Odd Baking/chemistry question.

[Bikini Mod]

I made some Christmas tree ornaments out of gingerbread about a thousand years ago.... needless to say that over the years not many have survived in addition to the fact that I have decided to give all of the decorations to the ex. He didn't ask for them. It is just that I don't want them.... they won't bring me any happy memories and I'd prefer to make it a fresh start. Even if we only have lights and construction paper chains that I usually make w/the girls (I have done this every year since they were little, I think it makes a Christmas tree more "child-like") it will be MORE than adequate.

This time of year has always been hard for me as the period of time beginning with Thanksgiving and ending w/New Year's was particularly nutty in my household growing up. As kids we would always hope that "this year will be different" but it never was. My mother would spend all of her time cooking, cleaning, rearranging furniture, "preparing" only to have my father come home LATE, DRUNK and with one of his new "best friends" who he just spent most of his pay getting drunk... my parents would fight, my father would leave in a tyrade (of course, returning to a bar) and we would be there to comfort my mother as she sobbed and cried......Merry Christmas.

There is NO WAY IN HELL that I will allow this in my home. (My ex would never fight over alcohol, etc .... it was the in-law thing instead )


ALL THIS FROM A SILLY BAKING QUESTION?!

Anyways -

I just want to make new decorations for our tree, but I can't remember how to do it.

There is ONE KEY INGREDIENT that if you leave out of basic gingerbread recipe will make the cookies bake HARD so they will keep their sharp edges when baking. Of course, rendering them inedible.

If anyone knows what that ingredient is I would very much appreciate the info.

THANX

 

[bouncer]

I wife put WINNY into our ginger bread men last year, man were they HARD !!.

(Consider this a Bump BM !!)

Bouncer

 

[Scotsman]

I think it is the baking soda or powder. If you leave that out the dough becomes really dense and hard.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[KEL]

Omit all fats

(PM me for more information)

kel

 

[BaBa-BooeY]

I wife put WINNY into our ginger bread men last year, man were they HARD !!.

(Consider this a Bump BM !!)

Bouncer

LMFAO

 

[Test boy]

I hear Viagra makes gingerbread men hard.

That was a touching story you told. So there is a soul under the machine.

 

[Bikini Mod]

If I omit the fats (butter) then there will be nothing to hold together the dough (with the exception of the eggs and there are not that many).

I believe it was the baking powder/soda... I recall that it was a dry ingredient and something that seemed VERY trivial, but its negation had this HYUGE impact on the dough during the actual baking process.

So which is it? Baking Powder or Baking Soda?!

Though not all of the hearts that I made survived all of these years, the ones that were not broken lasted TWELVE YEARS!! All I did was put them in a cookie tin with wax paper between the layers.

You would think that I would want to keep the ones that survived, but strangely I don't. I don't really know why I don't... I just know that I don't want them.

There are some things that I will try and hold on to forever... for example. My oldest had a pair of those fuzzy children's slippers (they were Simba from the Lion King). She wore them until the soles got holes in them. Well money was so tight for us back then, and I couldn't see spending a WHOLE NINE DOLLARS for a new pair so I took a pair of my ex's old work jeans that had holes in them and cut patches to fit the bottoms. Then I sewed (by hand) and glued the seems to reinforce them. Finally I glued treadmarks on the bottoms because the denim was too soft and slippery. I came across them recently. Don't know why I never threw them away. And I refuse to part with them now.... I guess I feel like it takes me back to a simpler time when money was really tight and all we had was each other and our hopes and dreams for the future..... I think about how hard I worked for my family to make them happy and proud, be the kind of wife and mother that I had always dreamed that I could be..... I did the work willingly and gladly..... then the rose-colored glasses come off and I am reminded how little it was appreciated and how much was taken for granted.

My girls won't understand the signifigance of the slippers until they grow up and have children of their own... or maybe they never will. It's ok. They are for me now.... they remind me of a time when my love was pure and simple and limitless.... For my girls it will remain without limits ALWAYS.

I have to smile and shake my head now when I think about how naive and innocent I was then..... and even though there was so much pain and hurt and disappointment over the last 13 years it's still ok.... how could it not be? I have my girls. What else is there?

 

[KEL]

bmom check your PM

kel

 

[Test boy]

If I omit the fats (butter) then there will be nothing to hold together the dough (with the exception of the eggs and there are not that many).

I believe it was the baking powder/soda... I recall that it was a dry ingredient and something that seemed VERY trivial, but its negation had this HYUGE impact on the dough during the actual baking process.

So which is it? Baking Powder or Baking Soda?!

Though not all of the hearts that I made survived all of these years, the ones that were not broken lasted TWELVE YEARS!! All I did was put them in a cookie tin with wax paper between the layers.

You would think that I would want to keep the ones that survived, but strangely I don't. I don't really know why I don't... I just know that I don't want them.

There are some things that I will try and hold on to forever... for example. My oldest had a pair of those fuzzy children's slippers (they were Simba from the Lion King). She wore them until the soles got holes in them. Well money was so tight for us back then, and I couldn't see spending a WHOLE NINE DOLLARS for a new pair so I took a pair of my ex's old work jeans that had holes in them and cut patches to fit the bottoms. Then I sewed (by hand) and glued the seems to reinforce them. Finally I glued treadmarks on the bottoms because the denim was too soft and slippery. I came across them recently. Don't know why I never threw them away. And I refuse to part with them now.... I guess I feel like it takes me back to a simpler time when money was really tight and all we had was each other and our hopes and dreams for the future..... I think about how hard I worked for my family to make them happy and proud, be the kind of wife and mother that I had always dreamed that I could be..... I did the work willingly and gladly..... then the rose-colored glasses come off and I am reminded how little it was appreciated and how much was taken for granted.

My girls won't understand the signifigance of the slippers until they grow up and have children of their own... or maybe they never will. It's ok. They are for me now.... they remind me of a time when my love was pure and simple and limitless.... For my girls it will remain without limits ALWAYS.

I have to smile and shake my head now when I think about how naive and innocent I was then..... and even though there was so much pain and hurt and disappointment over the last 13 years it's still ok.... how could it not be? I have my girls. What else is there?

Wow...what a story. Very well written.

 

[Burnboy]

If you have something humorous or witty - cool. If not, keep it to yourself. KAY?!


....and YES, I edited this post. If anyone has a problem, they can take it to email. I will GLADLY respond to all.