Gingerbread

Submitted by Floydm on December 7, 2005 - 9:36pm

I baked gingerbread for the first time last night. Yum.

gingerbread

I was amazed at how good the house smelled when I came home from work today. It really smells festive, like the holidays are here, even 24 hours after baking it.

I looked at a few different recipes before settling on something closest to the recipe from the Joy of Cooking.

Gingerbread
Makes 1 large or 3 small loaves

1 3/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt (can be omitted if using salted butter)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons crystalized ginger, 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the butter, egg, brown sugar, and molasses in a bowl and stir until combined. Mix in the dry ingredients, then add hot water and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into greased baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, between 30 and 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

gingerbread

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Submitted by Bakenstein on December 8, 2005 - 2:04pm.

Gingerbread

Thanks for the recipe and for describing the intoxicating aromas.

Sure beats artificial candles and sprays. Yuk!

The essential oils of ginger,cinnamon and cloves are released with a gradual rise in temperature in the batter so their aromatic qualities are preserved. The heat of the oven then distibutes their complex constituents aloft throughout your entire home.
Spices were always used especially to fight off illness as they pocess powerful antiviral and bacterial properties. The spices and culinary herbs were our first medicines since we began to walk the earth.
All older recipes use these spices freely as we should try to also for our good health's sake. There is a spirit uplifting as well that can't be duplicated. It puts the Cheer in the Holidays!

Submitted by Bart on November 20, 2007 - 8:52am.

I will try this one!

Submitted by vistawinds on February 10, 2008 - 7:01pm.

could use some sugestions- please

Floyd-

This was the best. Growing up Gingerbread was more cake like= this is GINGERBREAD. Now, the help part. I recently moved to Ireland. They only molasses I can find is black trecle. It is like black strap found in the US. I went ahead and used a cup. Very strong, too strong of flavor of trecle. Tho the color- it was so dark and rich, almost black in color. There is no corn syrup available- I can find cane syrup, which is fabulous in flavor. Any ideas on what I can reduce the trecle too, and what to use as the balance? Gingerbread is one of my favorite "scents". I can't wait to make this again. Thanks for this site. Alison

Submitted by apprentice on September 4, 2008 - 10:20pm.

mixing it up with sweeteners

Hi Alison, you've already got some great possible solutions from others. Thought I'd chime in with thoughts from an English book I have. Basically the authors say you can use any of the liguid sweetners alone or in combination with each other (black treacle, golden syrup, malt syrup, honey). Or you can combine one or more of the liquid sweeteners with some sugar (usually brown or Demerara).

But I hope you didn't throw your first all-treacle gingerbread away. Wrap it well in foil and store it in an airtight tin for about a week before cutting into it again. The flavours will develop, mingle and mature. You might end up being a convert to the darker gingerbreads!

Submitted by PaddyL on February 10, 2008 - 8:08pm.

Part treacle, part golden syrup?

Couldn't you use a mixture of treacle and golden syrup instead of all treacle? I once made a gingerbread with all blackstrap molasses and had to pitch it out as the taste was not at all sweet, just bitter. If you used a mixture, I would think you'd have enough sweetness without the bitterness of the treacle.

Submitted by woefulbaker on February 10, 2008 - 8:35pm.

Yes treacle and golden syrup

Yes treacle and golden syrup is an excellent combination!

I also sometimes put in a few grinds of black pepper to add extra spice (it works, really it does!)

Also, much like Parkin (and other melted mixture baked goods) the gingerbread improves if you leave it for a week or so (wrap it well and store in an airtight container).

Submitted by vistawinds on February 11, 2008 - 10:46am.

combo of flavors using Treacle and G. Syrup

Would you sugest 50% ratio, or ? golden syrup is so very sweet. I did use it in place of corn syrup for my bourbon pecan pie and it was fab! Thanks for the help-sometimes I feel like I have had to learn how to cook all over again with all the subsitutions I have been making. Thanks

Submitted by woefulbaker on February 11, 2008 - 12:11pm.

50/50 is fine

but I may have a sweeter tooth than you...I made it with 100% molasses when I was in the states which turned out dark and delicious so I don't think it matters the precise ratio but there is something about the dark bitter/sweet nature of treacle that goes so well with the spices.

If you can wait that long, do try to store some and let it 'ripen', the flavours will definitely improve much the same way fruitcake does and perhaps take the 'bitter' edge off the taste.

