosemary – 4 pieces
- breadcrumbs for the mold – 2 tablespoons
Methodób preparation:
- Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa through a sieve into a bowl. Pick the nuts and divide into quarters.
- In a pot melt Kasia with sugar and honey, add gingerbread spiceów. Remove from heat and mix with milk and baking soda.
- For the dry ingredientsóIn a bowl, pour the liquid and mix with a mixer. Then add eggs and cranberry jam, mix once more. Finally, pour in the nuts.
- Dough transferóż into a greased Kasia and opróLine a 24 cm diameter cake pan with breadcrumbs and bake for about 60 minutes at 180⁰C or until so called “soft”. dry stick. Cool.
- Prepare the topping. In a saucepan, heat the cream with Kasia, add the broken chocolate and stir until the resulting mixture is smooth and glossy. Cool slightly.
- Pour the cooled cake with chocolate glaze, and when the chocolate glaze has set slightly, decorate the cake with white glaze melted in a water bath, cranberries, sugar stars and rosemary.
What has gingerbread to pepper?
Despite the fact that it comes from the family of strongly honey bakingów, its name does not indicate. The old Polish term pierny translates as peppery. The nomenclature evidently focuses on the flavor qualities of the spicesóIn, generously tossed into the dough. There is a theory according to whichórej all exotic spices used to be referred to as pepper. Gingerbread based on cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves does not móso the head is called differently! SomeóPeople take for granted the legend, which tells of a baker whoóry added spices to the honey cake by accident and made a fortune on this mistake.
Ródifferent faces of gingerbread
Loved in many parts of the world, it has become the subject of many a culinary experiment. The imagination of cooks knows no bounds, so today we have the opportunity to enjoy gingerbread under róin a variety of forms. We will never get bored! Cake baked in an oblong baking pan makes us look forward to cutting it into pieces. The whole family queues up with plates in their hands! If you want to find a universal symbol of Christmas, you don’t have to look far. Gingerbread cookies in all possible shapes, in chocolate glaze, with icing or with nuts look great both on the table and on the Christmas tree.
Speaking of decorations, a gingerbread house is quite an attraction. Pleases the eye not only of the youngest! With gingerbread you will create almost the entire Christmas menu. Old Polish gray sauce seasoned with wine, with roux and a portion of dough is an excellent addition to fish. Moczka, on the other hand, is a traditional Silesian gingerbread soup, która sweet taste delights the gourmetóat any age. Since we love to combine pleasant with useful, we suggest making a gingerbread house out of gingerbread… dishes for sweets! Unbelievable what this dough-potatoes!
Gingerbread bowl
- Baking cube Kasia – 100 gramsów
- wheat flour – 600 gramsów
- eggs – 2 pieces
- powdered sugar – 200 gramsów
- liquid miód – 130 gramsów
- Gingerbread spiceów – 3 teaspoons
- cocoa – 1 tsp
- baking soda – 1 teaspoon
- milk – 2 tablespoons
- whites – 1 piece
- powdered sugar – 250 gramsów
- protein – 1 piece
Sposób preparation:
- Mix flour with cocoa and baking soda. Set the bowl over a pot of boiling water. WłóInto a bowl Kasia, sugar, miód, eggs and gingerbread spiceów. Add milk and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the steamer, pour in half of the flour with the additives and mix with a mixer. Then add the rest of the loose ingredientsów and knead a smooth dough.
- Let the dough cool, wrap it in a wrapóshredded with flour aluminum foil and put awayó¿ to iceówki for a few days.
- Remove the baked dough from the iceboxówki and roll out on a floured table, into a 3-4 mm pancake.
- From the dough, cut out a circle about 15 cm in diameter, and from the remaining dough, cut out small gingerbread men with molds.
- Heatproof bowl invertóm to góry bottom and wrap in aluminum foil. Na góbowl ułóż a circle of dough, and then glue small gingerbread men to it, using egg white. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180⁰C.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg whites, adding powdered sugar in batches. The resulting icing should be smooth and thick. Przełóż it into a parchment tun with a tiny hole and decorate gingerbread cookies with icing.
December night fever
Gingerbread róThey do not differ in shape, additives, texture. The invariable thing is that they always delight with a spicy fragrance, whichóry in a second can evoke the atmosphere of Christmas. It should be taken for granted that róalso the fact that there is no better fun than their coólne preparation. You are afraid that where six cooks, there is nothing to eat? Not in this case!
The pre-Christmas period is a time of intense cleaningów, purchaseóIn, cooking and prób renting a Santa Claus costume, so we can’t wait to tick off all the points. Let’s not get crazy and find some pleasure in this commotion. Consider that the dough for gingerbread will be tastier if it is left to rest for even a few weeks. Let’s get busy baking before the Christmas madness engulfs us. Most importantly, they do not róbmy it alone!
Best enjoyed in company!
We are still putting off póLater a meeting with friendsółmi? Why not invite them into the kitchen filled with spicy aroma! Psychologists have long encouraged people to find time to wspócooking together. Culinary date with the other halfóA special occasion can be just as romantic as a candlelight dinner. It seems that we spend too little time playing with children? Let’s take them to our gingerbread królestwo! Wspólne baking is the definition of learning through play. Finally there is time to talk in peace and find out what is really going on with our loved ones. Sweets will additionally put everyone in a great mood! Maybe additionally prepare small, sweet gifts for guests, whichóers will appear during the holidays? It’s hard to find a more personal gift. Dessert prepared togetheróWith our efforts it tastes a hundred times better. Regardless of whether the distinct flavor of our gingerbread is complemented by rówith a tangerine, cherry, plum or orange. The Christmas atmosphere depends on us!
