SweetSugarBelle's Favorite Gingerbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of molasses is best for gingerbread? ›

Choose unsulfured molasses when possible, since sulfur dioxide can leave an unpleasant, chemical-like aftertaste, according to Smith. “Unsulfured molasses is derived from processed mature sugar cane,” she said. “It's rich in flavor with a smoky depth. The most natural.

Molasses is the most associated with gingerbread. Light molasses, a mild molasses, comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup. Dark molasses, a full-flavored molasses, comes from the second boiling of the sugar syrup, and is the most popular molasses used in gingerbread recipes.

Speculoos, the cookie family to which Biscoff belong, are often described as a type of gingerbread, but that's a little misleading. Aside from their use of caramel sugar, speculoos don't have quite the same bite; their spice blend tends toward aroma rather than heat.

Molasses – Essential for that deep, rich, caramel-like gingerbread flavour! It also helps hold the dough's shape. Golden syrup makes a great sub, or treacle. Honey will also work, but the cookies will spread out a touch more and not have the same deep flavour (but still very, very good!).

Answer: You wouldn't use blackstrap molasses in recipes for gingerbread because the taste is too intense. It would overwhelm the other flavors. There is no difference between sugar cane grown in mid Missouri and sugar cane grown in southern Mississippi.

Grasmere Gingerbread Shop | The World's Best Gingerbread. Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread® in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Gingerbread, as we know it today, descends from Medieval European culinary traditions. Gingerbread was also shaped into different forms by monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. Lebkuchen bakers are recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm and 1395 in Nuremberg.

What is the German tradition of gingerbread? ›

Lebkuchen, a delectable German gingerbread, has a rich history steeped in tradition, dating back centuries. Originating in the medieval monasteries of Franconia, these spiced treats have evolved over time, becoming an integral part of German holiday festivities.

According to Rhonda Massingham Hart's Making Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC.

But while it's been known as speculoos in Belgium since its invention, when Lotus took the brand to international markets in the 1990s, it abandoned its native name. Instead, it gave it the name Biscoff — a portmanteau of “biscuit” and “coffee” — easier to say for an international audience.

If you're not familiar, Biscoff cookies are actually speculoos cookies which originate from Belgium. They are a shortbread cookie and have a deep caramel and spiced flavor paired with a crispy texture.

What does Biscoff taste like? It's a little hard to define, but I'd describe it as having a creamy, caramelized, ginger-snappish quality. The flavor profile is actually quite distinct, and because of that, Lotus has branched off into other areas, such as frozen treats, chocolates, and biscoff spread.

Dark Molasses

How it tastes: Thicker, less sweet, darker, and stronger in flavor than light molasses. How to use it: It can generally be used in place of light molasses and is what gives gingerbread cookies their distinct color and flavor.

Dark Molasses

It's darker and thicker the light variety, with a deeper, richer flavor that hints at bitterness. It's not quite as sweet, but it's also not as bitter as blackstrap molasses. It's a good option for people looking for a sweetener with reduced sugar content, and it makes an incredible gingerbread.

Every spoonful of blackstrap molasses has a sugar content of 45% and 1% of your daily sodium content. It should never be used in place of molasses unless a recipe specifically calls for it.

Light molasses is the liquid that remains after the first white sugar is extracted from cane juice. The flavor is lighter and has more fruity notes to it, in the same way the first pressing of olives makes a lighter, fruitier olive oil. Light (sometimes called "fancy") molasses is ideal for baked goods and candies.