Gingerbread - Spéculoos N°1 - Desserts

What is my gingerbread spice mix?

The gingerbread mix is ideal to give taste to your sweet preparations, your salted dishes, your planters and arranged rums.

Very often, we associate the taste of gingerbread with Christmas. It is true that it is particularly used in the culinary preparations of the end of the year celebrations! But do you really know the history of gingerbread? Do you know the original way to use the composition of flavors that I propose?

Whether it's a gingerbread spice mix, a gingerbread recipe or seasoning for gourmet savory dishes, discover all the possibilities of these flavors.

The origins of gingerbread

Our current gingerbread would have for distant ancestor the "Mi-Kong", a Chinese bread of the 10th century. But the origin of gingerbread also goes back to ancient Egypt and ancient Greece! It was then a honey-fried bread that accompanied travelers.

And it is thus by the roads that the gingerbread made its entry in Occident, until Germany then in Alsace where it is still today the anchor of this gingerbread of the East.

The cities of Dijon and Reims are also known for their attachment to this recipe. Previously called "pain d'espessez", the name "gingerbread" would have seen the day around 1530.

In 2010, the recipe for this thousand-year-old cake was included in the list of intangible heritage of UNESCO.

The town of Gertwiller in Alsace hosts a museum dedicated to gingerbread and its history.

The history of the gingerbread man: Gingerbread

You have certainly already met the gingerbread man! He is an unavoidable star of the Christmas holidays in a large part of the world. He can be seen in family kitchens, pastry shop windows, supermarkets, but also in films and stories. In fact, it first appeared in a children's story in 1875 in the United States. In it, we see the little " gingerbread " come to life and escape from the oven of an old lady who sets out in pursuit! Many adventures will follow until it reaches your mouth..

How to use these gingerbread spices in cooking?

The mixture that I propose to you will be used for the realizations of the traditional gingerbread, the speculoos and the nonnettes, but you can also use it to decorate other recipes.

Mixed with brown sugar, you can add flavor to your pancakes, crepes, fruit compotes and cream desserts. Give a special flavor to your fruit pies and tarts.

To spice up your hot drinks, don't hesitate to use it as an infusion in your black tea, your mulled wine, your eggnog or your cocoa.

If you like sweet and sour recipes, try it in a spicy pork roast or a beef stew.

Have you ever tried it on a slice of foie gras with its onion confit? It's magical!

My gingerbread recipe

Do you want to make a gourmet gingerbread? Here is my personal gingerbread recipe:

Ingredients:

• 180g of flour
• 150g of honey
• 60g of butter
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of David Vanilla gingerbread spice
• 7g of bicarbonate
• 70g of milk
• 60g of brown sugar

Directions:

1. Mix the milk and the honey on very low heat
2. Add the melted butter
3. Add the flour, the gingerbread mixture and the sifted bicarbonate
4. Bake for about 1 hour at 160 degrees in a suitable pan.

To make a success of your homemade speculoos

My tip for successful speculoos: prepare your brown sugar and spices a few days in advance so that the sugar soaks up the flavors. Use this preparation in your usual recipe, which will now have a different flavor.

Our recipe ideas with my special gingerbread spices

The starter : Foie gras with spices

Your foie gras will have a whole new flavor if you sprinkle it with a pinch of these spices. Accompanied by your homemade gingerbread and a few pink berries, success is guaranteed.

The dish : Filet mignon in a spicy crust

An original recipe to please your table? Try filet mignon in a gingerbread crust! Wrap your meat in breadcrumbs and gingerbread before putting it in the oven.

Dessert: Old-fashioned baked apples

Simple baked apples are the perfect accompaniment to gingerbread, speculoos or gingerbread! David Vanille's advice: for gourmet Christmas gifts, consider giving our beautifully presented gingerbread mix!

How do I store my gingerbread mix?

To store your gingerbread and speculoos spice mix, use a tin container to protect it from humidity and light in order to keep its flavors longer.

Composition : cinnamon, ginger, anise, spices.