Dessert: Oktoberfest Ginger Heart Cookies
The Oktoberfest was started as a wedding reception for a Prince and his bride in Bavaria. The Prince eventually became King Ludwig 1. King Max decided to honor his son with horse races to celebrate the happy event which served as the finale of five days of wedding festivities on October 17, 1810.
The ginger heart cookies are one of the items used to celebrate this event which started with love and romance. Therefore these cookies are heart shaped with love sayings much like a valentine. They can be made large or small, but typically the German ones are quite large almost 10 inches in height. They often have a whole in the top with ribbon so that you can wear the heart. It’s a great project for the children whether or not you have an Oktoberfest of your own.
Prost! Tina
Category : Oktoberfest 2009
INGREDIENTS:
Cookie Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter or stick margarine softened
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 large egg white
- Cooking Spray
Frosting Option 1 Ingredients:
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- Several drops water
- A drop or two of food coloring (for each color desired)
Frosting Option 2 Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- A drop or two of food coloring (for each color desired)
DIRECTIONS:
- Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.
- Combine flour and next 7 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl at medium speed with a mixer for 5 minutes
- Add molasses and egg white to the sugar/butter mixture and beat well.
- Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended.
- Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball, and wrap with plastic wrap.
- Chill 1 hour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Working with one half of dough at a time (keep remaining half chilled until ready to use)
- Roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a heavily floured surface; cut with a heart cutter.
- Place gingerbread cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Remove from pans
- Poke holes in heart for ribbon insertion while cooling on racks.
Two methods for decorating: In either case decorate as desired.
- Option 1: Apply the icing with a wooden pick or a small knife
- Option 2: Spoon into a decorating bag or a heavy-duty-ziplock plastic bag with a tiny hole snipped in 1 corner to squeeze your frosting onto the cookie with your design of choice.
Yield: 1-2 dozen heart shaped cookies depending on size of heart.