Holiday Classics and Favorites 847

your w ay from one side to the other, back to front, so that all of th e bre ad w ill absorb the mixture. . 6. Add a second laye r of bread slices covering the entire pan in the sam e m anner as before. Pour th e rem aining custard mi xture over the bread using the same method as before . 7. Place a sheet of baking paper on top 0: th e pud ding. Place a pan on top (just slightly sm aller than th e baking pan so it w ill fit against the j top of the pudding) and w eigh dow n the top with cans. Let sit at room temperature for 2 ho urs or, better yet, refrigerate overnight. 8. Remove the w eights, pan, and baking paper. Pour the heavy cream evenly over th e pudding. Sprinkle the remaining cranberries over th e top (still reserving 1/2 cup [120 rnl] to use in serving). Distribute the Streusel Topping evenly over the pudding. 9. Bake covered at 3500 P (175°C) for 30 m inu tes. Uncover an d continue baking approximately 30 minutes longer or until the custard is set and the pud ding is a pleasant golde n brown on top. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into twelve servings. Place a portion of the Cranberry Coulis in a piping bottle, adjusting the consistency first if nec essary. Reserve. 10. Presentation: Place a serving of Pum pkin Bread Pudding in th e center of a dessert plate. Pipe Cranberry Coulis on the base of the plate around the dessert. Sprinkle some of the reserved dried cranberries in the sauce. Sift powdered sugar lightly over the cranb erries and the pud­ ding . Place a dollop of Maple Whipp ed Cream on top of the pudding.

~f1J Maple Whipped Cream T hiS also makes a nice topping for pumpkin'pie. Aapproximately 2 cups (480 ml)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure 1. Add th e syrup to the heavy cream and whip until very soft peaks maple syrup form. 11/ 4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream 2. Refrigerate until needed.

Gingerbread Houses

Exactly when the custo m of building gingerb read ho uses at Christmas­ time began is no t clear, but w e do know that it started after the Grimm brothers retold the tale of Hansel and Gretel in the nineteenth century. Building and displaying a small gingerb read house is a traditional part of Christmas for m any families in Sweden. It can be a project for the whole family; the children not only love to he lp assem ble the hou se but also to tear it apart after Christmas. A gingerbread h ouse is also a typical part of the seasonal decor in the pas try shop. These are usually large, very elaborate creations that ligh t up at night and are displayed in 848 Holiday Classics and Favorites

the shop windows. Smaller simple houses are mad e for sale such as ::.:' Santa's Gingerbread Chalet or a smaller version of the Traditional C::-.' gerbread House. If the hou ses are made in an assembly-line fashic.: they can be very profitable for your business, and they give the shop "­ feeling of old-fashioned Christmas spirit.

