Michelle Darmody: How to bake gingerbread and the six secrets to making it perfectly

Bread and hard biscuits flavoured with powdered ginger were first served at medieval festivals and fairs throughout Europe, ginger having taken a long meandering journey along the spice routes from Asia in the satchels of crusaders. The custom took hold in Germany after the Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel and has since spread across the world. Gingerbread stars are not only delicious, they also work well as Christmas decorations or gifts.

The trick is not to make them too early in the Christmas season, or they will soften over time and fall from the tree. Right about now should do it. You want to make a dough that is not too wet so it will hold its shape when baked and will result in a nice, crisp cookies to decorate.

Raw egg white is traditionally used in royal icing, but you can substitute it for pasteurised egg powder, which is called Meri-White. This is available online and in baking supply shops. I make my own icing pens using a small plastic freezer bag. I find it gives me the neatest, most precise lines.

To make one, fill the bag to just under halfway and push the icing into one corner so it is in the shape of a traditional piping bag. Seal the top of the bag using an elastic band. Snip a very small hole in the point.

Gingerbread

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

If you are making stars to hang as decorations, I would recommend making them a little thicker than you would if you were eating them as normal cookies.

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 25 mins

Cooking Time

 9 mins

Total Time

 34 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour

• 1 tsp bread soda

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cake spice

• 25g treacle

• 75g golden syrup

• 40g butter

• 40g brown sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• For the icing:

• 1 egg white

• 200g icing sugar

• ½ tsp lemon juice

• a few drops or warm water to dilute to the correct consistency or 8g Meri-White

• 50ml warm water

• 200g icing sugar

• ½ tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

2. Line two large flat baking trays with parchment.

3. Put the flour into a large bowl and sieve the bread soda and spices into the bowl. Stir until they are all mixed together. Set aside.

4. Melt the treacle, golden syrup, butter, and brown sugar together over a very low heat.

5. When they have melted pour the mixture into the bowl of flour. Give it a quick stir then add the egg yolks. Beat everything with a wooden spoon until it forms a firm dough. You can use your hands if it is not coming together.

6. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough. If you are making stars to hang as decorations, I would recommend making them a little thicker than you would if you were eating them as normal cookies. I roll the dough to 5mm in thickness. Cut out your stars and gently lay them onto your prepared baking tray. Stick the point of a knitting needle where you will thread the ribbon through your cookie.

7. Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes. The cookies should have risen ever so slightly and be about to turn golden at the edge. When you take them from the oven and they are still warm on the tray I recommend stick the knitting needle into the hole again to widen it. Once the stars are cool enough to handle you can gently place them onto a wire rack to cool.

8. To make your icing, whisk the egg white with the icing sugar and lemon juice they are all completely mixed and glossy. Add a very small amount of water if you need to get it to a smoother consistency for piping. Alternatively, beat your water and Meri-White until it is fluffy.

9. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice and beat until it is glossy. Again, add a little water if it is not the desired consistency. Do this very slowly.

10. Fill your piping bag or freezer bag with icing and ice your cookies. Allow to dry in a warm place then thread with a thin red ribbon.

6 secrets for perfect gingerbread 

These cookies do not spread too much while baking but I still leave a little room between them so they bake evenly. 

Always place the same size cookies on one tray. If you are using a mix of cookie cutters, divide up the cookies by size onto different trays to avoid smaller ones browning too much or larger ones not baking through.

Metal cutters tend to give a cleaner and sharper cut than plastic ones. The metal cutter gives cookies a nicer edge and creates less of a spread as they bake.

If you find your cookies have hardened too much and you would like to soften them place them into an airtight container with a slice of apple for a few hours.

If the edges of your cookies are bumpy you can straighten them, or tidy them up, when they are just out of the oven and still soft. Use a sharp knife to gently cut any bumps away.

If you do not have a smooth countertop, you can place a sheet of parchment over a large chopping board and use this to roll your dough on.

Tips for using up any extra gingerbread

You can freeze the gingerbread dough for up to 3 months by double wrapping it, first with baking parchment then cling film. If, however, you wish to bake it all at once and do not eat all of the cookies there are other desserts that can be made with the extra gingerbread.

Spicy Eton-style Mess

Whip some cream to stiff peaks, lightly mix it with some chopped poached pears and broken gingerbread. Drizzle with some syrup from crystalised ginger.

Chocolate Bark

Melt either milk or dark chocolate and spread it onto a flat baking tray lined with parchment. Sprinkle the chocolate with broken pieces of gingerbread along with some chopped almonds and dried cranberries. Leave it harden then break it into shards.