French Food Friday - Black Treacle?!

 

I needed to make some gingerbread cookies in a hurry but we did not have any black treacle and the shop where we normally get it from did not have any in stock.

Thanks to the internet, I found this recipe which turned out well and I am sure it is much cheaper and better for the planet than buying a product made in the UK and transported to France.

To make it darker I substituted some of the white sugar for brown sugar. Be very careful when adding the boiling water as it splatters so you must add it slowly!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups (302 grams) unsalted butter
  
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (preferably freshly ground)
  
• 3 1/2 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup (30 grams) as needed
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 3/4 teaspoon  salt
  
• 1/2 cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup (170 grams) black treacle or molasses
  
• 1 large egg
• Zest of an orange

Directions

1. Brown the butter: Add the butter to a saucepan (preferably a light-colored one, if you’ve got it) and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the foam subsides and you see brown speckles throughout the butter—at this point, it should smell nutty and irresistible. Add the ginger and cloves, stir, and remove from the heat. Transfer to a measuring cup and let cool to room temperature, adding a splash of water after a few minutes if needed to bring the total volume back to 1 1/3 cups (some liquid will have evaporated during the browning process).

2. Add the flour, baking soda, orange zest and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer), beat the room-temperature browned butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula. Beat in the dry mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the sides between each, until the dough is firm enough to hold itself in a balled up shape when pressed together. (If it feels too soft and greasy, beat in the additional 1/4 cup of flour.) 

4.Divide the dough into halves, wrap in plastic, and roughly shape each into a disk. Chill for at least 2 hours, until firm. (Note: You can do this in advance and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days before moving ahead with the recipe.)

Heat the oven to 175°C/ 350°F.

5. Using one disk at a time, roll out dough to about 1cm or 1/4-inch thick between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Use cookie cutters or a knife to make gingerbread shapes, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (You can re-roll excess dough and cut out additional cookies.) Chill on baking sheets for 20 minutes.

6. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on size, until the cookies look puffed up and set. For crunchier cookies, bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes until they’re beginning to brown around the edges. Transfer to a rack to cool before decorating with royal icing and or eating.

♥♥Bon vendredi a tous ♥♥

Leeann x