This year we spent the Thanksgiving holiday out east. During the non-stop, whirlwind four days we managed to spend an afternoon at the Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic Seaport, CT); take the ferry to Nantucket for the day; spend Thanksgiving morning at Plimouth Plantation; take a side trip to the Plymouth Rock; have personal tours of two historic homesteads (Nathanael Greene c. 1774 and the Denison Homestead c. 1717); stop and meander around the John Bradford Homestead (c. 1714); have a great dinner with friends; take some other friends to breakfast; and, have Thanksgiving dessert with the extended family of close friends. Needless to say it was one of two of the most memorable Thanksgiving holidays ever. If this holiday wasn't already my most favorite, this trip would have made it so. I feel an indescribable, somewhat unexplainable aura when I am on the east coast. It's more intense in some places (like Nantucket, MA and Little Compton, RI) and slightly less in others (like Mystic, CT). Whether it is the breathtaking, captivating beauty, the sense of history seen in the landscapes and architecture, or some other yet to be discovered reason, the east coast ranks high on my list of 'happy places'. And after four incredible days of traveling around the east coast and staying in my 'home away from home', the 'happy' in Happy Thanksgiving took on a new, even deeper meaning this year.
One of the things I discovered when planning this trip was that most of the historic homes and homesteads close at the end of October for a variety of reasons. But as luck and persistence would have it, staff from two of the homes on my 'wanted to see' list made it possible for us to have private tours. There is nothing quite like walking through homes built in the early 1700s, especially ones filled with period artifacts and furnishings, and imagining what life and baking must have been like three centuries ago.
The Gingerbread Cookie recipe shared by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh in their recent cookbook 'Sweet' not surprisingly contains some additional as well altered ingredients. Aimed at enhancing both the cookie's taste and texture, the Ottolenghi-Goh version of gingerbread contains Dutch-processed cocoa powder, finely ground black pepper, dark brown (versus granulated) sugar, and black strap molasses. Together these ingredients coalesce to create a depth of flavor I had not known existed in a gingerbread cookie. Yet the transformation of this gingerbread cookie did not stop there. The addition of a warm rum butter glaze was not only gastronomical genius, it was the proverbial 'icing on the cake' or rather cookie finishing touch. The result is a cookie layered in flavors and almost too beautiful to eat. But to not eat them would be utterly sinful.
The dough for the cookies loosely comes together after the dry ingredients are blended into the molasses, butter, dark brown sugar, and egg mixture. With just a little bit of kneading on a lightly floured surface, the consistency of the dough changes to one amendable to rolling. On days when the temperature is warmer, the soft dough may need to be chilled. However, on a cool, crisp November day, the dough rolled out beautifully without the need for any chilling time.
Because weight is an absolute and measure is not, I weighed out the flour, butter, dark brown sugar, and blackstrap molasses. Forgive me but I have a strong need to temporarily digress to try (again) to convince you to use a scale when baking. A cup of flour is not always a cup of flour, but 120 grams of flour is always 120 grams. Slight variations in ingredient quantities can often alter the textures of both the dough and the final baked confection. It took me awhile to make this paradigm shift, particularly because I grew up in a cup and ounces, not a grams world. But after seeing the difference weighing ingredients makes, I have been converted to the way baking is done in pretty much the rest of world. Okay, the 'everyone should own and bake using a scale' public service announcement is over. For now, anyway.
On a lightly floured surface, the dough is rolled out to a 6mm (or 1/4") thickness. I used a 3 1/4" cookie cutter when I made this batch of cookies as it best matched the diameter of the Nordicware cookie stamps I used. Alternately you could roll out the dough using an embossed or engraved rolling pin and then cut the cookies into your desired shapes.
If I learned one thing when making these cookies, it was have all of your ingredients for the rum butter glaze measured out before you put your first batch of gingerbread cookies in the oven as the glaze needs to be applied while the cookies are still warm. Ottolenghi and Goh suggest the use of freshly squeezed lemon juice, if you want a booze-free version of the cookies. However, after tasting the glaze's boozy version, I could never be a teetotaler.
