Gingerbread

Under the name of gingerbread a number of different recipes in different countries are used. The typical recipes from which it derived its name were those which included ginger and other spices that complement ginger, such as cinnamon and cloves. A recipe with wheat flour and one without wheat flour are given below. Measurements for small trial batches are given in brackets.

1) Ingredients (in parts by volume):

Preheat oven to 175 ⁰C. Melt the butter in a heavy pan and allow it to cool. Add the sugar and egg, then mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt, and mix them well. In yet another pot dissolve the honey in the warm water and add the orange rind if desired. Alternately, add the dry and liquid ingredients to the sweetened butter, mixing well. Bake for one hour in greased trays. The dough should be 1.5-2 cm thick.

2) Ingredients (in parts by volume):

Preheat oven to 165 ⁰C. Prepare and mix all ingredients as in the previous recipe. Combine both wet and dry ingredients, beat and knead until thoroughly mixed. Bake in a greased tray for 60 to 70 minutes or until the dough fails to stick to a thin wooden stick inserted in the mix.

3) The following recipe may be modified by including eggs, changing flour types and replacing the ammonium bicarbonate with baking powder or with (1:1) tartaric acid and baking soda. The tartaric acid or baking powder should however not be added until the dough is ready to be baked. Ammonium bicarbonate, if it can be obtained, produces a longer lasting, crisper cookie. It needs to be pounded and dissolved in warm liquid prior to adding to the dough and evaporates relatively quickly if it is not stored in an airtight container. The very high content of raising agent (baking soda and ammonium bicarbonate) can be reduced with only minor changes in the consistency of the dough. A few nuts may be included as well as a good dose of ground cinnamon and cloves. Conversely, the malt extract and glucose are not essential and may be omitted. Glucose can be replaced by honey or sugar. If brown colouring is necessary, caramelized sugar (heated until it is almost black in colour) can be used without greatly affecting the flavour.

Ingredients (in parts by weight):

Careftilly bring the honey and glucose mix to a boil in a water bath and add the malt extract. Pour the hot liquid over the flour and spice mix. Knead the compact dough and include the rest of the ingredients except the ammonium bicarbonate. Retain at least two thirds of the ammonium bicarbonate or baking powder, and all of the tartaric acid, if used. Let the dough sit for one week in a wooden drawer in a cool place.

Preheat the oven to 160⁰C and continue preparations by kneading the dough until it turns white. Add approximately ¼ litre of milk or water while kneading and add the rest of the ammonium bicarbonate, baking powder or tartaric acid. Spread the dough in a greased and floured baking tray and cut into rectangles of 7 cm by 3 or 4 cm. Paint with beaten egg and dissolved confectioners sugar (optional) then bake at 160 to 190⁰C, according to the thickness of the dough (testing as in the last recipe above). when the trays are removed from the oven, break the gingerbread into the precut portions.