A History of Cookie Molds

Thank you for starting a new thread for this complex topic.

Here is another take on an old medieval gingerbread recipe: http://godecookery.com/ginger/ginger.htm

Gingerbread

1 lb. Honey - I prefer organic, or something made with a flavored flower blossom, etc., but feel free to use your favorite. Just remember that the final product is affected by the flavor of the honey you choose.
Bread Crumbs - up to a pound, maybe more, maybe less. These must be UNSEASONED bread crumbs, though either white or wheat, or a combination, is fine. Be sure that they are finely ground and not soft in any way.
ginger (optional!) - up to 1 Tbs.
cinnamon - up to 1 Tbs.
ground white pepper - up to ½ tsp.
pinch saffron, if desired, but not important here
few drops red food coloring (optional)

Bring the honey to a boil and skim off any scum. Keeping the pan over very low heat, add the spices, adjusting the quantities to suit your taste. Add the food coloring "if you will have it red." Then begin to slowly beat in the bread crumbs. Add just enough bread to achieve a thick, stiff, well-blended mass. Remove from the heat and turn the mixture onto a lightly greased (cooking spray works fine) square or rectangular baking sheet or shallow pan, ½ to 1 inch thick. Take a rolling pin & spread the gingerbread evenly out into the pan. Turn the pan over onto wax paper or parchment paper, & tap gently until the gingerbread falls from the pan. Turn the gingerbread over once again, then cut into small squares to serve. (A diamond shape is also very nice.) Decorate with small leaves (real or candy) attached to each piece with a clove.

This recipe should work well in molds. I would have never thought about bread crumbs but I guess that might cause some slight leavening(?)

I just found this site with some more molded gingerbread information: http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2006/12/through-ages-with-gingerbread.html

To make white Ginger bread.
Take Gumma Dragantis* half an once, and steep it in rosewater two daies, then put thereto a pound of sugar beaten and finely serced, and beat them well together, so that it may be wrought like paste, then role it thin into two Cakes, then take a fewe Jordain almonds and blaunch them in colde water, then dry them with a faire Cloth, and stampe them in a mortar very finelye, adding thereto a little rosewater, beat finely also the whitest Sugar you can get and searce it. Then take Ginger, pare it and beat it very small and serce it, them put in sugar to the almonds and beat them together very well, then take it out and work it at your pleasure, then lay it even upon one of your cakes, and cover it with an other and when you put it in the molde, strewe fine ginger both above and beneathe, if you have not great store of Sugar, then take Rice and beat it small and serce it, and put it into the Morter and beat them altogether.
*Gumma Dragantis = gum traganth.
From: A book of cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therin. Gathered by A.W. At London : Printed by Edward Allde, 1591

Author	Message Rating: Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
TasunkaWitko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9389	Post Options Post Reply Quote TasunkaWitko Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: A History of Cookie Molds Posted: 27 September 2017 at 08:21
	Karl found this link, and I like it: http://www.cookiemold.com/CookieMolds-History.html Posting it here to see if we can get some discussion going ~~
	If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!

Sponsored Links

Karl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Chef's Apprentice Joined: 23 January 2012 Location: Juneau Status: Offline Points: 251	Post Options Post Reply Quote Karl Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 September 2017 at 15:02
	Thank you for starting a new thread for this complex topic. Here is another take on an old medieval gingerbread recipe: http://godecookery.com/ginger/ginger.htm Gingerbread 1 lb. Honey - I prefer organic, or something made with a flavored flower blossom, etc., but feel free to use your favorite. Just remember that the final product is affected by the flavor of the honey you choose. Bread Crumbs - up to a pound, maybe more, maybe less. These must be UNSEASONED bread crumbs, though either white or wheat, or a combination, is fine. Be sure that they are finely ground and not soft in any way. ginger (optional!) - up to 1 Tbs. cinnamon - up to 1 Tbs. ground white pepper - up to ½ tsp. pinch saffron, if desired, but not important here few drops red food coloring (optional) Bring the honey to a boil and skim off any scum. Keeping the pan over very low heat, add the spices, adjusting the quantities to suit your taste. Add the food coloring "if you will have it red." Then begin to slowly beat in the bread crumbs. Add just enough bread to achieve a thick, stiff, well-blended mass. Remove from the heat and turn the mixture onto a lightly greased (cooking spray works fine) square or rectangular baking sheet or shallow pan, ½ to 1 inch thick. Take a rolling pin & spread the gingerbread evenly out into the pan. Turn the pan over onto wax paper or parchment paper, & tap gently until the gingerbread falls from the pan. Turn the gingerbread over once again, then cut into small squares to serve. (A diamond shape is also very nice.) Decorate with small leaves (real or candy) attached to each piece with a clove. This recipe should work well in molds. I would have never thought about bread crumbs but I guess that might cause some slight leavening(?) I just found this site with some more molded gingerbread information: http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2006/12/through-ages-with-gingerbread.html To make white Ginger bread. Take Gumma Dragantis* half an once, and steep it in rosewater two daies, then put thereto a pound of sugar beaten and finely serced, and beat them well together, so that it may be wrought like paste, then role it thin into two Cakes, then take a fewe Jordain almonds and blaunch them in colde water, then dry them with a faire Cloth, and stampe them in a mortar very finelye, adding thereto a little rosewater, beat finely also the whitest Sugar you can get and searce it. Then take Ginger, pare it and beat it very small and serce it, them put in sugar to the almonds and beat them together very well, then take it out and work it at your pleasure, then lay it even upon one of your cakes, and cover it with an other and when you put it in the molde, strewe fine ginger both above and beneathe, if you have not great store of Sugar, then take Rice and beat it small and serce it, and put it into the Morter and beat them altogether. Gumma Dragantis = gum traganth. From: A book of cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therin. Gathered by A.W. At London : Printed by Edward Allde, 1591*

Karl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Chef's Apprentice Joined: 23 January 2012 Location: Juneau Status: Offline Points: 251	Post Options Post Reply Quote Karl Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 September 2017 at 15:35
	Educational gingerbread molds: https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2016/12/eating-useful-knowledge-by-the-pound-gingerbread-alphabet-letters-and-books/ We take gingerbread and other spiced cookies so much for granted today that it is hard to believe how important they were to our grandcestors.

pitrow Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Master Chef Joined: 22 November 2010 Location: Newberg, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1087	Post Options Post Reply Quote pitrow Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 September 2017 at 09:20
	I'm going to have to take some time to read this!
	Mike Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog