You can literally stir up a pan of gingerbread batter in less than ten minutes. (Cookies take a bit longer! 😁 ) Even nicer -- this pan of hot, spicy goodness is also low-budget. Win win.
Here are some gingerbread ideas worth exploring.
*The basic recipe. This is my go-to...and it's close to Taste of Home's version.
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| from Taste of Home |
GOOD 'OL GINGERBREAD
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2/3 cup hot water
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (heaping measure, if you're at high altitude)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix everything together quickly, then pour batter into a greased 9" square or round pan. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 min. Serve warm. Feeds 9, if you're polite -- 4, if you're cold and hungry.
*How about a gingerbread bundt cake, instead? This version, from Honestly Yum, features a coffee/cardamom glaze.
*Laura Ingalls Wilder was famous for her gingerbread. The author (or co-author, as it may be) of the Little House books often baked it for special events. Here's her recipe, as given by Laura in a letter:
"1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or other shortening. 1 cup molasses mixed well with this. 2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water (Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture). Mix all well. To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well. Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. The mixture should be quite thin. Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes. Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added an a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness."
If you want Laura's gingerbread in recipe format, go to Patty's Kitchen. She'll help out.
*Got any gingerbread left over? A trifle might be just the thing. Taste of Home is all over this.
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| Looks good, doesn't it? From Taste of Home |
*Use your cookies to decorate a cake! Like this version, courtesy of Betty Crocker. Oh my.
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| photo from Betty Crocker -- thanks, lady. |
...and a good recipe for gingerbread men here, adapted from Real Simple's version.
They're cute on the cake, but tasty by themselves, too.
GINGERBREAD MEN
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4teaspoon salt
- 3teaspoons ground ginger
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2teaspoon ground cloves
- 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1cup packed light brown sugar
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 1cup unsulfured molasses
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
- Cream butter, egg and sugars together, then add all dry ingredients except flour, along with molasses and vanilla. Beat til thoroughly mixed, then gradually add flour, a cup at a time. You should have a firm dough by the time the flour's mixed in; if not, add another 1/4-1/2 cup flour. (Keeping the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour will also help it to firm up.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface; cut men (or other shapes) with cookie cutters. Transfer to greased cookie sheet; bake 12 min., or until firm. Let cool, then decorate with white icing and candy embellishments. Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on cutters used.
*This one's a charmer from way back: gingerbread houses that perch on your coffee cup. They even have a version for sugar cookies in a later post. (Thanks, Not Martha, for sharing. Liked 'em then -- love them now.)
