by Alyse Passmore

Created on: November 10, 2009

When the windows have frosted over and woolly mittens are a must there is nothing more pleasing than an oversize mug brimming with something hot and frothy and a giant piece of gingerbread. While, the children were sledding and the men were hunting for the perfect Christmas tree, grandma clad in her apron would be mixing up a storm.

Oma's (grandma's) perfected gingerbread recipe has been revealed to generations of Enkelinnen (granddaughters). The Lebkuchener, a German gingerbread guild in Nuremberg, produced the most awe inspiring ginger treats adorned with icing and gold paint. Such elaborately decorated sweets thought to be worthy of royalty inspired the illustrious brothers Grimm fairytale Hansel and Gretel while enticing centuries of children. Many German grannies have aspired to make Nuremberg quality gingerbread.

And, what is better than gingerbread? Well, chocolaty gingerbread of course.

Gingerbread cookies require a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and coriander. Remarkable regardless of shape or form gingerbread becomes phenomenal when the spices are pulverized by hand and the ginger is freshly grated. A mortar and pestle can be used to grind up spices yet a coffee grinder is a much faster method. Large quantise of ground spices can be stored in jars, Ziploc baggies or Tupperware. Ginger root can be either minced by hand or grated. It isn't necessary to peel the ginger but you can do so if you like. If you choose to hand mince the ginger thinly slice the root then with the side of the knife blade crush the pieces by applying weight while sliding the knife across the cutting board. Finish by chopping the ginger until a paste forms. A multi faceted metal grater can be used just watch your fingers. The best utensil for ginger grating is a grater that is specifically designed for ginger. A brush can be used to knock free little bits of ginger and the juice is colleted so that it will not go to waste. Ginger root keeps for long periods in the freezer and is easier to grate when frozen. However, it is far more convenient to store minced ginger in an airtight container in the fridge.

Now that your spices are all ready to go it is time to get started. Will you be making gingerbread loaves or cookies? It is a tough decision. Perhaps after all milling and grating you might just make them both.

With each of these recipes it is all in the chocolate. Dutch cocoa powder, bitter sweet hunks and richly flavoured glazes will have you tantalized. As

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