Improving Gingerbread Mixture for Larger Structures

[-Daniel-]

Hi! So last night I made some gingerbread biscuits. It's my first time doing gingerbread, and I'm happy with the final product (although I made about 50 biscuits so I iced them quickly and it's a bit messy on some).

In December I'd like to attempt a gingerbread house or similra structure, but I know that with the gingerbread I made yesterday this will not work.

The mixture was very dry and crumbly, so it was difficult to roll out. It worked OK because the biscuits were small, but I would struggle a lot to get anything big enough to make "walls". Does anybody know how I can improve? The recipe I used is here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/gingerbread-bunting

I made 2 change- agave syrup instead of golden syrup (couldn't find it, but I'll be able to get it at home) and I used 2 extra tbsp of ginger for extra flavour. The eggs I used were fairly small, I didn't weigh them as the recipe didn't give a size guide.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hi! So last night I made some gingerbread biscuits. It's my first time doing gingerbread, and I'm happy with the final product (although I made about 50 biscuits so I iced them quickly and it's a bit messy on some).

In December I'd like to attempt a gingerbread house or similra structure, but I know that with the gingerbread I made yesterday this will not work.

The mixture was very dry and crumbly, so it was difficult to roll out. It worked OK because the biscuits were small, but I would struggle a lot to get anything big enough to make "walls". Does anybody know how I can improve? The recipe I used is here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/gingerbread-bunting

I made 2 change- agave syrup instead of golden syrup (couldn't find it, but I'll be able to get it at home) and I used 2 extra tbsp of ginger for extra flavour. The eggs I used were fairly small, I didn't weigh them as the recipe didn't give a size guide.

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I love Rudolph the red nose reindeer!

Yes I would guess golden syrup would be difficult to find in Mexico. Since it’s also difficult to find in the US I grab a couple of bottles Lyles whenever I see it.

I too was thinking about doing a gingerbread house for my niece. So I was researching recipes and techniques. If I have time to make it, this is the recipe and directions I’m going to use.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/47-how-to-make-a-gingerbread-house

 

[ninamari]

That Rudolph is just adorable!!

 

[-Daniel-]

https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/47-how-to-make-a-gingerbread-house

This is really thorough, could be a good option! Though I'm not sure if I'll find molasses at home in the UK.

Their tips at the start are great though, I had no idea it was necessary to leave the biscuits out for a few days before assembling the house.

 

[ChesterV]

This is really thorough, could be a good option! Though I'm not sure if I'll find molasses at home in the UK.

Their tips at the start are great though, I had no idea it was necessary to leave the biscuits out for a few days before assembling the house.

Nice cookies!!!

Yeah, you want to really get the gingerbread dried out before putting it together. Letting it sit out for a few days will help dry it out completely.

So, you could have added a bit more water to the dough so it wouldnt be so crumbly, and you could just bake it a few minutes longer or just turn off the heat and leave it in the oven a few minutes longer to bake out the extra moisture. And then sitting out for a couple of days would have helped with solidifying.

Gingerbread can be soft, and sometimes, still a bit moist on the inside, even when cut or rolled out thin. It's a thick dough and sometimes they will retain a bit of moisture, even after baking. Drying them out for a few days will help with the rest of the moisture evaporating, and give you a nice hard piece to work with.

If you want to do this rapidly, you can............as I call it, "biscotti-ize" them. So, after they have completely cooled off after baking, turn the oven back on to 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. After the oven has heated up, turn it off then flip your gingerbread pieces over on the pan and then place in the oven. Close the door and let them sit in there while the oven cools off.

Once the oven has cooled off, take the pieces out of the oven. They should be nice and hard now. If you want to make doubly sure, leave them on a wire rack overnight, covered with a lint-free cotton towel or paper towels.
They should be nice and hard the next day.