Traditional realize that this thirty-three-step-plus project may appearoverwhelming tc .: Q" l novice at gingerbreadhouse construction, but I can assure you that every rea­ 'A Gingerbread House dozens of nonprofessional students have constructed thissame house during the one-day gingerbread house workshops I co nduct each Christmas. Afrer t W'L' one recip e Gingerbread Cookies dough (page 818) (see step one) hoursof lecture and demo nstra tion co veringassembly and decorating, each stu­ red cellophane dent isgiven the baked pieces for one house, as wellas icing, candies, other dec­ two recipes Royal Icing (page 1019) orating materials, and a Marzipan Santa. Afrer three hours of fun (and heli: when needed), each student takes his orher beautiful creation home. If vc., 1/4 cup (60 ml) egg whites one-half recipe Boiled Sugar Basic don't feel you are up to this model without that kind of head start, try Santa 5 Recipe (page 936) Gingerbread Chalet. It can be finished in about two hours (even without .? Marzipan Santa (page 869) teacherin the room). Marzipan Children (page 865) The decora ting instructio ns in this recipe are for making a fairly ornate powdered sugar house (which could be changed and simplifiedaccording to yourown imagina­ tion) measuring approximately 8 inches wide, 10 inches long, and 11 inches NOTE 1: Th egingerbread house can be fu lly high (20 X 25 X 27-5 em) withoutcounting the chimney. You can enlarge the assembled using Royal Icing (keep the icing templates accordingly to make this size, or reduce or enlarge them to anv siz e: fairly stiff) rather than BoiledSugar toattach )Iou like to create a smallerorlargerhouse (ifyou aremakinga large rhouse, SCi the pieces, but you must doso instages, sup­ the information fo llowing this recipe/ page858). Of course, you must enlarge or porting the sidesat the beginning and letting reduce all of the templates equally so they will fit together. The roofpieces them setforseveral hours be fore adding the should always be large enough for a one-inch overhang on all four sides. roof, chimney, andbalconv, which must alsobe Smaller houses lim it the decorating possibilities quite a bit, which makes then, supporteduntildry. At that point the house suitable for decorating in an identical layout. mustbeallowedto dry overnight before deco ­ rating. It is much more practical touse sugar, 1. Make th e Ginge rbread Cookies dough, replacing the bu tt er whichmakesit possible for you to de corate w ith margarine and increasing the flour by 6 ounces (170 g). Co ve r and and {tnish the houseimmediately afrer place in the refrigerator overnight. assembling it. 2. Make a platform base measuring 12 by 16 inches (30 X 40 em) from tw o 1/4-inch (6-mm) sh eets of corr ugated cardboard glued NOTE 2: It is notnecessary to havea light together. Or make a reusable base from plywood (directions follow the insidea smallerhouse, asit is a purely decora­ recipe). tive option, but a house made the size of the 3. Enlarg e th e gingerbread hous e templates in Figures 16- 17 larger version specified in the platform instruc­ through 16-22 to the size specified in the introduction (or as desired: tionsshouldalways be equipped witha light. It th en trace and cop y onto sturdy cardboard (the type used to m ar isnot only decorative but italso keeps the house framed artwo rk is an excellent choice). Cut the templates out using a. warm and preven ts thegingerbread fro mget­ utility knife. ting so fr andeventually collapsingasit absorbs 4. Work the Gingerbread dou gh smo oth w ith your hands. Roll moisture fro m the air. The lightshould therefo re out a portion at a time to 1/ 4 inch (6 mm) thick (or slightly thinner for a be turned on at least once every day for a few small house), using as little flour as possible. Place the pieces on she et hours orlonger during the evening and night. pans lined with baking paper and reserve in the refrigerator. .j Holiday Classics and Favorites 849

5. When the dough is finn, place the templates on top and cut out the pieces, using a paring knife or utility knife to cut the w idows and door:

• Cut two identical pieces for the front and back except cut one with two windows and the other with one window and a door (Figure 16-17). When you cut out the piece for the door, save it to attach later. • Cu t two identical long pieces for the sides (Figure 16-18). .. Cu t out the center support piece (Figure 16-19) if making a large house (see page 858).

o Make a balcony (Figure 16-20) to attach later to the front of the house. Cut two of each piece; the two long pieces will be the front side panel and the floor, and the short pieces will be the sides. Decorate the balcony pieces by pressing horizontal lines into the dough with the back of a knife, then cut small hearts out of the pieces. • Choose one of the chimney designs (or use one of each as shown in the photograph in the color insert). The one attached to the point of the roof (Figure 16-21) makes a small house look bigger. The other design (Figure 16-22) goes on the slope of the roof. Cut out two sets of either design (four pieces total per chimney). If you would like to make a brick design in the dough for the chimney, do it before you cut the pieces. Roll out a piece of scrap dough left from cutting th e sides large enough for all four pieces and lis inch (3 mm) thick. Use a straight piece of the cardboard used to make the templates, or a ruler with an edge 1116

