Info
- Cook time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Time from start to finish: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Vessel and Figures
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
Three-Toned Cream
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 10 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- One 4-ounce jar amarena cherries, pureed
- Red gel color, optional
- 2 tablespoons pure pistachio paste
- Green gel color, optional
- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold
Royal Icing
- 2 pounds confectioners' sugar
- 4 to 6 egg whites (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
- Candy, for decorating
Instructions
- Begin with the gingerbread. Set the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a large, oven-safe bowl lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Add the molasses and egg, then incorporate the flour mixture by stirring. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for no less than 1 hour and no more than 24 hours.
- Dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to roughly 1/8-inch thickness. Drape it carefully over the prepared bowl and trim away the excess. Roll out what remains and cut small gingerbread figures. Freeze both the dough-lined bowl and the figures for 20 minutes.
- Set the bowl and figures on a sheet tray and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the surface no longer looks translucent. Let them cool entirely.
- For the cream, whisk 1/2 cup of the milk into the cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks until combined, then set the mixture aside.
- In a medium saucepan, stir the remaining 3 1/2 cups milk together with the granulated sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time. Very gradually pour three-quarters of the hot milk into the egg mixture in a steady stream while whisking continuously. Whisk the warmed egg mixture back into the milk left in the saucepan and return it to medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, whisking without pause. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Spoon the pastry cream equally into 3 mixing bowls. Stir the nutmeg into the first bowl. Into the second, mix the cherry puree, plus a little red gel if desired. Into the third, mix the pistachio paste, plus a little green gel if desired. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each bowl and refrigerate until cool.
- Beat the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then gently fold one-third of it into each bowl of pastry cream.
- For the icing, put the confectioners' sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks, then keep beating until the icing is pure white, fluffy and glossy. Using a rubber spatula, move the icing into a pastry bag and leave it at room temperature until you are ready to decorate.
- To finish, run a knife or a small offset spatula around the gingerbread to release it from the bowl. Snip the end off the pastry bag and pipe festive patterns onto the outside of the gingerbread vessel and the cookie figures. Add candies as you like, then let everything dry thoroughly. After it has dried, spoon the three creams into the bowl and set the gingerbread figures around it. Serve and enjoy.
Make-Ahead Note
The pastry cream keeps for 2 to 3 days before serving if stored in the refrigerator.
