Bake The Best Gingerbread Ever
Baking seasonal treats is a primary part of the holiday tradition – and not only is homemade gingerbread a crowd pleaser at any function, the spicy aroma is bound to inspire budding bakers as well.
“Holiday baking is fun for the whole family, mainly because everyone knows how tasty all the effort will be,” says Michael Schach, senior manager, food product development at Walmart Canada. He points out that their Great Value line is popular for keeping costs down, and all of the other ingredients for the recipe can be found in their bakery aisle, or online:
Great Canadian Gingerbread
Ingredients:
• ½ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup of packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup of fancy molasses
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp table salt
• Icing sugar (optional)
Directions:
1. Beat butter, brown sugar and molasses together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
2. In a separate bowl, sift flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this gradually to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Shape dough into 2 balls, wrap and chill for about an hour, up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2-3 baking trays with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first ball of dough until just over 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter of your choice to cut out cookie shapes. Lift them carefully to the prepared trays, leaving about ½-inch between them. Add any scraps to the second piece of dough and repeat.
4. Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes until browned a little just around the edges. Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the tray before removing to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar for an easy way to add a festive touch.
5. Cookies will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
>> Honey Apple Gingerbread Cake
The Author:
Additional recipes and snacking ideas can be found at www.walmart.ca/recipes.
Source: (NC) www.newscanada.com
