We are thrilled to welcome Liz Marden & her daughter Kat Marden from Liz Marden Bakery & Cafe in Kennett Square, PA as guest bloggers for Behind-the-Plants! Liz and Kat created more than 8,000 gingerbread cookies, as well as two stunning gingerbread models of the Conservatory and the Peirce-du Pont House that are used throughout this year’s Christmas display. They share their “construction grade” gingerbread recipe below!
Construction Gingerbread Recipe
All Purpose Flour 6 ¾ cups
Ground Cinnamon 1 Tablespoon
Ground Ginger 1 ½ teaspoons
Salt ½ teaspoon
Light Corn Syrup 1 ½ cups
Light Brown Sugar 1 ¼ cups firmly packed
Butter 1 cup
Yield: 1 Gingerbread House or a lot of ornaments!
Gather your ingredients
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Get all of your ingredients and measuring cups together. Choose cookie cutters!
Step 2: Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and place in large bowl.
Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter over heat
Step 3: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine light corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter, stir. Do not boil – heat only until butter is melted.
Stir until well mixed and dough is formed
Step 4: Pour butter mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until well mixed and dough is formed.
Step 5: Roll out gingerbread dough with a rolling pin on a piece of parchment paper* while the dough is still warm – if dough cools put in microwave for 45 to 60 seconds to reheat. This makes rolling much easier.
*Parchment paper is available at quality kitchen supply stores.
Cut out the cookies, and peel away excess gingerbread
Step 6: Using your chosen cookie cutter, cut out the cookies, peel away excess gingerbread from parchment paper and save to re-roll. If you are going to hang the ornaments, poke the holes now with a straw, taking away the excess gingerbread.
Create holes with a straw so that ornaments can be hung later
Step 7: Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch approximately 15 to 25 minutes.
To Decorate: We like to make royal icing the easy way – with meringue powder. Mix it up, make it any color then pipe away! We used a pastry bag with a #4 round tip. You can also use a plastic bag that zips with the corner snipped off.
Use royal icing to decorate
Royal Icing Recipe
Meringue Powder 3 Tablespoons
Confectioners’ Sugar 1 lb.
Water, lukewarm 7 Tablespoons
Combine meringue powder and confectioners’ sugar in bowl. Whip with electric hand mixer on low speed, adding water one tablespoon at a time. Then continue to whip on medium speed for 8 minutes until icing becomes stiff, but not too stiff to pipe. Keep royal icing bowl covered at all times with a damp towel to keep it from drying out!
Voila! Easy, homemade ornaments beautiful enough to decorate any tree!
Gingerbread men fashioned into a garland - at Longwood Gardens
I love this idea! But does anybody know: if these ornaments are sprayed on both sides with a clear varnish, can they be saved and used from year to year? I know that a lot of the gingerbread at Longwood was made starting in July–so it would seem that these could maybe be preserved in some way or another for a long time?
Great sounding, looking and idea – Liked it so much I gave full credit to you guys and shared with my readers as well. I do indeed love Ginger Bread folks. Thanks.
[...] Note: to see images/photos of these steps check out the article itself from Longwood Gardens. [...]
Hi Andrew! Yes, the ornaments can be saved from year to year, as long as they are kept in a sealed container away from insects and rodents, and are kept in a dry, non-humid environment. For the display at Longwood, we shellacked the cookies on both sides and used puffy paint instead of icing to decorate. Of course, this makes them non-edible. Hope you have fun making these at home! Please share some pictures on our Facebook wall if you do!
Thank you!
Maybe if I start now I will have enough for a tree by December?
If you varnish, clear coat or seal them, will they still smell yummy year to year?
Hi Nicole,
Unfortunately, the shellack puts an end to the gingerbread fragrance. We hope you have fun making the ornaments at home!