How to Make Gingerbread

Gingerbread is a flavor-rich dessert that gets its unique taste from adding ground ginger. It can either take the form of a cake or cookies. The cake is moist and made from soft dough. Ginger cookies are made from firmer dough and are often cut into miniature gingerbread men. Learn how to make gingerbread cake and cookies for a delectable dessert everyone will love.

Choosing Ingredients for Gingerbread

Learning how to make gingerbread cake and cookies need only a few ingredients. Main ingredients include ginger, eggs, flour, butter and baking soda. Gingerbread can be sweetened using sugar, but nutritionists encourage cooks to use molasses instead. Molasses are by-products of the sugar-making process and have more nutrients than white and brown sugar. In some cases, both sugar and molasses are used.

How to Make Gingerbread Cake

This type of gingerbread is called a cake because of its spongy, moist texture and rich flavor. To make one, you will need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 cup regular molasses
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup water

Step 1:

Start the recipe by combining butter, sugar, molasses and egg in a large bowl. Whisk together to mix.

Step 2:

In a separate bowl, mix together the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, flour and salt. Add it in portion into the butter-sugar mixture, mixing well after every addition. Add the hot water and combine thoroughly.

Step 3:

Bake in 350F heat in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a fork is inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Remove from oven, let it cool and serve.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies are much firmer in texture and can be shaped and decorated to your liking. You will need:

• ½ unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup white or brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses or syrup
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ½ cups flour
• Candy and icing to decorate

Step 1:

Grease a large baking tray with a bit of softened butter. Preheat oven to 180 C.

Step 2:

Beat butter and sugar together, followed by molasses/syrup and egg yolk in a bowl. In another bowl, combine ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and flour. Sift the mixture into the butter-sugar mixture and mix well.

Step 3:

Cover dough with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour. Remove from fridge, roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes. Bake until golden brown, cool and decorate with candy and icing.

How to Make Gingerbread Cooking Tips

It is important when learning how to make gingerbread to chill the dough before rolling out, cutting or baking it. Lay the dough on parchment paper when cutting shapes to keep it from breaking apart. If making gingerbread cookies, it is best to allow them to cool before applying decorating.