Gingerbread cookies Prague style (I wish!)

Now that I am recovered from three days of migraine (one after the other! Yuck), my favourite way to unwind is to bake. Full of enthusiasm from our trip to Prague, and seeing how effortlessly the gingerbread lady decorated her shapes, I felt it was time I had a go...
Using my Bake off recipe book from last year's show, I followed the recipe for the dough. I should add that this is the first time I have ever made gingerbread or attempted to decorate it.
This recipe is very simple: Ground ginger, golden syrup, butter, Muscovado sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. The sugar, butter and syrup are melted on a low heat then the dry ingredients are added by beating with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Once this is done, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and leave to cool.
You really must be patient with this. I kept returning to my dough to fiddle about with it, but really, just leave it alone. Mine was quite greasy and did not want to do as it was told until it had cooled completely. That's when it was easy to handle.
I have cutters in various shapes, so I tried the ones that seemed to fit with a Christmas theme; Xmas tree, Angel, Heart, Snowflake and a simple flower shape. (see below)

I was careful to keep a lot of space between each shape when laying out on the baking sheet as they cook much more evenly and successfully that way, taking only about 7 to 8 minutes to cook. It is important to allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them, but they do cool quite quickly.
I had three baking trays on the go which made keeping the oven in use through out the whole process easily possible.
On the whole, I was pleased with the bake. There were a few that were a little too cooked though!

These are the rejects which required that they were eaten immediately.

Next came the creative bit...decorating. Believe me, when I started I was under no illusion that it would be easy. The first of the challenges was to make a piping bag. Anyone who has seen Mary Berry make one will know that she makes it look easy. Well it's not! not to start with anyway.

I had several attempts, all of them stapled down the side to keep the from falling apart. The first one was OK but I snipped a hole in the bottom that was just too big. With my next attempt, I admitted my limitations and used a piping nozzle screwed to the end.

Once again, using a recipe from the Bake off book, I made royal icing using 600 gms of sugar, two egg whites and lemon juice. This was more than enough to decorate all my shapes.

Half way through the decorating, which I felt was going quite well as I was getting better with each attempt, my son wandered into the kitchen to see what I was up to. He laughed (cheek) then asked me why I didn't just copy the designs in the book as they were much better than the designs I had used. I answered with 'I am copying those designs!!!!' Mmmm. Enough said. 

This is what my gingerbread cookies looked like by the time I had finished.

The angel and Xmas tree shapes didn't really work, but the others were OK. Really I think the shapes were just a little too small, so I have bought some bigger ones and will have another go with them. I will also look out for a piping nozzle with a smaller hole in the end to get a finer finish. Overall though, I am pleased with my first try. 

Two things I have learnt is that the recipe I used needs a little more ginger and that they definitely taste better the next day.

One thing I will be doing is making another batch of these for Xmas to give as gifts and for me and my family to eat because they really are quite delicious and a lot of fun to make. If I was given a box of these from a friend for Xmas I know I would be delighted. I hope you feel inspired to have a go. You never know what you can do until you try.

Next on the list to make - Xmas pudding. 

Prague, what an inspiration.

My lovely partner Bill took me on holiday to Prague this week, and what an inspiration it was. I had no idea it was so beautiful or that it has had such a difficult history. Despite all the struggles the country has been through, it is a very beautiful, warm and friendly place to visit.
Famous for it's beer, Bill enjoyed taking me to the micro breweries to sample the potent liquids.

The food was simple, hearty and for some strange reason always served luke warm??? But if you like goulash, sausage, spiced cabbage and pork knee you will be fine because that is just about what they serve in every traditional restaurant and bar. Oh and lots of dumplings. I think I may have come back looking like a dumpling. I hate to think how many calories I consumed while we were away.
We did however, do a lot of walking. Prague is easy to navigate, especially on foot. We were never more than a thirty minute meander away from one side of the city to the other.
The city is made up of lots of squares and is bisected by a river.

These buildings are typical of the sort you see surrounding each square. These are in old town square with our hotel  in the square just behind the building in the bottom picture.
Old town square is home to the famous astronomical clock.

It is also home to the church that inspired Disney's cinderella castle.

The church of St Nicholas or Santa Clause is also in this square...

...you see, he really does exist!
Charles bridge is a very popular tourist attraction which is busy, busy, busy, but still romantic depending on the company you are in.

And there are plenty of romantic, quiet, intimate spots to discover, actually not that far away, just under the bridge infact.

I couldn't quite work this out, but there seemed to be another river running alongside the larger one. We are under the Charles bridge at this spot.

The story is that if you place a padlock on the bridge with your name on it, you leave your heart in Prague and will be sure to return.

On either side of the bridge are interesting shops selling all sorts of hand made things. My two favorites were the lady making and selling these wood decorations...

They have obviously been laser cut using CAD technology, then she hand paints them.
Then there was the very lovely lady making ginger bread.

I will definitely be giving these babies a go. The shop this lady had was quite small, but she made and decorated all the gingerbread herself on the premises and had a tiny tea room too, and she was making a living out of it and she employed someone to work with her!!! It seems there is money in gingerbread. Who knew?
So, from the beer and dumplings, to the architecture and gingerbread, it was an inspiring place to visit, romantic too and just a little bit fattening. Oh well. x