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This recipe was found at www.danatreat.com . I like the old world look and the glazing. It's sets them apart from all the other gingerbread cookies out there. Good luck!
Every so often I post something here and marvel that I have never told you about it before. How can this be my fourth Christmas season writing this blog and only the first time mentioning the best gingerbread cookie I have ever tasted? Who knows. Sometimes I just can’t make it all work. Last year, when my baking list was a mile long and I had to be as efficient as possible, I left this cookie off the list. For some reason, I got it in my head that they were too much work for a super busy season and off they went. For shame. They really aren’t any more work than anything else and they are the spiciest most perfectly textured gingerbread ever. And they are pretty.
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Of course you can just roll out the dough and use your favorite cookie cutters and dispense with pretty. We made a couple of gingerbread men with the scraps of the dough and I assure you that they taste no worse than the pretty diamonds you see above.
A few words of advice. I’ve never made these with a textured rolling pin but if you own or buy a plaque like I have, I can tell you how best to work with this dough. I roll out the refrigerated dough, press the mold very firmly into the dough, and then use a paring knife to cut around the mold. Repeat until the dough is used up, re-roll scraps once. I bake those large diamonds on a baking sheet and as soon as they are out of the oven, I use a larger knife to cut each big diamond into smaller ones. You do this while the dough is still soft and it gives you a sharper edge then if you cut them separately before baking. I would imagine that any mold you use will work well using this technique. Some of my diamonds really held the imprint of the mold and others, not so much. Don’t worry – they all taste the same. I have made both the easy and the slightly less easy versions of the icing and I would stick with easy (powdered sugar and water and no candy thermometer). Just be sure to sift your powdered sugar so you don’t get any lumps.
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Soft Glazed Gingerbread
Tartine
Makes 12 to 20 cookies depending on size of cutters
I’m keeping it simple by just copying the recipe as written in the book. Feel free to use my tips above or not. Also, I’m not including the more complicated icing because it’s truly not worth the effort.
Dough
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
4 tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ cup blackstrap or other dark molasses
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. water
To make the dough, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and mix well.
Add the molasses and corn syrup and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer again and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and all the ingredients are well incorporated. Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it on a large piece of plastic wrap into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, cover the dough with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
Unwrap the dough and place on a floured work surface. If using a plaque with a design, roll our the dough 1/2-inch thick, lightly dust the op with flour, press your cookie molds over the dough, and then cut out the shapes with a small knife and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Alternatively, using the mold as a guide, cut around it with a small knife, flip the mold over so the design is facing you, and place the dough over it, pressing it into the design. Unmold the shapes onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
If using a patterned rolling pin, lightly dust the lined baking sheet with flour and transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it into a rectangle about 1/3 inch thick with a plain pin. Then, using the patterned pin, roll over the dough with enough pressure to ensure a clear impression of the design. Trim the sides with a small knife. It is not necessary to cut into smaller sizes before baking.
Bake the cookies until lightly golden along the sides but still soft to the touch in the centers, 7 to 15 minutes. the timing will depend on the size of the individual cookies, or if you have made a single large patterned piece that will be cut after baking.
While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and water utnil smooth.
When the cookies are ready, remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, while the cookies are still warm, using even strokes, brush a light coat of glaze on the top of each cookie, evenly coating it. Let the cookies cool completely. When the glaze dries, it should leave a shiny opaque finish. If you have a used a patterned rolling pin to make a single large plaque, cut into the desired shapes with a small very sharp knife. The cookies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for about 2 weeks.
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