(2 mm) thick, and press parallel lines into the dough every 1/4 inch

(6 mm) . Cut a strip of cardboard 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide and use th e end to press lines at a 90° angle to the parallel lines, staggering the rows to simulate bricks. Place the dough in the refrigerator if it has become soft while you were "laying the bricks ," then cut out your chimney pieces. • Make a template that measures 8 inches on each side, 13 inches across the top and 111/2 inches across the bottom (20 Xl 32.5 X 28.7 cm) if using the other templates at the size specified in the introduction. Increase or decrease the size of the template appropriately if using another size. Make one of the sides straight (at a 90° angle to the top an d bottom) and the other side slanted. Use the template to cut out two pieces for the roof remember to invert the template when you cut the second piece so that the point of the overhang will match up later. Save all of the scrap dough. • Choose one of the two fence des igns: either the ranch-style shown in the drawing on page 787 or the picket fence as seen in the color insert. For the ranch-style fence use scrap pieces andlor reroll scrap dough and cut out fence posts and planks. Make the plank pieces slightly bent and uneven for a rustic look. For the picket fence make two 12-inch (30-cm) and two 18-inch (45-cm) fence sections following the directions in steps six and seven on page 859 in Santa's Chalet . e- Use your imagination to cut the other scrap pieces to.create yo ur ow n personalized house. For exam ple, you can make shutters and win­ dowsills for the windows, and extra fence posts can be turned into a stack of fireplace logs. 850 Holiday Classics and Favorites

• To decorate the roof, roll out a piece of gingerbread dough to lis inch (3 mm) thick and cut out twelve Ih-inch (1.2-cm) wide strips the length of the roof; you actually only need eight to ten (four or five on each side, depending on the size of the house), but it is alwaysa good idea to make a few extra. Like the ranch-style fence planks, the strips for the roof should be bent so the y are slightly uneven and resemble pieces cut from a tree that w as not perfectly straight. • Cut out four pieces to trim the edges of the ro of overhang mak­ ing them 7 inches long and 1 inch w ide (17.5 X 2.5 cm). Place them on a sheet pan and use a small heart cutte r to cut ou t h earts along the length of each piece (they are too hard to move to the sheet pan after cutting the hearts). Make two left-sided and two right-sided. (Youmay 'NoI\.ttel ID.o.~~ ~~tlo.'i. elt ~~'i.~ "Cl~c.o.\)''i.~ ~~'9 c-c.i:\."cree.c.¥" e.c.'S\.\'j).

• Rollout more dough slightly thinner, 1116 inch (2 mrn), and cut out hearts using a 1- andlor P /4-inch (2.5-4.5-cm) heart cutter. The amount needed will depend on how you plan to decorate the roof. As an alter­ nati ve you can omit the roof planks and use the smaller size hearts as shingles covering the whole roof (do not forget to start at the bottom edge of the roof ). • You can either create a tree by tying small pieces of pine to a dowel, and then drilling a hole in the cardboard or plywood (after the platform has been iced) to secure the tree trunk, or you can cut out large and small trees from scrap dough using the templates from either Santa's Gingerbread Chalet (Figure 16-23C, page 862) or the template for the Cookie Christmas Trees (Figure 16-1 6, page 843), enlarging eith er of them as desired.

6. Bake the pieces at 375°F (190°C) until they are dark brown and done. Make sure that the larger pieces are baked all the way through, and avoid placing large and small pieces on th e same pan so you will not have to move them before they are cool. Set the pieces aside to cool completely. 7. When the gingerbread has cooled, trim the edges of the side and roof pieces so they fit together as well as possible. Treat the edges of the chimney and balcony piece s in the sam e way. Woodworking files and no. 50 to no. 80 grade sandpaper w ork well for this, but a ser­ rated paring knife or utility knife can also be used . Be careful as you trim the pieces not to press too har d or they can break. Tum the pieces upside-down. 8. Cut pieces of red cellophane slightly larger than each of the windows. Reserve. 9. Soften 2 cups (480 rnl) of Royal Icing by adding the extra I14 cup (60 ml) of egg whites. Spread a thin film of icing over the back of the trimmed pieces to protect them from moisture, using the side of a par­ ing knife to force the icing into the pores of th e gingerbread . (This is absolutely necessary if you are not using a light inside the house, and still a good idea even if you do.If you are using any gingerbread figures or trees standing out in the "garden," the y should be given the sam e Holiday Classics and Favorites 85 '!

