Korean Job Discussion Forums

[brento1138]

Anyone seen gingerbread cookies around? I was trying to explain them to my class and co-teachers, and found myself yet craving another holiday sweet.

Anyone have a recipe? I'd even be prepared to make it myself if I can't find it anywhere...

[mindmetoo]

[jennateacher]

A bit more to it than just adding ginger. Molasses is the key, anyone know where to find some here?


4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 lb unsalted butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup unsulphured molasses




For the dough, sift the dry ingredients (except sugar) into a mixing bowl and stir or whisk well to combine.
Beat the butter and sugar by machine and beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Continue beating until the mixture is smooth, scraping down often.
Beat in half the flour mixture, then stop and scrape down the bowl and beaters.
Beat in the molasses, scrape again, and beat in the remaining flour mixture, just until combined.
Divide the dough into several pieces and press each piece into a rectangle slightly more than 1/4" thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (this step is important).
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Can be left overnight or frozen at this point.
Set racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350�F.
Roll the dough, one piece at a time, on a floured surface just to make the dough flat and even but not much thinner.
The cookies should be 1/4 inch thick.
Cut with floured cutters and arrange on the pans at an inch or two apart, to make room for expansion during baking.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Reroll the scraps immediately or press together, chill and reroll later.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until firm when pressed with a fingertip.
(They won't have much extra color and should dent slightly when touched).
Cool the cookies on pans a minute or two, then transfer to racks.

[sock]

If you don't want to run all over Korea looking for molasses, you can use a mixture of dark brown sugar and corn syrup. Use just a little less corn syrup than whatever amount of molasses you're supposed to have, and keep adding the dark brown sugar and stirring until the mixture is very thick.

The taste, texture, and smell is slightly different than real molasses, but you won't know the difference in your gingerbread.

I've found corn syrup at LotteMart, it is probably at many other large chain grocery stores, but I haven't specifically checked.

[brento1138]

Hmmm, this is sounding like quite a task. I think I'd be interested in finding real molasses... maybe a place in Itaewon has it?

All I am missing is ground ginger, cloves, and molasses. Where to find, where to find...

[Novernae]

[mindmetoo]

[Dawn]