3 1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 each egg
3/4 cup light molasses
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 decorations as desired
Directions
Preparation time: 35 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes
1. Measure 3 1/2 cups flour; sift together with spices, baking soda
and salt; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large
bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix on high speed until light and
fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Stop the mixer and add
molasses and lemon rind. Mix on low speed to combine. Stir in dry
ingredients with a wooden spoon.
2. Divide dough into four parts. Wrap each one separately in plastic
wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
4. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll
the well-chilled dough on a floured board or between sheets of waxed
paper to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and
carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch between
each cookie.
5. Bake just until the cookies are lightly browned and set, 7 to 10
minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer from baking sheets to a wire rack
and cool completely before decorating. Decorate as desired. Store in
airtight containers.
Nancy Schubert of Schaumburg, Illinois took first place with these
chubby little bears. She uses colored sugar, little candies and a
classic royal icing to decorate the bears. Confectioners' sugar icing
or tubes of decorator icing can be also can be used. from the Chicago
Tribune fifth annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 3,
1992
Servings: 42 servings
1992 1st Place: Gingerbread Bears Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Cake
The History of Recipes
Written recipes as a concept can be tracked back into the distant past, in fact as far as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and potentially, even further back. However, generally, these ancient cook books were just basic pictorial recipes for meal preparation.
Fascinatingly, the most ancient recipe found, according to academics are some clay tablets in the Sumerian language which show the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times there are a couple of books published in the fourteenth century ; a cookery book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Surprisingly, these have no connection with the indian curry that is served today, but instead recipes for the types of food on the tables of the rich and wealthy people of that time. Over the following few centuries, the powerful families of Europe strove to lay on the most extravagent banquests, and as a result the best chefs and their recipe collections were at a premium. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 19th century that fine cooking and cookery books rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, trying out, and writing down popular recipes of the day. By the arrival of the twentieth century, recipe publications were starting to become popular as a result of increased literacy, people having increased leisure time and having more disposable income. The introduction of television brought us celebrity TV chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing us all to search through thousands of recipes such as those found on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this 1992 1st Place_ Gingerbread Bears recipe.
