Gingerbread Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease the bottom of a square baking pan.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of Brer Rabbit molasses
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Melt the shortening in a 3 or 4 quart pan over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour the melted shortening in a large bowl. Add the sugar and egg and beat the mixture well.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices
- In another bowl or cup, combine the molasses and water.
- Slowly add the flour mixture and the molasses mixture to the creamed shortening, adding each one alternately.
- Pour the batter in a square metal or glass baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes until it tests done. Insert a toothpick or straw in the center of the cake. It will come out clean if the cake is finished baking.
Lemon Sauce Recipe
Makes about 1 cup of sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar (use less sugar to decrease the sweetness)
- 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 cup of water
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons of butter (can be adjusted to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon juice
- dash of salt
Directions:
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan and cook over a low flame until the mixture thickens. Stir the ingredients constantly to prevent burning.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon rind, lemon juice and salt.
- Serve warm on the warm gingerbread.
This is a favorite dessert from my childhood. Today, however, there are several excellent packaged gingerbread mixes that make it an even easier dessert. The tart, lemony sauce makes the gingerbread special. The sauce, however, is also a great topping for other desserts , so let your imagination go wild! The sauce goes particularly well with pound cake. Here's a quick, delicious idea. Bake up a packaged pound cake mix or purchase one from your local bakery. Slice the pound cake in 1 1/2 slices. Toast each slice of pound cake and add the lemon sauce and a few fresh or frozen raspberries. Crown it all with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few slivered almonds. Whether gingerbread or pound cake, the lemon sauce is a perfect finishing touch!
