The Weather Outside is Frightful, But the Scones are So Delightful - Gingerbread Scones

It's that time of year again... No, I'm not talking about Thanksgiving, and I refuse to acknowledge that Christmas exists until AFTER Thanksgiving...

I am referring to the fact that it is the last month of autumn, and the weather is getting chilly... As a matter of fact, as I sit in front of my laptop, I am watching snowflakes fall out the window.  This makes me start craving wintery things like hot chocolate, gingerbread, lentil soup, homemade breads and pot roast. 

mmmmm  Gingerbread!  Luscious Lebkuchen... Whether in actual cake form or cookies....  It's always just what the doctor ordered, even though it's technically a little early.  It has always been a traditional Chri... I mean, 25th of December kind of thing in my family.  

Luckily, I have an out.  Not that I am necessarily opposed to making gingerbread "out of season" but I think these will fit the bill very nicely and they are delicious with Hot Chocolate!

Gingerbread Scones

9.5 oz (270 g) (~2 cups + 2 TB) AP Flour
1 TB Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ginger, ground
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Mace
a tiny pinch of Clove
Pinch of Kosher Salt
8 TB (113 g) (4 oz) Unsalted Butter, sliced thin
5 TB + 1 tsp (78 ml) (~1/3 cup) Molasses
5 TB + 1 tsp (78 ml)(~ 1/3 cup) Whole Milk

Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) (GasMark 7) degrees.
Combing Molasses and Milk in a small pitcher or bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Whisk Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking soda, Ginger, Cinnamon, Mace, Clove and Salt together in a medium bowl.

Add the slices of Butter,

and work it into the flour with either your fingers or a pastry cutter until you have a fine crumb.

Remove the Milk mixture from the refrigerator and pour it into the Flour mixture.

Stir with a fork to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a well floured surface.

Roll to about 1/2 inch and press out 2 1/2 inch rounds or, for fun, use a gingerbread cutter to cut scones.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or use an ungreased "Airbake" pan (I don't use mine very often, but I was out of parchment)

Poke with holes as desired...  I got a little creative...

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Carefully open the oven, making sure they don't escape... ;)

Move to a rack and allow to cool just long enough so you won't burn your fingers.
Slather with copious quantities or Crème Fraîche and enjoy!

Now I just need some Hot Chocolate!

Mangia!!
~~

Luscious Lebkuchen - Warm GingerBread

Last year I tackled Lebkuchen in it's most creative form.  Gingerbread cookie houses, Gingerbread men and, not wanting to appear sexist, Gingerbread women.  While it is still a little "early" this year, I feel that it is time to show the softer side of lebkuchen.  For this is technically how it all began.

The key is in the name - Ginger "bread".  And while I will in no way dispute the awesomeness of gingerbread cookies, as well as any houses created from this most festive of building materials, once you have had a slab of this warm, soft, spicy quick bread with a divine heap of softly beaten whipped cream; well, it's positively Himmlisch. (heavenly/divine)

I am sure this could be baked in a normal loaf pan, but for my family, it's all about the crust on the top with the soft and moist crumb underneath, so we have always baked it in a shallow 7 1/2 x 11 or 8 x12 (older size) baking dish versus an actual loaf pan (9x5x3).  It's even better the next day after the spices have had a chance to meld into the cake a little (just like most spice cakes) but it never lasts that long around here.

Grandma's Gingerbread

370 g (13 oz)(3 cups; sifted before measuring) AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
114 g (4 oz) (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
198 g (7 oz) (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
237 ml (8 oz) (1 cup) Molasses
237 ml (8 oz) (1 cup) Buttermilk

Butter and flour a baking dish (7 1/2 x 11) and preheat the oven to 350F (180C) (Gasmark 4) degrees.

For those of you using volume measurements, sift the flour over the measuring cup, then level with a knife and move to a bowl, you need 3 cups of flour measured in this manner.  Or weigh out 13 oz of AP flour into a medium sized bowl.

Whisk the Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Ginger and Cinnamon together until well combined.

Cream Butter and Sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each one in well before adding the next one.

Beat in the Molasses.

Begin adding the Flour mixture and the Buttermilk, alternating, beginning and ending with the Flour.

Pour the resulting batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Move to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes before unmolding.

Cut and serve with lightly beaten whipped cream (I like it beaten softly, so it still has a little movement to it)

And if you will excuse me now, I am going to go back into the kitchen and bury my face in the gingerbread....  :)

Heaven....  I'm in Heaven......  Or should I say "Himmel.....  Ich existiere en Himmel..."

