Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Giant Gingerbread Man

Here's something I have done with all my children when they were about four years old during the winter season. I told the story of The Gingerbread Man to them and then, together, we made a huge gingerbread man. We were very careful to keep the oven door closed tightly so that he wouldn't try to escape. When baked, I sneaked and took out the man while my little one wasn't in the room, hiding it, tray and all, somewhere near a window. When I opened the oven door a few minutes later to take him out I gave a little scream saying the Gingerbread Man has escaped. We all went on a search for him and I or my DH would find the gingerbread man just about to escape out the window, but we'd catch him in time. Then we decorated him with icing and candies together and ate him up.

Recently, we played the game with my little guy. His eyes were as big as saucers when we found Mr. Gingerbread Man about to escape. After that close call, he wouldn't let his eyes off of the culprit while decorating.


Here's my recipe:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup veg oil

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup molasses

1and1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour


Preheat oven 350 F degrees or 180 C. Mix into a ball. I chill the dough a little while and then roll it out on a floured non-stick tray, or put foil underneath. I then cut out the shape of the man with a butter knife. We make little gingerbread men with the leftover dough. It rises in the oven nicely and tastes like a soft molasses cookie. Bake approx. 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Yum!

5 comments:

  1. Previous Commentors29.12.06

    December 13, 2006 - What a great idea!

    Posted by Momof3kids

    That sounds like so much fun! I'm curious though, how long do you bake the cookie for, and at what temperature?

    Thanks so much for the idea, my kids would love this!

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    December 15, 2006 - I love it

    Posted by Phyllis

    That is so cute! We'll have to do something like that! Only I think we would make a Kolobok, since that's the Russian version of the story.



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    December 17, 2006 - That is just too cute!

    Posted by ThreeLittleLadies

    I can just see the other children's anticipation for what is going to happen as the young one goes through the process that they went through when younger. How fun for your children!

    Carol

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  2. Anonymous5.1.07

    Just checking in to say hello. I wrote a quick comment on your HSB blog to say that I'm stealing from your gingerbread recipe for our toddler's education in the letter "G". I'll check in here periodically. God bless you.

    Belinda (www.homeschoolblogger.com/bbullard)

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  3. Do you still get comments from here? :-)

    http://fylliska.blogspot.com/2011/10/september-birthdays-part-2.html

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  4. is the biscuit soft or crunchy?

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