Mezeshkalach - Hungarian honey gingerbread

girls, good day :-)
tell me, do I understand correctly that this recipe makes gingerbreads softer and more puffy? I'm looking for exactly those properties, dryish, like cookies I don't want

And I (the layman) have a question - if I don't immediately paint the gingerbread cookies, do I need to soften them with an apple beforehand? And if you paint right away, won't the drawing smear if you soften them later?

Thanks for the clarification. True, there is a feeling according to the test that I can’t bear it without deformation - it’s soft, as if. But maybe I'm wrong.
Liza, what difference did you notice between the dough that had lain for a week in the cold and the dough that had lain overnight - the consistency, the plasticity of the dough, the taste?))) More: https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/in...on=com_smf&topic=401161.0

differences are precisely in the sensations at work. The dough that has lain for a week is much more convenient, does not stick and is less deformed. Once I slightly roll out the layer on the table, then turn it over and check the table with my hand for adhered tiny pieces of dough. Then I go through it again with a rolling pin and turn it over, and so on, until I roll it out to the desired thickness. Usually it is about 4 mm, sometimes I roll out 5 mm and even 6-7 mm for especially large gingerbread cookies (30 cm), or when customers ask for thicker gingerbread cookies. Since the gingerbread rises strongly during baking, 4 mm is enough. I don't like rolling out on parchment, since the dough is smeared and stretched more than it is rolled out, and therefore after baking there may be holes at the bottom, and bubbles on top of the gingerbread. Well, I dust with flour very little, I just wave a sieve with a spoonful of flour over the table, that is, I do not shake out anything that has fallen from it, that's enough.

[Liza]

Liza, but is such a dough suitable for a gingerbread house?

Hungarian women bake everything from it, including gingerbread houses. They are obtained with rounded outlines. But if you just reduce the amount of soda, then they will not rise so much.
I myself have not baked houses from it yet, I baked houses on Gerdin dough, and I am also testing German recipes.

Look, there are several light gingerbreads in the center - judging by the softness, you are writing about them. But when turned over on the table, several pieces stuck - that is, the top was wet. The dough was baked. Which are darker, a little drier, but not critical. But the surface is dry. Which ones are correct? :-) More: https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/in...on=com_smf&topic=401161.0

Correct light. The gingerbread should remain soft from the oven. While still hot, I lay them face down on baking paper, although now I either do not turn them over, or directly on a huge wooden board, perhaps it absorbs heat and condensation. I put another cutting board on top so that all the gingerbread cookies evenly cover, and not partially, otherwise they may be deformed. Thus, it turns out that the dome on the gingerbread will slightly press down, and the top surface of the gingerbread will become even horizontally, keeping the roundness in the barrels.
I don't have any problems with filling even on round gingerbread, here, rather, practice already plays a role. The more gingerbread you cover, the easier it is to compensate for all defects in baking with fill and pattern.

Now the question. Due to the use of flour, your last gingerbread - the dough for which is collected from already rolled scraps, is not harder? Because from experience with honey cake, I see that the last cakes are harder, because flour is added to them additionally.
More details: https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/in...on=com_smf&topic=401161.0

I always take a not very large part of the dough and little by little, then roll it out, collect the cuttings, roll it out, and so on until a layer of the size required for cutting is obtained. I immediately mix the rest into the next part of the dough, it does not dry out and at the same time mixes with fresh. At the very end, I am such small cakes, from which nothing can be cut out, I just bake with the gingerbread and immediately eat it myself))))
I mean, the leftovers are rarely tighter than the main dough. But everything turns out deliciously from tight)))

Bulge is certainly not bad. But I got such that it will take a lot of icing to level the surface

no need to icing to level the bulge, they just need to evenly cover the gingerbread. It's another matter when your gingerbread is not smooth, with defects, bubbles, pits, pores, cracks, etc., icing will hide it all. But this rarely happens with this recipe.
I've been thinking a lot why I had some kind of blister-bubbles on top of the gingerbread, I noticed that baking paper wrinkles after the first batch of baking and then the gingerbread turns out to be bubble on it. I tried it on a baking sheet with flour (and Hungarian women simply dust the baking sheet and table with flour), and all the bubbles disappeared.
But I think that the duration and quality of the initial batch also plays a role here. Now I am very carefully and for a long time kneading the dough with a kneader, so the dough is more uniform, the leavening agents are all evenly distributed throughout the dough. Perhaps that matters too.

