November 21st is Gingerbread Day! The term “gingerbread” is often used to describe any confection made from ginger and honey or molasses. There are gingerbread cookies, or “ginger biscuits” as they are called across the pond; hard and crunchy. There is gingerbread cake; soft and moist. There is gingerbread pudding; dense, dark and usually served with a sauce. And of course, there are gingerbread houses; not usually edible (except for the candy used to decorate them)!

I’ve never considered myself a big gingerbread fan, though I do enjoy many foods spiced with ginger. It recently occurred to me that it may very well be the molasses used in gingerbread recipes that I was adverse to. Knowing that the molasses is part of what gives gingerbread it’s distinctive taste, I set about trying to find a way to have a moist, flavorful gingerbread without an overwhelming molasses taste. This recipe, my first ever attempt at gingerbread, was a tasty success!

Spicy Gingerbread

(adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Gingerbread recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 Tablespoons light* corn syrup
• 2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk (try this simple substitute if you don’t have buttermilk on hand)

*light indicates color not caloric content

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour a 9″ square pan.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, in a large mixing bowl.
4. Melt the butter (on the stove or in the microwave). Add the molasses, corn syrup and fresh ginger to the butter and stir to combine.
5. Pour butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together.
6. Add the water and stir until moistened.
7. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Stir into the batter.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. The cake should bounce back when touched and be pulling away from the from the edge of the pan.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool several minutes before slicing.

Two tips:
1. If you’d like your gingerbread to be a bit spicier, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper to step #3.
2. This is best served warm with freshly whipped cream or this Spiced Creme Anglaise from Emeril.

This recipe was a winner for me because it has the spiciness of ginger that I really enjoy with just enough molasses to make it taste like true gingerbread. Adding the freshly grated ginger, reducing the amount of molasses used and supplementing the lost sweetness with a bit of light corn syrup created a delightfully moist and spicy gingerbread! I hope you enjoy it, too.

What are your favorite gingerbread recipes?