Icing for gingerbread

• sweetener (10-15 g)

Work with the glaze quickly, so prepare all the necessary items in advance: gingerbreads, a pastry bag, and scissors.

If you are using regular gelatin (3 g), soak it in 20 g of water for 20 minutes. Instant gelatin does not need to be soaked.

Mix dry milk (60 g) and soft cottage cheese (60 g).

The consistency of products from different manufacturers may vary. If the mixture is too thick, add a little soft cottage cheese or liquid milk, drop by drop. If it is too runny, add more dry milk.

If you are using instant gelatin, dissolve it in 20 ml of boiling water until completely dissolved. If using regular gelatin, after soaking for 20 minutes, heat it in a water bath or microwave (without boiling, as this may reduce its effectiveness).

Add the gelatin to the cottage cheese mixture, mix thoroughly, and strain through a sieve to remove lumps.

Watch the consistency: the glaze should thicken slightly, usually occurring 1-2 minutes after mixing.

Transfer the finished mass to a pastry bag, cut off the tip, and check the thickness by piping a line onto a plate — it should hold its shape and not spread.

The optimal temperature for working with the glaze is around 24-25 degrees. If the temperature is higher, the mass may become too thick, and if lower, too runny.

If the glaze has thickened, place it in a glass with the tip of the bag facing up and gently warm it in the microwave at low power, starting with 3 seconds to avoid overheating.

To completely cover the gingerbread, first carefully outline the filling with thin lines, and then warm the glaze to fill in the center. The thickness of the filling layer should be about 1-1.5 mm.

If you plan to add a design on top, wait until the first layer of glaze has dried, which will take about 20 minutes.

The glaze can be colored with water-soluble dyes — both liquid and dry.

After finishing the decoration, leave the gingerbread for a day to fully dry and harden the glaze so it can be touched by hand.