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Jacquy Pfeiffer’s French Gingerbread

2016-12-26
  • This Post
  • Author : François (FX)
  • Category: Recipe
  • Posted on: Monday December 26, 2016
  • Comments : 6 Comments
  • Languages :  English  |   Français

   La version Française se trouve ICI
A recipe that totally converted me... for I never liked gingerbread until I tasted this one... 

 Don't forget to share your photos once you tried this recipe! HERE 





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Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

About this recipe

I never liked gingerbreads, until this recipe...

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
This is an Alsatian gingerbread "pain d'épices", a recipe from Jacquy Pfeiffer who is a lead pastry chef at the renowned French Pastry School of Chicago.

Alsace is a small region in France, in the easter side, close to Germany, which explains why French Alsatians like this meal so much

 

I fell in love with this recipe, from Jacquy Pfeiffer

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer


 

This recipe reminds me of the fantastic years that I spent in Strasbourg, in French Alsace, (North East France), a place known for its culture and its cuisine

Au Brasseur
22 Rue des Veaux
67000 Strasbourg
France

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer


 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

Source of the recipe

Jacquy Pfeiffer is a native of Alsace in France, and is now working for the famous "French Pastry School" in Chicago.

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Jacquy Pfeiffer published this book "The Art of French Pastry" in 2014, and won the "James Beard Award" for the best cook book.

To purchase online, see HERE

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
You can see Jacquy prepare the top pastry competition in France the "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" contest, in the documentary "Kings Of Pastry" (you may see it on Netflix). In the movie you will see other celebrities such as Stéphane Glacier, Sebastien Canonne, Philippe Rigollot and Stéphane Tréand who also has a pastry school in Costa Mesa, CA

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The recipe is on page 335

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Jacquy mentions in his book that you can bake this gingerbread as muffins in paper cups, or in a bread mold, which is what I did

 

Modifications to the original recipe

I modified only a few things:
  • I multiplied the quantities by 3
  • I added more

    Powdered Anise

    than mentioned in the recipe


 

Ingredients

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
 

 The syrup

1 ½ Cup Honey (525 grams)

⅓ Cup Brown Sugar (60 grams)

 The powders

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (186 grams)

1 Cup Rye Flour (186 grams)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder (15 grams)

 The spices

¾ teaspoon of (powdered) Cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons of Nutmeg

¾ teaspoon of Powdered Ginger

1 ½ teaspoons of Powdered Anise

 The liquid

⅓ Cup Eggs (150 grams)

⅔ Cup Milk (150 grams)

 The candied fruit

1 ½ Cup Candied Orange Peels (111 grams)

 The glazing

3 Tablespoons Water (40 grams)

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (15 grams)

¾ Cup Icing Sugar (150 grams)

 

Steps

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The syrup

Let's start by cooking the

Honey

(1 ½ Cup or 525 g) and the

Brown Sugar

(⅓ Cup or 60 g) over low/medium heat

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The spices

Spices are of course very important but what's more important is the delicate mix of them... carefully measure them : spoons must be leveled !

 

You will need:

  • (powdered) Cinnamon

    (¾ teaspoon)

  • Nutmeg

    (1 ½ teaspoons)

  • Powdered Ginger

    (¾ teaspoon)

  • Powdered Anise

    (1 ½ teaspoons)

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
I had a hard time finding the

Powdered Anise

(1 ½ teaspoons), if you can't find it, you may as well grind in a mortar some star anise, or anis seeds

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The powders

Sift into a mixing bowl:
  • The

    (powdered) Cinnamon

    (¾ teaspoon)
  • The

    Nutmeg

    (1 ½ teaspoons)
  • The

    Powdered Ginger

    (¾ teaspoon)
  • The

    Powdered Anise

    (1 ½ teaspoons)
  • The

    Whole Wheat Flour

    (1 Cup or 186 g)
  • The

    Rye Flour

    (1 Cup or 186 g)
  • The

    Baking Powder

    (1 Tablespoon or 15 g)

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
If you are using a stand mixer, you must use the paddle (called sometimes the 'leaf' )

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Mix with the stand mixer, or manually with a spatula

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Beat the

Eggs

(⅓ Cup or 150 g) and the

Milk

(⅔ Cup or 150 g)

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Stream this batter into the powder while mixing

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Streaming in will prevent lumps...