girls, good day :-)
tell me, do I understand correctly that this recipe makes gingerbreads softer and more puffy? I'm looking for exactly those properties, dryish, like cookies I don't want

yes, these are soft gingerbread cookies, but they retain their softness only in an airtight container, but if they begin to dry out, then it is enough to put a cut apple in the container overnight or for a day.

And I (the layman) have a question - if I don't immediately paint the gingerbread cookies, do I need to soften them with an apple beforehand? And if you paint right away, won't the drawing smear if you soften them later?

I will explain once more before painting the gingerbread, they need to be dried to a crouton, otherwise the glaze will not last long. If you don't plan to decorate the gingerbread right away, then all the better, they dry themselves calmly, and you will do this when you have time, you can take a few months. But then it is better to store the gingerbread in cardboard or tin boxes. They dry faster in boxes than in tin. Painted dry gingerbreads easily come to life in 1-2 days, depending on their thickness (see above how) BUT the drawing on them of course may not be preserved, since the glaze will also absorb moisture, or even flow if the apple comes into contact with the gingerbread. That is why we draw only on dry gingerbread, and we revive only before eating. if we make them as a gift, then we give beautiful and dry gingerbread cookies, while explaining how to make them soft.
If, in principle, you are not going to decorate, then it is better to keep it in an airtight container so that the gingerbread cookies do not dry out, and eat them whenever you want.

[Vei]

Vei, Lisa, I understand, thanks, I will try)))

[VictoriaCam]

VictoriaCam, Vika, here is an example of Hungarian houses:



You better show your house, it is still delicious and your home, and if there are any mistakes, we will discuss them so that we do not repeat them next time.

[Vei]

Vei, these are the houses! Class. and they do not seem to be rounded at all. Yes, and what kind. Or maybe you can collect them with the side on which they were baked, if they come out completely `` blown ''?
And my house is from a different test, I have already taken it to the `` houses ''
And yesterday I kneaded the dough for another half portion, right after baking the first portion)) though I added 15 grams of cocoa minus the same amount of flour. But they are something greenish. -gray came out for some reason, still not enough cocoa. This time I put a board on them after baking, as you advised, really much better.
so I’ll beat my hand on painting and icing, and I’ll put it into orders!)) If I fill it, of course)) ahahaha

[VictoriaCam]

VictoriaCam, Vika, it seems to me that cocoa is not very suitable here, If you want a darker color, then it is better to replace some of the honey with dark molasses or make a burnt one yourself. Why are you adding cocoa at all?

: hi: Veichka, thank you very much for the clarification. I read everything carefully, I hope that this time the gingerbread will turn out and even painted.

Liz, does it turn out that these gingerbread cookies are either delicious or beautiful?
That is, if they are soft, then they are not friends with painting, but if they are, then are they solid?
Isn't there such a recipe, so that both sheep ... and wolves ...?

Incidentally, Liz, this is what I thought:
I will copy the recipes for honey cookies from my Hungarian book and slip them into you, and you will analyze them for gingerbread and goodies, or even try to make them, you still bake all kinds of things all the time ...
Did I come up with a clever idea? : lol: p
Or we can share - you will analyze and give the CU, and I will try to bake but no more than a couple of recipes, I am still not capable of more.

[Vei]

Vei, cocoa just for the color - you guessed it)) They taste good too, but the light ones are tastier)))

[Vei]

Liz, does it turn out that these gingerbread cookies are either delicious or beautiful?
That is, if they are soft, then they are not friends with the schedule, but if they are, then they are solid?
Isn't there such a recipe, so that both sheep ... and wolves ...?

