Gingerbread

 Before leaving the Barefoot Contessa’s cookbooks, I want to repeat what is one of or maybe the one favorite recipe of hers I make. This is gingerbread at it’s best. A bread not cake. No eggs in this recipe. It is dense, moist and gingery. We like it served with whipped cream. She suggests putting on an orange, powdered sugar glaze if you want. Lemon curd is good also. 

  When I make this, it makes me homesick for my childhood. This was always one of my favorite desserts. Hope you will like it also.

Gingerbread

Bake Time: 35 min

Oven Temp: 350°

Serves: 9 servings

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter (I used regular butter)

1 cup unsulphured molasses

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Place the butter and molasses in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth. Add crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan and then remove using the parchment paper. Cut the gingerbread into 9 squares.