I LOVE gingerbread and make it regularly using a recipe I’ve been baking since I was a kid. When Brasserie Bread offered us the chance to take a gingerbread decorating class I couldn’t wait! I have done a bread making course with Brasserie Bread before, and find their courses informative, fun and most of all DELICIOUS (both times I have gotten to sample a selection of their breads at the end and died a little of happiness).
I went along to the class with foodie friends Dining with a Stud, Corridor Kitchen, VegeTARAian, Cooking Crusade and Cats Love Cooking, and we were buzzing with excitement even before we started snacking on the lollies (which were intended for decorative purposes, ehem).
We were each given a big slab of gingerbread dough and we got to work rolling out to about 4mm thick. Then we cut out shapes using a array of cookie cutters including the festive standards of a Christmas tree, stars and baubles, followed by the less standard shapes of cats, dogs and a cupcake!
Gingerbread making heaven!
We put our shapes on a big baking tray and it was sent off to the ovens to bake. Whilst we waited, we were given some shapes that the team had prepared earlier for us. I had great fun decorating them with royal icing, and did you know the green icing was naturally dyed with spinach and the pink with beetroot?
Our cookies are now out of the oven and baked to golden perfection. There is nothing better than chomping down on a freshly baked piece of gingerbread. I took all mine home “to decorate” however my housemates and I thought they were so delicious we ate them… all.
And a class at Brasserie Bread wouldn’t be complete without a tasting of their fine breads along with some Pepe Saya butter and delicious cheeses.
And Brasserie Bread have kindly let me share their gingerbread recipe with you!
Ingredients
Gingerbread
- 560 g organic unbleached plain flour
- 2.5 g salt
- 2.5 g baking soda
- 10 g ground ginger
- 2.5 g ground cinnamon
- 2.5 g ground nutmeg
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g soft brown sugar
- 160 g golden syrup
- 30 g whole egg
- 40 g egg yolk
Royal Icing
- 20 g egg white
- 125 g icing sugar
- Squeeze of lemon
Instructions
Gingerbread
- Preheat oven to 160C. Sift flour, baking soda and spices together with salt.
- Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg and egg yolks slowly.
- Add the dry ingredients in batches.
- Mix thoroughly, then shape into a rectangle log. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- On a lightly floured bench, roll dough out to a 3-4mm thickness. Cut out shapes and place on baking paper (off cuts can be remoulded and used again).
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes until very light golden colour.
- Cool on trays, then store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Royal Icing
- Mix together egg whites with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Gradually stir in sifted sugar then whip until light and fluffy.
- Colours may be added and could include beetroot juice (for red) and spinach juice (for green).
If you need a last minute idea for entertaining your kids before Christmas than this is the perfect idea at only $20 per child!
Gingerbread Decorating Classes (suitable for ages 5-12):
Click here or phone 1300 966 845 for current availability.
Saturday 21 December, 9.00-9.30am
Sunday 22 December, 9.00-9.30am, 10.00-10.30am, 11.00-11.30am, 12.00-12.30pm, 1.00-1.30pm
Monday 23 December, 9.00-9.30M
Tuesday 24 December, 10.00-10.30am, 12.00-12.30pm, 1.00-1.30pm
Swah attended Brasserie Bread’s Gingerbread Decorating Class as a guest of Brasserie Bread.
6 Comments
loveeee gingerbread! but as i said on tara’s blog, my circle cutters don’t seem to look any fun anymore considering the many shapes you had to play with!
The more outrageous shapes the better! I’m kicking myself for not bringing my sausage dog cookie cutter…
Ooh definitely bookmarking this gingerbread recipe! The dough looks so much easier to work with than the one I use!
It was so easy to work with! And if it got a little too warm and sticky, I just popped it back in the fridge for 10 minutes :)
I only just finished eating this gingerbread yesterday- still tasty!
I can’t believe it lasted that long! You’re a stronger woman than me.