Soften stale biscuits: Rescue tips for holiday gingerbread
The closer it gets to the holidays, the more intense the smell of gingerbread spices becomes. Decorating gingerbread biscuits together is fun for the whole family, and eating them is a pleasure, too. However, sometimes they can be hard and unpleasantly crunchy. You can easily save them from ending up in the bin.
Hard gingerbread can effectively deter you from baking. Long kneading, rolling, cutting, baking, decorating, and... oops! Instead of crying over spilt milk and trying to bite into tears with gingerbread biscuits as hard as rocks, reach for a container and check your fruit basket. Oranges and lemons can save the gingerbread disaster.
Why gingerbread is hard
The most common reason is rolling the dough too thinly, which causes the biscuits to dry out quickly and harden. Also, pay attention to the baking time. If the gingerbread biscuits spend too long in the oven, they can dry and harden. If you notice them burning, reduce the baking time or lower the temperature. Remember that thicker biscuits will require longer baking than thinner ones.
Although artificial honey raises many controversies and it’s better to avoid it when shopping, it works well for gingerbread biscuits. During baking, the health benefits disappear anyway. Artificial honey can make the dough more moist and therefore soft. If you have some sitting in your cupboard, now is a good time to use it.
After baking, gingerbread biscuits should be stored in an airtight container. If left out in the open, they will quickly lose moisture and become hard.
How to save hard gingerbread?
Hard gingerbread doesn't have to be a tree ornament or decoration. A simple trick will make it soft and tasty. Toss the hard gingerbread biscuits into a container and add a few slices of lemon and orange. This method allows moisture to penetrate the dough, restoring its softness and aroma. Just remember to replace the additions regularly to prevent mould. Do this at least once a day, preferably every few hours.
You can also add apple peels or a slice of bread to the container; they will work too. The gingerbread biscuits will soften, and the fruit's aroma will enhance their taste in an interesting way. This way, hard biscuits will soon be a thing of the past.
