Hi, as many of you know, we had a terrific live chat with Teri Pringle Wood this morning! (You can read the transcript here.)
In fact, it was so busy that Teri was unable to get through all of the questions, so we're posting answers to the unanswered questions here. (Unfortunately, I can't edit the chat transcript or her chat description to add her answers there, so I hope everyone finds this info.) Here we go . . .
Question 1:
Teri: I fell in love with the traditional look of honey gingerbread almost immediately when I started decorating cookies. I love the fact that it has an incredibly beautiful, perfectly smooth surface when naked; it's yummy; and it has the possibility of a future. [EDITOR'S NOTE: By "a future", Teri is referring to it lasting quite a long time, making it suitable for cookie keepsakes.]
However, I do work on many cookie surfaces, but mostly for special orders.
Question 2:
Teri: Yes! As I mentioned above, as soon as I started decorating cookies, I fell in love with the traditional look of cookies from European countries. I knew the artists I admired so much were decorating on a special cookie with which I was not familiar, so I started doing research. I didn't want to ask for treasured recipes, but eventually I did and had many recipes shared with me. All were good and had their special characteristics. BUT I wanted the best from each . . . So, I spent many hours and batches of dough trying to get the best result. Finally, last summer, I came up with this recipe that achieves all I wanted: flavor, texture, and durability for eating or use as a keepsake. Cocoa powder is added in different amounts to achieve colors from light golden brown to deep rich brown. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please read through the instructions before starting.
Also, I want to thank Irina Gonchar, Jana Homolova, and Karola Wood for their recipes, help, and encouragement during my recipe journey. Hugs to them!
Honey Gingerbread from Teri Pringle Wood
Measure:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups good quality honey
With the burner on medium-low heat, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until mostly dissolved. Pour in the honey, stir, and heat until the mixture is very hot and smooth. (DO NOT BOIL.) Remove from the burner.
Sift together:
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Depending on the color you desire, add cocoa powder (up to 1/3 cup) to the dry ingredients. Add this mixture to the still warm butter mixture, and stir until well combined. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Transfer the cool mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer, and add:
3 large eggs
Mix until combined.
Gradually add:
1200 grams all-purpose flour
When all of the flour is incorporated, divide the dough in half and wrap in several layers of plastic wrap. Store in a cool place for at least 24 hours or up to a week in the refrigerator. If the dough is refrigerated, you will need to bring it to room temperature to continue.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
When you get ready to roll and bake, spread out a good amount of flour on your work surface. Unwrap the dough and knead flour into the dough until it is very smooth, pliable, and not sticky. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness for most small cookies. I roll a little thicker for larger cookies.
Bake about 6 minutes, and then check to see if the cookies have any bubbles. If they do, gently smooth them with a spatula, and continue to bake until the cookies are done. Total baking time will be about 9 minutes for medium-size cookies and up to 14 minutes for large ones. Remove the cookies to a rack, brush immediately with egg wash (below), and cool.
To make egg wash:
Mix 1 teaspoon water with 1 large egg.
If you have any more questions about the recipe, please ask, and I will try to help.
Question 3:
Teri: I work in my kitchen, at a bar that has a counter directly behind where I sit. I have my heat fan on the counter and, as I flood, I can just turn and place the cookies on a rack in front of the fan without getting up. I will say that it’s getting increasingly difficult to find a place to fix dinner!
Question 4:
Teri: Cynthia, have you tried using a different brand of red coloring? I think that would be the first thing to try, especially since you aren't having the problem with other colors.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: We took Cynthia's comment to mean that she finds that icing with a lot of red coloring dries in a very porous way, such that when she wipes her hand over it, it disintegrates. Neither Teri nor I could explain why this might be happening. Though we have heard of other decorators experiencing this trouble with both red and black, we never have, and we both use fresh (or pasteurized) egg white-based icing. Maybe the issue is also related to her icing and how long she beats it to incorporate all of that color? If anyone else has any thoughts, please chime in below, in the comments.]
Question 5:
Teri: I use a fan with heat that I bought at Walmart for $9.95; it works great.
Question 6:
Teri: My cookies stay fresh for a very long time just bagged and stored in a box. I just ate one I made in February, and I really was amazed with how moist it was. So many people like them aged and a little harder for dunking too.
And, now for the last one, Question 7:
Teri: I really like doing a few shows during the year, as they allow me to be creative and do what I want, and then I have an outlet for those cookies. It’s also fun to sit there and talk cookies to people who are interested in them, not just to those who have to talk cookies with me everyday and have no choice, like my poor husband!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks again to Teri for taking the time to answer these questions so thoroughly, and thanks to all who contributed them. Again, for the rest of the chat transcript (all that came before these questions), click here.]
