The aroma of ginger is associated with the New Year holidays and Christmas. Not just like that, this spine is added to dry spirits for gingerbread, poured into dough for painted cookies, and also used in other holiday desserts. There is a pastry, which is not prepared without this ingredient. It's about gingerbread. What it is?
Pies or gingerbread?
Wizards from different countries prepare baked goods with ginger. This root is added to the dough from the 11th century. Initially, bread was baked with it and used for medicinal purposes. But gradually this taste and aroma was so much liked that it firmly entered the culinary life. Especially often it was added to festive baking. On the eve of Christmas, an unusual aroma of spices is hovering on the streets of England.
What does ginger go with:
- cinnamon;
- zest;
- honey;
- cocoa.
You can add cardamom, cloves, and vanilla. Most often with these spices cook fragrant gingerbread. They look spectacular, delight with sweetness and taste, but require certain skills. Pies are much simpler and easier to make and decorate. Ginger pies can be cooked with fillings and from various types of dough. They can be covered with glaze or plain chocolate, decorated with mastic and even “surprises” added inside.
Gingerbread is not just a Christmas treat. It can be prepared for any other holiday, for example, for March 8 or for a birthday, you just need to creatively approach the design of the dessert.
Features of using ginger
- Ground dried ginger is most often added to the dough. For better distribution, it is mixed with flour or dissolved in liquids. It is important not to overdo it, per kilogram of flour is enough 1 tsp. If other spices are used, the amount can be reduced.
- Some recipes require the use of fresh root. It is now easy to buy in the store. But it is important to carefully chop and clean the fibers, which are a lot in the ginger root. After baking, they will not dissolve, the dough will be spoiled.
- Dry ginger powder is more concentrated than fresh root. When replacing it you need less.
- Ginger can be added not only to the dough, but also to the pie filling. To do this, use a dry spice or carefully chopped root.
- It is possible to use candied ginger petals or candied fruits to decorate cakes. They are sold in shops and shops for confectioners.
- If the cake is coated with icing, either syrup, jam, jam is used for impregnation or the filling, then you can also add ginger root to them.
Pastry dough
Ginger can be added to sand, yeast or any other dough. In any case, the cake will delight with flavor. For holiday baking most often used semi-liquid dough on soda or other baking powder. It turns out a soft cake like a cupcake, biscuit, with a porous and tender crumb. If you add enough fat, it will not black out for a long time.
Often honey is present in the ginger cakes. It gives a special taste, delicate and soft structure, and also preserves the freshness of baking, gives a dark color. If this ingredient is specified in the recipe, then you should not exclude it. But substitution with invert or corn syrup is allowed. This is done in order to save or if you are allergic to honey. Invert syrup is easy to prepare at home.
Baking Ginger Cakes
Pies are usually cooked in the oven, but there are recipes for a multivark. Since the dough is usually very sweet and contains honey, it is important not to make the heat, otherwise the crust will quickly burn and the cake will not be baked inside. It is more reasonable to cook at 170-180 degrees or strictly follow the recipe.
The form for the ginger cake is always lubricated, sometimes additionally dusted or sprinkled with flour, breadcrumbs. Dough with honey likes to stick, so it is important not to skip this step. Forms of silicone lubricate optional, but possible.
Serving Cake to the Table
Ginger cake served for tea, coffee, milk and other drinks. It is placed entirely on the table or pre-cut. It is not necessary to do big pieces, because pies of this type are nourishing, heavy and quite high-calorie, it is more reasonable to offer the guest an additional portion. Drinks do not need to be smoothed, but you can serve sugar, jam, condensed milk and honey separately.
Of great importance is the design of the cake. It will also help disguise flaws, such as a burnt or cracked crust. As a decoration for the cake, you can use coconut or chocolate chips, powdered sugar. Beautifully and effectively looks pastries with cream and nuts, as in the recipe below.
Christmas Ginger Cake Recipe
You can add ginger to any dough, use proven variants of cakes, but why? There are special holiday recipes that allow you to get lush, fragrant, very tasty pastries. Here, a simple ginger cake, which is easy to prepare, does not get stale for a long time, it is allowed to decorate it in any way or bake in curly shapes. You can add a sliced apple, a handful of soaked raisins or other dried fruits, nuts to this cake.
Ingredients
- 250 g of wheat flour;
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger;
- 1 pinch of cloves;
- 7 spoons of honey;
- 1 tsp. baking powder;
- 1 tsp. soda;
- 150 g of brown sugar;
- 125 g butter;
- 1 handful of almonds;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 1 tsp. cinnamon;
- 2 eggs.
Preparation Method
- Pour the flour into a sieve, add ground cinnamon and ripper, soda, stir and sift.
- Mix sugar with eggs, add olive oil and two tablespoons of melted honey. Introduce shredded ginger, all dry ingredients, make dough. If desired, we throw a sliced apple or other additives into it.
- Transfer the mass into a small-sized mold, bake for about 45 minutes at 180 degrees. Let stand for five minutes, then remove from the mold and cool on a wire rack.
- Soften butter and whip with the remaining honey. Almond chopped. You can take ready-made petals or other nuts.
- Decorate the cake with cream and almond. It is important that it is cold by this time, otherwise the oil and honey will flow.
Ginger muffins can be made from the same dough simply by putting the mass into small molds. It will turn out beautifully, neatly, it is convenient to take such baking with you and treat your friends.
