Gingerbread

This beautifully spicy gingerbread can be used to make small cookies to gingerbread houses.

Difficulty: Medium
Total Time: 3.5 hours
Serving: Approximately 190 2″ trees

Cookie

Gingerbread Ingredients:
6 cups all purpose flour mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup packed demerara brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Sweet rice flour, for dusting

Gingerbread Instructions:
In a large bowl mix sift together flour mixture with baking soda and baking powder, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix unsalted butter and brown sugar on a medium speed until fluffy, mix in spices and salt, then add eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low add flour to mixture, mix until just combined.

Divide dough into thirds, wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 30min.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly dust your work surface with sweet rice flour and working with one ball at a time roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick, and using a lightly floured cookie cutter cut into shapes. Space 1 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, approximately 12 minutes. Transfer. to wire racks to cool. When cookies are cool you can start the making the icing

Icing

Royal Icing Ingredients:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon meringue powder
2 fresh tablespoons water (more or less water may be needed for the correct consistency)
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Colour (I use a mix of leaf green and forest green)
Sanding Sugar

Royal Icing Instructions:
Mix icing sugar, meringue powder and water in a medium bowl with an electric mixer, mix until it is smooth, add a few drops icing colour and mix. Continue adding colour until satisfied, make sure colour is very well blended. Remember icing darkens slightly as it sets. To test thickness, drag a knife through the icing in the bowl, if the icing becomes flat again in 5-10 seconds it is a good consistency for piping, it should be thicker for spreading. If it is too thin, add icing sugar, too thick add water.

To pipe use a #2 tip on your icing bag and outline the cookie first then fill it by drawing lines back and forth. (I use a glass with a wet paper towel in it to hold the bag upright as I fill as well as keep the icing from leaking or drying out)

Holding the icing bag at a 45 degree angle outline the cookie then in a back and forth motion fill in the cookie. If you have any bubbles pop them with a toothpick.

Add any sprinkles before the icing has set (do each cookie individually, ice then add sprinkles then move to the next cookie)

Do not stack cookies for 12-24 hours.

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