In the realm of delectable Southern cuisine, Louisiana Gingerbread Stage Planks, also known as Mule Bellies, stand as a testament to the region's rich culinary heritage. These delectable treats, deeply rooted in Louisiana's history, have been captivating taste buds for generations. This article presents a comprehensive guide to crafting these iconic pastries, featuring a diverse collection of recipes that cater to various dietary preferences and skill levels. From the traditional molasses-based Gingerbread Stage Planks to the gluten-free and vegan renditions, each recipe promises a unique culinary journey. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice cook eager to explore Southern flavors, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to create these delectable treats that are sure to impress family and friends.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
STAGE PLANKS
Provided by Cynthia LeJeune Nobles
Categories Cookies Ginger Dessert Bake Picnic Mardi Gras Molasses Buttermilk Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield 16 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In bowl of a standing mixer, add molasses, sugar, and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until color turns lighter, about 2 minutes. On low mixer speed, alternate flour and buttermilk with butter mixture. Raise speed to medium and mix 30 seconds. Dough should be stiff enough to roll out. If not, mix in up to 1/2 cup more flour to reach proper consistency.
- On a hard floured surface, roll dough to a 10" x 16" rectangle. Slice down the middle horizontally, then vertically at 2-inch intervals to make 16 cookies. Place individual pieces at least 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until tops are firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pans.
GINGER GINGERBREAD
The Blackbird Bakery, in Austin, Tex., sells gluten-free baked goods and was founded by Karen Morgan, who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002. This gingerbread, a favorite at the bakery, is generously-laced with aromatic spices and calls for both fresh ginger and candied ginger.
Provided by Tara Parker-Pope
Time 1h30m
Yield Serves 8
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Liberally grease a 5- by 9-inch loaf pan.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients, including the sugars and spices, and mix on low speed to blend evenly. Add the butter and mix until blended. Add the fresh ginger, buttermilk, molasses, eggs and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Fold in the crystallized ginger.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top, and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. You can also bake this in an 8- by 8-inch square pan. Simply reduce the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Unmold onto a wire rack, and let cool slightly or completely. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 537, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 93 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 249 milligrams, Sugar 52 grams, TransFat 1 gram
GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Here is all you need to know to build a gingerbread house: a delicious recipe, instructions for assembly, and a printable template provided by Nina Cooke John, a Manhattan architect. The recipe came to us from Genevieve Meli, the pastry chef at Il Buco Alimentari in Manhattan, and it works just as well for cookies as it does for a gingerbread house. This recipe makes one small house, so you may consider doubling the recipe for a larger structure, but note: only one recipe at a time will fit in the bowl of a standard stand mixer, so plan ahead. (Ms. Cooke John and Ms. Meli also built a gingerbread structure for us, and you can watch that here.)
Provided by The New York Times
Categories cookies and bars, dessert
Time 2h20m
Yield 1 small gingerbread house
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Make the gingerbread: Combine the syrup, molasses, brown sugar and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the margarine is melted and the sugar has dissolved; set aside.
- Place the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and star anise (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- With the machine running on medium-low speed, slowly stream in the sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. (If using a convection oven, heat to 350 degrees.) With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a large sheet of parchment paper. Cut out your desired shapes with a chef's knife or pizza cutter and pull away scraps (if making the gingerbread house from the templates provided, you'll need to cut out two sides and two roofs). To minimize distortion, gently slide the parchment onto a baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and repeat as needed to cut out all of the necessary shapes.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. If using the template, be sure to bake the door piece. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies will harden as they cool.
- Assemble the house: Using a pastry bag fitted with small plain round tip, draw windows with royal icing on the pieces as they lie flat. Let the icing set, about two minutes. Then, using icing as glue, attach the 4 walls of the house to each other and support the walls with jars or cans to allow the icing to set. Attach the two roof pieces with icing, and let the icing dry. Attach the door with icing, and then decorate with icing and assorted candies.
ENGLISH GINGERBREAD
Provided by Moira Hodgson
Categories dessert
Time 1h50m
Yield 4 loaves gingerbread, each with 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 10-inch by 8-inch by 2 1/2-inch square cake tin and line it with grease-proof paper on the bottom and sides. Brush with one to two tablespoons melted margarine.
- Combine the remaining margarine in a small saucepan with the molasses and corn syrup and heat gently until melted. Remove from heat. Sift the bicarbonate of soda, plain and whole wheat flours (returning the whole wheat "flakes" left in the seive) into a large bowl.
- If using a food processor, put half the flour with the eggs, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger into the bowl fitted with the steel blade. Add the margarine-molasses mixture and process until smooth. Add the remaining flour (the bowl will be quite full) and process, adding a little milk if necessary to make a smooth mixture of dropping consistency. If working by hand, beat the eggs and add them one by one to the margarine mixture. Add to the flour with the sugar and spices and blend until smooth.
- Add the crystallized ginger and raisins to the mixture and turn it into the prepared tin. Bake in the center of the oven for one-and-a-half to two hours or until a thin skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The gingerbread should have begun to shrink away from the sides of the tin and the center should be springy to the touch.
- Remove the gingerbread from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Brush the top liberally with molasses and sprinkle with chopped ginger, pressing the pieces into the surface. Allow to cool and remove from the baking tin. At this point the gingerbread can be cut into four loaves and stored separately in airtight cake tins. It keeps for several weeks in a cake tin but it may also be frozen.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 921, UnsaturatedFat 20 grams, Carbohydrate 167 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 611 milligrams, Sugar 120 grams, TransFat 4 grams
OLD FASHION GINGERBREAD
My dad would always tell me his mother made gingerbread with hot water and that it was dense and rich with molasses. Over the years I looked for such a recipe, to no avail. Then one day I was given a book compiled by an elderly woman who recalled recipes from her childhood in Virginia, and there it was! I made one slight change, substituting shortening for lard. For gingerbread lovers, this classic version is wonderful, whether you eat it hot and dripping with butter or at room temperature.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h
Yield 9 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. square baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter, shortening and boiling water until smooth; cool slightly. Beat in eggs and molasses until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into molasses mixture. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 414 calories, Fat 17g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 68mg cholesterol, Sodium 390mg sodium, Carbohydrate 62g carbohydrate (40g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
Tips for Making Louisiana Gingerbread Stage Planks, or Mule Bellies:
- Use high-quality ingredients. Fresh, quality ingredients will result in a better tasting gingerbread.
- Follow the recipe carefully. Don't skip any steps or substitute ingredients unless you know what you're doing.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the gingerbread tough.
- Roll out the dough to a uniform thickness. This will help the gingerbread bake evenly.
- Bake the gingerbread at the correct temperature and for the correct amount of time. Underbaked gingerbread will be soft and gooey, while overbaked gingerbread will be dry and hard.
- Let the gingerbread cool completely before decorating it. This will help prevent the decorations from melting or sliding off.
Conclusion:
Louisiana gingerbread stage planks, or mule bellies, are a delicious and festive holiday treat. They're perfect for parties, potlucks, and cookie exchanges. With a little planning and effort, you can make these delicious treats at home. Just be sure to follow the tips above to ensure that your gingerbread turns out perfect.
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