gingerbread bundt with espresso glaze

resolutions are not for me

i am all out of resolve 

by the time the new year rings its bell

reflect?

recharge?

yes

resolve?

no way

give me until spring

meanwhile

i will sit by the fire

mug in hand

fork in mouth

i made this cake as part of a full buffet for a wedding

full and heady with spice

it sticks to your ribs

in a good way

{this recipe comes from Gramercy Tavern...and developed by Claudia Fleming. I have made this recipe and the recipe in her book "The Last Course".  I prefer this one.  I have made a couple very minor adjustments to the recipe, which I will announce so you may or may not choose to do the same}

Gingerbread Bundt

{Gramercy Tavern}

1 cup oatmeal or guiness stout {i used anchor steam pale ale}

1 cup dark (not blackstrap) molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbs ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

pinch ground cardamom

generous pinch kosher salt {my addition--optional}

3 large eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbs Trablit coffee extract *or 1 Tbs espresso powder {my addition-optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Use shortening to grease pan (trust me on this...pan spray will not work, butter works better, but shortening works the best) and then dust with flour. Set aside. 

Boil stout (or other beer if using) with molasses.  Take off heat and then whisk in baking soda.  The mixture will bubble up, so make sure your pan has plenty of room, so the mixture does not overflow.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt (if using), ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom {if using espresso powder, sift with flour. If using coffee extract, whisk in with eggs and sugar} Whisk together eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until completely incorporated. Whisk in oil and then molasses mixture. Add flour in single addition and whisk until it is just combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake about 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan on rack for about 5 minutes, then turn onto rack, and allow to cool completely.

Espresso Buttermilk Glaze

{this is entirely my addition and is optional}

1 lb confectioner's sugar

1 oz strong espresso

1 Tbs Trablit coffee extract or 1 Tbs espresso powder

buttermilk

Place the confectioner's sugar in a bowl.   Mix the trablit or espresso powder into the espresso.  Pour the espresso bit by bit careful not to thin out the confectioner's sugar too much.  If the confectioner's sugar is still too thick to pour, add buttermilk until you get a pouring consistency. NOTE:  this uses such a small amount of buttermilk, if you don't have it on hand, you can easily substitute cream, half and half or milk.

Generously pour over cooled cake and allow to harden.

*Trablit is a very strong and specific coffee extract. It cannot be substituted with clear extract or candy oil.  If you can't find it (or it is cost prohibitive) please use espresso powder.  

gingerbread construction {tips and tricks}

what is so wonderful about 

gingerbread houses

is that they are always

magical

even when they are a 

big. fat. mess

some years

i do an elaborate construction

(with assistance from hubster-of course)

like this

and sometimes

like this

and occasionally

simple 

like these

but no matter how

elaborate or simple

there are a few things that

are a constant

and 

important

today

i am sharing with you

some of my tricks

for stress free gingerbread house construction

Making Plans

-let the gingerbread dough rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking

-do not construct the house on the same day you have baked the gingerbread, give it a day to cool and settle

-if you buy pre-made gingerbread pieces, make sure they are dry before decorating or constructing

-to dry pieces out (especially in humid environment), place them on a cookie sheet and place in a slow (225-250F) oven until they firm up

Construction Management

-if using a purchased kit, do not, i repeat, do not use the frosting that comes with the kit to assemble the house. it will frustrate the dickens out of you.  make a nice big batch of Royal Icing (alton brown's recipe)

-if you are decorating with mainly candies and sprinkles, construct the house at least 12 hours before decorating---24 hours is best

-if you want the candies to stick, use royal icing.  if you want them to taste yummy, use frosting.

-assemble the walls of the house first, allow to dry for about an hour, then attach the roof pieces.

-prop the pieces up while they are drying, even if it looks like they are staying without a problem.

-allow the house to fully dry, before adhering it to a base

Custom Built

-if perfect corners and straight edges are your thing, use a micro-plane to shave the ends of the gingerbread pieces.

-if looking for a darker hue on your gingerbread, or to paint gum pieces to look like hardwood floors, simply mix a bit of coffee granules into vodka to desired color and consistency and paint it on.  the vodka will evaporate quickly.

-when piping intricate details, use a piping bag with a tip.  you will get consistent results and small detailed lines.

-when using the piping bag, do not over-fill, particularly if you have small hands.  put no more than a cup of royal icing in at a time.

