The Gingerbread Man is ubiquitous...Every blogger is overdoing the Christmas fever and the Christmas cookies.
And sweet child has been pestering me to let go of the red pen and the answer sheets and bake...
The whole wheat is just to add some extra goodness into my gingerbread cookies. No molasses available off the shelf in Jalandhar so honey was the only recourse . And brown sugar is at least 5 km away from my house...
Jaggery or Gur (we used Gur ki shakkar or powdered Gur to make mixing easier) is healthier than plain white sugar ,mind you.
Home made White butter and refined vegetable oil took the bite out of the butter.
The first batch of cookies were studded with heart shaped sprinkles before baking , but that was a bad idea as the sprinkles melted into nothingness.
The next batch was plain, with more ginger powder and royal icing frosting and pretty sprinkles.
Other than the extra sugar high, the cookies were awesome with green tea.(I have to be prudent -cookies and coffee would ruin my diet plans...so a sugar free watery green tea is a perfect accompaniment to my gingerbread men).
Restraints are difficult.
Ask me...that's how the cookie crumbles and that's what sweet dog prays for.
Try these. ..
The cookie cutters are available easily, the dough is easy to make and roll and the cookies take only 12 minutes per batch.
Well worth the un-effort.
For the
Whole Wheat and Jaggery in my Gingerbread Man (without Molasses)...
You need
2 cups plain all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar or Gur ki shakkar
1 1/2 cups butter -I used 1 1/4cup butter and the rest refined vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda or baking soda
4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg and clove powder -I used all spice powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla essence
In a bowl mix well all the powders. Whisk or use a blender not a sieve. There are people who have dissertations on why dry ingredients must be mixed and not sifted.
In another bowl blend the butter ,oil and sugar or Gur ki shakkar well.
Add in the egg ,honey and the vanilla essence and blend well.
Whisk in the dry ingredients till your blender blades don't move no more, then remove all the dough from the blades and knead in the rest of the dry stuff.
Place in the form of a brick on al foil or film ,shape and pop in the fridge to harden.
The dough is soft so don't worry on that account. All exercise in rolling dough must be done else where.
You'll need to roll out pieces of the dough between sheets of parchment paper or cling film to 1/3 an inch this. I like the cookies a little thick not like crackers.
Remove the top layer of film and cut out with flour dipped cutters placing the cookies on the baking sheet.
Re roll scraps of dough as you haven't altered the dough by using flour to roll the cookies. ..
Brilliant.
Oven on at 170C /325 F
Trays in one at a time for 12 13 minutes. ..the cookie will be done and browning from the base but soft from the top...
Take them out...
5 minutes later with the help of a spatula or knife, place them on a wire mesh to cool.
In the meanwhile your second tray will be done...
Roll baby roll and do more cookies. ..
30 large cookies ir 45 small ones like mine. ..
Frosting is the blog post for tomorrow. ..
So what are you baking today???
The whole wheat is just to add some extra goodness into my gingerbread cookies. No molasses available off the shelf in Jalandhar so honey was the only recourse . And brown sugar is at least 5 km away from my house...
Jaggery or Gur (we used Gur ki shakkar or powdered Gur to make mixing easier) is healthier than plain white sugar ,mind you.
The first batch of cookies were studded with heart shaped sprinkles before baking , but that was a bad idea as the sprinkles melted into nothingness.
The next batch was plain, with more ginger powder and royal icing frosting and pretty sprinkles.
Other than the extra sugar high, the cookies were awesome with green tea.(I have to be prudent -cookies and coffee would ruin my diet plans...so a sugar free watery green tea is a perfect accompaniment to my gingerbread men).
Restraints are difficult.
Ask me...that's how the cookie crumbles and that's what sweet dog prays for.
Try these. ..
The cookie cutters are available easily, the dough is easy to make and roll and the cookies take only 12 minutes per batch.
Well worth the un-effort.
For the
Whole Wheat and Jaggery in my Gingerbread Man (without Molasses)...
You need
2 cups plain all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar or Gur ki shakkar
1 1/2 cups butter -I used 1 1/4cup butter and the rest refined vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda or baking soda
4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg and clove powder -I used all spice powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla essence
In a bowl mix well all the powders. Whisk or use a blender not a sieve. There are people who have dissertations on why dry ingredients must be mixed and not sifted.
In another bowl blend the butter ,oil and sugar or Gur ki shakkar well.
Add in the egg ,honey and the vanilla essence and blend well.
Place in the form of a brick on al foil or film ,shape and pop in the fridge to harden.
The dough is soft so don't worry on that account. All exercise in rolling dough must be done else where.
You'll need to roll out pieces of the dough between sheets of parchment paper or cling film to 1/3 an inch this. I like the cookies a little thick not like crackers.
Re roll scraps of dough as you haven't altered the dough by using flour to roll the cookies. ..
Brilliant.
Oven on at 170C /325 F
Trays in one at a time for 12 13 minutes. ..the cookie will be done and browning from the base but soft from the top...
Take them out...
5 minutes later with the help of a spatula or knife, place them on a wire mesh to cool.
In the meanwhile your second tray will be done...
Roll baby roll and do more cookies. ..
30 large cookies ir 45 small ones like mine. ..
Frosting is the blog post for tomorrow. ..
So what are you baking today???
