DoubleA
04-24-2009, 01:14 AM
Gingerbread Men & Women are a classic Christmas cookie. Conventionally, the gingerbread man is made with legs slightly apart and arms outstretched, and many consumers have traditions about which order the extremities are eaten in.
The gingerbread man allegedly 1st appeared in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who presented courtiers with gingerbread likenesses of themselves. The Queen's habit of jesting with her court gives this tale some credence. This example of the gingerbread man was probably darker and more savory than the version we are accustomed to, as well as thicker and more cake-like. Elizabeth's cooks relished opportunities for lavish decoration, and the gingerbread men she handed out may have included gold leafing and other outlandish decorative touches.
The gingerbread man also has a long history in mainland Europe, where he appeared as a Christmas tree decoration and in elaborate holiday scenes. The gingerbread man often had a gingerbread house to live in, with gingerbread animals, trees, and decorations made from candies and icing. Especially in Germany, gingerbread Christmas decorations are often quite elaborate, stemming from a 16th century tradition of fanciful gingerbread creations, popularized by Grimm's Fairy Tales and the story of Hansel and Gretel. In the 17th century, Nuremberg, Germany, became known as the gingerbread capital, thanks to the elaborate gingerbread scenes that the bakers of that city would create, which included complex gingerbread houses, animals, and people decorated with gold leaf, foil, and other decorations. The gingerbread man probably reached his zenith during this period, when only professional gingerbread bakers were supposed to make gingerbread, except during the Christmas season when the rules were relaxed.
Recipe:
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup dark molasses
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar icing, optional, recipe follows
Directions
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat the mixture until fluffy. Beat in the egg, the molasses, and the vinegar.
Into another bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and stir the mixture into the butter mixture, a little at a time. The dough will be soft. Divide the dough into fourths, dust it with flour, and wrap each piece in waxed paper. Flatten the dough slightly and chill it for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the dough, 1 piece at a time, 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface and cut out cookies with a 4-inch gingerbread man cutter dipped in flour. Transfer the cookies with a spatula to buttered baking sheets, arranging them 2-inches apart, and bake them in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until no imprint remains when they are touched lightly with the fingertip. Transfer the cookies with the spatula to racks and let them cool. Make cookies with the dough scraps in the same manner. If desired, pipe the sugar icing decoratively on the cookie using a pastry bag fitted with a small decorative tip. Let the cookies stand for 20 minutes, or until the icing is set.
The gingerbread man allegedly 1st appeared in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who presented courtiers with gingerbread likenesses of themselves. The Queen's habit of jesting with her court gives this tale some credence. This example of the gingerbread man was probably darker and more savory than the version we are accustomed to, as well as thicker and more cake-like. Elizabeth's cooks relished opportunities for lavish decoration, and the gingerbread men she handed out may have included gold leafing and other outlandish decorative touches.
The gingerbread man also has a long history in mainland Europe, where he appeared as a Christmas tree decoration and in elaborate holiday scenes. The gingerbread man often had a gingerbread house to live in, with gingerbread animals, trees, and decorations made from candies and icing. Especially in Germany, gingerbread Christmas decorations are often quite elaborate, stemming from a 16th century tradition of fanciful gingerbread creations, popularized by Grimm's Fairy Tales and the story of Hansel and Gretel. In the 17th century, Nuremberg, Germany, became known as the gingerbread capital, thanks to the elaborate gingerbread scenes that the bakers of that city would create, which included complex gingerbread houses, animals, and people decorated with gold leaf, foil, and other decorations. The gingerbread man probably reached his zenith during this period, when only professional gingerbread bakers were supposed to make gingerbread, except during the Christmas season when the rules were relaxed.
Recipe:
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup dark molasses
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar icing, optional, recipe follows
Directions
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat the mixture until fluffy. Beat in the egg, the molasses, and the vinegar.
Into another bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and stir the mixture into the butter mixture, a little at a time. The dough will be soft. Divide the dough into fourths, dust it with flour, and wrap each piece in waxed paper. Flatten the dough slightly and chill it for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the dough, 1 piece at a time, 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface and cut out cookies with a 4-inch gingerbread man cutter dipped in flour. Transfer the cookies with a spatula to buttered baking sheets, arranging them 2-inches apart, and bake them in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until no imprint remains when they are touched lightly with the fingertip. Transfer the cookies with the spatula to racks and let them cool. Make cookies with the dough scraps in the same manner. If desired, pipe the sugar icing decoratively on the cookie using a pastry bag fitted with a small decorative tip. Let the cookies stand for 20 minutes, or until the icing is set.