-if you make a mistake and it really bothers you, wait until it dries to easily pick it off

-when doing intricate detail work, it is best to decorate the house before constructing. it allows for more freedom of motion

but most of all

have fun!

i would love to hear any tips you may have for stress free gingerbread construction

or

if you have a question about this topic that i didn't answer

please feel free to ask in the comments

gingerbread side-cars

i have made

gingerbread villages

chateaus

houses

for as long as i can remember

last year

i spotted

little gingerbread houses perched on a mug

from

not martha

(as far as i can tell--this is her original idea)

giddy and obsessed

as i have been known to get

i went to hubster

 he agreed to

make cookie cutters

(so i wouldn't have to knife cut each piece)

blowtorch in one hand

pliers in the other

he made these

i

in turn

made these

use your favorite gingerbread cookie recipe

bake as directed

cool

assemble and decorate

tip:

i plane the sides with a microplane to ensure straight edges

 these attach quite easily with

royal icing

(make it nice and stiff)

the wreaths are also made from royal icing colored green

piped with a no.63 tip onto parchment paper

sprinkles for berries

allow to dry overnight--remove carefully--attach with royal icing

i am using them this year

as place cards

piping names on the broad side of the house

and 

packaging them

like so

as gifts for friends

(you can get a template for the house from the not martha link above)

linking up to:
design dazzle
rook no.17
504 main

chocolate glazed gingerbread

until yesterday

it had been years

since i made

gingerbread cookies 

but

come holiday time

i bake for others

others with specific requests

so

i dusted off my cookie cutter

and scoured my recipe archives

i found a fun idea in

nancy baggett's all american cookie book

for 

a chocolate glazed version

one of my favorite combinations

gingerbread and chocolate is

here's what i have to say

i will give you her recipe

slightly altered 

(it is what i do, i can't help myself)

it produces a firm and crisp cookie

(which i like)

but it lacks a "roundness", another flavor note, i think

i added honey and it is an improvement

and then there is the glaze

it just was NOT chocolatey enough

looking like chocolate

and tasting like chocolate

are two entirely different things

i bumped it up--considerably

i give you the recipe

with the tweaks already in

if you want the original

buy the book

it is worth it

she has some great recipes

chocolate glazed gingerbread
(printable recipe)

(adapted from all american cookie book)

6 1/2 cups flour (plus more if needed)

2 Tbs ground cinnamon

2 Tbs ground ginger *

1 tsp ground cloves

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt *

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar *

1 cup unsalted butter--slightly softened

2 Tbs corn oil (or other flavorless oil)

1 1/4 cup molasses*

1/4 cup honey*

whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.  in an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. beat in molasses, honey and 2 1/2 Tbs water until well blended. beat in half the flour mixture until well blended. stir in the remaining flour. knead the dough until it becomes smooth and shiny. if dough is too stiff, you may add a bit more water, if too sticky, add flour.  divide dough into three pieces. roll each piece in between pieces of wax or parchment paper to 1/4" thick.  place in the refrigerator to firm up (about 3 hours).  when ready to use, peel back the parchment from both sides and using a cookie cutter, stamp out design.  bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 6-12 minutes at 350F.  keep a close eye.  let cool, then dip in chocolate glaze

chocolate luster glaze

11/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate--coarsely chopped and melted*

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

pinch kosher salt*

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*

1/3 cup water

1 Tbs light or dark corn syrup*

1 tsp vanilla extract

heat the water and corn syrup in a sauce pan, over medium heat until it just comes to a boil.  remove from heat.  sift together the powdered sugar, salt and cocoa powder.  stir the hot syrup/water into the powdered sugar mixture and beat by hand until smooth and shiny.  toss in the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat again until smooth.  dip cookies or use an offset spatula to frost. let cookies sit a minimum of 3 hours to ensure they are set.  decorate as desired. 

the ingredients marked by * have been altered, or added by yours truly.

gingerbread biscotti

this is a recipe i have posted before

as a nice last minute gift

however

i never actually posted

a photo of the final result

Gingerbread Biscotti
(printable recipe)

2 3/4-3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup + 5tsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbs molasses

2 Tbs butter--melted and cooled

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 Tbs sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon mixed together

1 egg--gently whisked for glazing

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  In a bowl whisk together the whole eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and butter.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together. If it is too wet, add a bit of flour to your hands as you form the mixture into 2 logs of about 2" wide.

