Tartines Soft Glazed Gingerbread Food

TARTINE'S SOFT GLAZED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• To make the dough, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Add the egg and mix well. Add the molasses and corn syrup and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer again and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it on a large piece of plastic wrap into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, cover the dough with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
• Unwrap the dough and place on a floured work surface. If using a plaque with a design, roll out the dough 1/3 inch thick, lightly dust the top with flour, press your cookie molds over the dough, and then cut out the shapes with a small knife and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Alternatively, using the mold as a guide, cut around it with a small knife, flip the mold over so the design is facing you, and place the dough over it, pressing it into the design. Unmold the shapes onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
• If using a patterned rolling pin, lightly dust the lined baking sheet with flour and transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it into a rectangle about 1/3 inch thick with a plain pin. Then, using the patterned pin, roll over the dough with enough pressure to ensure a clear impression of the design. Trim the sides with a small knife. It is not necessary to cut into smaller sizes before baking.
• Bake the cookies until lightly golden along the sides but still soft to the touch in the centers, 7 to 15 minutes. The timing will depending on the size of the individual cookies, or if you have made a single large patterned piece that will be cut after baking.
• While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and water until smooth.
• When the cookies are ready, remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, while the cookies are still warm, using even strokes, brush a light coat of glaze on the top of each cookie, evenly covering it.
• Let the cookies cool completely. When the glaze dries, it should leave a shiny, opaque finish. If you have used a patterned pin to make a single large plaque, cut into the desired sizes with a small, very sharp knife. At the bakery, we cut them into 3-by-4-inch rectangles, but 1 1/2 by 4 inches makes a nice smaller size.

SOFT GINGERBREAD TILES WITH RUM BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Place the butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat until fully combined.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper into a bowl. Turn the speed of the mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients to the butter and molasses. Once the mix comes together, tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently. Roll out the dough so that it is about 1/4 inch/ 0.5 cm thick. If the dough is very soft, you will need to chill it.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Dip the cookie stamps in a small bowl of flour, shake off any excess and then press them firmly into the dough, one at a time, to create a deep imprint. How far you need to press to get an imprint will depend on your stamp; the patterns on some are more deeply cut than others. Bear in mind that the cookies rise a little when cooked, so any soft imprints will disappear. Using a round cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the pattern, cut out the pieces of imprinted gingerbread. Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheets, spaced about 3/4 inch/2 cm apart. Reroll the dough and continue to stamp and cut cookies until all the dough is used up.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until firm to the touch. They will continue to firm up as they cool, so don't be tempted to bake them for any longer.
• To make the rum butter glaze while the gingerbreads are in the oven, as the glaze needs to be brushed onto the cookies while they are still warm, sift the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl. Add the melted butter, rum (or lemon juice) and water and mix with a spoon until smooth. The glaze will thicken slightly if it sits around, so stir through a little more warm water if you need to-it should be the consistency of runny honey.
• Remove the cookies from the oven, leave them to cool for 5 minutes, then brush or dab the glaze all over with a pastry brush. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make-Ahead
• Once the dough is made, it can be covered in plastic wrap and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
• Storage
• These will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The glaze will discolor and crack a little, but this will not affect how they taste.

SOFT GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 pan.
• Cream brown sugar and butter thoroughly.
• Add eggs and molasses and combine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
• In a separate bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda.
• Add dry ingredients and water/soda to mixing bowl alternately, mixing well with each addition.
• Pour into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.
• Serve with whipped cream on top.

MAGENBROT, SOFT GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven at 190°C (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).
• Mix well all the ingredients for the dough together.
• Cover your square mold of 30 to 40 cm with baking paper and smear your dough.
• Bake 30-40 minutes at 190°C.
• Remove tray from oven and store at least 8 hours.
• Cut the dough into rectangles of a size of about 2 cm by 3 cm.
• For the glaze melt at low temperature the chocolate in the water.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well and keep warm.
• Dip your pieces of dough into the glaze, let drop on a grate.
• Transfer on a tray and let dry some hours. Turn once and let dry again.
• Store in an airtight containers.

MOM'S BEST SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES (NEW! GB HOUSE DIRECTIONS!)

Steps:

• Place cloves in hot water; set aside.
• Cream shortening and sugar.
• Add egg and beat.
• Add molasses, beat.
• Remove cloves from water, discard cloves.
• Add clove water, beat. *Dough will look "curdled".
• Add rest of ingredients, except the last 4 cups flour, and beat. Gradually beat in last 4 cups flour.
• Chill dough.
• Roll out to 1/2" thick or slightly less.
• Cut into shapes.
• Decorate with raisins if desired.
• Place carefully on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake.
• *GB House directions:.
• Make dough the same as above, but roll dough out thin, 1/4" at most.
• Bake in 325 oven for about 20 minutes.
• Remove to racks to cool, and let harden/dry out a bit overnight for sturdiness if making large pieces.
• *Doors and windows need to be cut out PRIOR to baking. Fill any with crushed hard candy before baking, too. And pieces filled with hard candy baked the best on foil. Non candy-filled pieces were baked on parchment paper.