tre atment to prevent them from collapsing.) Ice the back of the side house pieces one at a time and immediately press the cellop hane squares over the windows while the icing is wet. Once all of the win­ do ws are installed, place some of the icing in a piping bag an d pipe additional icing at the edge of the cellophane square s. Use yo ur finger­ tip to sm ooth that icing out to the icing on the ginge rbread so the cel­ lophane pieces are secure. Leave all of the pieces upside-do wn until th ey are dry to the touch. 10. Tum the front, side, and back pieces right-side up. Pipe Royal Icing (not the thinned portion) on the pieces making any design yo u w ish arou nd the outline of the door and windows an d aro und the edges, using a piping bag with a small opening. Set aside with the roof pieces. 11. To assemble the chimney, pipe a thin line of Royal Icing next to the edge of the long sides on the two w ider chimney pieces. Fit the other two pieces between them, adjusting so the edges line up prop­ erly. Set aside to dry. 12. To assemble the balcony, pipe a thin line of Royal Icing at the front top edge of the bottom balcony piece (with out he arts) an d glue the long front piece to the bottom. Repeat to attach the two sho rt sides. Set the balcony aside to dry with the other pieces for at least 2 ho urs or, preferably, overnigh t before continuing.

To assemble the house 13 . Draw lines on the platform to show exactly where the house will be attached. 14. Boil the sugar to the hard crack stage, 310°F (155°C). 15. Use a knife to spread a little of the sugar on the edges of one side piece and the front piece. Quickly attach these tq the platform and to each other (you can use the help of two extra hands at thi s point). Attach the remaining side and the back of the ho use in the sam e way. Be careful as you complete these steps no t to get any boiled sugar on th e w indows or on the front of the pieces, Place a por tion of the Royal Icing in a pas try bag w ith a no, 3 (6-mm) plain tip. Pipe a string of icing along all four inside seams, "floor to ceiling," for extra support. 16. Test the roof pieces to ma ke certain the y fit. If not, trim the edges of the frame on the platform as needed. Carefully, bu t quickly, spread sugar on the underside of the roof pieces in a l -inch (2.5-cm) band where the roof will conne ct w ith the sides of the house. Attac h the pieces one at a time, holding each one until secure. 1 7. Check that the angle of the chimney will fit w ith the angle of the roof so th e chimney stands straight. Attach the chimney to the roof, using sugar to secure it. Take a good look at the chimney from all sides to be certain it is standing straigh t. 18. Attach the balcony w ith boiled sugar.' Pipe string s of Royal Icing over the three seams where the balcony meets the house. 852 Holiday Classics and Favorites

