Aromatic gingerbread - perhaps the most famous symbol of Christmas after Santa Claus and Christmas trees dressed up. The sweet smell of ginger and cinnamon to create a festive atmosphere and is the most pleasant memories. Christmas cookies in the shape of men, hearts and Christmas decorations appear on sale in November, and if desired, they can always prepare yourself.

Amazing spice

Ginger - one of the most popular spices in the world. Ginger root is used for cooking invigorating drink, which many believe to be able to "burn" fat. With the help of this plant at different times we struggled with nausea and frigidity, with prostration and cold. It is even considered that ginger has anti-tumor activity.

Pickled ginger accompanies Japanese rolls and sushi Sushi - Japanese delicacy . The crushed root is added to pumpkin soup, stews, rice dishes Rice dishes . Do not go without ginger and confectioners. Burning aromatic spices - a great supplement to the test. And ginger cookies and gingerbread spices without this unthinkable.

The history of gingerbread

Gingerbread is called so because the dough is added to a large number of spices. The very first addition of the test was the honey bee: according to some, fragrant honey cakes baked in ancient Egypt. These cakes are not only nice to have a specific smell and a sweet taste, but well kept, since honey is a natural disinfectants.

Later in the gingerbread dough, mixed with honey, began to add a variety of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Interestingly, the tradition of preparing the dough with spices was different nations. In Russia did honey dough with rye flour and berry juice in Central Europe added to the carrots and allspice, and in the UK invented gingerbread.

Homeland gingerbread believe the British town of Drayton layout that Shropshire. It was there that began fragile gingerbread furnace with the addition of a burning scented spices - ginger. It is believed that the recipe was brought to the UK gingerbread Crusaders. At the beginning of the XVIII century gingerbread become known throughout Europe.

Wonder cakes

Gingerbread is generally quite thin and fragile. During baking the dough can hardly grow in size, while retaining its shape. Therefore, from gingerbread dough gingerbread convenient to make different figures, such as decorations on the Christmas tree. Fragrant pastry pleasant golden hue beautiful in themselves, and if they paint the colored glaze, it turns charming decoration that can be eaten with gusto when the holiday is over.

From ginger gingerbread prepared well and the famous gingerbread houses. Probably not in the world a child who would not dream like a fairy-tale hero, just once go to a sweet home (of course, without the evil witch-mistress). Today, gingerbread houses, decorated with almonds, candied fruit and colored glaze, sold unassembled in supermarkets and Christmas bazaars. And many such buildings bake their own: it is very difficult, unless, of course, in advance to make the project house.

Yet another traditional form of a Christmas gingerbread - the gingerbread man. The tradition of baking cookies in the shape of people already existed in the XVI century. Over time, this began to make biscuits from ginger dough, and then decorate with chocolate, nuts and colored glaze. Particular attention is paid to the buttons decorating cookies man: they must be bright and attractive.

Gingerbread does not deteriorate for a long time, so they bought at fairs from time immemorial as a gift that can bring the rest of the family home. Gingerbread trim, painted icing and edible gold paint, and now may be the perfect gift for Christmas, especially if you cook cookies with their hands.

Secrets of gingerbread

It is a mistake to think that for the preparation of gingerbread only needed spice, which gave its name to this delicacy. In addition, be sure to stock up on ginger cinnamon also useful cloves, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom Cardamom: grains of paradise and the king of spices   and even allspice. Sometimes pastries added cocoa or orange zest.

Gingerbread recipes in the past five centuries have accumulated a lot, and choose the best among them can only empirically. Someone like gingerbread softer and loose, some prefer a crispy thin pastry. Much depends on what product is intended for dough. So, for the best baking gingerbread houses thicker cakes and Christmas tree decorations to fit tight thin dough.

Gingerbread dough is mixed with natural honey. To have a pleasant shade of gingerbread and honey fragrance, it is desirable to choose a dark honey scented varieties. But sugar is often possible to do - this refers to an optional ingredient.

As baking powder baking soda can be used, but more to honey added a couple of spoonfuls of strong flavored alcohol. The dough should not be increased too much during baking.

According to the testimony of confectioners, the most delicious cakes obtained from the cheapest meal. Buy a meal can be difficult - the stores usually comes only flour, while the gingerbread is best to use the first or second grade.

Gingerbread comes in two forms: raw and brewing. In the first case the products are simply mixed together. The second technique involves heating a mixture of honey and water-oil before the addition of flour and other ingredients. Spices in this case added to the hot mixture and give the maximum test its fragrance.

The finished dough should be elastic and not too sticky. It should roll it out, and then using molds to cut figures. Thin small cakes are baked at a temperature of two hundred and two hundred and twenty-seven degrees fifteen minutes; on baking gingerbread house large pieces may take longer.

Maria Bykov

Related Articles

Sweet Kitchen

Eastern sweets: the charm of the East

Boiling sugar syrups: Secrets confectioners

Shortbread: delicious every day