How to make soft gingerbread hearts
Times fly fast and I am a little late with the second Christmas special tutorial. Today its soft gingerbread hearts. This is a favourite treat of mine at Christmas time. All the bakeries make them and they are mostly decorated with a thin coat of dark chocolate and decorated with a scrap of Santa Claus. You can also be sure to find this kind of decorated hearts at every German Christmas market. I decided to decorate it with red flowers and holly leaves. But you could also pipe beautiful patterns in royal icing or use fondant cut outs like snowflakes and other Christmas style decor.
Note: I hope that there wont be too much trouble with the recipe. I have over five different converting sites and they all show different meassures. So this was the closest I could come.
Soft gingerbread hearts
1/2 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp honey (firm or liquid) (200 grams)
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar (90 grams)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of ground cloves
1 tsp of ground ginger
2 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour sifted (360 grams)
I got 2 x 7″ hearts and around 12 x small 2″ hearts out of this portion.
For decoration:
Dark chocolate (you can leave this out and just decorate the heart as it is)
Royal icing
Scraps
Fondant sugar flowers/leaves or flowers/leaves made out of royal icing. Holly leaves and red berries would also look beautiful.
How to make the gingerbread dough
Step 1:
In a saucepan warm up the honey on low heat until melted for about 15 mins. Dont let it boil. Remove form the heat.
Step 2:
In a bowl add the sugar and pour the warm honey on top. Stir and let it rest untill luke warm.
Step 3:
Stir in the egg, then the baking soda and the cinnamon, cloves & ginger. Mix untill combined.
Step 4:
Add the flour and knead the dough. It may feel sticky but try not to add too much extra flour. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 30 mins on the counter. Preheat the oven to 325F (170C)
Step 5:
Knead the dough and roll it out on baking paper dusted with flour. Roll into 5-10 mm thickness and cut out the hearts. Bake the hearts in the center of the oven for 10-15 min depending on size until golden and “puffy”. Transfer to cooling racks.
Decorate the gingerbread heart:
Step 1:
Melt the chocolate and use a angled spatular to spread out the chocolate. Let the chocolate dry.
Step 2:
Pipe a border with royal icing.
Step 3:
Decorate your heart with flowers, holly leaves, berries, fondant cut out snowflakes or just use royal icing. 
Happy Caking
Louise
1. Ellery
December 13th, 2008 4:22 am
This is so beautiful, I’m gonna try making them tomorrow!
2. Mimi
December 13th, 2008 12:03 pm
Looks good, except for the amount of ground cloves…I would cut that to 1/4 tsp. personally…it’s just too strong an ingredient and would overpower the other flavors, in my opinion.
3. Gis
December 14th, 2008 1:10 pm
OMG Lou!!! It looks so pretty that it looks unreal!! hahaha xD I love it
4. nenu
December 15th, 2008 6:08 am
they are so beautiful, I hope mine come out as pretty! thanks for the tutorial
5. Page
December 15th, 2008 6:58 am
Hi, your cookies are gorgeous. I still have not been able to make fondant but I am going to give it another try in the new year.
How do you get your Royal Icing dots so perfect. I read you are supposed to stop squeezing and do a C as you lift off of the dot, but I still get peaks. Any suggestions. Thank you for your great ideas. I am a stay at home mom and I love your cookie creations!
6. Christine
December 15th, 2008 7:38 am
OMG – These are gorgeous, every time I receive a message telling me you have updated something, I just can’t wait to get there. You really are so inspirational and are an amazing artist. I hope I manage to these.
7. howtoeatacupcake
December 16th, 2008 4:21 pm
Wow this looks so special. I think I’ll make this for my grandma this Chrsitmas but w/o the chocolate. Thanks for th tutorial.
8. marielba
December 16th, 2008 8:01 pm
It looks so beautiful, congratulations Louise, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, hugs from Venezuela, South America
9. Shaaron
December 16th, 2008 8:37 pm
The prettiest Christmas hearts I have ever seen. Again, too cute to eat like so many of your beautiful creations.
10. Tracy
December 16th, 2008 11:44 pm
Thank you for sharing something from your culture. And, as usual, thank you for your generosity with all of your tutorials.
11. Emma
December 18th, 2008 11:36 am
OMG! Love your blog! I have been reading it all day.
thank you for sharing!
12. Toni
December 20th, 2008 1:13 am
Aw this gingerbread heart recipe is perfect and it looks totally adorable and delish!
After my hubby recently surprised me with a gorgeous diamond necklace from http://www.idonowidont.com as a 10th anniversary present I would love to make one of these soft gingerbread hearts as my present to him.
You’re so talented and I can’t wait to start making and decorating mine, he will adore it!
13. Jamie (Australia)
December 24th, 2008 1:59 am
Hi,
I wonder if I can omit the ground cloves as I couldn’t find it in Brisbane. There’s on WHOLE CLOVES is available.
Thanks in advance.
14. Louise
December 26th, 2008 11:11 pm
Ellery: Thank you. I hoped that you had fun with them
Mimi: Of course you can cut down the gounded cloves but I dont find 1 tsp overpowering in taste.
Gis: thank you sweety
nenu: Im sure they will
Page: thank you. The trick when it comes to piped dots is to use a damp brush on the dot straight after you piped it
Christine: Thank you
Howtoeat… : thank you. They taste just as good without the chocolate
Marielba: thank you and a very merry Christmas to you too
Shaaron: Thank you
Tracy: I made lot of these hearts for my daughters class and her teacher got a large heart with her name written on it.
Emma: Welcome to CJ I hope that you will have fun here
Toni: ohh what a wonderful anniversary present to get. He sure deserves a gingerbread heart baked with lots of love
Jamie: if you cant get grounded cloves you can still make them without. It will still taste good.
15. Jamie (Australia)
January 14th, 2009 9:06 am
Hi Louise,
Thanks for your reply. I will certainly try it next season.
Nice day to you..
Jamie
16. Judith Tetley
January 17th, 2010 3:48 am
Thankyou for the gingerbread recipe Louise. Thought I might make a heart for my husband for Valentines Day. Is the “All Purpose” flour a “self raising” flour. Here in Australia we mainly use ‘Plain Flour’ and add a raising agent if needed or; use ready mixed’Self Raising’ Flour.
Kind Regards from Judith
17. Louise
January 17th, 2010 11:27 pm
Judith Tetley: Just use plain flour
18. cakes to vijayawada
April 5th, 2010 8:11 pm
I wish I would like to have a bakery. Your blog is interesting. i