Submitted by sannimiti on August 7, 2008 - 8:47am.

you care for german gingerbread? I'll püost tomorrow

maybe you'd like to try out another recipe. i'Ll post tomorrow! I hope you'l ll enjoy.

Submitted by MaryinHammondsport on August 7, 2008 - 11:39am.

I would like the ginger bread recipe

I hope you do post your German gingerbread recipe, and I am sure I'm not alone.

I love gingerbread of all types!

Mary

Submitted by Mini Oven on August 7, 2008 - 4:38pm.

I don't know what it does

to the above recipe but Austrian Gingerbread has no molasses. Uses unrefined sugar and honey. Also allowed to sit in cool temp from several days to a month, then baked.

Mini O

Submitted by Oldcampcook on February 17, 2009 - 8:38am.

Austrian Gingerbread

Mini Oven,

Are we speaking of Lebkuchen or is the Austrian a different creature?

Bob

Submitted by Mini Oven on February 19, 2009 - 8:29pm.

yes, Bob, Lebkuchen

But the other day, I was visiting Villa Vanilla (Link) and had some excellent Ginger Sugar cookies (and other culinary treasures), a soft chewy cookie with just the right amount of ginger. Smelling all those fresh spices was not only informative but a delight! And forget chocolate chips, I'm going for roasted beans from now on! Whack 'em with my Indo Garlic Press and have a better life. Yep, that's the way to go! Oops, this is not a cookie thread is it?

Mini

Submitted by apprentice on September 7, 2008 - 7:17pm.

gingerbread through the ages

Recipes and more!

http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2006/12/through-ages-with-gingerbread.html

Submitted by Lyne on February 16, 2009 - 8:41pm.

so happy that I found you

I've been browsing through your website, and lo and behold you have a gingerbread recipe. I started off with the simple white bread, next week end I am going to try the white bread with milk and sugar, but, but, I just saw your gingerbread loaf, and it looks like the bread that mom used to make called "pain d'épices". As I recall she made it with honey instead of molasses, but I am going to try this one just because it wounds so yummy and it would be perfect to take it to my friend's house for tea. I will let you know how it turns out.

Submitted by SulaBlue on March 22, 2009 - 3:06pm.

Barefoot Contessa's Gingerbread

I came across this recipe for gingerbread late last year, just in time for the holidays. It turned out so, so, SO delicious! It comes out more cake-like than the OP recipe, but mmmm, the chunks of ginger and raisins gave it such a wonderful mouth-feel with hidden little bits of 'zing' when you'd get a bit of minced ginger! I made mine without the icing.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/old-fashioned-gingerbread-recipe/index.html

Submitted by 4shveden on July 14, 2009 - 9:43am.

hi all

It is the most tasty recipe, thanks!!! Thanks for very interesting post

Submitted by Beverly Whipple on July 15, 2009 - 9:35am.

Ginger Bread Desert

My mother use to make ginger bread with peaches and whipped cream on top for a desert. You wouldn't think it went together but it is very delicious. You can use canned peaches too. Beverly

Submitted by caseymcm on July 15, 2009 - 10:31am.

This is close to my favorite ginger recipe

There are a lot of recipes out there for a triple ginger cake or bread. I've always done it as a cake, but would like to try something closer to bread. I'm a huge ginger fan and the combination of dried-ground, fresh-grated, and candied chunks of ginger is totally blissful.

I once made this cake underway in rough seas sailing on a 40 ft yacht from Ensenada to San Diego for the birthday of a crewmate. Ginger is a well known remedy for sea sickness so I figured it was a good choice.

Come to think of it, this bread would be a good gift for a newly pregnant friend or neighbor who may have morning sickness.

Submitted by Nick Shepherd on September 28, 2009 - 11:54pm.

Gingerbread

That does look good. Isn't it amazing what cooking and baking do to a home? The good eats, the great smells, and the family enjoying the scene. Well, I think I will ask my wife to make some gingerbread tonight. Can't wait.

Submitted by pgpalmer on November 19, 2009 - 12:37pm.

Need help! Loaf fell in middle

Hello, I made this recipe in a large loaf pan. It fell in the middle. I had opened the oven to test it after about 30 minutes and it wasn't done. Then about 15 minutes later I looked in the oven and the middle of the loaf had sunk. What did I do wrong?

I might add that it is delicious despite the sunken middle. Thanks.