Patience & Puff - The Secrets to a Perfect Gingerbread Holiday

Being in pastry, I find the most enjoyment in baking for the holidays.
 

Working the ovens at holiday time is equivalent to working the berries over the summer. I’ve learned this over time. When I was first starting out in kitchens, holiday time meant long hours and I had to find enjoyment in all the work. Making gingerbread has become a favorite.

The gingerbread house recipe that I have used every year for the past 25 years came from a German chef in North Carolina. For my stepfather’s corporate holiday party, the chef had made a large gingerbread house for the staff and families to decorate. Everyone enjoyed it, young and old. The taste of the gingerbread reminded me of graham crackers, which are a favorite of mine dunked in milk. Everything about the experience and the taste of the gingerbread brought back such a feeling of wonderment, the feeling I had when I was young during the holidays.

Each year brings new projects. I have made gingerbread barns, large Christmas trees, ovens with dancing gingerbread men, schools, libraries and more. A favorite project was making a gingerbread replica of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. I also taught pastry students, trained by the Food Bank, to make gingerbread houses. A couple of the guys made a gingerbread car garage. That was a first for me.

Gingerbread recipes abound. Some are easier to work with and have more spice flavor, but I like this one. It’s become my tradition. This recipe, when baked, has a little puff to it—like the chef I got it from!