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In the News - December 2011
Of molasses and men: gingerbread stars in holiday sweets
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Fast Facts
- Gingerbread has been enjoyed for centuries
- Popular versions include cookies, cakes, breads and even jellies
TEXARKANA, Ark. – Gingerbread, that ubiquitous holiday spice treat, is more than a delicious cookie or a part of a fairy tale, said Carla Haley, Miller County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
“From the beginning, gingerbread was a delicacy, and still is today,” she said.
Although stories differ, gingerbread has been around for centuries, with theories of its origin ranging from the 8th through 11th centuries. Its popularity rose particularly over the last few hundred years, with children and adults alike remembering the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale.
Gingerbread, generally speaking, refers to a baked sweet containing ginger and sometimes cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and anise, and sweetened with any combination of brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup or honey.
The “sweet” can take the shape of thin, crisp cookies like snaps; a soft, delicately spiced cake; a warm, thick, steamy-dark square of bread served with sauce or whipped cream; even jelly. It can be sweet or spicy, it can be cut into shapes and colorfully decorated, or it can be stamped with a mold and dusted with powdered sugar.
Whatever the method, it’s clear: gingerbread is delicious.
American recipes usually differ by region. In New England, gingerbread is often made with maple syrup, while in the South, several recipes use sorghum molasses.
When making gingerbread, Haley offers a few tips:
- Preparing the Dough: Chill the dough, as you would with most dough that is rolled out. Refrigerating for at least one hour will make it easier to work with. Once chilled, roll out on a surface lightly dusted with a mixture of flour and confectioners’ sugar, or between pieces of parchment paper.
- Cookie Cutting: Keep cookie cutters from sticking by dusting them with flour. If cutting out large shapes, save them from falling apart by rolling out the dough on parchment paper, removing the scraps and sliding the paper directly onto a baking sheet.
- Decorating: Let gingerbread cool completely before decorating. For cookies, a simple glaze of confectioners’ sugar and milk works well. Liquid or paste food coloring will brighten the icing. Decorations such as shredded coconut, colored sugar, toasted sliced almonds, button candies, miniature chocolate chips and dried fruits should be added before the icing dries. For added flavor, try fruit zests or extracts. Allow decorated cookies to stand until icing sets for two hours before eating.
Cookies can be prepared up to two weeks ahead and stored in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers. This makes storage easier and prevents sticking.
To learn more about holiday baking, food prep and food safety, visit www.uaex.edu or contact your local county Extension agent.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
December 16, 2011
By The Cooperative Extension Service
For the U of A Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uaex.edu
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