Gingerbread tree recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Gingerbread tree  recipe. Enjoy Christmas recipes and learn how to make Gingerbread tree.

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day full of fabulous food, family and friends.

Makes 1 tree

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups (500g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
150g unsalted butter, softened
175g dark brown sugar
150g honey
1 egg
1 eggwhite
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra, for dusting
Silver cachous, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and a pinch of salt into a bowl.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add honey and egg. Beat until combined. On low speed, beat in sifted dry ingredients until mixture comes together. Divide dough in 1/2. Wrap separately in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Trace 19cm, 15cm and 10cm stars on to cardboard and cut out. For 7.5cm and 4.5cm stars use cutters.

4. Roll out dough halves between baking paper until 4mm thick. Using star templates and 7.5cm cutter, cut out 3 stars of each size from dough. Using 4.5cm cutter, cut out as many stars as possible from remaining dough.

5. Place same sized stars together, 3cm apart, on baking paper-lined oven trays. Bake larger stars for 8-10 minutes; smaller stars for 5-7 minutes or until deep golden. Stand biscuits for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

6. Place eggwhite in a bowl. Stir in icing sugar, 2 tbs at a time, until combined.

7. Stack the largest stars at offset angles, placing 2-3, 4.5cm stars in between. Glue each layer with icing. Continue stacking in decreasing size until all 7.5cm stars are used. Finish with one 4.5cm star flat and a second one upright. Use icing as glue to decorate tree with cachous.

8. Tie up remaining small stars to look like presents. Leave tree to set for 1 hour. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Notes
Unassembled and in an airtight container the biscuits will last about 1 month. Once the tree is assembled, depending on humidity, it can last up to 2 weeks.

Source
Notebook: - December 2005, Page 30
Recipe by Sophia Young 

More Christmas Recipes...
Chilli calamari salad
Tabouli Salad
Potato & onion soup with sour cream
Chunky Vegetable Hummus Spread
Prosciutto-wrapped beef with pesto
Cranberry cheese cake

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Pita Bread Recipe

Pita bread is a staple in Middle Eastern food. This pita bread recipe is simple, quick and makes perfect pita bread everytime! Learn how to make pita bread the easy way!

Pita bread can be used for dipping, or to make delicious sandwiches in the pocket. In the Middle East, pita is made in brick ovens, where very high heat can be achieved. It is very hard to duplicate in a home kitchen, but this recipe, combined with high heat comes very close.

Ingredients
1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teapsoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

Preparation
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of lour and pur yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer stick and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to preheat your baking sheet also.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Storing Pita Bread
Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry or bread box, and up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing in the freezer.

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Lebanese Bread Recipe

Try this Lebanese Bread recipe. Find out how to make this fragrant Lebanese flat bread. A delicious bread to serve at your next dinner party or barbecue.

Ingredients
2 pk Active dry yeast or 1 yeast
1/3 c Water
1 tb Flour
2 tb Sugar
3 c Flour
1 c Water
1 ts Salt

Preparation
Sprinkle the yeast over water and add 1 tablespoon of flour and sugar. Stir and set aside to rise for about 10 minutes.

Sift the 3 cups of flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture. Knead adding one cup water gradually to make a stiff, but not dry, dough.

Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down.

Divide into 6 to 8 round balls. Place on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, flatten into 1/4 inch thick circles. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise again for 15-25 minutes. Brush with milk.

Heat the oven to 500 degrees for about 15 minutes. Place the bread on baking sheets and bake for 8 minutes until puffed up. Then turn over so the other side browns also.

When the bread is a little cool, place them in plastic bags to soften. Excellent for sandwiches.

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