bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Gingerbread Cupcakes

By

Gingerbread is just for kids? Says who!! These are so easy to make, and go with so many drinks and dinners that they’re just too good to pass up on!

Gingerbread Cupcake

Top them with some Candied Orange Peel if you’d like to really make them Extra-Special!

To Make 10 Cupcakes
175g Butter, softened
175g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
350g Plain Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Allspice
1/2tsp Ground Ginger
1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2tsp Ground Nutmeg
Pinch Salt
100ml Milk
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Drop Vanilla Extract

For the topping you’ll need
150g Butter, softened
100g Icing Sugar
Zest of 1 Orange
Pinch of Ground Ginger
Candied Orange Peel (optional)

1. Preheat an Oven to 160C
2. Cream together the Butter and Sugar. When it’s light and fluffy, start to add the Eggs, one at a time – make sure that you keep the mixture moving whilst adding the Eggs in. The mixture will look like it has split into different layers, but that’s normal, so don’t worry!
3. Sift all the dry ingredients into the mixture, before adding in the Milk, Orange Zest and Vanilla, then stir well and fold the Flour in gently.
4. When everything is combined, spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into individual cupcake cases, which are best sat in cupcake trays or Yorkshire pudding tins. Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes.
5. Remove from the Oven, and leave to cool whilst you make the Butter Icing.
6. Cream the Butter with the Icing Sugar for the Topping with a Wooden Spoon until smooth. Add the Orange Zest, stir in then spread over the top of the cooled cakes. Top each with a pinch of Ground Ginger and some Candied Orange Peel if you wish.

Photo Courtesy of: shimelle

Lebkuchen

By

Lebkuchen is a traditional German baked treat, especially popular around Christamas time. It’s similar in taste to Gingerbread, but softer and stickier than you may expect.
Lebkuchen
Brilliant served as an after-dinner treat, or with Coffee as a little snack during the day.

To make 60
3 Eggs
200g Golden Caster Sugar
55g Plain Flour
2tsp Cocoa Powder
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4tsp Ground Cloves
1/4tsp Ground Nutmeg
175g Ground Almonds
55g Chopped Mixed Peel, finely chopped
115g Plain Chocolate
115g White Chocolate
Sugar Crystals

1. Heat the oven to 180C, and line several baking trays with some baking paper.
2. Pug the Eggs and Caster Sugar into a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture until it’s thick and foamy, then remove from over the saucepan and carry on whisking for two more minutes.
3. Sift the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves and Nutmeg into a large bowl, before stirring in the Ground Almonds and Mixed Peel.
4. Mix into the Egg and Sugar mixture, then drop heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking trays, shaping into smooth mounds.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for fifteen to twenty minutes, until light brown and slightly soft still when touched. Cool on baking trays for ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
6. Put the Plain Chocolate and White Chocolate into two separate bowls, then set over pans of simmering water, allowing it to gently melt. Dip half of the Lebkuchen balls into the White Chocolate, then the other into the Milk Chocolate. Sprinkle with the Sugar Crystals, and leave to set.

Photo Courtesy of: _rockinfree

Gingerbread House

By

gingerbread-house.jpg

Here’s a fun (and yummy!) activity you can do with your kids — a gingerbread house! You can even make your creation the centerpiece of your family holiday celebrations. Try not to eat all the candy, though — it’s for the house, remember? Get decorating ideas and the original recipe.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
7/8 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
6 egg whites
4 (16 ounce) packages confectioners’ sugar, sifted

What’s Next:

Gingerbread House

1. Shape the frame of the house out of cardboard. Measurements are: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2×5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2×9 inches.
2. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece.
3. Match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.
4. Now comes the baking. Get a large bowl and cream the butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy and light.
5. Throw in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses.
6. Slowly beat in the two eggs.
7. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together.
8. Stir the powdered ingredients above into the creamed mixture.
9. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
10. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
11. Divide the dough into into 6. Two of the pieces must be larger.
12. Dust flour over a table. Roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each.
13. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces.
14. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
15. In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.

Gingerbread House

16. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners’ sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks.
17. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it.
18. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.
19. When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners’ sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners’ sugar.

Check out more gingerbread house pictures and find more gingerbread recipes at Recipe Finder, your cooking recipe search engine