Tula Gingerbread - recipe from the depths of centuries

Tula gingerbread, history says, is known for several centuries with its traditions of cooking. The first mention of this culinary delicacy is contained in the chronicles of the XVII century. Delicious delicacy and a truly Russian souvenir since ancient times was the Tula gingerbread. The recipe for this original product was the secret of a culinary master and was never advertised.

Gingerbread is, first of all, Russian sweetness with a delicious filling of jam or condensed milk, on top is decorated with printed pattern. In modern design, instead of printing, there may be an inscription or a fantasy picture made of glaze. Tula gingerbread, the recipe of which is presented below, is a fairly simple culinary item. In the arsenal of each housewife for sure there is a necessary combination of products for this delicacy. It will take a glass of 3 flour, 100 grams of honey (better than buckwheat), 100 g of butter. You will also need 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, 3 grams of cinnamon, a glass of sugar, nutmeg, sweet pepper, ground cloves.

For the glaze, the following ingredients are needed: 50-70 grams of water, 100 grams of sugar powder and 1 (you can 2) teaspoons of lemon juice. For the filling we will use thick jam or jam. If the sugar is replaced with another 100 grams of honey, the Tula gingerbread, the recipe of which provides for honey, will be more airy and light, and the shelf life will increase to 13-15 days. What is important to note: in the gingerbread test, honey, sugar or molasses bind flour, and not eggs and liquid, the amount of which is minimized.

In a large dish (pot or bowl) you need to put honey, sugar, and butter. All these components are mixed to a homogeneous mass and until they are completely dissolved. We maintain 10-12 minutes (a little more is allowed) in a water bath to enhance caramelization, that is, obtaining a darker color, by charring the sugars. It is better to add flour to the cooled mass, then its consumption will decrease, and the dough will be more plastic and light. In the mixture add pre-whipped eggs and soybean through a sieve of wheat flour, mix well and thoroughly, so that there are no lumps.

We divide the dough into two approximately equal parts, roll each table on a flour-strewn table so that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin and the surface of the table. Two layers 4-7 millimeters thick should be produced. Both parts should be the same size, so choose the desired shape and size of the stick, based on their size. In the classical version, this is a rectangle or a square. On a sheet of parchment paper lay one layer, on it an even layer lay out jam or thick jam, it is better if they are slightly sour taste. The filling is covered on top of the second layer of the dough, then we patch the edges. You can also cut them figuratively with a sharp knife for a more aesthetic appearance of the stick. The remaining dough is rolled up to 5 mm in thickness and creates an imitation of the printed pattern, that is, we cut out a picture or an inscription and lay it on the upper layer. We put the gingerbread on the baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake at 220 ° C for 3 minutes and another 10 minutes. At 180-190 ° C. This is done specifically for more baking and darkening of the pattern applied to the Tula gingerbread.

The recipe for this sweetness includes cooking glaze: in a saucepan it is necessary to mix the powdered sugar with cold boiled water, adding lemon juice. While the mass does not start to thicken, you should cook it all over low heat. Glaze it is necessary to put on the top part of the stick, which as a result will be glaring, which is typical of the true Tula gingerbread.

We lay out on a flat dish on a linen embroidered napkin and serve, for example, Tulian gingerbread with pepper, as an elegant dessert.