Olya, soft (read wet) gingerbreads are not friends with painting, or rather they are friends, but not for very long. All thick soft gingerbread cookies of the Tulsky type, to which we are accustomed, have an extremely short shelf life - no more than 2 weeks, but their shelf life ends so quickly only because they then dry out and do not deteriorate. Any sugar glaze suitable for painting, chocolate does not count, is afraid of moisture. And for me, the friendship of sheep with wolves is to paint a dry gingerbread, and before eating it, revive it with an apple. To be honest, I don't see a problem with that.
I will be happy to analyze and can bake recipes from your book.
And thank you all for your attention to my recipe!

Vei, cocoa just for the color - you guessed it)) They taste good too, but the light ones are tastier)))

Vika, in principle, I do not like the taste of cocoa in gingerbread, especially in these. I tried to replace cocoa with carob, but it didn't get better. Either take dark honey, or more molasses (dark cane molasses), or burnt. They will give a more caramel color to the gingerbread.

[Vei]

Vei, I painted them today - everything looks beautiful. Another question is that I'm still not very successful (((((a little later or tomorrow I will take them to the gingerbread theme, otherwise there are different gingerbread))) And you look there, advise))) And then I almost cry (( (

[VictoriaCam]

VictoriaCam, I don’t allow you to panic, I don’t like fast icing, if you didn’t draw too much before, then you need more time for your hand to become confident. You need to practice first on files or paper, any surface that is easy to clean later, and then switch to gingerbread.
I will tell you about icing, and the rest is practice, but before I start painting gingerbread, I first practice on the file, adjust my hand to the icing state.

Congratulations on your well-deserved victory in the "Best Recipe of the Week" competition

Lisa, congratulations! Gingerbread is a masterpiece!

[Lizaveta]

Lizaveta, Congratulations!! I follow with interest and delight your confectionery work !!! WELL DONE!!! My hugs and kisses !!!

Lisa, my congratulations !!! The gingerbreads are simply masterpiece !!!!

Lisa - congratulations! A well-deserved victory! You did such a job before you shared such beauty with us! Great it was appreciated!

[Chef]

Chef, Sneg6, Tanyulya, lettohka ttt, NataSTThank you all for your congratulations!
Bake Hungarian gingerbread to your health, and I will always help and advise, if necessary!

Liza! Any holiday will be fabulous with such gingerbread!
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE MEDAL!

Veichka (Liza), congratulations on the well-deserved award. The gingerbread is just gorgeous. I have a request. Last year I read somewhere on the site how to decorate gingerbread with icing. I read a lot of everything and did not find it. If you can, poke my face where you need to, please. Your dough is already in the refrigerator.

[Irina Dolars]

Irina DolarsThank you very much for your congratulations!

lungwort, Natasha, we have such a topic We decorate gingerbread cookies, cookies , there is a lot of useful information, including video tutorials, and I draw your attention to the fact that icing needs to be kneaded according to Eddie Spence's recipe. There he is also shown and not once!
I wish you good luck with the gingerbread, there will be questions, write-call))

Thanks a lot!

I am constantly asked whether it is possible to bake gingerbread houses from this dough? I already answered that everyone in Hungary bakes everything from such dough, including houses.
Here is a picture of an unadorned house of this kind:



and this is it, but already decorated:



well, now I'm already waiting for your feedback, is it possible to bake houses from such a test)))

PS can't remember if she mentioned that the finished products for this recipe are very light in weight.

Congratulations from the bottom of my heart! I am very glad that they deservedly appreciated such beauty, without which the coming holiday is impossible !! And thanks again for the recipe!

[Vei]

Vei, tell me, please, what kind of flour should you take? Rye?

[TanyaNam]

TanyaNam, ordinary white bakery, you can first grade, you can, in principle, dilute with rye, but better not more than 1/3 of rye from the total weight of flour.

[Lizochka]

Lizochka, I congratulate you on a wonderful recipe! As soon as I saw the photo, I immediately thought: to be a winner for this recipe! For a long time already hands itch to cook something like that. Maybe this New Year I will find it! Thank you for the inspiration and recipe!

Congratulations on a well-deserved victory in the competition Sponsor's Best Recipe of the Week

Lisa, congratulations on all the awards! You're a fine fellow!

LISAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!! Uraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!! Can you hear me screaming 700 km away from you? !!!!!

