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Gingerbread: A Family Tradition
Gingerbread Making & Baking:
A Family Recipe
There's something timeless and comforting about family traditions, especially around holidays. And for chefs in particular, the passing down of cherished recipes holds a special place. The familiar smells from the oven or taste tests from something bubbling on the stovetop bring warm memories of shared meals and fun times together. And now for a little walk down candy cane lane with our very own, Chef Cam Dobranski. This holiday season, Chef Cam revived one of his childhood traditions - gingerbread making, baking, constructing ... and eating, of course.
The recipe hadn't been made by the family in years, but Chef Cam brought it back with a bang this year, making 250 gingerbread cookies on behalf of Medium Rare to donate to the Morning of Giving Cookie Sale in support of The Magic of Christmas. Plus, the Medium Rare team and their families decided to get into the spirit and have a little holiday fun making gingerbread houses. We realize we're biased, but this is one of the best gingerbread recipes we've ever tasted and we wanted to share it with all of you!
THE RECIPE
Part A
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Light Molasses
1 cup Butter
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Cloves
Part B
1 tbsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
Part C
4 3/4 cups Flour
1. Combine sugar molasses, butter, and spices in a large pot. Heat to a boiling point stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add baking powder and salt. Keep stirring. This will expand so don't be alarmed, but make sure you stir so it doesn’t overflow. Let cool to lukewarm . Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in eggs. Gradually mix in flour until just combined.
2. Place dough in fridge and let sit overnight
3. To make shaped cookies: Roll out dough in 1/4" thick on a floured surface (use as little flour as possible without it sticking). Cut into desired shape and or with cookie cutters.
To make regular cookies: Measure out 60g (2oz) dough balls (or approx ping pong ball size), press them into cookie shape and then place on a cookie tray.
4. Place cookies on baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes. Once out of oven, let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. These cookies turn out deliciously soft and chewy!
Gingberbread House Instructions: If you want to use this recipe to make a gingerbread house, we reccommend printing a template online. After letting the dough sit in frige overnight. Roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut pieces according to template. Place shapes on parchment lined baking sheet and bake slighly longer than cookies, approximately 8-9 minutes, so that the cookies are more firm. Transfer to cooling rack. Make a royal icing recipe and using a piping bag with the royal icing, assemble your gingerbread house. Have fun decorating!
This recipe has been in Chef Cam's family for the past 40 years. Started as a recipe that came home from a kindergarten teacher, it became an annual custom over the holidays, when Cam and his brothers would challenge each other to make the best decorated gingerbread with candy canes and gumdrops.