Kiki's Book of Dreams: Gingerbread (Man) Cookies

Happy Christmas dear readers! I'm sorry for posting this recipe so late. This recipe has a very special taste and yes a few ingredients that we don't always have in our kitchen, but go buy them because it's worth it. There are few things I would like to clear out here. First you need lots of extra flour in hand because the dough itself it's really sticky and when you dump the dough at the work table make sure to have lots of flour under and on the dough. In the same time you don't need to over work the dough you just need to make sure the dough its not sticky on the surface. It will help you all to divide the dough in 4 small pieces in the first place and then work them by hand. You may also need to put them in the freezer after fridge because sometimes the dough stays really soft. When preparing the dough to roll it make sure to get out from the freezer/fridge the pieces one by one because as the dough stays on room temperature it will get stickier and you need to work fast and always : have flour on your disposition. Another point I'd like to mention is the baking timing, it depends on how big and how thick you shape your cookies, it will take you more or less than 10 minutes, you will know when the cookies are ready when they will get a darker color at the edges and they look crispy. You better spray or coat with oil the bowl/spoon etc you're using for molasses, otherwise it will get really hard to gt it off. Well, this is all I have for now. You of course know the answer : go to kitchen and prepare these special cookies :)

Gezuar Krishlindjet te dashur lexues! Me vjen keq qe po e publikoj kete recete kaq voje. Kjo recete ka nje shije te vecante dhe po disa perberes nuk i kemi gjithmone ne kuzhinen tone, por shkoni dhe blijini pasi ia vlen. Ka vetem disa gjera qe do doja tjua qartesoja. Si fillim ju duhet shume miell shtese ne duar/dispozicion sepse brumi vete eshte shume i ngjitshem dhe kur ta vendosni ne tavolinen e punes duhet te siguroheni qe te keni shume miell poshte dhe siper brumit. Ne te njejten kohe ju nuk duhet ta punoni me shume sec duhet brumin, ju duhet vetem te siguroheni qe siperfaqja e brumit te mos jete e ngjitshme. Do tju ndihmoje ta ndani brumin ne 4 pjese te coja qe ne dillim dhe me pas ti punoni ato. Juve gjithashtu mund tju nevojitet ta vendosni brumin ne akull mbas frigoriferit pasi ndonjehere brumi qendron shume i bute. Kur te pergatisni brumin ta hapur sigurohuni qe ti nxirrni pjesen nga akulli/frigoriferi nje nga nje pasi brumi duke qendruar ne temperaturen e dhomes fillon te behet gjithnje e me i ngjitshem prandaj ju duhet te punoni shpejt dhe gjithmone : duhet te keni miell ne dispozicion. Nje tjeter pike qe dua te permend eshte koha e pjekjes, varet nga sa te medhaja dhe te trasha i jepni forme biskotave, do tju duhen me shume ose me pak se 10 minuta, do ta kuptoni qe biskotat do te jene gati kur te kene marre nje ngjyre me te erret ne konture dhe te duken krokante ne pamje te pare. Beni mire te lyeni me vaj tasin/lugen etj qe do te perdorni per melases, pasi perndryshe do te jete shume e veshtire ta hiqni. Epo, kjo eshte e gjitha per tani. You natyrisht e dini pergjigjen : shkoni ne kuzhine dhe pergatitini keto biskota te vecanta :)

Ingredients for gingerbread man cookies:

384 gram flour + extra flour on hand
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
339 gram unsalted butter, at room temperature
220 gram brown sugar
85 gram molasses
1 egg
royal icing for decoration

Perberesit per biskotat me xhenxherfil ne forme burri :

384 gram miell + me shume miell ne dispozicion
2 tsp xhenxherfil pluhur
2 tsp kanelle pluhur
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp karafil pluhur
½ tsp kripe
339 gram gjalp jo i kripur ose margarine, ne temperature dhome
220 gram sheqer kaf
85 gram melase
1 veze
krem zbukurues per dekorin

In a small bowl, combine together the first 6 ingredients and set aside

Ne nje tas te vogel, perziej se bashku 6 perberesit e pare dhe lere menjane

In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar

Ne nje tas perziej se bashku gjalpin/margarinen me sheqerin derisa masa te jete kremoze

Add in the egg and molasses and mix to incorporate

Shto vezen dhe melasen dhe vazhdo rrihi derisa te jene perzier mire

Add the dry ingredients and mix everything together until a sticky dough forms

Shto perberesit e thate dhe perziej gjithcka se bashku derisa te formohet nje brume i ngjitshem

Dump dough onto a well floured board and just work it a bit with your hands. Since the dough is really sticky you can cut the dough in 4 pieces (you have to anyway) and just work the pieces until they become little balls, it will get sticky as you work them out so just make a ball and wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (if after 1 hour the dough is really soft as mine was, put it in the freezer for 15 up to 30 minutes)

Vendose brumin ne tavolinen e punes te cilen e ke sperkatur mire me miell dhe punoje pak me duar. Meqe brumi eshte shume i ngjitshem ju mund ta prisni ate ne 4 pjese (gjithsesi ky hap duhet bere) dhe punoje secilen pjese derisa te krijoni topa te vegjel, do te behen te ngjitshem teksa i punoni prandaj mjafton te krijoni nje top dhe me pas mbeshtilleni secilen pjese me leter guzhine (celofoni) dhe lere ne frigorifer per 1 ore (nese mbas 1 ore brumi eshte ende i bute sic ishte i imi, mund ta vendosni ne akull per 15 deri ne 30 minuta)

Take 1 large piece of parchment paper and lay in on your counter, dust generously with flour and put one piece of the dough in the center. Dust the top of the dough with flour and place another piece f parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin roll it out until the dough is about 0.5 cm thick (or if you prefer it thicker, feel free to do it)

Merr nje leter te madhe furre dhe vendose ne tavolinen e punes, sperkat lehte miell dhe vendos nje pjese te brumit ne qender. Sperkat pjesen e siperme te brumit me miell dhe vendos nje tjeter leter furre siper brumit. Duke perdorur nje okllai hape brumin derisa te jete 0.5 cm i trashe (ose nese e preferon me te trashe, ji i/e lire ta besh)

Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter (or any other cookie cutter), dip it in some flour and cut out your shapes. Using a spatula to help, place the cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheets. Remove the extra flour from the cookies

Duke perdorur nje prerese biskote ne forme njeriu (ose ne forme tjeter), zhyte ne miell dhe me pas prit brumin ne forma. Duke perdorur nje spatul per ndihme, vendos biskotat ne tepsine e mbuluar me leter furre. Hiq miellin e tepert tek biskotat