It's the only one I've used since I found it in one of Laurie Colwin's cookbooks, and it makes a dark, moist, spicy gingerbread that I love.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 generous tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. vanilla**
1/2 cup buttermilk***
Butter a 9" square pan, and preheat oven to 350° F.
Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in molasses. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour, baking soda and spices, mix till combined. Add vanilla and buttermilk. Turn into the buttered pan, and bake around 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack before cutting.
*Dark brown sugar makes a slightly sugary crust, light brown will give you a somewhat spongier cake.
** The original recipe suggests lemon brandy in place of the vanilla, but I keep forgetting to get any.
*** If, like me, buttermilk is not always at hand, you can use soured milk (1/2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice added to 1/2 cup milk) or you can mix milk and yogurt about half and half.
This is purely theoretical, as mine never gets a chance to cool before I have to taste
Debbie Ladyfingers
(12/22/02)
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