Gingerbread fudge is practically children's favorite sweet in a sweet product. After all, not only is the glaze very tasty, it is also very bright, captivating little sweet tooths with its monograms and pictures.

It is quite difficult to prepare high-quality, non-crumbling and non-spreading lubricant for gingerbread cookies at home. It is necessary to strictly observe all proportions of the components, in no case to beat, but to create a certain consistency, and not to apply it to a hot product.

There are several options for glaze for gingerbread: protein, butter, sugar, lemon, even with the addition of alcoholic beverages.

For example, for gingerbread, according to tradition, it is left white, in other cases food coloring is added, decorated with all sorts of curlicues, houses, emoticons and everything your heart desires.

Such products are very popular during the Christmas holidays. Gingerbread with glaze decorates not only the festive table, but even the Christmas tree.

The simplest recipe

The recipe is quite simple, but the final result is obtained only after ten to twelve hours. So be patient and get started.

Break the egg, carefully separate the yolk from the white. Wash the lemon and cut it in half. Prick the pulp with a fork in several places and squeeze out some juice onto a spoon. Add starch, powder, protein, juice to the protein.

Mix everything until smooth and homogeneous. You can use concentrate instead of lemon juice, but keep in mind that it may turn yellow after it hardens. If the mass seems liquid to you, add a little powder; if, on the contrary, it is thick, dilute it with juice.

Transfer the gingerbread glaze into a sterile glass jar and place it in the refrigerator for ten to twelve hours, covering it with a lid.

Protein glaze

The most common simple glaze recipe consists of only three components, and it is quite simple to prepare. Even children can take part in this process. They will not only help, but will also receive a lot of positive emotions.

Components:

• Proteins – 3 pcs.;
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
• Powder – 350 g.

Production: ten minutes.

Calorie content: 301 Kcal/100 g.

Mix the chilled whites with lemon juice, this can be done with a fork. Open the powder and gradually add it to the protein mixture. This sweet can be made at home by simply grinding sugar in a coffee grinder.

Turn on the mixer or blender and beat until the mass no longer flows from the whisk.

Transfer the finished glaze into an airtight container and place in a cool place. Before use, add a few drops of lemon juice and apply to baked goods.

White fondant for gingerbread baking

The main feature of gingerbread is the white curls along the contour of the gingerbread and, of course, the spice in the form of ginger added to the dough.

Components:

• Chicken eggs – 2 pcs.;
• Sugar – 300 g;
• Tangerine zest – 15 g.

Production: twenty minutes.

Calorie content: 308 Kcal/100 g.

Divide fresh chicken eggs into yolks and whites. Do this carefully so as not to mix, otherwise the protein mass will not beat.

Pour the sugar into a coffee grinder, grind it into powder, sift it through a sieve or thin gauze. You don’t have to do this for the dough, but for the glaze you need it to be as fine as possible.

Beat the egg whites with powder until they form a stable, homogeneous foam. At the end, add the tangerine zest and mix everything carefully.

The finished glaze can now be applied to gingerbread. Let it harden, and after five to six hours you can apply another layer.

Color mixture for painting

Colored glaze differs from ordinary white glaze only in color, but the taste, consistency, ingredients and preparation principle remain the same.

Components:

• Powder – 250 g;
• Protein – 1 pc.;
• Food coloring - optional.

Production: ten minutes.

Calorie content: 301.5 Kcal/100 g.

Mix powdered sugar with egg white. This can be done even with a regular fork or spoon. The consistency should be thick. You can check this by running a spoon over the surface of the fondant. The line should disappear after ten seconds. If this does not happen, add more powder or dilute with a few drops of boiled chilled water.

Divide the resulting mass into small bowls, add one drop of gel food coloring to each, and mix everything quickly. Place the icing in a cellophane bag, cut off a corner and start painting.

If you don't have special dyes, you can take the easier route. Add raspberry jam to one part, turmeric to another, and so you get red and orange gingerbread glaze.

Sugar icing for gingerbread

Transparent sugar glaze is more suitable for decorating thick, large gingerbread cookies; it flows beautifully along the edges, solidifying in large drops.

Components:

• Sugar – 1 glass;
• Purified water – 0.5 cups.

Production: thirty minutes.

Calorie content: 190 Kcal/100 g.

Pour water into an iron bowl, then add sugar, stir until the grains are completely broken down. Cook the glaze, stirring constantly, until large bubbles appear on the surface.

