Remember the tale of the Brothers Grimm about the gingerbread house? When Hansel and Gretel found in the woods an amazing house decorated with candied candies and nuts, with a gingerbread roof. I remember, in my childhood, I always wanted to find such a beautiful gingerbread house. And no, do not eat a slice of delicious gingerbread, but though - to look and admire this unusual house. Then I still did not know that this house can be done by myself!
In Russia, the first gingerbread was called honey bread, tk medsostavil almost half of all other ingredients. After the appearance in Russia of various spices from the Middle East, the gingerbread has undergone changes. In each locality they baked their own gingerbread. For example, Vyazemskopryanik was known far beyond the Russian border. In Europe, as well baked a variety of gingerbread products, but here the preparation of gingerbread houses appeared inGermany, after the publication of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. At first they were sold at Christmas fairs, but then the housewives started baking them at home. Often, various festivals and contests of gingerbread houses were arranged for the guests, where they liked to buy a house.
Try this recipe.
For the test: 400 grams of honey, 200 grams of sugar (it is better to take fructose), egg 2 pieces, 50 grams of butter (or margarine), 0.5 tsp. soda food, 2 tbsp. vodka or cognac, ¼ st. water, it is worth noting that if you add vodka to the dough, the quantity of water should be reduced. Also add a mixture of spices 0.5 tsp. and 750 grammuki of the first grade.
To add spices, you can take the finished mixture, and you can prepare yourself. To do this, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, anise, cloves, in the proportions that you most like. We rub this mixture very carefully. You can also add crushed nuts, lemon zest to improve the taste.
For gluing and decorating the house, we prepare the protein glaze.
Honey, sugar, and butter, heat with water until the sugar is dissolved, and add half of the sifted flour, ground into powder, then quickly mix. The dough is cooled to room temperature, then we put eggs, baking powder into the brewed dough and add 2 tbsp. l of vodka or cognac. This is necessary for the best loosening of the dough. Enter gradually the remaining flour and carefully knead it.
Do not try to use all flour at once, the dough should not be too steep or very loose, it should be elastic and dense. In the first case, you will get very firm cakes, in the second case the dough will fade and the details of the house will lose shape. Immediately after the preparation of the test, proceed to the cutting and baking of the products. The dough is rolled with a thickness of 5-8 mm, we cut out the prepared wall patterns and the roof for the house. We bake in the oven at a temperature of 200-220 ° C. We take out the baked parts of the house and give it a berth.
After this, we assemble the walls, fastening them together with the help of the glaze. In order for the walls to hold tight, the glaze must be allowed to dry. Then attach the first half of the roof to the protein glaze, and in minutes through 10 second half.
