Family History through Recipes: Gingerbread

 

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread has been a Totoro family tradition since 1989.

At that time, I was baking part-time for the Junior League. That December they asked if I could make some gingerbread men for a fundraiser. While I was a gingerbread novice, I knew the number rule of catering is "never say no" --- so I readily agreed. They ordered 125!! 

I solicited help from the entire Totoro side of the family: my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and Cora. We baked, decorated, and wrapped all the men in time for the fundraising event. While I was weary of gingerbread after that busy weekend, I knew I had found my calling.

Fast forward to 2001. My first year of teaching. That fall I Googled possible 6th-grade classroom projects and came across the idea of selling decorated gingerbread men for a local charity.

We spent the first week of December on the project. We came up with a business name: Mrs. Totoro's Baker's Dozen (as there were thirteen students in the class). We used math skills to calculate the ingredients needed and the price to charge for each cookie in order to yield a profit. We took advanced orders so we would have an idea of how many men to make. I was hoping for a hundred. In one week's time, we received orders for over 450 men!! 

I baked over six hundred men after school for about a week, and then we spent an afternoon decorating them in class. In the end, the class delivered a check for $500 to a local family in need.

Obviously, we do gingerbread B-I-G in the Totoro household.

Gingerbread Houses

Neither my husband nor myself ever made a gingerbread house as a child, but it was always a holiday bucket list item. Gingerbread houses are magical - like Hansel and Gretel come to life. What child doesn't dream of eating a confectionary home? I wanted to recreate this magic for my children.

In 1992 I registered for a class at a local craft store. I purchased the Wilton three-cookie-cutter set, a package of plastic decorator bags, and a can of meringue powder for the royal icing recipe. I was ready to assemble an aromatic Christmas village at home.

I used the same recipe I found while making the Gingerbread Men. The dough is soft and manageable with a rich buttery flavor.

That first year I allowed each child to invite a friend. We started the adventure by going to the sweet shop in the mall. Everyone selected their favorite candy, although sharing was encouraged.

Once home and sitting around the kitchen table, each child received the necessary supplies to create their own gingerbread house: 

• two squares for the sides of the house
• two pentagons for the front and back
• two rectangles for the roof
• an 8-inch cardboard cake round to serve as the base
• one plastic decorator bag with a #16 tip and filled royal icing 

I helped with the assembly, but once properly built, the children decorated the houses on their own. They used the icing as glue and adhered various candies to create windows, doors, and shingled roofs.

The following year we decided to use Gingerbread Houses as a ministry opportunity. We invited a church family with similar age children to join us for our candy-inspired evening. We served pizza for dinner then cleared the table to make room for the gingerbread supplies. Each child created his/her own masterpiece and much fun was had by all.

That year we also added a new tradition. Houses remained intact and part of the holiday decor throughout the Christmas season. On New Year's Day the children could eat as much of the candy as they wanted and then the rest was thrown away. I did, however, manage to salvage the gingerbread to savor with a cup of tea each evening throughout the month of January. I still honor this tradition. It is one way to extend Christmas beyond the 25th of December.

Today gingerbread houses continue with the next generation. My almost ten-year-old granddaughter begins drafting her house in mid-October. And this year, my three-year-old grandson will construct his own abode. 

The following Gingerbread recipe appears in my cookbook, Italian Family Christmas, along with a detailed list of the various candies we use.

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? Please share in the comments below.

Gingerbread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg yolk

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly blend the butter, sugar, molasses, and egg yolk.
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just blended.
4. Roll out dough to approximately 1/4 inch thickness onto slightly floured surface and cut into appropriate shapes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes (until dry but not browned).
6. Let cool at least 12 hours before assembly.

Note: One double-batch recipe makes approximately three gingerbread houses.