Remove from heat and let cool. When you can safely dip your finger into the fudge, add vanilla, almond or any other flavoring of your choice.

Grease large gingerbreads with a silicone brush, small ones can be dipped in the glaze and removed with a slotted spoon. Place the finished products on a wire rack to drain off any excess glaze.

Lemon fudge

This glaze, unlike protein or sugar, does not have a cloyingly sweet taste, but a slight specific sourness.

Components:

• Powder – 2 cups;
• Butter – 80 g;
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.

Production: one and a half hours.

Calorie content: 295 Kcal/100 g.

We take homemade or store-bought butter, but the highest fat content, otherwise the fudge will not work. Take it out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking so that it softens.

Mix in a blender with powder and lemon juice at low speed, gradually speeding up the speed so that the mass doubles or triples. Add powder or juice if necessary.

Place the finished glaze in the refrigerator for an hour, after which you can apply it to the gingerbread cookies.

Chocolate with butter

This glaze can be used not only for gingerbread cookies, but also for fondant on pies or shortcakes. The recipe is very simple and does not require high culinary skills.

Components:

• Cocoa – 40 g;
• Water – 70 ml;
• Sugar – 150 g;
• Butter – 10 g.

Production: twenty minutes.

Calorie content: 315 Kcal/100 g.

Mix sugar and cocoa crushed in a coffee grinder in a bowl. Put the water to boil. Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour hot water over the dry ingredients, mix everything quickly, and pour in the butter at the very end.

Let the fudge sit for forty minutes, then coat the gingerbread cookies and place them beautifully on a plate.

Rum

Glaze with alcoholic beverages produces a very unusual taste for adults. So, adding a few drops of rum to the fudge can give baked goods a special aroma.

Components:

• Powdered sugar – 260 g;
• Boiled water – 230 ml;
• Rum – 25 ml.

Production: fifteen minutes.

Calorie content: 332 Kcal/100 g.

Sift the powdered sugar through a sieve, pour in just boiled water, and mix everything thoroughly. Let the mixture cool slightly and pour in the rum. When the fondant has completely cooled, apply the mixture to the baked gingerbread cookies. Let the fudge harden. It is better to leave them overnight and put them on the table in the morning.

1. If you add butter to the glaze, it will become shiny;
2. Before greasing the gingerbread, make sure that their surface is smooth, so the fondant will lie better. If there are uneven spots, smooth them out carefully with a knife;
3. To make the glaze snow-white, choose powder of the lightest possible shade;
4. If you want to experiment and color your fondant, use the products you have at hand. Fresh parsley will produce green, orange juice will produce orange, and beets will produce red;
5. You can coat the gingerbread with jam and glaze on top, so the fudge will lie perfectly even.

Glaze for sweet gingerbreads emphasizes their pleasant taste.

This delicacy has its own characteristics in preparation. If you follow them, baked goods will always be appetizing, tasty and effective.

General principles for preparing delicate glaze

What consistency should gingerbread glaze have? It should be neither liquid nor thick. Then the mixture will adhere well to the dough product and will not drain from its surface. Glaze that is too thick requires a few drops of warm liquid.

If the aromatic mixture for decorating baked goods turns out to be liquid, you need to add powdered sugar. This ingredient can be prepared from granulated sugar by grinding it in a coffee grinder.

Lemon juice is actively used to prepare the glaze. This liquid component replaces water. It has a positive effect on the taste of the glaze. Gingerbreads that are too sweet need lemon juice.

The eggs will help the glaze acquire a dense and soft consistency. Yolks are added to the mixture to give it a yellowish tint. It is better to dry baked goods with icing in the oven at a temperature of about 100 degrees. A little heating will protect the human body from salmonella.

To make the color of the finished glaze brighter, you need to add food coloring. Then the dough product will take on a festive look. A spoonful of raspberry jam contributes to the red tint of the glaze and the magical raspberry aroma. Turmeric will give the mixture an orange tint.

The glaze can be applied to the entire surface of the dough product or used to create a beautiful design. It is better to draw on gingerbread cookies with an ordinary syringe without a needle.

Grated chocolate glaze with sour cream for gingerbread cookies

Ingredients

sugar – 80 g

grated dark chocolate without additives – 130 g

sour cream – 245 g

Cooking method

Grind sugar with sour cream in a saucepan.

Place on low heat. Wait until the sugar is completely dissolved.

