“Gingerbread Boxes and Mason Jars are my solution for a Christmas centrepiece/gift which is a more sensible size than making a gigantic Gingerbread house that won’t get eaten.” Last year I made a Gingerbread House for my family Christmas dinner. Other than the fact that tins of lentils I used to stabilise the walls got trapped inside the house (I forgot they were there when I put the roof on) and that the house went a bit lopsided when I was driving to my mother’s house (hence the ribbon around it), I was rather chuffed with my efforts. Especially given that it was the first time I attempted it. However, after a 12 course Christmas dinner, there was little room left for dessert. So after all my efforts to make the Gingerbread house (I even made a snowman!), only part of the chimney and about 1/8th of one roof was nibbled at. So I swore I would never make another Gingerbread House again unless I was going somewhere with 50 people! But as Christmas approaches in 2014, I started having nagging thoughts about making something with gingerbread because….well, I just love gingerbread. This is the only time of the year I make it, it sings of Christmas to me. And being the first Christmas with my blog, I wanted to share an edible gift recipe. Something a little different. “The Gingerbread Mason Jars are really easy to make because they don’t require constructing. Just wrap dough around a baking paper lined can, and bake. It’s really that easy!” And that is the story of how the idea of the Gingerbread Boxes and Mason Jars was born. A more sensible size than a giant Gingerbread House that takes an army to consume. Something that is easily transportable, can be packaged up nicely and isn’t difficult to make (because I don’t do difficult!). It took several goes to get this right. I only found one recipe for Gingerbread Boxes on a commercial recipe site. I won’t get into details but suffice to say it didn’t work. So I decided to make one up myself.
Firstly, let me assure you that these are really easy! They take time, but they are not hard. Don’t let the length of the instructions fool you! I jammed 2 recipes into 1 (i.e. the Boxes and Mason Jars) plus it got wordy describing how to cut the dough and construct the boxes. If you aren’t into fiddly, then I recommend making the Mason Jars because they don’t require constructing. All you need is an empty can covered with baking paper (parchment paper). Then wrap it with dough. It sticks perfectly because Gingerbread dough is quite sticky. Then the other step you don’t normally do with gingerbread is to chill it again. This helps the Mason Jar from sliding down while it bakes because it needs to be baked upright. I tried baking it lying on its side but the jar ended up flat on one side which didn’t look so nice! You don’t even need to “glue” the base on. If you use the can to press out rounds, those rounds should just about fit perfectly into the base (if not, just trim it with a knife). And because gingerbread is slightly sticky, the base stays in without the help of icing or melted chocolate.
The Boxes are easier to cut out because you just need 8 squares for each box. But they take longer to assemble because you need to “glue” them together using melted chocolate (which I find sets faster and is stronger than Royal Icing). Also because the gingerbread squares puff slightly when baked, you need to do a bit of trimming to make it easy to construct and so the Box stands flat on the table. It’s lengthy to explain in words so I’ve done up a diagram to show you (see recipe below).
I think these make a great gift – for Christmas or any occasion! You can fill them with whatever you want. I filled mine with homemade Chocolate Ganache Truffles (psst, I’ve got some tips to make rolling these up really easy instead of looking like you had a chocolate fight!). So to all my (AustralianSydney based) friends and family reading this, I guess you know what you’re getting for Christmas this year! 🙂 Happy baking! – Nagi
*** UPDATE – Which Should I Make?? I’ve had a few people ask me which was easier to make – the Mason Jars or the Boxes. The Mason Jars require less time because it is actually quite easy and fast to roll up onto the can. Then once baked, the only thing you have to do is slot the base in (no “glue” required). Whereas the Boxes need to be constructed using melted chocolate, which isn’t hard (I’ve provided a few tips that make it easier than you’d think) but takes time – around 15 to 20 minutes start to finish. However, with the Mason Jars there is a risk that they slide down around the can while baking, causing the bottom of the jar to be wider than the top. My recipe includes steps to avoid this, and also the gingerbread recipe I use is one that I use specifically for the Mason Jars because it is lighter and less buttery (so it maintains it’s form while baking instead of sliding down the can).*** SaveSave
