Rose Levy Beranbaums Royal Icing For Gingerbread Folks Food

GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• For Gingerbread Cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients together and chill for up to 1 hour. Roll dough out on floured board about 1/8-inch thick. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven.
• For Royal Icing:
• With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes till stiff and glossy. Add food coloring, if desired, and transfer to a pasty bag to pipe onto cookies.

ROSE LEVY BERANBAUM'S ROYAL ICING FOR GINGERBREAD FOLKS

Steps:

• Pour the egg whites into the sugar.
• Attach the whisk beater and beat on low speed until the sugar is moistened.
• Gradually raise the speed to high and beat until the icing is very glossy, with stiff peaks that curve slightly from when the beater is raised slowly (about 6 minutes). If necessary, scrape down the sides of the bowl. If the icing is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar.
• Use a silicone spatula to scrape the mixture into a small bowl. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel.
• Store airtight in a glass container (plastic is petroleum based and can break down the icing): refrigerated, 3 days. Rebeat lightly before using.

ROYAL ICING FOR A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add the vanilla, the peppermint extract if using and 5 tablespoons water and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if needed. Divide the icing between 2 piping bags, one fitted with a small plain tip and the other fitted with a large plain tip.

ENGLISH GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°. Grease bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" metal baking pan with butter and line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper with butter and dust paper and sides of pan with a little cake flour. Heat 8 tablespoons butter, golden syrup, brown sugar, and marmalade in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until syrup thins and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes; let cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in the milk and eggs; set syrup mixture aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Add reserved syrup mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into reserved baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer cake to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining butter along with sugar and lemon juice in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush half the lemon syrup over top of cake. Invert cake onto cooling rack, discard parchment, and brush the remaining lemon syrup on bottom and sides of cake. Invert the cake onto a serving stand and wrap in plastic wrap; let cool completely. The cake tastes better the day after baking and will keep for up to 4 days. To serve, cut cake into squares and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

GINGER PENNIES ( ROSE LEVY BERANBAUM)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt; Whisk to mix evenly.
• Cream together brown sugar, egg, molasses and butter.
• On low speed, beat in flour mixture until well blended.
• Scrape mixture into freezer bag, close securely, and cut off small corner; Pipe 1/8 teaspoons dots about 1” apart on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 325F about 5 minutes or until browned.
• Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then on rack.
• Keep them separate so they do not stick to each other.
• Stores in an airtight container several months.