The glaze must be stirred all the time.

Pour the grated chocolate into the pan. Keep on fire until the chocolate mass becomes homogeneous.

Remove container from heat.

Wait until the mixture thickens.

Dip gingerbread cookies into glaze. Place on a plate.

Serve with tea after the glaze has completely dried.

White glaze for gingerbread

Ingredients

Chicken egg white – 1 pc.

Powdered sugar – 225 gr.

Lemon juice – 4 ml

Cooking method

Pour lemon juice into the dish.

Add protein.

Beat the mixture.

Pour in the sifted powder.

Stir until the protein mixture stops flowing from the whisk.

Pour the frosting into an airtight container.

Before use, add 2 drops of lemon juice. Mix.

Place the finished glaze for gingerbread in a plastic bag with a hole of about 1 cm.

Apply a thick glaze to the gingerbread outline. Wait until it dries.

Use the same mixture to draw even lines of equal thickness.

Use a toothpick to create drawings from the lines.

White chocolate frosting for Christmas gingerbread

Ingredients

powdered sugar – 160 g

white chocolate – 195 g

cold milk – 40 ml

coconut flakes – 70 g

Cooking method

Break the chocolate into small pieces.

Place in a bowl. Melt in a warm water bath.

Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.

Pour in 20 g of milk. Mix.

Pour the liquid mixture into the melted chocolate.

Stir the gingerbread glaze until smooth.

Pour in the remaining milk.

Beat the glaze with a mixer.

Decorate the gingerbread cookies with a mixture of white chocolate and powdered sugar.

Sprinkle coconut flakes on top.

Butter chocolate glaze for gingerbread

Ingredients

powdered sugar – 155 g

butter – 2 g

cocoa – 36 g

water – 60 ml

Cooking method

Fill the container with powdered sugar.

Add cocoa powder.

Place the oil in a saucepan. Melt.

Pour water into a separate container. Boil. Pour into the cocoa powder mixture.

Stir until smooth.

Place melted butter over food.

Use the prepared chocolate buttercream frosting immediately.

Icing for gingerbread

Ingredients

3 chicken eggs

340 g powdered sugar

15 g tangerine zest

Cooking method

Divide the yolks and whites into different bowls.

Beat the protein mass until foam rises.

Add powdered sugar.

Beat at maximum speed.

Add the zest. Gently stir the aromatic mixture.

Decorate gingerbread masterpieces with icing.

Homemade orange glaze for gingerbread

Ingredients

freshly squeezed orange juice – 145 ml

powdered sugar – 250 gr.

food coloring – 2 gr.

starch – 48 g

Cooking method

Pour freshly squeezed orange juice into a container. Heat.

Add starch and powdered sugar.

Stir until smooth.

Add food coloring.

Stir until smooth.

Place the prepared gingerbread glaze on the gingerbread.

Icing for toffee gingerbread

Ingredients

hard toffee – 220 g

butter – 45 g

milk – 60 ml

powdered sugar – 48 g

Cooking method

Place the oil in a saucepan.

Pour milk into it.

Place the container with the ingredients on the fire.

Add toffee.

Pour out the powder. Mix.

Cook until the candies are completely dissolved, stirring the ingredients.

Apply the finished glaze to the gingerbread cookies in several layers.

Glaze with rum for gingerbread

Ingredients

powdered sugar – 255 gr.

hot water – 240 ml

rum – 24 ml

Cooking method

Sift powdered sugar into a container.

Add the required amount of water.

Pour in the rum. Grind the mixture thoroughly.

The finished glaze can be applied to products.

Serve gingerbread cookies with icing for a holiday dinner.

Fruit glaze for gingerbread

Ingredients

sugar – 180 gr.

dried plums – 70 gr.

canned cherries – 60 gr.

chocolate chips – 30 gr.

red food coloring – 4 gr.

almonds – 25 gr.

cocoa powder – 48 gr.

butter – 55 gr.

milk – 105 ml

Cooking method

Remove the butter from the refrigerator to soften.

Pour cocoa into a dish.

Add sugar.

Pour milk into a separate container. Heat the dairy product. Add to container with sugar and cocoa mixture.

Heat over low heat, stirring the contents. Boil. Cook for 3 minutes.

Remove container from heat.

Add butter. Mix.

Pour hot glaze over baked goods.