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
The batter becomes thicker...

 

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 

The hot syrup

Meanwhile, you must check the temperature of the syrup on the stove

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
and remove from heat as soon as the temperature reaches 320 °F / 158 °C

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
You then stream the syrup over the mixture, while beating

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
After a while, Jacky recommends to run a rubber spatula around the edge, to scrape up any thick residue sticking to the bottom and edges of the bowl

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
and continue mixing until the mixture is fully incorporated

 

The result is a dough that is a bit thick

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The candied orange

You may make your own candied oranges, and boy am I sure this is a grueling exercise, but I just bought those beauties in a local store and I didn't even feel guilty....

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Dice those

Candied Orange Peels

(1 ½ Cup or 111 g) into squares

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Fold those into the mixture

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

The mold

I am using a silicon bread loaf mold, which does not require coating with butter.

My mold is about 4" x 10" (or 10cm x 25cm)

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Pour the mixture into the mold

 

The molds should be 3/4 full, and not more !

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 

Place in the oven and bake for about

40 minutes

at 360 °F / 180 °C, you will need to adjust this time depending on your oven adn mold

I had to bake for longer... for about

1 hour



Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

Glazing

While the cake is baking, you may prepare the glazing

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Just mix together:
  • The

    Water

    (3 Tablespoons or 40 g)
  • The

    Lemon Juice

    (1 Tablespoon or 15 g)
  • The

    Icing Sugar

    (¾ Cup or 150 g)

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Just mix all ingredients with a wire whip

 

To check the cake is finished baking, take a knife or toothpick to the centre of the cake:
  • If your toothpick or knife comes out wet , it’s not finished baking
  • If it comes out clean, or with a tiny pit of filling on it, it is finished!

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 
Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer
Immediately brush the top of the cake with the glazing, so that the heat almost instantly dries the glazing out

 

The glazing makes the cake shiny and more appetizing !

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 

For the toppings, I added star anise, candied oranges cut into strips and vanilla beans.

The toughest part is not to convert people who do not usually like gingerbread, rather it is to stop them eating it all...

Gingerbread of Jacquy Pfeiffer

 


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Comments for This Recipe

6 Comments
  1. On Wednesday December 12, 2018
    Camela nitschke wrote:
    My loaves are quite dry,how can I make them moister
  2. On Thursday December 13, 2018
    François (FX) answered:
    They shouldn't be if you took the same quantities for ONE loaf.

    Perhaps your oven is too hot ? Try lowering the temperature and/or reducing the baking time
  3. On Saturday December 15, 2018
    Camela Nitschke wrote:
    Thankyou for your reply! This batch turned out better! I only made ine batch( 4 ) ittle loaves. Measured more accurately, and discovered that150 grams was equal to 3 eggs instead of 2! These loaves aren’t as raisedon tops as photo, otherwiise improving!! Making gifts was just in Strasbourg and fell in love with gingerbread shops.So sad about shootings!!They are in my prayers.
  4. On Sunday December 16, 2018
    François (FX) answered:
    Thanks for your comments Camela
  5. On Tuesday June 18, 2019
    Sue Ellis wrote:
    I visited Strasbourg in April and fell in love with some wonderful gingerbread there - because of this, I decided to make your recipe. All went well until I cooked the honey and brown sugar. I boiled it at medium low but the temperature never went higher than 225 degrees Fahrenheit on two different thermometers. When I tried to increase the temperature, a lot of foaming and boiling over occurred making a mess of my stovetop.

    After 30 plus minutes of raising and lowering the cooking temperature with no change, I gave up, poured it into my batter and baked it as directed.

    I'm happy to report that my struggles with the recipe directions didn't hurt the results, and my gingerbread is moist and delicious!

    Now, I'm curious if anyone else has had this problem.
  6. On Monday March 23, 2020
    Ann L Dold wrote:
    Like Sue Ellis, I found heating the honey and brown sugar to 320 degrees F problematic. That temperature is 25 degrees higher than required for hard crack candy, which is extremely hot, and the mixture just bubbles, foams,and boils over. So I took the mixture to 260 degrees F (soft crack candy), which is also the point at which it simmered without foaming, and poured that into the batter. The gingerbread turned out just fine, although I have no way of comparing it to the award winning result you are credited with.

