Gingerbread men - troubleshooting!

elven

I only get the urge to bake a couple of times each year and generally it's around christmas... anyway I've had four or five attempts at gingerbread biscuits now and am having some issues. My most recent attempts have been following this recipe - although I don't actually have weighing scales *cringe* so I've been using cups to measure, don't shoot me...

Anyway, my first lot were absolutely rock hard because I think I had too much treacle in there. Since then I went a bit easier on the treacle, and have started using light brown sugar rather than dark, but the coarse stuff rather than the fine stuff to add some texture, but now I seem to have a problem with the dough not being sticky enough, it ends up very crumbly, tricky to roll out, al cracked and my gingerbread men keep losing their extremities when i cut them out! Does anyone know if that mean's I'm going too heavy on the butter or the flour or something?

I'm definitely better at stuff that's pretty to look at, that you don't have to eat

Possum66

If you are still interested I can give you my recipe, I use it to make gingerbread houses and men, and it works perfectly every time. Let me know.

The Sweeper

Possum will you post that recipe up? I'd be very interested. Does it make crispy gingerbread, or the chewy kind? I'm having a mid-winter party here in Oz on 21st June and gingerbread cookies or shapes would be a cool addition.

watna

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Possum will you post that recipe up? I'd be very interested. Does it make crispy gingerbread, or the chewy kind? I'm having a mid-winter party here in Oz on 21st June and gingerbread cookies or shapes would be a cool addition.

+1 I'm also going to a 2nd Christmas/mid-winter party on the 25th and we all need to make wintery treats.

The weird thing is, that as I read the thread title I was eating a gingerbread man from our local bakery, so I just had to click in!

Possum66

Here is the recipe (I use a freestanding mixer to make this cookie mix)

3 oz butter
3 oz light brown sugar (but I find muscovado gives a nicer taste)
2 level tablespoon of treacle
6 oz of golden syrup (or honey)

1 lb plain flour
2 egg yolks
½ oz ground ginger (or ground ginger+mixed spices)
½ oz baking soda

In a pan, over low heat, melt together the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup, till the sugar completely dissolves. Do not overheat!

In the meantime mix together the flour, egg yolks, ginger and soda in a bowl.

Start the machine and pour in the buttery mixture into the floury mixture. Let the machine do the work, and beat it till it comes together in a ball.

On a lightly floured surface knead the mixture till smooth. (This mixture dries out rather quickly. Use it asap. If it is not soft anymore, heat it gently for a couple of seconds in the microwave, it will be OK again.)

Preheat your oven to 190º (or 170 ºC fan oven, 375 F). Between two lightly floured baking parchment sheets roll out the gingerbread mixture to 3-4 mm thickness. Dip your cutter in flour, then cut out your men. Put them on baking trays lined with baking parchment or silicone baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 8-9-10 minutes, till they are firm and lightly browned at the edges. (To test them, lift a gingerbread man gently off the sheet. If it doesn’t stick to the sheet anymore, it is done. The longer you bake them, the crispier they get.) 8 minutes of baking gives me a firm but soft gingerbread.

Let them cool on the tray for 5 minutes then put them on racks to dry. They keep for ages in an airtight tin. They can also go soft very quickly in a humid kitchen!

Apologies for my English, it is not my first language.

(Funny, I bought my favourite Tovolo gingerman cutter in Dunedin! What a lovely holiday it was... )

watna

Thanks Possum.

I don't have a mixer here. (all my lovely kitchen equipment is in Ireland) but I'll try and rope the OH in to be my mixer and hope for the best!

... and I'll look out for cookie cutters when I make it to Dunedin!

Possum66

Oh, sorry to hear about that. I simply cannot exist without my mixer anymore (getting lazier every day). This gingerbread mix is very sticky, so if you decide to use your hands, do not flour them, just keep working the mix, it will come together very nicely eventually - if you keep adding flour, and the mixture will be very stiff.

Good luck and say hello to Dunedin for me, when you get there (lucky you).

watna

Possum66 wrote: »

Oh, sorry to hear about that. I simply cannot exist without my mixer anymore (getting lazier every day). This gingerbread mix is very sticky, so if you decide to use your hands, do not flour them, just keep working the mix, it will come together very nicely eventually - if you keep adding flour, and the mixture will be very stiff.

Good luck and say hello to Dunedin for me, when you get there (lucky you).

I made them this afternoon and mixed with my hands. It all worked out perfectly and we had people over this evening who were very complimentary.

I guess you can get by without modern kitchen conveniences!

Possum66

Oh yes, certainly. But as I mentioned I am very lazy, and very much rely on my machines.

Glad they liked it.

The Sweeper

I covet a mixer, but the ones I want average at $500-600 so no mixer for me any time soon!

Eviledna

Looking forward to giving this a try! Thanks!

Possum66

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I covet a mixer, but the ones I want average at $500-600 so no mixer for me any time soon!

It took meg for a while to save up for one, but as baking is my business, I had to have one. If you buy a good one, it serves you for ages.

TequilaMockingBird

Thanks for the recipe and tips Possum, I've bookmarked this page for the next time I get an urge to bake!

Your English is great, by the way! (A lot better than some of the native speakers here! )

Possum66

sueme wrote: »

Thanks for the recipe and tips Possum, I've bookmarked this page for the next time I get an urge to bake!

Your English is great, by the way! (A lot better than some of the native speakers here! )

Oh, come on, don't make me blush...:o

kmick

Anyone know where you can get a gingerbread man cutter in Dublin?

Possum66

kmick wrote: »

Anyone know where you can get a gingerbread man cutter in Dublin?

My first try would be Kitchen Complement or Stock.

kmick

Thanks going to try your recipe but you need the little cutter.

Malari

This is a great recipe! Made these cookies last night and they are half gone already. I only had one egg so cut the ingredients in half, but still got about 24 biscuits (minus the ones I burned - damn they bake fast!).
They are yummy with some icing on top.