Carl Heinitsch’s Gingerbread Cookies
This recipe was found in the Research Library open stacks in the 1993 cookbook, Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking. The original recipe left the cookies plain with just a blanched almond pressed into the center. To dress them up a bit more, these cookies were decorated to replicate some of the tiles you can find over at Fonthill Castle!
Adapted Recipe by @But.First.Dessert (Instagram)
Ingredients:
Cookies:
8 ounces salted butter
1 cup molasses
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
5-¾ cups spelt flour (this can be replaced in equal amount all-purpose flour)|
1 tsp. ground allspice
¾ tsp. ground clove
1-½ tsp. ground ginger
1-½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Icing:
2 tbs. meringue powder
6 tbs. warm water
3 cups powdered sugar
Food coloring
Directions:
- Melt butter in saucepan with molasses, honey, and brown sugar over low heat. Heat enough to warm the mixture but do not bring to a boil.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and spices. Add the lemon zest.
- Form a small well in the flour mixture and add the warm liquid. Stir until a smooth paste.
- Cover or wrap the dough and chill in the fridge. It can be chilled overnight or up to four days.
- When ready to bake, put rack in center of the oven and preheat oven to 375° F. Grease your baking sheets and set aside.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to ¼” thickness. Use preferred cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
- Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- When cookies begin to brown around the edges, remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the hot baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- While cookies are cooling, make your icing. Whisk together the meringue powder and warm water in a bowl until the mixture is light and foamy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until the icing is stiff and smooth. Add warm water if it becomes too thick, 1 tsp. at a time.
- Color the icing as desired. This will dry fairly quickly, so do not let the icing sit out for too long.
- Once the cookies are cool, put the icing in a piping bag or just a basic plastic storage bag, cut the corner, and decorate the cookies.
