Significance of Ramadan and A Gingerbread Masjid
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Step by step recipe and instruction to the original gingerbread Masjid. The gingerbread mosque doubles as dessert and decor for your home during Ramadan and Eid.
Author: Lail Hossain
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- For the cookie dough:
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup unsulphered molasses
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- For making caramel syrup, the glue:
- 1⅓ cups sugar
- ¾ cup water
- For decoration:
- 16 ounce white chocolate
- 2 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs to the creamed mixture.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together. Add the dry ingredients into creamed mixture.
- Make a flat rectangle from the dough and wrap it tightly with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour or until very cold.
- Take one third or fourth of the dough at a time and roll it out as thinly as possible between two baking sheets or plastic film so that you don’t have to add flour while rolling.
- Place the Masjid Templatearchitectural pieces on the rolled dough and cut out the six pieces for the mosque with a sharp knife. Roll out other dough portions as necessary to cut out the front and back wall, 2 slightly larger side walls, the roof, the minaret and any other decorative pieces you want for the gingerbread masjid. Roll out a smaller portion of dough for the dome. Carefully slide an oven proof bowl underneath the rolled dough and cut out the edges as necessary. Cut out cookies from any remaining dough.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius and bake the pieces for about 6-8 minutes.
- When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set before transferring to wire racks. Let the cookies cool completely for few hours.
- To decorate, chop the white chocolate and add ¾ of the chopped pieces in a microwave proof bowl. Add the butter in the bowl and microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minutes in 30 seconds interval until chocolate melts. Add the remaining chopped chocolate immediately and stir until all pieces are melted. Pipe the melted chocolate to decorate the masjid pieces.
- For the caramel syrup, a.k.a. glue for the masjid, bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and light brown, about 10 minutes. Use immediately to join the masjid walls and other pieces.
- Dip one edge of front piece in caramel syrup, and allow excess to drip off.
- Working quickly so caramel syrup does not harden; join coated edge of front piece to a side wall, forming a corner. Press firmly to adhere. Repeat with remaining side pieces. Dip both edges of back piece in caramel to attach to sidewalls.
- Join the masjid dome to the roof piece and attach the entire roof to the coated sidewalls. Check that the roof is centered and evenly aligned.
- Add the minaret and other pieces to decorate your masjid scene.
Notes
For he best result, cut the masjid pieces directly on the parchment paper you are going to bake them on without moving or lifting them. Every time you move the pieces, there is a risk of deforming them.
Leave enough space between the pieces on the paper; otherwise they may grow together in the oven.
You can trim the edges of the baked cookies if needed when the parts come out of oven. The cookies harden quickly, so be fast.
If the parts rise too much in the oven, place a clean baking paper and a baking tray on the cookie pieces for a couple of minutes immediately after taking them out of the oven.
Baking time may vary depending on the thickness and size of the cookie.
You may decorate the cookie with royal icing if you wish.
If you are not going to consume the masjid cookie pieces and using for decoration purpose only, feel free to cheat and use regular glue instead of the caramel syrup to join and construct the masjid.
Leave enough space between the pieces on the paper; otherwise they may grow together in the oven.
You can trim the edges of the baked cookies if needed when the parts come out of oven. The cookies harden quickly, so be fast.
If the parts rise too much in the oven, place a clean baking paper and a baking tray on the cookie pieces for a couple of minutes immediately after taking them out of the oven.
Baking time may vary depending on the thickness and size of the cookie.
You may decorate the cookie with royal icing if you wish.
If you are not going to consume the masjid cookie pieces and using for decoration purpose only, feel free to cheat and use regular glue instead of the caramel syrup to join and construct the masjid.
Recipe by WithASpin at https://withaspin.com/2014/07/06/significance-of-ramadan-and-a-gingerbread-masjid/