• The butter will make the gingerbread glaze shiny.
• Uneven surfaces in the baked goods must be cut off while the dough is warm so that the gingerbread glaze lays out in an even layer.
• Do not beat the egg whites too hard, as the icing will become saturated with air and will bubble.
• Properly melted chocolate will create the perfect frosting.
• White chocolate does not contain cocoa powder, so when melting it is necessary to calculate the temperature conditions.
• You should not melt 240 g of food at the same time.
• The gingerbread glaze should be moderately thick.
• It is better to heat the ingredients for the glaze in a water bath.
• Properly prepared glaze does not spread. This mixture is convenient for drawing patterns.
• To make the gingerbread icing snow-white, you need to choose powdered sugar with a very light shade.
• Beetroot makes the glaze red, orange juice makes it yellow, and parsley makes it green.
• Orange juice will turn the mixture pale yellow.
• It is better to use powder that you prepare yourself so that the glaze has a delicate aroma.
• It is recommended to sift the powdered sugar.
• If you grease the baked goods with a thin layer of jam, the icing will lie perfectly evenly. After complete drying, a shine will appear.
• To prepare the glaze, you should not choose porous chocolate. If you add a spoonful of cocoa to the mixture, its color will become more saturated.
• Egg whites must be whipped in a dry and clean container. It is better to use a glass or porcelain vessel.
• The whisk must be dry.
• To speed up the process of whipping egg whites into foam, you need to use the following tricks:
• add a pinch of salt;
• put lemon juice with salt and powdered sugar;
• pour a few drops of vinegar;
• cool the protein mass.
• If there are residual fat and drops of liquid on the whisk, this will interfere with whipping the whites.
• In an aluminum bowl, the whites darken and the yolks acquire a greenish tint.
• If there are cracks in the enamel bowl, small particles of enamel may fall into the prepared mixture.
• The mixture to which the beaten egg white is added should be stirred carefully to retain the air in the protein mass. Otherwise it will settle and become liquid.
• To make the mixture thick, you need to beat it at very high speeds.
• To whip the sour cream better, you need to beat in the white of a chicken egg. Cool the mass.
• It will be easier to whip the butter if you first cut it into pieces and place it in a bowl to soften, immersed in warm water.
• When preparing the glaze with the addition of flour, you must use a long whisk. Then the finished mass will be smooth.
• While stirring the glaze with a whisk, you need to make movements describing the number 8.
• The butter glaze should be applied to the gingerbread cookies only after it has cooled.
• The gingerbread icing will be smooth if you smooth it out with a knife immersed in hot water.
• If you sprinkle the glaze with starch, the mixture will not spill over the dough treat.
• To prepare the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate in a hot water bath, stirring gently until the product melts completely. The finished glaze will not have a burnt taste.
• Chocolate can be heated to a temperature of 45 degrees.
• The walls of the dish in which the chocolate pieces will be melted must be greased with butter. Then the chocolate will not stick to them.
• It is necessary to apply glaze to the top of the gingerbread from the center to the edges, then the layer will be uniform.
• If you don't have chocolate on hand, you can use cocoa powder to make the glaze.
• When making cocoa glaze, it is very important to first add the powder and then the water, stirring the mixture thoroughly as you do so. Otherwise, the powder in the glaze will turn into lumps and it will be difficult to stir.
• Prepare the gingerbread glaze over low heat.
• To stop drawing with icing without a drop, you need to make a quick upward movement away from you.
• For drawings made from chocolate glaze, you need to put a transparent film on the picture.
• If you use one type of chocolate, the glaze will not separate or curl.
• If you glaze the gingerbread cookies in two layers, you need to do this with a short break for it to harden.
• It is better to store the sweet mixture for decorating gingerbread in cling film to prevent it from drying out.
• If you only used part of the prepared glaze, you can freeze the remainder.
• Gingerbread with glaze can be served with tea, cocoa, milk, yogurt, compote, coffee and kefir.

The cookies are already on the way, and the buns are asking to come out of the oven, but something is still missing. We need the final finishing touch. And if you are not just a cook, but also an artist at heart, then sugar icing is what you need.

And when under your hands the gingerbread cookies are covered with intricate paintings, and the Easter cakes are decorated with snow-white glossy “caps” of glaze, you will feel like a little bit of magic.

White sugar icing

Heat the cream, add the butter and keep the pan on the fire until it melts. Then add powdered sugar and vanilla,

beat with a mixer until smooth.

