In our series focused on cooking and baking, guest author Tanja from my creative space Every month, a new SoSUE seasonal recipe is presented. Look forward to delicious treats from her private cookbook and get inspired. Enjoy your meal!
I am a big fan of gingerbread! I think of the really high-quality ones, with less sugar and lots of good ingredients like nuts and dark chocolate. A piece like that can cost around €3 at the bakery.
My son wished this year that we bake some ourselves. However, that is usually a big effort and quite messy (if I may say so). That's why I got the gingerbread bell. With it, making gingerbread is a clean and quick affair. On my Instagram account, you can watch a video of the exact handling. You can find it under the highlight "Bell".
I love recipes that are easy to make and still taste great! As a working mother, you have a lot on your plate and often don't have the time to spend all day in the kitchen, even though I would enjoy it. That's why I looked for a recipe that isn't too complicated. After not finding one, I simply came up with one myself. I often just try things out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This time, a truly delicious recipe was created. At least I can hardly keep my hands off the tasty pastry.
Ingredients:
5 eggs
300 g sugar
300 g almonds, ground
300 g hazelnuts, ground
100 g candied lemon peel
100 g candied orange peel
1 packet gingerbread spice
For the glaze:
400 g couverture, bittersweet
or if it really has to go quickly, use cake glaze instead of couverture
Here's how:
1. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until frothy
2. Add the sugar and beat the mixture until creamy
3. Chop the citron and orange peel as finely as possible (even better in the food processor)
4. Now add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and slowly knead into a dough
5. Spread the dough firmly into the gingerbread bell with a spatula and press a wafer on top
6. Turn the bell over a baking tray lined with parchment paper until the gingerbread falls out. If you don't have a gingerbread bell at hand, form small balls and press them flat on the wafer.
7. Bake the gingerbread in the preheated oven at 180° for about 15 minutes
Before glazing the gingerbread, it should be completely cooled.
The glaze
Do not cut the couverture into pieces and slowly melt it in a water bath at medium temperature. To make the chocolate shine nicely afterwards, the couverture must not be heated too much. Skewer the gingerbread on a boiled potato skewer and dip the top side into the couverture. Remove the glazed gingerbread and place it on a tray to cool until the chocolate has hardened. If you want to save yourself the work with the water bath, you can also use ready-made cake glaze. I also recommend the bittersweet variety here so that the gingerbread is not too sweet but chocolaty.
And now enjoy your meal! Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas season!
About the author:
There is something that connects us all: food. It can mean so much: sociability, enjoyment, conversation, home, homeland, distance, romance, etc. Everyone associates a certain dish with something, e.g. a trip, a person, or a childhood memory, etc.
Food also determines our health and our appearance. You are what you eat. That's why I, especially as a mother, pay attention to healthy and balanced nutrition. Even today – despite the variety – it's not always easy to eat properly, because we all lack time. That's why I (working myself) always try to create recipes that are healthy, simple, delicious, and quick. On weekends or for guests, it can be a bit more elaborate. And sweet sins are, of course, also on my menu.
I am Tanja, over 40, mom of a boy, married, and a native of Munich.
Feel free to check out my blog www.meinideenreich.blogpost.com past or also on Instagram @meinideenreich
