Saturday, December 22, 2012

Gingerbread Decoration



There is something very satisfying in the making and baking of gingerbread, at least, that’s the experience of my wife who has made a Christmas table centrepiece for when we shall have dinner at my daughter’s place on Christmas Day. The basic pieces were shaped from rolled gingerbread by the use of sharp metal cutters. After the pieces were baked they were assembled and ‘cemented’ together by icing sugar. They were then decorated with trailed icing sugar and colourful chocolate buttons.

My wife enjoyed having our grandsons help her by sticking chocolate buttons to the roof of the house.

Every part of the centrepiece is edible, but I doubt any of us will want to eat it after demolishing a traditional Christmas day roast. 

Gingerbread Recipe

Ingredients:

125 grams of butter

115 grams of caster sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of milk

375 grams of plain flour

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

3 teaspoons of ground ginger

2 tablespoons of syrup or treacle

Preparation and cooking:

Beat butter and sugar together

Add egg and milk with further beating

Sift flour, bicarbonate and ginger over the mixture and add the syrup.

Knead it all together

Roll the gingerbread mix between baking parchment sheets until 3 millimetres thick if making the gingerbread house and cut out shapes

Bake in an oven at Mark 4 for 15 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch

Extra Items required if making the gingerbread house:
Baking parchment sheets

Roller

Metal cutting set from Lakeland

Edible decorations

Icing sugar nozzles and bags for same

Palette knife

Cake board

Link

Lakeland

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