This snow-white glaze is simply ideal for Easter cakes.

Powdered sugar icing for buns

Mix powdered sugar with starch and vanilla.

Bring the cream to a boil and pour into the powder. Knead well and immediately coat the fresh buns - the cooled glaze thickens quickly.

Sugar-protein glaze with liqueur

Add powdered sugar and warm, but not hot water to the whites and beat with a blender.

Flavor the sugar-white mixture with liqueur. Depending on which liqueur you choose, you can get very interesting combinations of taste and aroma.

The glaze can be used for painting and for coating confectionery products.

Whip the cream with sugar.

Melt the chocolate in a water bath or in the microwave and carefully fold it into the whipped cream.

Custard protein sugar glaze

Beat the whites with sugar in a water bath (about 5 minutes). Then remove from the water bath and beat for another 5 minutes.

Pour this glaze over cooled baked goods. It dries quickly, becomes smooth and shiny.

Caramel sugar glaze

Melt the butter, add milk and sugar. Bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved and 1 minute.

Remove from heat, add half the caster sugar and beat until cool.

Then add vanilla, the remaining powder, and beat everything again.

The finished glaze tastes very much like caramel. Suitable for cookies and gingerbreads.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add powdered sugar, cinnamon, salt and milk. The thickness of the glaze depends on the amount of milk. Cook for a few minutes, stirring.

You can pour the glaze over pancakes, pudding or sweet porridge, or complement baked goods or desserts.

Sugar icing for gingerbread

sugar – 1 tbsp. water – 0.5 tbsp.

Dissolve sugar in water and bring the syrup to a boil. When large clear bubbles begin to appear on the surface (temperature 110 degrees), remove the syrup from the heat and let cool slightly.

Cover large gingerbread cookies with icing brushes. Small ones can be completely immersed in syrup and placed on a wire rack.

Sugar icing for gingerbread cookies

Pour milk into the melted butter, add salt and powdered sugar.

Knead until creamy. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk or water. You can add powdered sugar to the liquid glaze.

Finally, add vanilla and mix everything again.

Apply the finished glaze to the cookies using a brush or pastry syringe.

Sugar icing for gingerbread house

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gradually add the powdered sugar.

This glaze can be used to both glue parts of a gingerbread house and decorate it. To prevent the glaze from hardening too quickly, add a drop of lemon juice.

Colored sugar icing for cookies

Pour the milk into the powdered sugar and knead to a paste consistency.

Add syrup and almond extract.
Divide the glaze into jars and color each one with the desired food coloring.

This glaze is used by professional confectioners. It's great for decorating holiday cookies.

It’s hard to imagine a sweetness more atmospheric than gingerbread with glaze: just look at the photo to feel this spicy smell, hear the delicious crunch and get into the holiday spirit. Of course, such cookies are incredibly popular in the winter, but in the summer you will get no less pleasure from tea with aromatic homemade gingerbread. All that remains is to find out how to make this culinary ambition a reality!

On the way to the perfect gingerbread

When it comes to baking, there are some things you should know before you go shopping for ingredients so you can be prepared for the pitfalls and know the basics of baking techniques. Your gingerbread cookies will definitely be a hit if you can follow these 3 rules:

1. The ingredients must be of high quality

We know that this truth is already textbook, but with baked goods the risk of seeing it in action is much higher than with soups or main courses. As for flour, eggs and sugar, it’s difficult to go wrong with them: even cheap brands will cope with the task. But it is better to choose proven butter. It is believed that real butter cannot have a fat content lower than 82.5%, so you will have to pay a little extra for the taste and texture of your gingerbread cookies.

It is not necessary to use premium flour. The first or second grade will give the cookie its own chic and make it more natural

2. You need to work with the dough quickly

After you take the finished dough out of the refrigerator, it is better not to stretch the rubber: if you are distracted or simply take too long to roll out and cut out the gingerbread cookies, the butter will begin to melt and the dough may float. In this regard, preparing ginger cookies in the summer is a little more difficult, since you will have to act even faster.

Tip: When you take the dough out of the refrigerator, immediately turn on the oven to preheat. Did you cut out the cookies first and then turn on the oven? The outline will float and the cookies will not come out very beautiful.

