Although they are traditionally made for Christmas, these biscuits are delicious at any time. Do you know the origins of Gingerbread men?
The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests which brought the human shape of the gingerbread cookies. Wikepedia
If you haven’t got the time (or energy) to ice them, leave them plain. They taste just as good!
Gingerbread Cookies
The first records of gingerbread cake date back to 2500 B.C. from a Greek baker on the island of Rhodes. From there it went to Egypt and Rome, and then the recipe travelled throughout Europe and kept on going until it had reached ever corner of the planet! There are two versions of Gingerbread - the biscuits and the soft, spongy cake. The biscuits are frequently used for celebrations, and not just Christmas. Elizabeth 1 had a baker who only made gingerbread, and he had the task of sculpturing portraits, often in 3D, of important guests attending banquets. In Russia, when Peter the Great was born, the Czar received more than 100 elaborate gingerbread cakes in the shapes of the coats of arms, castles and portraits. Nowadays iced gingerbread men, shapes and gingerbread houses are common Christmas decorations.This recipe is for the biscuits - all you need is a few cutters, the icing and a bit of imagination. If you don't have a cookie cutter, turn a glass upside down and cut out rounds - decorate them as ornaments or faces. If you are feeling adventurous cut rectangles and make a gingerbread house. On the one and only time I attempted a house I battled with keeping the walls up when I put the roof on. Cheating was the only option, and I found a box and propped the walls against the sides which made it stronger to hold the roof. Not the proper way to do it, but it worked!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar (sometimes called soft brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Bicarb of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Icing
- 2 large Egg whites
- 2 cups Icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
- Food colouring if desired
Instructions
- Mix together the butter and sugar until light and creamy - easiest in a food mixer
- Add the molasses and beat again
- Sieve the spices, flour, salt and bicarb together and add to the mixture
- Beat until just combined
- Form into a ball - if it seems too warm, place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- On a floured board, roll out to 1/2 cm thickness and cut out the shapes
- Heat the oven to 180 C, and bake on an ungreased baking tray for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the bottom of the biscuits are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven, and cool on the tray for 2 - 3 minutes.
- If you want to hang your biscuits up, carefully pierce a hole with a skewer
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate
Icing
- Beat the egg whites until soft and fluffy
- Switch to a lower speed and slowly add the icing sugar and beat until completely mixed
- Add the lemon juice and beat at a high speed for 5 - 10 minutes until it is very thick and forms stiff peaks.
- Add your food colouring if you are using. Separate into bowls if you are making more than one colour
- Fill a piping bag and ice your biscuits
- The icing will set within one hour, so wet a clean dish cloth and drape it over the bowl of remaining icing. This will keep it softer for longer
- Leave the biscuits to dry for at least one day before hanging them up