makes
24
prep
20 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
24
serves
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 120 g (4¼ oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g (5½ oz) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 150 g (5½ oz) molasses
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- ¾ tsp ground pink peppercorns
- ½ tsp salt
- 480 g (1 lb 1 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Vanilla glaze
- 150 g (5½ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
- 20 g (¾ oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Chilling time: 2-3 hours.
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the molasses, spices and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 hours or until firm to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured bench until 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Cut the gingerbread into shapes – I’ve used a decorative cookie press and tree cutter on these, but a simple gingerbread cutter will also be perfect. Place the gingerbread shapes on the baking trays.
- Bake the gingerbread for 12–15 minutes or until it appears puffy and lightly golden. Allow the gingerbread to cool on the trays while you make the glaze.
- For the glaze, simply combine all the icing sugar, melted butter and milk in a bowl and mix until smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the surface of the cooled gingerbread. Allow the glaze to set completely before eating – around 1-2 hours at room temperature will do it.
Images and text from by Emelia Jackson (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99), photography by Armelle Habib, illustrations by Andrea Smith.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
