Whoever created gingerbread is a genius! Thankfully for everyone on this blog, my other passion is history so I went on a quick research adventure to learn more about the spiced treat (While of course snacking on some gingerbread of my own). Although ginger originates in Asia, most of the credit to today’s popularized “gingerbread” flavors seems to be by the Europeans in the middle ages. Elizabeth I is mostly credited with decorating cookies into “gingerbread men” after having some made that resembled guests. Even better, George Washington’s mother, served gingerbread to the Marquis de Lafayette and the confection was passed down for generations in the family (I recently finished Washington by Ron Chernow so this fact made me quite excited to learn).

6th Day Before Christmas – Gingerbread Spritz

Everyone has an opinion on gingerbread. Some people like it crunchier, some softer, some with frosting, others with a dusting of colored sugar, some people love it, and some people love it more! I am very picky on my gingerbread, but I was happy with this recipe found in Taste of Home Magazine’s Christmas Cookie edition. We left off the colored sugar, but if you want to add it, put it onto the cookie before baking. What are your thoughts on gingerbread?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with an electric mixer.

Beat the egg, molasses and vanilla into the mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients then gradually add to the wet mixture. Mix well.

We want to hear from you! Do you decorate gingerbread every year with your family or friends?

Use a cookie press, and press dough 1 inch apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or until set.

Remove from baking sheets after 2 minutes and Enjoy!

Gingerbread history sources:

http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-gingerbread/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-brief-history-of-gingerbread-50050265/