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Farm Kitchen:  Ginger Bread cookies!!  |
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Jenny Mae
Farmgirl at Heart
7 Posts
Jennifer
schomberg
Ontario
Canada
7 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 25 2005 : 07:23:07 AM
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Hi Everyone
I am starting to get the itch for christmas baking (up here in canada we have been over thanksgiving for quite awile now). It also just snowed in Ontario, the first big snow of the season.It looks wonderful outside and i feel like baking!! I really like to make gingerbread houses, they are so much fun! However i have had trouble finding gingerbread recipies that taste good, really good, and are also a hard enough ginger bread that they will take the abuse of being a house, barn ...or any other shape. Most of the really good gingerbread recipies i have are kind of a soft ginger bread, that makes the walls of gingerbread barns cave in...(lol)....not that i'm talking from experience or anything. So please send any of your favorite gingerbread recipies my way...you'll make my season!!!
thanks
Jenny Mae |
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Tatiana
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Tania
Boise
ID
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Dec 02 2005 : 6:28:08 PM
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This recipe for Dutch Speculaas (St. Nicholas Cookies) are pushed into wooden molds, tapped out and baked. But they can also be rolled out and make a nice crunchy cookie because of all the butter. We can hardly stop eating them once we get going  . Be careful to watch the dough baking because once it starts to brown it goes quickly.
3½ cups flour
2½ Tablespoons Speculaas Kruiden*** (Spice mix, see below)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
zest of ½ lemon
1 cup slivered almonds chopped finely
Slivered almonds to decorate
In large bowl cream butter, sugar, lemon zest until creamy. Beat in eggs. Add in chopped almonds. Sift together flour, spices and baking soda. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients gradually, mixing in flour by hand when mixture becomes to stiff for electric beaters. If you are in a more humid climate it may be necessary to add up to ¼ cup flour to if the dough is too sticky. It is best to let the dough chill in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld or at least until the dough is more stiff and workable.
Oil the mold lightly, and remove excess with paper towel. Lightly dust with flour using a pastry brush. Press pieces of dough into molds until hollows are filled. Using a sharp knife cut off the excess dough so that the dough is flush with the mold. Tap out the cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet. Do not oil mold again, but continue to dust with flour between batches. Decorate with slivered almonds as desired. ***If you would like to hang them on a tree, cut a hole at the top of cookie with a plastic drinking straw (use ribbon to hang).
Alternately, roll out dough ¼ inch thick and cut using cookies cutters or cut into squares. Decorate with almonds as desired.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly browned around the edges. Cool for 2 minutes and then remove to wire rack. Will keep for several weeks in a airtight container. Cookies can be baked and frozen ahead.
***Speculaas Kruiden can be purchased from Dutch import stores or can be made from scratch and kept in an airtight container:
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
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prairiemaid
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Margret
Canada
200 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2005 : 06:40:41 AM
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Thanks! I'm going to try these!
Call me old fashioned. |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2005 : 10:55:01 AM
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Tania's recipe for St. Nicholas Cookies sounds yummy! I'll see what i might find in my cookbooks too and post some.
True Friends, Frannie |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2005 : 2:32:51 PM
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Jenny .. here are a couple recipes i found for 'edible cooky' ornaments for your christmas tree. one is gingerbread .. the other sugar cookies.
Gingerbread Dough
5 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspooon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup light molasses
1 large egg.
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
2. In large bowl, with electric mixere, beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Stir in flour mixture to make a stiff dough.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough into 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies and transfer to ungreased baking sheet. With a toothpick (or straw), press a hole for ribbon in the top center of each cookie.
4. Bake gingerbread 12 to 15 minutes or until firm and golden brown.
Cool cookies on wire rack.
5. Thread thin ribbon through hole at top of cookie and hang on your Christmas tree.
(makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on size of cookie cutters.)
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Sugar Dough (makes about 4 dozen cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup brandy
1 teaspoon mace
4 cups flour
Colored sugar, raisins, draagees, sprinkles for decoration
1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, brandy and mace. Add sifted flour and work dough until smooth. Shape into a roll, wrap in plastic wrap or foil, and chill thoroughly.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/16th inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with colored sugar and other decoration. Use a toothpick to make a hole near the top of the cookie for inserting string or thin ribbon after baking.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, 8 to 9 minutes. /remove from sheet and cool on wire racks.
P.S. The only think i would add to the above recipes .. is some warm hot chocolate and a bunch'a children to help you!
True Friends, Frannie |
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Jenny Mae
Farmgirl at Heart
7 Posts
Jennifer
schomberg
Ontario
Canada
7 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2005 : 1:19:58 PM
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Thanks everyone
I'm so excited to get baking!!!
Jenny Mae |
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Farm Kitchen: Ginger Bread cookies!! |
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Ginger Bread cookies!!