Lizonka, congratulations))) I also kneaded the dough today) the children need crafts for the kindergarten, we will create tomorrow) the powder was really 150 grams, I just added 100 grams of sugar, but I think in any case everything will work out) the dough is delicious, the youngest appreciated, she is my favorite main taster (by the way, also Liza)))
such a question - if I bake them tomorrow, can I decorate it on Sunday and take it to the kindergarten on Monday? will the gingerbreads live there until the New Year?

Liza well, after your gingerbreads took the second prize - I will adhere to fame and brag about my gingerbreads according to your recipe True, you have already seen them, but for the sake of order and report I will expose, with great gratitude for such a wonderful recipe !!!
I will try to decorate and if it works, I will show you! In the meantime, and so elegant gingerbread cookies in glaze

[Gulechka]

My beloved friends, thank you all for the congratulations! Special thanks to the Chief for such pleasant moments and of course to the birthday girl Chitusa for the gift!

GulechkaI really hope you all like these gingerbread cookies. It would be better to decorate them dried, but let's hope that everything will work out like that. They will definitely live until the New Year, maybe dry up, maybe not if they are in a closed tin box. But dry in the dark, they keep well for several months.

Natusya, thank you very much for bringing your beauties here too! They are already elegant in this form, let it become a New Year's tradition - to bake red gingerbread cookies and decorate the Christmas tree with them. It is exciting and joyful not only for children, but also for parents.
I would very much like all of you to work out as it should, so that the mood now becomes festive. And I hope that my explanations are enough here, and there will be no problems and questions. But if they are, then be sure to ask, I will definitely help you figure out if something is wrong.

And I look forward to any feedback and impressions from you. It's important for me.

Lisa, congratulations on your award.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!
Lizun, unrealistically beautiful gingerbread! I can't even believe that this can be done!
Bravo, bravo, bravo !!!

[NataST]

NataST, Natasha, these are handsome men! I did it without glaze. Do you have the dye frosting here? I really look forward to hearing, otherwise on the trail. week was going to bake)))))

Vika!
So Lisa has already told us everything in detail about this colored glaze. Be careful!

Ok, I read it again)))

Veichka, today I had a "test of the pen". I put some of your gingerbread dough in a Nordic Ware cookie cutter. The result is beautiful even printed gingerbread. I didn't have a red dye, I took a pink one. Everything turned out great, but it didn't work to remove all air bubbles from the glaze. I mixed the glaze with a silicone brush and applied it to the gingerbread with it. And now small bubbles remain on the gingerbread glaze after drying. I wanted to take a picture, but my son drowned the iPad, and the daughter-in-law is still busy with the child. I will try to upload photos. How do you get rid of the bubbles?

My gingerbread. Sorry for the crooked photo.

[lungwort]

lungwort, Natasha, I'm so glad! You have found unexpected application for Nordic forms! Very original gingerbread turned out
Perhaps, if the dye is diluted in milk (or it is possible in water) and only then mixed with the yolk, then there will be fewer bubbles. Here, too, you need to catch the moment when they disperse a little, I do not apply this mixture immediately after mixing. Although here, as in that joke - mix, but not shake)))
In general, if in the future painting with icing is not planned, then you can simply apply sugar fondant, you can color (dye it), or you can white.

Thanks for the report! Only I did not understand, have you even tried them ???

When I photographed, I have not tried it yet. But now I can say that I liked the dough. Gingerbread is soft. Of course they are a little dry, but it's gingerbread. You can glue them together with jam. But then, I think, you need to lay out a smaller layer of dough and then press them down a little with a wooden board.

Very nice! Great hard work! Good taste! A well-deserved reward! Well done, Lizochka!

Natasha, it makes sense to press down with a board so that the surface for painting is more even horizontally, although I do not press down or even fold them face down, I like their convex roundness, and this does not bother me to paint them.
Although, girls, do whatever you want, this is creativity. Gingerbreads inspire different experiments and everything is allowed!

Liza, when you bake in the form, the face of the gingerbread is flat, but the bottom is convex. I think that two convex surfaces will be difficult to glue together. I will have to think more. how not to spoil the front side.