THE FESTIVAL CARNET
Soft Gingerbread with Chocolate Moustaches
An egg-free gingerbread, decorated with small flat chocolate whiskers, drawn simply on three serving slices.
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The word "mustaches" here becomes a very simple pastry decoration: two chocolate curves laid flat on a slice. Gingerbread itself is a homemade recipe with honey and milk, without egg.
First prepare the cake and let it cool completely. Chocolate is a separate finish; spoon-drawn, it requires no mold or sculpture and should never be laid on a hot crumb.
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The preparation step by step
Prepare and weigh the ingredients
Read the whole recipe, then weigh 250 g of T55 wheat flour, 8 g of baking powder, 5 g of sweet four-spice mixture, 1 g of salt, 30 g of brown sugar. In another container, gather 200 g of liquid honey, 160 ml of whole milk. Also prepare a clean bowl and a spatula. Keep the dry ingredients separate from the liquid so that no measured ingredient is missed.
Line the mold and heat the oven
Cut baking paper wide enough to line the base of the 24 × 10 cm tin and overhang its two long sides. Add two small rectangles to the ends. The paper is enough here, without extra fat. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 160 °C, conventional setting (no fan).
Fluidizes the honey without boiling it
Pour 200 g of liquid honey, 160 ml of whole milk into the pan. Heat on very low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom. As soon as the honey mixes with the liquid, remove the pan. The mixture should be homogeneous and fluid, not bubbling.
Let the liquid cool down
Remove the pan from the heat for about 10 minutes, stirring two or three times. If you use a thermometer, wait for a temperature below 40°C. This prevents the flour from being heated abruptly. Prepare the dry ingredients while the mixture cools; this time is already included in the stated resting time.
Spread the baking powder and spices
Pour into the bowl 250 g of wheat flour T55, 8 g of baking powder, 5 g of sweet four-spice mixture, 1 g of salt, 30 g of brown sugar. Whisk the dry ingredients together for 30 seconds. Crush any small lumps of baking powder with the back of a spoon. If the flour is very lumpy, sift it before combining the ingredients.
Check the preparation without eggs
This formula does not require an egg: does not add any to correct the appearance of the liquid. Scrape the walls of the pan and stir one last time to bring all the honey back into the mixture. Prepare the mould next to the bowl to bake quickly after adding the baking powder.
Gather the two preparations
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in a third of the lukewarm liquid and whisk from the centre, gradually drawing in the flour. Add the rest in two additions. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and stop once the batter is evenly mixed. It should be thick but spread slowly when it falls from the spatula.
Check the dough before pouring
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to check that no pockets of flour remain. Stop once the mixture is evenly combined with no dry ingredients remaining. Do not add flour to stiffen the batter or beat it for several minutes: this cake does not need air whisked into it.
Fill and even the mold
Pour the batter into the tin, scraping the bowl thoroughly. Spread into the corners and lightly smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Fill no higher than two-thirds of the tin. If your tin is smaller than specified, bake the excess in a separate small tin.
Cook slowly
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes at 160 °C. Do not open for the first 35 minutes. Start checking 45 minutes after putting it in the oven. If the crust browns too much before the centre is baked, cover loosely with baking paper, keeping it away from the heating element.
Check the cooking and then removes
Insert a skewer into the centre at the highest point. It should come out without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are normal. Bake for another 5 minutes and check again if needed. Use oven gloves to remove the tin. Wait 15 minutes, then lift the cake out by the baking paper and place on a wire rack.
Cool before cutting
Peel the paper away from the sides and leave the gingerbread to cool for about 2 hours. The underside must be cold too. Cut slices 1.5 to 2 cm with a bread knife, making small back and forth movements without pressing the top. If you keep it for the next day, pack it only when it's cold.
Melt the chocolate from the decor
Cut the 15 g of dark chocolate into small pieces and put them in a bowl on a pot of simmering water, without the bottom touching the water. Stir until the chocolate is almost melted, then remove the bowl and finish mixing. Avoid any drop of water in the chocolate.
Draws three flat whiskers
Place three cold slices flat on the serving plate. Spread all the chocolate on these three slices by drawing two small curved lines attached to the back of a spoon; each mustache remains plated with the crumb. Leave to freeze for about 20 minutes in a cool room. Do not add eyes or parts in height.
Conservation. Let it cool completely, then keep the cake 3 days in an airtight box, in a cool and dry room. For longer storage, freezes slices packaged separately; defrosts only the useful amount. It is not a long-lasting product.
Recipe proposal with quantities and step by step. Times vary depending on the material: follow also the markers of texture and cooking.
The benchmarks for success
Choose the right mold
The indicated format counts as much as the temperature. In a shorter, deeper mold, the heart will cook more slowly; in a very large mold, the crumb will dry faster. Keep at least 3 cm free under the edge and cook any surplus separately.
Mixing just what is needed
Once the flour is moist, stop the whisk as soon as the white piping bag have disappeared. A long mixture does not make this cake lighter and can tighten its crumb. Especially the bottom of the bowl with the spatula.
Judge cooking at heart
The color of the ingredients and the material of the mold change the browning. A dark crust does not prove that the center is cooked: always check with a spike planted in the thickest part.
Questions Before You Start
Can we prepare it the day before?
Yeah. Wait until the cake is cold before packing. One night helps the crumb to cut and let the aromas spread; it does not allow to keep it for several weeks.
Why does the center seem sticky?
A hot cut cake may look gummy. Let it cool completely. If there is some shiny paste left on the skewer during the oven control, extend the cooking in sequences of 5 minutes before taking it out.
Do I need a piping bag?
Nope. A small spoon is enough to draw two chocolate curves close together. Look for a simple drawing, not a sculpted mustache or a thin piece that could break.
Is it really a quick gingerbread?
The preparation of the bread and its decoration takes about 35 minutes. Allow 50 minutes of cooking, full cooling and 20 minutes to freeze the chocolate: the decor should never be placed on a hot slice.
Baking tips for this recipe
- Preheat the oven according to the plug and prepare the mold before mixing the last ingredients.
- Uses the dimensions and cooking mode indicated: a higher or wider mold changes the cooking of the center.
- Follow the visual cues of step by step in addition to the duration. Respect the intended cooling before unmoulding or decorating.
Substitutions and variations
You can choose a sweeter or more full-bodied honey, keeping the indicated amount. Replacing honey with dry sugar, on the other hand, requires a review of the recipe.
Keep the type of chocolate provided for the structure or ganache. Switching from dark chocolate to white chocolate changes the balance: the quantities do not transpose directly.
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