3. You will have to act according to the situation

No matter how hard you try to follow the recipe, the chance of getting a 100% copy of what the author came up with is negligible. A slight deviation in proportions, a changed brand of one of the ingredients or a different oven is enough - and such a carefully written recipe will leave you alone with cookies spreading on the baking sheet or dough crumbling when rolling out. These unpleasant moments can be avoided if you focus on the texture and are not afraid to make your own changes to the recipe. Is the dough runny and sticky? Add a little flour. Is the dough falling apart and not wanting to come together into a ball? Mix some oil into it. Be bold and trust your culinary intuition!

Exemplary gingerbread cookies in just an hour and a half

If you think that an hour and a half is a long time, let us remind you that the dough usually spends about 2 hours in the refrigerator alone, not to mention the labor-intensive rolling or painstaking mixing of ingredients. How to meet the deadline, what ingredients to buy, and how to do everything right? Let's tell you in order.

What will you need?

• 250g flour (plus some for adjustment)
• 100 g butter,
• 1 egg,
• 50 g honey,
• 100 g sugar,
• 1 tsp baking powder,
• 2 tsp ground ginger,
• 1 tsp cinnamon,
• a pinch of nutmeg.

Without coloring with cocoa, the color of the gingerbread cookies will be something like this:

Secret: In all the photos, the gingerbread cookies are brown, but it is very difficult to achieve this color without coloring. Usually they add a little cocoa to the cookies or use brown sugar instead of white - this will make the color more saturated. Although the combination of honey + cinnamon gives a beautiful golden hue, which intensifies as it cools, we recommend preparing the first batch without coloring.

What to do?

• The oil should be very soft, but not liquid, so you won’t be able to use a microwave or water bath. It is advisable to leave it to warm up at room temperature for about an hour in advance.
• If the honey is not liquid, you need to melt it in a water bath. You can also microwave it, just make sure it doesn’t boil.
• Now grind the butter and sugar with a fork, pour the egg and honey into the mixture and mix. The honey should not be hot, otherwise the egg will curdle!
• Separately mix flour, baking powder and spices. We leave the sifting to your discretion: if you thoroughly mix the ingredients, the difference in the taste of the finished gingerbread cookies will be noticeable only to special connoisseurs.
• Gradually stir the dry mixture into the oil mixture until large pellets form. It’s quite convenient to do this with a fork rather than a mixer, although here you have to decide on your preferences.
• Large crumbs should easily form a ball, the consistency of which will be slightly reminiscent of marzipan. If the dough crumbles or spreads, don't be afraid to deviate from the recipe by adding a little butter or flour.

Proper gingerbread dough does not stretch and has a consistency similar to marzipan

• Now we make a pancake out of the dough, wrap it in film and put it in the refrigerator for 40 minutes. In this form, the dough will cool faster and will be easier to roll out. By the way, if there is too much dough, it can be stored in the freezer for several months!
• After 40 minutes the dough can be rolled out. This is best done between two sheets of baking paper, but the good old method of flouring your rolling pin and countertop will also work. The thickness of our gingerbread cookies is about half a centimeter.
• We cut out the cookies using a mold, remove the excess dough, transfer the blanks onto baking paper using a knife and repeat the rolling again with the remaining dough. It may take 4 or 5 such passes until all the prepared dough is utilized. By the way, do not spread the cookies too tightly, because they will increase slightly in size in the oven.
• The baking tray with the cookies is placed in a well-heated oven at 180˚, where they are baked for 5 to 12 minutes: the time greatly depends on the thickness of the gingerbread and your preference for softness or crispiness. In general, once the edges begin to brown, the cookies are ready and can be removed.

Right out of the oven, the baked goods are indeed very similar to fluffy and soft gingerbread cookies, but as they cool, the cookies settle and harden a little, becoming cookie-like. So, when you want to keep the cookies in the oven for an extra 2-3 minutes, keep in mind that with tea, you may not be eating gingerbread, but almost a cracker.

Interesting: The shelf life of any cookies, even homemade ones, is several months, but, of course, over time the aroma will disappear and the dough will become stale. It's useful to know how long gingerbread can last, but it's even better to make enough of it to realistically eat in about a week.

It's not the same without the glaze!

Gingerbread cookies are good in their pure form, but, you see, gingerbread cookies painted with colored icing look much more tempting, and sometimes it seems that such decoration makes them even tastier. Of course, you can buy ready-made glaze in the store, but since we are already involved in home cooking, we suggest going all the way and making the glaze with your own hands, and our small master class will help you with this.