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Cooking with the same Chef ?

All recipes of Jacquy Pfeiffer

Jacquy Pfeiffer’s French GingerbreadJacquy Pfeiffer’s Christmas Sablés CookiesCreamy Bacon Mushrooms Flatbread «French Tarte Flambée»

Recipes from the same Book!

All recipes from the book "The Art of French Pastry"

To purchase the book online, see HERE

Cooking with the same ingredients ?


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Rating:
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52 people rated

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What to cook with...

5 spice powder

, Almond extract,

Almond paste

, Almond powder, Almonds, Avocado,

Basque sauce

, Beef,

Beef stock

,

Bordelaise sauce

,

Brown sauce

,

Buttermilk

,

Candied orange

,

Cardamom

, Carrots,

Celery

, Chicken,

Chicken liver

,

Chicken stock

, Chili pepper,

Chili powder

,

Chipotle

, Chocolate,

Chorizo

, Cilantro, Cinnamon,

Cloves

,

Coca cola

,

Cocoa Powder

,

Coconut

,

Coconut mousse

,

Coffee

,

Cognac

,

Coriander powder

,

Crème fraiche

, Cumin, Diced bacon,

Dry yeast

, Egg Whites, Egg yolks, Eggs,

Espelette pepper

,

Fennel

,

Fenugreek

,

Fermented milk

,

Fish

,

Fish stock

,

Fish stock

, Garlic,

Genoa bread

,

Gianduja

, Ginger, Glucose,

Glucose powder

, Grand marnier,

Grand marnier ice cream

, Green onion,

Ham

,

Ham hock

,

Hazelnuts

,

Hoisin sauce

, Honey,

Ice cream

,

Ice cream stabilizer

,

Icing fondant

,

Inverted sugar

,

Isomalt

,

Italian meringue

,

Ketchup

, Ladyfingers,

Lamb

,

Lard

, Laurel (bay) leaves,

Leeks

,

Lemon

,

Lemon zests

,

Lobster

,

Madeira

,

Mango

,

Masa

, Mascarpone,

Mascarpone cream

, Milk chocolate, Milk powder,

Mint

, Mushrooms,

Neutral gel

,

Nuoc mam fish stock

,

Nutmeg

,

Olive oil

,

Olives

, Onions,

Orange juice

, Orange zests, Oranges,

Palm sugar

,

Paprika

,

Parmesan cheese

, Parsley,

Pastis

,

Pastry dough

,

Pearl sugar

,

Peppers

, Pistachio paste, Pistachios,

Poached eggs

,

Pork

,

Potatoes

,

Powdered anis

,

Puff dough

,

Rabbit

,

Raisins

,

Raspberries

,

Raspberry jam

, Red wine, Rhubarb,

Rice

,

Rice vinegar

,

Rosemary

,

Rum

,

Rye flour

,

Sablée Dough

,

Saffron

,

Salmon

,

Sausage

,

Sesame oil

,

Sesame seeds

, Shallots, Shortcrust Pastry, Soy sauce,

Spinach leaves

,

Split peas

,

Strawberries

,

Sweetened condensed milk

, Thyme, Tomato paste,

Tomatoes

,

Tonka bean

,

Tuna fish

,

Turmeric

, Vanilla,

Vanilla Custard

,

Vanilla sugar

,

Vegetable shortening (crisco)

, Whipping cream,

Whiskey

, White chocolate,

White wine

,

Whole flour

,

Worcestershire sauce

,

Yeast

,

Yoghurt

,

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1 ½ Cup Honey (525 g)

⅓ Cup Brown Sugar (60 g)

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (186 g)

1 Cup Rye Flour (186 g)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder (15 g)

¾ teaspoon of (powdered) Cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons of Nutmeg

¾ teaspoon of Powdered Ginger

1 ½ teaspoons of Powdered Anise

⅓ Cup Eggs (150 g)

⅔ Cup Milk (150 g)

1 ½ Cup Candied Orange Peels (111 g)

3 Tablespoons Water (40 g)

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (15 g)

¾ Cup Icing Sugar (150 g)