Have you ever felt personally victimized by gingerbread difficulty?
Believe us, we've been there! Today we will share our special ingredient to guarantee you victorious gingerbread every time!
First things first... Store away all dairy products!
Yes, you heard us correctly...
What should you use instead?
Copha! Aka... vegetable shortening!
Ingredients such as eggs, butter and milk are the bandits to your gingerbread catastrophe. Why?
They soften and dry out the gingerbread!
Vegetable shortening is wielded in desserts such as Rice Krispies for good reason, it strengthens the concoction and renders it's density enabling it to retain its structure.
But don't worry, vegetable shortening is not the only ingredient we use. Trust us, we've got you covered this Holiday Season! Our homemade gingerbread recipe is not only a winner but it's inexpensive and Vegetarian friendly too!
Enjoy! Xx
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- Cooking oil for greasing
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
For the Icing
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 egg whites
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
For the Gingerbread
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. Brush a small amount of oil (sides and bottom) of a large saucepan.
4. Slowly melt the Vegetable shortening in the greased saucepan over medium heat. Once the shortening has fully melted, add the molasses, sugar, orange juice and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat.
5. Slowly incorporate 4 cups of the flour mixture into the saucepan. (1 cup at a time, allowing the flour enough time to absorb the mixture before adding more.)
6. Fully dust the kitchen bench with the remaining flour and gradually shift the dough onto the bench. Continue to work the mixture until it forms a dough. (Make sure it's not crumbly)
7. When the dough is well combined, quickly begin shaping using cookie or gingerbread house cutters.
Note:
If the dough starts to harden, microwave it for 30 seconds.
8. Bake for 15 min, allow to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing
1. Beat egg whites with sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until stiff peaks.