It was the fourth day of the New Year holidays. We had half a kilo of flour, a bag of cinnamon, a stick of excellent farm butter, a dozen fresh eggs, linden honey and cane sugar . It’s not like we’re going to cook anything… But no, that’s exactly what we planned to do!
Making a gingerbread house is more fun than cooking. But that doesn’t make the task any easier, because the result should not only be tasty (only tidy up the house next year with the rest of the decorations!), but also beautiful, and here are the rules to follow for it achieve.
Prepare the dough in advance
Jurgen David, director of pastry research and development at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, advises preparing the dough two to three days before baking, which will help it hold its shape better when rolling .
Cut the dough while it is raw
But start with the paper: play the architect and create the necessary shapes according to which you will cut the dough. When using the knife, make sure the edges are neat and even – this will simplify assembling the house.
Cool the dough before baking
According to Jürgen, to achieve the best possible result, the already cut walls and roof should not be immediately put in the oven: they should be placed in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or even better, overnight.
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It’s better to overcook than undercook
You should not take the gingerbread out of the oven immediately after the timer goes off: David believes that in the case of a house, it is better to overcook the dough a little than to undercook it a little. If you realize the pieces need fixing, cut them while they are hot.
Prepare two types of frosting
As pastry chef Maria Short explains, a gingerbread house requires two types of icing: a very thick one to glue the pieces together and a thinner one for decoration (but not so much that it drips from a spoon). You can make the frosting thicker by adding more powdered sugar or cornstarch. To prevent the icing from hardening, store it in a closed container and wrap it in the piping bag in a damp cloth.
Decorate first, assemble later
Assembling a gingerbread house requires patience – first decorate the pieces with icing (except for the roof, if you are going to cover it completely with “snow”), let them dry completely and then assemble -only them. Don’t worry if the walls slide: use bottles and jars to hold the structure while the varnish hardens.
Do not store the gingerbread house in the refrigerator
As Jürgen explains, humid air inside will ruin your culinary masterpiece by making the dough and icing soggy.
Read also: Quick and Easy Weekend Breakfast Baking Recipes
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Source: The Voice Mag
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