19. Adjust th e consis tency of the remaining Royal Icing if neces­ sary until it is spreadable but not runny. 20. Spread enough icing on the roof to completely cove r the gin­ gerbre ad, including the sides of the chimney if you have not made "bricks." Smooth over an d fill in any cracks w here the chim ney is attached to the roof but do not make the icing comp letely smooth; it sho uld look a little rustic. (O r you can leave the plain chimney w ithout icing on the sides, and then decorate it wi th som e piped icing later as you would with the brick-style chimney.) Try to make the icing "hang over" the bottom edge of th e roof, then make icicles by immediat ely pulling th e icing down randomly across the sides. If the icing falls off in chunks instead, it is too soft. Using a little less will help comp ensate. 21 . Attach the roof planks on each side, pressing them lightly into the icing. 22. Using the Royal Icing in the pastry bag, fasten row s of the gin­ gerbread hearts between the roof planks wi th small dots of icing. 23. Use your imagination to decorate the platform: Using some baked scrap pieces, make one or two small hills on the platform by glu­ ing the pieces together w ith Royal Icing. Spread a cov ering of icing ove r the hills. Spread a thick covering of icing over the entire platform around the house. Stack your firew ood pieces in a pile. Use a palette knife to clear a path through the snow leading up to front door. 24. To build the ranch-style fence, use a melon-ball cutter to scrape aw ay small spots of Royal Icing 112 inch (1.2 em) away from the edge of the platform and approximately 4 inches (10 ern) apart all around the perimeter of the platform . Do not forget to make an opening for a gate . Dip the bottom of the fence posts in th e boiled sugar (w arm the sugar first if necessary) and attach them to the platfo rm at the ma rkings made in the icing. Make sure the posts are standing straight . Glue the fence planks to the posts w ith Royal Icing att aching one at the top of the posts and another halfway down. 25. If you are using the picket fence, use a fine saw or a serrated knife to carefully trim the pieces to the proper length for your design. Place them 112 inch (1.2 em) away from the edge of the platform, push ­ ing them into the soft icing. Using the icing in the pastry bag, pipe icing to connect the fence pieces at the corners. 26. Apply icing trim by piping from top to bottom at each corner of th e ho use . Pipe icing on the short sid es of the roo f covering the expo sed gingerbread. Attach a heart (or pretzel as shown in the photo­ graph) at the very top of the house on each side. Carefully push the four roo f trim pieces with the heart cutouts in place in th e icing. 27. Pipe a line of icing along the bottom of the balcony and use the tip of the pastry bag to pull the icing down into icicles as yo u did on the long sides of the roof. 28. If you are using trees made of pine, drill holes in the platfo rm where you want the trees, making the holes the same size as the dow­ els, then secure the trees using Royal Icing. Or place gingerbread trees here and there, and maybe a few gingerbread deer among them. ______Iri__·i OII_, (l_'",~;; r ~:~'"i' ~ .~~ ·~ d Y U · .Jl _.!' ~_._ -----,:: ~ .:....

29. Attac h the door in an open position, If you hav e made a marzi­ pan figure to stand in the doorway, put him or he r in place first. 30. Pipe around the fence posts to cover any exposed sugar if nec ­ essary. Apply snow by piping icing on top of the fence posts and planks (be sure the planks of the ranch -style fence are dry or the we ight of the snow will make them fall off), around the top of the chimney, around the top edge of the balcony, on top of the firewood, and on the ginger ­ bread trees. Dot icing here and there on top of the branches of the pine tree if you are using one, and on any other exposed part of the land ­ scape. 31. Fasten some cotton inside the chim ney to simulate smoke. Place the Marzipan Santa in the garden and th e Marzipan Child ren on the balcony. 32. Dust the whole ho use and garden with powdered sugar, blow ­ ing at the same time to make some windblown "snow" adhere to the sides of the house. 33. Stand back and enjoy your masterpiece! (If yo ur house is equipped with electricity, plug in th e light inside first.) A time­ consuming and elaborat e house like this one does not have to be thrown away after the holidays, but can be covered with a plastic bag, stored in a dry area, and used again next year (perhaps with some ren ­ ovation or repair).

," ~ Building a plywood platform and ":i connecting a light inside the house These instructions are for making a platform for a larger house mea sur­ ing 11 inches wide, 15 inche s long, and 15 inches high w ithout the

chimney (27.5 X 27.5 X 37.5). If you are making the regular size house , ...-;.

from the main recipe but w ant to make a plywood platform, ma ke it 12 .'.,;: by 16 inch es (30 X 40 em) instead.

1. Cut a rectangle measuring 16 by 24 inches (40 X 60 em) out of Ih -inch (1.2-cm) plywood. Cut out a square opening approximately 3 by 3 inche s (7.5 X 7.5 em), large enough to insert a small light bulb (and your fingers), should you need to replace the light. To use the space on the platform in the most efficient way, I recommend that you place the house in one corner, w ith the long sides of the house parallel to the long sides of the platform , and with the front door facing the open, gard en area. For the best effect with the light, the opening should be cut so that the bulb is just about in the center of the ho use once it is assembled. Keep the location of the house in mind when cutting the opening. 2. Cu t out four small pieces of plywood from your scraps and glue or nail one und er each comer to raise th e platform and allow space for the electrical cord. 3. Screw a light bulb holder to the plywood next to the opening and atta ch a cord that will just reach to one side of the platform. Attach a male plug to the end of the cord. (It is more practical to use a short cord like this attached to the house itse lf and then combine it w ith 854 Holiday Classics and Favorites