Mangia!!
~~

Hansel and Gretel Real Estate Agency - LebkuchenHaeusle

Here at Hansel & Gretel Real Estate, we pride ourselves in bringing you in touch with your inner child.

Our homes are meticulously constructed from the finest quality Gingerbread and raised on the sturdiest of Styrofoam foundations.

Each home is state of the art, with crushed Lemon Drop windows as well as being well lit by LED so even in the deepest darkest forest you can find your way home, alleviating the need for a trail of small stones or bread crumbs.

Quality is of paramount importance to us, so we strive to find the finest candies for the facades. All of which is applied with utmost care by those possessing the most extraordinarily vivid of imaginations.

All spackled, grouted and affixed with our own special Crusting Butter Cream Icing formula.

So whether you fancy a snow covered Chocolate Non-Pareil roof,

Or a rainbow M&M walk way.

We have a Lebkuchenhaeusle that is just right for you and your inner child.

Let's view some of our current models shall we?

Here we have a classic woodland cabin...... With it's roof of Chocolate Necco Wafers all topped with spires of Spearmint Starlight mints and Pretzel sticks. This home is well lit via battery operated LED lights to save on your electric bill. The large Boston Baked Bean Fireplace is located between the two expansive south facing Lemon Drop windows. Window boxes of Peppermint straws and a Gum Drop lined M&M walkway complete the look. The garden area has been planted with Lime fruit slices atop pretzel sticks. Adding to the hominess...

Also recently listed is this château in the snow..... The Roof is a rainbow of Necco wafers topped with a Starlight Mint and Pretzel widows walk. Peppermint Straw window boxes hang below each Red Hot window casement. The Boston Baked Bean Fireplace is located in the rear of the house near the kitchen. Warm and Cozy with an LED light glow, this home is located at a slightly higher elevation so be prepared for repeated dustings of snow (confectioners'). The climate of the home seems to foster the growth of Lime Slice/Pretzel trees within the Gumdrop/Candy Cane fenced yard. All in all a beauty to behold.

Finally, for those who enjoy chocolate most of all, we have this little bungalow, just beaming with deliciousness. The slightly larger lot is completely fenced in Candy Canes so your ginger pets will remain safe. Roofed in Chocolate Non-Pareils interspersed with Red Hots all topped with a starlight mint. Each windows box, for your planting pleasure, is constructed of a Mini-Charleston Chew. The delightful M&M walkway has been color lined into a rainbow, and Gum Paste Palm Trees have sprouted in the front yard along with some Spearmint Leaf Bushes closer to the home. Like all our homes, this one is complete with Lemon Drop windows and LED Lights.

So come on down to Hansel & Gretel Real Estate and let us help YOU to find the Gingerbread Home of your Sugar Plum Dreams....

Mangia!!

And Merry Christmas To All! May your holiday be filled with Joy and Laughter!

Catch Me If You Can!! - Gingerbread Men

Hey there everyone, sorry for the delay. There have been a few problems here up in the Columbia River Gorge. I know I had promised that I would start on the Lebkuchenhaeusle (Gingerbread house) first but my Aunt and Uncle came for a visit, and we all went to dinner, and then was this party see and then there was the freezing rain and black ice.... So I have not been able to get to my nephews' house for this fun filled activity... But it was mainly because of the party that the Gingerbread men arrived first....

FYI -- As I am typing this all I can think about is Gingy, from Shrek, screaming, "Not my gumdrop buttons!!" and, "You're a Monster!!! not to mention, "Looks like were up a chocolate creek without a popsicle stick"

I am a firm believer in womens rights and smashing the glass ceiling, making me an equal opportunity gingerbread 'person' maker, but the cookies were for a party and, wanting to be more traditional, I only made gingerbread dudes this time because time was of the essence and they are quicker to decorate. All the girl cutters are wearing dresses and this calls for artistic license in piping frosting..., Pinafores, long frosted tresses, bows in the hair, ruffles in the dress... and on and on and on... Gingerbread men only need 3 buttons and a smile... LOL

Besides, the story is technically about a gingerbread boy anyway, and I don't know any women that would be stupid enough to trust a fox to ferry them across a river and not expect to be eaten, especially if one was made of gingerbread. After all, if it HAD been a gingerbread girl, she would have had 'women's intuition' baked in, don't ya think?