Option on the water

Worried about raw eggs? Then use glaze on water! It may not be as boiling white as on an egg, but it is 100% safe and no less tasty!

The glaze on water turns out translucent, but it sticks to cookies no worse than protein

What will you need?

• 150 g powdered sugar.
• 2 tsp lemon juice for white paste or any other juice to add a light tint.
• A little cold water.
• Food coloring optional.

What to do?

The basic principle here is: a lot of powder - little liquid. Just carefully add the juice and water in small portions until the powder forms a sticky mass. Kneading can take a lot of effort and time, because soaking a glass of powder with a few drops of water is not so easy. You can breathe a sigh of relief when a drop of glaze holds its shape without spreading.

Protein option

The glaze on the whites turns out snow-white, but it will require a little more effort from you. But if you are not too lazy to carry out this experiment, the cookies will turn out simply fascinating, like from the pages of culinary magazines!

For a dense contour glaze, beat the mixture at maximum speed of the mixer.

What will you need?

• 150 g powdered sugar.
• 1 egg.
• Food coloring optional.

What to do?

Separate the white from the yolk using any method known to you. The main thing is that the yolk does not get into our mixture. Now gradually pour the powder into the egg whites, beating with a mixer at high speed. When a drop of glaze holds its shape, you can begin painting.

Tip: If you want to fill rather than outline, just make the glaze thinner. Just keep in mind that the filling takes longer to dry than the outline, and it is better to leave such cookies to dry overnight, especially if you plan to transport them.

Well, all that remains is to put the icing in a special confectionery bag or a regular plastic bag, cut off the spout and give free rein to your imagination. Good luck with your experiments and delicious gingerbread!

If you need to decorate gingerbread cookies in an original way, it is best to use. This thin but dense shell can have a different composition - from a mixture of granulated sugar with food coloring to a combination of powdered sugar, eggs, chocolate, sour cream and other components. To make frosting correctly, you don't need to spend a lot of time or effort. There are many recipes, each of which has its own individual “zest”. Gingerbread cookies are coated with glaze using a brush, applying a certain pattern, or they are simply completely poured over the baked goods.

Icing for Christmas gingerbread

Ingredients:

• cream – 1 tbsp;
• sugar – 1 tbsp;
• vanilla sugar - to taste;
• butter – 1 teaspoon.

Preparation

To prepare this amazing and delicious glaze, pour granulated sugar into a saucepan, pour in heavy cream and place on low heat. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture for about 15 minutes, then add a small piece of butter and vanilla sugar to the thickened product. Now mix everything thoroughly, grind, heat until all ingredients are completely dissolved and remove from heat. Leave the glaze to cool at room temperature, then apply it to the finished gingerbread cookies with a brush.

White glaze recipe for gingerbread cookies

Ingredients:

• boiled water – 0.5 tbsp;
• sugar – 300 g.

Preparation

Let's look at another way to prepare glaze for gingerbread cookies. Dissolve the sugar in water, heat it over low heat until the crystals are completely dissolved, and then put it in the refrigerator to harden for about 30 minutes.

Colored glaze for gingerbread

Ingredients:

• powdered sugar – 200 g;
• vegetable or fruit juice - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Preparation

We choose any juice, depending on the desired color: carrot, beetroot, spinach or cherry and pour powdered sugar into it. Thoroughly grind the resulting mass, put it in the refrigerator and proceed to preparing baked goods.

Lemon glaze

Ingredients:

• powdered sugar – 200 g;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• boiled water – 2 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation

Add lemon juice and heated water to the powdered sugar. Mix everything thoroughly until the mixture becomes homogeneous and shiny. Apply the finished glaze to the gingerbread cookies using a brush, or simply pour the baked goods on top.

Sugar icing for gingerbread

Ingredients:

• sugar – 250 g;
• water – 125 ml.

Preparation

Let's consider another option on how to make glaze for gingerbread cookies. Pour water into a saucepan, add granulated sugar, mix and place on low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, skim off the carefully formed foam, remove from the stove and cool to about 80 degrees. Then add flavorings if desired.

We glaze large gingerbreads with a brush, and lower small gingerbreads in small portions into a pan with the sugar mixture, carefully stirring with a spoon so that they are completely covered with syrup.

After this, pour the gingerbread cookies onto a wire rack and dry at 50 degrees until a shiny crust appears, giving the products a beautiful appearance and keeping them from drying out.

Chocolate glaze recipe for gingerbread cookies