Place each log on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Brush the top of each log with the egg and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.

Bake at 350 until it is puffed and firm to the touch

Remove from the oven and let cool

Once cooled, slice crosswise, reduce the oven to 325 and place cut side down on the cookie sheet.  Return to oven and bake until dry but not brown.

i use royal icing for the embellishment

but you can use white chocolate

or be a purist

and shun all the frills


i have linked this to leafy tree top's holiday link-up
there are lots of great sweets there if you are looking for something
new to make this holiday!

home sweet home

wouldn't it be great

if we could all live

in houses made of gingerbread

imagine

waking up to the smell of

molasses, cinnamon and clove

 i would literally 

eat myself out of house and home

i'm not sure if i would rather live

in a

a sweetheart's cottage

or a

trapper's cabin

quick, i need a gift!

do you keep a stash?

I am a second generation stasher

I have a gift cabinet

I have cookie dough

and

whole pies in the freezer

just in case

I would be mortified

if someone stopped by my house

and i had nothing to offer

instead i can say

oh--

perfect timing

i just put a pie in the oven

very june cleaver...don't you think?

come this time of year

we get invited to people's homes

and

can't go empty handed

but it's tricky

the hostess gift

you can't really show up with a sweater, silver-plate candlesticks or pearl earrings

so I usually give some sort of edible

and

I like to wrap it so it looks expensive

a little gift trompe l'oeil

wrapped in these neat parcels are biscotti

and here

is a simple recipe

for your last minute gift giving needs

Gingerbread Biscotti
(printable recipe)

2 3/4-3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup + 5tsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbs molasses

2 Tbs butter--melted and cooled

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 Tbs sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon mixed together

1 egg--gently whisked for glazing

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  In a bowl whisk together the whole eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and butter.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together. If it is too wet, add a bit of flour to your hands as you form the mixture into 2 logs of about 2" wide.

Place each log on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Brush the top of each log with the egg and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.

Bake at 350 until it is puffed and firm to the touch

Remove from the oven and let cool

Once cooled, slice crosswise, reduce the oven to 325 and place cut side down on the cookie sheet.  Return to oven and bake until dry but not brown.

you can eat as is

or

drizzle with dark chocolate

-

 add bits of crystallized ginger to the dough before baking

-

dip into a big bowl of dulce de leche

while hiding from your cares

or 

you can wrap them up

and give them away

Gingerbread Nostalgia

I like gingerbread

the cake, not the cookie

BUT I LOVE GINGERBREAD HOUSES

no matter how frustrating they can be

but sadly, this year

I didn't plug time in the calendar to devote to one

because I have a gingerbread house problem

I am very supportive and genuinely so, when I see a ginger-house made up of four walls and a roof with a few half eaten candies pasted to it. I find all gingerbread projects charming and nostalgic. But what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.

I have issues

I can't just make a house

When in culinary school, the assignment was make a gingerbread house. I made a neighborhood of East Coast row houses with clear windows and decorated interiors.

One year I mentioned to my mom that I wanted to do a simple gingerbread centerpiece for Christmas and showed up with a shopping village replete with a bakery, art gallery and dress shop 100% edible and fully furnished.  The stone church even had pews.

Listen

I already admitted that I have a problem

A couple of years ago, I was asked to enter a gingerbread competition

The theme was Christmas Around the World.

Immediately I thought, Swiss Chalet!

 I then turned to my husband and said...

you have to help me

I am already going over-board and it is only in my head

which is how our gingerbread project was born

Mike built the whole structure from foam core to test the structural viability and appropriate scale

because he is a guy and does guy things

while I got to making caramel corn for the base of the mountain

It took us about 10 days to craft

but it was well worth the effort

we won lots of goodies and a bunch of cash

and it won just about every prize--except the fan favorite

or as we like to call it--be a college student and bring your class, then grab a school bus and drive around town picking up folks to stuff the ballot box.

but i am not bitter

-much

because even without ballot pushing proletariats, we garnered second place in the fan fave category

and hear this...

we won the grand prize

from actual judges

And then we gave the chalet to the hotel

for their holiday display

We left that party

with our arms full of prizes

and our egos full of pride

even after 24 months, I can still feel the sunshine of that very good day

the day my obsessive gingerbread disorder

reaped rewards