r: .., I I I I I I I I I I I I ~-----~------­ - - ­ ------_...... _----\ 0-0 DD [j] CJ I I DO I I I I I I I I I I

FIG URE 16- 17 The template used as a guide to cut out the (rant and back of the Gingerbread House; make one piece with two windows and the other with one window and a door (indicated by the curved dotted line). The dotted lines on the second story indicate the placement ofthe balcony later. Holiday Classics and Favorites 855

DO DO DO DO DO DO

FIG URE 16-18 The template used as a guide to cut the sides ofthe Gingerbread House; cut two identical pieces

I 1"0" .,- ...

856 Holiday Classics and Favorites

FIG URE 16-19 The template used as a guide in cutting a center support piece for large houses Holiday Classics and Favorites 857

FIG URE 16- 21 The templates used for cutting the chimney pieces for a chimney that attaches to the point ofthe root cut two of each piece

FIGURE 16-20 The templates used as a guide wh en cutting the balcony pieces; cut two of each, cutting hearts out ofonly one of the longer pieces i

FIG URE 16- 22 The templates used for cutting the chimne y pieces for a chimn ey that attaches to the slope of the root cut two of each piece, making one of the pieces show n on the left side of the drawing only as large as the top part ofthe drawing above the dotted line 858 Holiday Classics and Favorites

whatever leng th extension cord is necessary so you will not have a long cord in your way, and you can use the same plat form man y times in differen t locations by changing only the extension cord. ) 4. Draw lines on the platform exactly where you want to attach the house (rem em ber that, ideally, the light at tachment should be in the cen ter) . Screw a 15-25-watt bulb into th e holder; plug it in, and test to ma ke sure it works before yo u bu ild the ho use. Place a piece of foil over the bulb while you are working.

Special instructions for larger houses If you are making a larger house, such as the dimensions given in the platform ins tructions, cut out a piece to make a cen ter supp orting wall (to fit acros s th e width of the house) w he n you cut the other ginger ­ bread pieces (Figure 16- 19, page 856). For thi s size hou se you w ill need two recipes of Gingerbread Cookies dough and three recipes of Roya l Icing. Increase th e size of the fence, trees, and other decorations appro­ priately.

Gfj) Santa's Gingerbread ut of all of the numerous holiday pastries and other goodies, gingerbread, ~ Oand especially gingerbread figures, areprobably the most loved. They are Chalet certainly one of the sweets most closely associated with the holiday season-a gingerbread man or woman immediately makes you think of Christmas- and 1 ounce (30 g) bread flour a large part oftheirpopularity hinges on the fact that theyareinexpensive, easl' 1 pound, 2 ounces (510 g) or one­ quarter rec ipe Gingerbread tomake, and something the whole family can get involved in, fro m Grandma all Cooki es dough (page 818) down to the little ones.Even ifyou are nota greatartist, gingerbread figures are one-half recipe Royal Icing (page 1019) pretty hard to ruin; it simply takes a sensitive nose to tell when the dough IS 1 teaspoon (5 ml) egg white done. Nex t to makinggingerbread menand women, gingerbread houses are the one-quarter recipe Boiled Sugar Basic mostpopular. Recipe (page 936) This cute little chalet was originally made using a thicker Germanic one Marzipan Sant a's head lebkuchen type ofgingerbread dough. Italso had, as do most houses, four sides. (see note 1) But aftera few Scandinavian remodeling touches it became theslightly whimst­ melted coating cho colate cal (and rather drafty) version that follow s. The chalet is pe1ect ifyou do not gingerbread deer (optional) have time to make a larger more traditional house; it will take only a few hours powdered sugar to complete once you have made the doughand cut out the templates. The onlv time-consuming step here is making Santa's head from Marzipan, and tlus NOTE 1: To make the Marzipan Santa's head reallv should not be leftout, since Santa is lending his name to this creation. you will/teed:

1. Wo rk the ext ra bre ad flour into the gingerbread dough, connr.­ ... one t/i-ounce ('/5-g) piece of uing to work the dough until it is smoo th and then roll it out to a 10­ untintedMarzipan for the headand beard by-18-inch (25-x-45-cm) rec tangle approximate ly 1/4 inch (6 rnm , • one 1/4 -ounce (7-g) piece of light thick. Place the doug h on an inv erted sheet pan lined with baking p a p e~ pink Marzipan for the face an d refrigerate until firm . • one i/s-ounce (10-gJ piece of red 2 . Trace the chalet tem plates (Figure 16- 23, A, B, C, D, and E. M arzipan forthe hat pages 86 1 and 862) and copy onto sturdy cardboard such as the type us ed to ma t artwork. (If you have a he art -shaped and/o r a tree-shape;

~~~ 1,; __.. C" _ . ,1 • •.. ~l .- ~

818 Holiday Classics and Fa vorites

cookies on sheet pans lined w ith baking paper (icing-side up). Work ct ~ :£.. • scrap dou gh to com pletely incorporate the Royal Icing, then roll c .:: and spread w ith more icing as you did the first time. Continue to ':'': : the cookies and reroll the dough until all the dough has been used, 5. Bake at 425°F (219°C) for about 6 minutes or until the icing ;:': 0: starts to turn light brow n at the edges, Let the cookies cool complete.'.' before removing them from the paper. Store in airtigh t containers,

QOGingerbread Cookies detailed history of gingerbread (which can be traced back in time [attl:c: A than any other baked good except bread) is covered in some of the othc: 'A about ninety 3-inch gingerbread recipes in this book, It is interesting to note here/ however, that tl.: (7.5-em) cookies Swedish name for gingerbread cookies/ pep parkakor, would sur;gest that per­ per is one of the ingredients/ just as the name of another popular cookie/ pep­ 15 ounces (430 g) unsalted butter parnotter, betterknown by its German name pfeffernusse, might lead YOu t: 15 ounces (430 g) granulated sugar thesame conclusion, But this is not so, Although ground black pepperwas usc: 1112 cups (360 ml) or 1 pound, 2 ounces (510 g) corn syrup in lebkuchen when it was fi'rst made many centuries ago/ in gingerbread cook­ ies the word peppar is simply a reference to the overall spicy flavor. 3/ 4 CllP (180 ml) milk 2 pounds, 10 ounces (1 kg, 195 g) It is important to plan ahead/ since this gingerbread dough must be rernS' bread flour erated overnight before the consistency becomes workable. Because the dous]: 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking soda will keep fres h stored co vered in the refrigerator fo r several months/ and e\£,: 4 tablespoons (20 g) ground cinnamon longer in the freezer, there is really no reason to make just the amount required 2 tablespoons (12 g) ground cloves for oneproject orto trytomake the dough just before it is needed, Having a sup­ 2 tablespoons (12 g) ground ginger ply ready togo will come in veryhandy during the holidays/ notonly fo r [reshl: • baked cookies for the cookie tray. butalso for gingerbread figuresand ornaments and small decorations on yule logs/ gingerbread houses/ and plateddesserts, These cookiesarevery brittle and crisp/ which ispartof theircharm/ but the proper texture will only be achieved if the dough is rolled out extremely thin vs instructed. Failing to do so will result in cookies that are hard and unpleasan: Because the dough becomes soft rather quicklywhen it is rolledout so thinlv. i: is important to workwith onlya small portion at a timeas specified/ keepmg tl:« remainingdough chilled. This type of gingerbread cookie is made throughout the year in S \x ' e L '~ using round or flu ted cu tters. Heart-shaped gingerbread cookies are general-. reserved for Christmas. Ifthisdough is used tomake larger cookies/ such as rJ::: traditionalgingerbread figure s made for Christmas, it should be rolled a !-:: thicker (% inch/3 mm). For gingerbread houses/ replace the butter with m.' '''-' garine and increase the flour by 6 ounces (170 gJ to make a firmerdough, Y: :.: do not necessarily need the butter flavo r in a gingerbread house/ since h' : ;: ~ time it is eaten (if at all) it will most likely bestale/ and buttercanalso caus: r::-,­ dough to shrink when it is used in combination with theadditional flOU !; v'f:r',:::

