Gingerbread Decorating Day

On Sunday 12th December it is Gingerbread Decorating Day. This annual occasion is marked by children and adults alike, unleashing hidden artists whilst enjoying a traditional sweet treat.

Gingerbread and its Origins

Gingerbread comprises a variety of baked goods typically flavoured with ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, sweetened with either sugar, honey or treacle. It can take various forms, including ginger cake, ginger cookies and gingerbread houses.

It is believed that gingerbread was brought over to Europe in the 10th Century by an Armenian monk called Gregory of Nicopolis, after he discovered spices in the Middle East. In the 13th Century, gingerbread found its way to Sweden where it was baked by nuns to help sooth people’s indigestion.

In the 17th Century, gingerbread was sold in monasteries and pharmacies in England, owing to its medicinal properties. At the same time, baking gingerbread became a specific profession. It was viewed as a particular form of art. Moulds of gingerbread were used to create magical pieces of wonder for various celebratory occasions. There are even museums across the globe that house these magnificent moulds. Two of the most famous are in the Bread Museum in Ulm, Germany.

It didn’t take long before people started decorating these moulded creations.

Delicious Designs

Gingerbread can be decorated in a range of different ways. From a simple icing and water mix to more complicated recipes including buttercream, chocolate, sweets, fruits and even ice cream. On Gingerbread Decorating Day, why not encourage the whole family to create something suitably festive – such as a gingerbread house?

Gingerbread Recipe

If you’re feeling creative and want to make your own Christmas cottage this Gingerbread Decorating Day, this failsafe recipe is a great place to start and provides plenty of gingerbread to complete a whole house!

Ingredients

625g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg

225g Trex (or similar)

1 tbsp ground ginger

200g white sugar

280g black treacle

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.
2. Put the Trex (or similar) into a saucepan and slowly melt it at a low temperature, then add in the sugar and treacle and stir.
3. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger in a separate bowl and then gradually add this dry mixture into the saucepan. Eventually, after stirring, the mixture should form a dough and become quite stiff.
4. Take out the dough and, on a floured work surface, roll it out to approximately 1/2cm thickness.
5. Cut out the gingerbread into your desired shapes.
6. Cook in the centre of an oven for 10 to 15 minutes, making sure the edges of the gingerbread don’t burn. Leave to cool.
7. Then – decorate!

Trevor Mottram

Opening the year that Jamie Oliver was born, Trevor Mottram has been a name at the heart of The Pantiles for over forty years. It is a cook shop stocking everything you need to bake and create the best gingerbread!

Head in-store to browse and buy their extensive collection of bakeware, decorating tools, cooking accessories and crockery.