My rum butter glaze was on the thick side, so I ended up adding a little more warm water to get it to the 'consistency of a runny honey'. It will thicken as it sets, so be prepared to add a little more warm water, particularly when you are glazing the second batch of cookies.
The cookies bake for approximately 9 to 10 minutes in a preheated 375 degree F (190 C) oven with the baking sheet turned midway through the baking process. To test for doneness, the cookies only need to firm to the touch as they will continue to firm up as they cool. Be careful not to over bake. My baking time was approximately 9 1/2 minutes. The aromatic fragrance of the spices in the gingerbread cookies will have you spellbound.
These cookies have a deep, rich spicy intensity to them. The slightly crisp exterior and dense cake-like interior is pure gingerbread texture heaven. After tasting them, the gingerbread cookie bar has been raised so high I am pretty certain no other gingerbread cookie recipe could even come close. If you love the taste of gingerbread, you will be swooning over the decadence and lusciousness of these cookies.
If there was at least one new cookie you wanted to added to your Christmas cookie platters or gift boxes this year, let it be these Gingerbread Cookies with Rum Butter Glaze. But don't make them too far in advance, unless you feel the urge to have them now, as they are best eaten within 5 days (if stored in a sealed container). Which means I am going to have to time the mailing of my holiday cookie packages out a little more carefully this year as I could not imagine a box of Christmas cookies without some Gingerbread Cookies with Rum Butter Glaze in them. I can't even imagine Christmas without them.
And oh, don't forget to put a scale on your list to St. Nicholas this year.
Gingerbread Cookies with Rum Butter Glaze (from the cookbook "Sweet" written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh)
Makes 16 to 17 - 3 1/4" cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (95g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
100 g blackstrap molasses (or black treacle)
1 large egg yolk
2 cups less 1 Tablespoon (235 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting and stamping
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Glaze
3/4 cup (80 g) confectionary sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon dark rum (or fresh squeezed lemon juice)
1 teaspoon warm water, plus more as needed to achieve a honey like consistency to the glaze
Directions
Cookie
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, spices, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, molasses, and dark brown sugar together until smooth. Approximately 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in egg yolk and beat until fully combined.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter/molasses/sugar/egg mixture. Once it comes together (it will not be a smooth batter at this point), scrape dough onto a floured work surface and knead gently until it comes together.
6. Roll out the dough so it has about a 1/4" (6mm) thickness. Note: If the dough is too soft for rolling, chill for approximately 20-30 minutes.
7. Cut cookies into desired shapes. If you using a cookie stamp, dip the stamp in a small bowl of flour, shake off any excess and then press firmly into the dough to create a deep imprint. How far you will need to press to get an imprint will depend on design on your stamp. Note: The cookies will rise as they bake and so any soft imprints will disappear. Transfer the cookies to the parchment paper lined baking sheets. Space about 3/4" to 1" apart.
8. Bake 9-10 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until firm to the touch. Note: They will continue to firm up as the cool so be careful not to over bake them.
9. Remove from oven. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then apply the glaze to the still warm cookies. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and set completely.
10. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container. Cookies are best eaten within 5 days.
Glaze
1. Sift the confectionary sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Add the melted butter, rum, and water. Whisk until smooth. Add more warm water if necessary. The consistency of the glaze should be that of runny honey.
Notes: (1) Depending on the cookie stamp used, you could top the center of each cookie with some finely chopped crystallized ginger. (2) The original recipe called for stamping the cookies before cutting them out with a cookie cutter. I cut them out first, then stamped them. Use whichever method you are have had the most experience with. (3) I used the Nordicware All-Season cookie stamps. Other cookie stamp options can be found online.
John Bradford House, Kingston, MA, - c 1714 (November, 2017)
Nathanael Greene Homestead, Coventry, RI - c. 1774 (November 2017)
Denison Homestead, Mystic, CT - c 1717 (November 2017)