means longer kneading Although baked Gingerbread Cookies cannotbe etr: ._r as long as thedough/ they will remain fresh for many weeks ifstored-ot' 07 ,,· · haps I shouldsay hidden-in airtight containersin a dry place. Holiday Classics and Favorites 819

1. Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and milk in a saucepan. Heat to about 110°F (43°C), stirring the mixture into a smooth paste at the same time. 2 . Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices together. Incorporate into the butter mixture. 3. Line the bottom of a sheet pan with baking paper. Dust the paper with flour and place the dough on top . Flatten the dough, then refrigerate , covered, overnight. 4. Roll out a small portion of dough at a time to 1116 inch (2 mm) thick. Keep the dough you are not working w ith in the refrigerator. The dough will feel sticky, but do not be tempted to mix in additional flour. The flour used in rolling the dough will be enough, and too much flour will make the baked cookies too hard and not as pleasant tasting. 5. Cut out cookies using a 3-inch (7.5-cm) heart or star-sh aped cookie cutter. Place the cookies, staggered, on sheet pans lined with baking paper. Add the dough scraps to the fresh dough as you roll out the next batch. 6. Bake the cookies at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 minutes or until they have a rich brown color.

-. Qf1J Holiday Candle T hese are really cute and quiteeasy toproduce-they are nothing more than 1 a Mazarin pastry dressed up for the holidays. When combined with 'A Pastries Christmas Tree Pastries (another variation on the same theme) and the petite 40 pastries YuleLogPastries, theygivea very seasonal, elegant appearance to your pastry selection. If you need to simplify things, make plain Mazarins (om itting the 1 pound (455 g) Short Dough Marzipan rings and dipping the top of the pastries in choco late), push the (page 54) Marzipan Candles gently into the glaze on top of the pastries, and place the 4 ounces (115 g) smooth raspb erry small cookies around the edges before theglaze starts to dry. The quicker ver­ Jam 1 pound, 6 ounc es (625 g) Mazarin sion willnothavequite as long a shelf life as the chocolate-dipped holiday pas­ Filling (page 1088) tries, which stay fresh up to one week. bread flour 12 ounces (340 g) Marzipan 1. Roll the Short Dough out to I/S inch (3 mm) thick, using just (page 1022), untinted enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Line forty small 4 ounces (115 g) Gingerbread Cookies mazarin forms w ith the dough (see Figures 2-15 to 2-18, pages 57 and dough (preceding recipe) or Short 58) (see note). Place the form s, staggered, on a sheet pan. Cover the Dough (page 54) scrap dough and reserve for another use. dark coating chocolate 2. Place the jam in a piping bag and pipe a small dot of jam, about Marzipan Candles (direc tions follow) 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml), on the bottom of each form . Place the Mazarin Fillingin a pastry bag with a no. 5 (10-mm) plain tip. Pipe the filling into NOTE: Thequantities ofShortDoughand the forms, filling them to just below the rim. Mazann Filling speaiied are based on using a 3. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 12 minutes or until small mazarin form, which measures 2'/4 light brown around the edges. Remove from the ove n, dust bread flour inches in diameter acrossthe top, 1% inches lightly over the tops, and invert. Set aside to cool upside down. across the bottom, and% inch high (5.6 X 4.5 Remove the forms before the pastries have cooled completely. . I ' X 2 em). Anytype of form, ~uted orplain, that I . '