gingerbread cookies

I would like to write something eloquent, or at least in Christmas spirit, but I'm too tired with gingerbread cookies to say anything more than: hey, I made 4 of those portions down there, yes, gingerbread cookies of 4 kg flour, welcome to my life - though 75% was for the class I had in the hospital. That's the first photo. And the following are from cookie decorating with friends, so actually not many of those are mine designs. This year, I don't feel much like decorating, despite having a vast choice of shiny sprinkles.

This particular recipe produces cookies that are crisp and hard, though they get soften and crunchier with time (or when stored in a closed box with a piece of an apple, making sure that the apple in fact doesn't touch the cookies directly) and with the unholy amount of icing that gets smeared over their surfaces.

And I am going to Paris for a week and the thought is distracting me beautifully from everything else.


(from the NaNo, yet again)
‘Are you okay?’ Silver asked, walking up to the man with his hands his in pockets, but took them out when he was a few steps away so that the man could see they were empty.

‘Why?’ the man asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question. His voice was low and deep and instantly reminded Silver of a handful of classic rock singers, bringing a ghost of a smile to his lips.

‘I don’t know, you look distressed? And it’s late and cold and you’re just sitting here, it screams of something being wrong. You could need some help, and I can’t just – walk by.’

‘Fucking good Samaritan, huh.’

‘I guess you could say that’ Silver replied, moving from his position a few steps away from the man to sit on the stairs, still not directly next to him, but close enough. The night was colder than he had expected so he kept shivering in the thin clothes he was wearing, and the ever burning pain was lingering somewhere at the back of his head, making his neck feel stiff and uncomfortable. Sitting on a cold stone wasn’t a good thing for either of the symptoms, but he’s long decided it didn’t really matter.

‘Do you want to know my name?’ he asks after a few moments, breaking the distrustful silence.

‘Why’d I?’ the man slurred, running his hand through the dark hair and messing it up even more.

‘Dunno. But it’s Silver’ he said, raising an eyebrow at the man, and the predicted reaction followed as the man snickered incredulously. ‘I’m Silver.’

‘That really like, your name?’

‘Yep. I know it’s kind of strange, but I got used to it. People keep making fun of it all the time, though’ he added, and as soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them. The man’s shoulders hunched even further that before and he turned his head away.

‘I don’t mean like asking me if I am for real, people do that all the time’ he said quickly, gaining a faint snicker from the man, and continued ‘They just give me silly nicknames and make the same old puns about how my parents didn’t love me ‘cause I am Silver and not Gold, or they bring up, umm, weird cartoons from their childhoods that I am supposed to know but I don’t, and they never believe me and say I am no fun.’

‘Your name is better than mine, at least’ the man murmured, leaning his head against shoulder. ‘Mine is Raymond’ he said with a shrug. Silver took a moment to speak.

‘Do people actually call you Raymond?’

‘Yeah, they do.’

‘I would not be happy with that either. I would call you Ray. Can I call you Ray? That is much cooler than Raymond. Like, a ray of light, or something.’

The man lifted his head and stared at Silver. His eyes were glossy, as if her was burning up, but the stare was piercing and surprisingly sharp. He blinked a few times and coughed a few times, before finally setting on saying:

‘I could guess why people make fun of you all the time. You are strange.’






gingerbread cookies 
(makes about 200)

1 kg flour
0,5 kg sugar
250 g honey
5 egg yolks
250 g butter / margarine
30 g cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2-3 tbsp gingerbread spice (i use this mix: finely ground 4 tsp powdered cinnamon, 2 tsp powdered ginger, 1 tsp cloves, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tbsp. nutmeg, 2 cardamom pods, 1 piece of anise)

melt the butter in a big pan
add sugar, honey, cocoa, spices and mix until it’s all melted and even
let it cool down (it may be warm, but watch out the temperature because you will be adding eggs)
add egg yolks, mix until combined
and flour with raising agents and mix thoroughly in the pan, then drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together and creates a smooth ball (if it keeps crumbling, it’s ok to add 2-3 tbsp sour cream)
refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours
roll the dough to 3-5 mm thickness, cut out your desired shapes and transfer to cookie trays
bake in 200C for 4-5 min, let cool a bit before transferring from the tray (so that they don’t break)


4 comments:

  1. Looks like a sea of gingerbread cookies! I love the decorations on the top! Very, very lovely!
    Also, that character Silver seems like some one I would like to meet.
    enjoy your parisan holiday!
    kind regards

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  2. I like how simple yet delectable this recipe sounds. It's almost too good to be true. The simplest recipes are often the ones we overlook, so it's important to shine a light on them, as you did here. I am a writer offering project management assignment help for students in the UK & In my opinion, a delicious but healthy dessert is always a wonderful idea!

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  3. Their shapes are good but what you have said? Is it ginger flavor? I dont like these kind of strange flavors

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  4. Indulge in the warmth of the season with our irresistible gingerbread cookies. Crafted with a perfect blend of spices, these treats are a symphony of flavors, evoking festive memories with every bite. Whether enjoyed on a cozy evening or shared at holiday gatherings, our gingerbread cookies promise a delightful and nostalgic culinary experience.

    ReplyDelete