burnt sugar gingerbreads and salted hot chocolate

New year, new recipe to start the year off

Burnt Sugar & Lightly Sweet Gingerbreads

it’s 2025 already, happy NY to everyone here, I’ve got some bites to share.

I love gingerbreads and I love the burnt flavour, and this recipe is not a regular gingerbread recipe, so I’m sharing it here.

Though I didn’t make them too spicy and just slightly sweet, which makes them perfect to try for the first time and adjust to your likings, with the addition of icings or more spices!

Prep these:

200g white sugar

100ml hot water

1 egg

300g all-purpose flour

60g melted butter

½ tsp baking soda

Generous pinch of salt

1 tsp each of spices (e.g., nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon; feel free to add cardamom, orange or tangerine zest, vanilla, or anything you love!)

We burn the sug first

In a saucepan, add about 1-2 tbsp of the sugar (from the 200g). Heat over medium-low until the sugar melts, then turns a deep amber or nearly black color! That’s all right, it’ll give us that nice colour and flavour to the gingerbreads. Don’t walk away and keep a close eye to avoid burning it completely.

Once the sugar reaches the desired color, carefully!! pour in the hot water (it will splatter). Stir immediately until smooth and add the rest of the sugar and mix again. Then I add all my spices, this time they were cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a touch of cardamom. Tangerine zest would fit here so well too.

Then go in with flour and soda and some salt first, yes, they go first. Add the egg, mix. Add the melted butter, mix.

Store it all until soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Don’t put the flour too far away either, you’ll need it. If it feels too sticky, let it rest for 5-10 mins to firm up a bit.

Now we shape and bake the gingerbreads

Oven goes to 175C.

Gradually add flour on the surface and on the dough. Roll out the dough ab 1-2cm thick and cut the gingerbreads in your desired form! I didn’t have a gingerbread man cutter which was very unfortunate, but Christmas trees and stars were cute. And some were made just with the scone cutter, pretty cool too haha.

Now we bake

It should take them 12-15 mins, depends on the size of the gingerbreads and how dark you want them to be. If they are darker, they will be crispier, and if lighter - softer. Not sure which one I prefer tbh, but I did 2 batches differently and both delicious!!

I didn’t do any glaze, just powdered sugar, but here’s what I’d do if I wanted to add the glaze on these.

200g sug

100ml water

Put it on the stove and heat on a low heat for about 15-20mins. Be patient and stir constantly! When it reaches the boiling point - keep stirring. Let it boil for 5-7mins and you’re done.

Be very careful dipping the gingerbreads in, as it’s really really hot! The glaze firms quickly, so be careful and fast. Once they are dipped in the glaze, let them dry for couple of mins and enjoy with hot choc or tea! These are very rewarding after all the work's done, and I hope you gonna love them like I do)

I’m also sharing how I like my hot choc, this is my favourite and the only way I’m drinking hot chocolate!

I like it slightly salted, rich, thick and with burnt marshmallows on top! This is a perfect balance of all the flavours to me, I love how burnt shmallows balance the hot chocolate with sweetness and smoky flavour! The kind of indulgence I need on an eve of a chilly winter's day.

For 2 I do

6tbsp chopped dark chocolate

1 tbsp cocoa

430ml milk

70ml cream

Good pinch of salt

Shmallows as much as you like, sometimes I like 4, sometimes 3

Heat milk and cream over low-medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Let it cool a bit, it will thicken!

Pour in your hot chocolate cup and add the shmallows. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, which I think not many people do, just drop them in your drink and sprinkle more salt on top, it’s delicious already. But if you do!! toast them nicely and sprinkle with salt! I love cracking the burnt thin crust that appears on them with the spoon and dig into the hot chocolate.

The marshmallows melt instantly and you get this spoon full of rich salted chocolate, sweet and slightly burnt marshmallows, my absolute dream.

Please lmk if you ever make anything from here and enjoy these in the new year!!

It has been a pleasure and a privillege to share recipes and ideas on herr with you throught 2024 and here's to many more! Happy holidays!