So here we go....

Gingerbread Dudes
(and/or Women if you have the cutter and the time)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then remove some of the dough from the refrigerator, it matters not how much, for you can always get more from the bowl.

Roll the dough out onto a well floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and apply your chosen cutter (floured of course) to the dough and press.

With a floured spatula, move the gingerbread persons to a parchment lined sheet pan (I cheated, cause there was not enough parchment, and used an airbake pan which tends to not stick)

Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on whether you have Gas or Electric (8 for electric, about 10 for gas, or at least in my old gas oven)

Let the cookies sit on the pan for 5 minutes to allow them to solidify just a tad, this fosters easier removal and less breakage when transferring to a cooling rack. (And none of them escaped, when I opened the oven)

Let cool completely while making, what I use to call, Butter Icing although I have learned, thanks to BakeSpace, that this is called a "Crusting Butter Cream".

1 cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups Confectioners' Sugar
1 - 4 TB Heavy Cream (to loosen)

Begin by beating the tarnation out of the Butter in a large bowl along with the vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.

Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low until well combined.

Add 1 TB Heavy Cream and turn the mixer to high speed, then continue adding Heavy Cream in 1 TB amounts until the icing becomes light, fluffy and soft enough to pipe in a bag.

Place, the above frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a No. 3 writing tip and cover the remaining frosting with plastic wrap on the surface to avoid crusting.

When the cookies are completely cooled, pipe on a "face", being eyes and a smile, and three shirt buttons (although you can add a bow tie if you like). Work with the gingerbread man. If the head is slightly askew... simple make the face angled too. It gives them more personality, then again that may be a bad thing...

And there you have it, super simple, super easy, and super delicious. (I am not big on frosting anyway, so the less the better, allowing the flavor of the cookie to come through)

In all honesty, I prefer to bake gingerbread 1 week before I am going to decorate them. I store them in a plastic container after they cool and let the flavors develop before frosting. But I was in a hurry so....

Mangia!!
~~

Lebkuchen and Lebkuchenhaeuslen - Layin the Ground Work

This is the first of a multi-part series regarding that quintessential favorite of the Christmas season, Gingerbread (lebkuchen)

What is it about gingerbread and the human psyche? We just can't seem to get enough of it. Right down to the ever popular Starbucks offering of the Gingerbread Latte or Gingerbread Cocoa to Demeter's Gingerbread Cologne and Philosophy's Gingerbread Shampoo. Heck, William-Sonoma even offers a Gingerbread Butter and Paws n Claws offers a Gingerbread cologne for dogs.

It just seems to be one of those universal comforting foods. I am just as much a slave to the aroma of fresh baked Gingerbread as anyone else. Which is WHY I love this time of year so much. Not only do I get to make massive quantities of Gingerbread Men (and Women) to satisfy my immediate need for all things gingerbread, but it's the time of year that I get to embark upon construction of that classic tempter of Hansel & Gretel, the Lebkuchenhaeusle or Gingerbread House.

I use the same dough for both applications with only 1 major difference. For the dough destined to become Houses, I use Crisco due to it's lack of water, for it yields a drier, crisper construction material. When it comes to the dough that wont be sitting around on a shelf for 3 weeks and will DEFINITELY be consumed by myself and various other holiday visitors, I use Unsalted Butter, not only for the flavor that it imparts, but it also yields a slightly softer cookie.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough

1 cup Unsalted Butter (or Crisco for Houses)
1 cup Granulated Sugar
5 cups AP Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
3 tsp Ginger, dried and ground
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Cloves, ground
1 Large Egg
1 cup Molasses
2 TB Cider Vinegar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, begin creaming the Sugar and Butter(crisco) together until light and fluffy.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk AP Flour, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cloves together and set aside.

Add the egg to the butter/sugar mixer and mix well.

Pour in Molasses and blend till homogeneous.

Add Vinegar and blend well.

Begin adding the flour mixture 3/4 cup at a time with the mixer on LOW speed to prevent a plume of wheat dust.

Mix well..... and then.....

For Cookies....
Place in a bowl, cover and chill for at least 3 hours before attempting to roll.

For Houses...
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions of about 18.5 oz (this recipe makes 3 houses with a little to spare)

Form each portion into a flattened square, wrap with plastic wrap and chill over night.

Stay tuned... The House pieces will be first..... :)

Mangia!!
~~