Skip the “men” – go for the bread instead

Okay, today’s recipe makes no sense given the time of the year. I get it. Or maybe it does – given that we are in the midst of a pandemic and need a daily dose of comfort food. I know I do! Who says freshly baked gingerbread can only be enjoyed at holiday time???

I am a huge fan of gingerbread and this holiday season I found only one local bakery selling gingerbread men. Starbucks stopped selling its decadent Ginger Bread Loaf filled with real pieces of ginger. Not a good year to take away a seasonal favorite! I kept hoping it would show up on the menu. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Once again, if you’ve been reading my blog, you already know baking is not my forte!

The recipe is from the cookbook Making It Easy Entertaining by Laurie Burrows Grad (1984). I remember seeing Laurie Burrows Grad on morning talk shows and ended up picking up this volume at a library used book sale years ago.  What an easy recipe and what a delicious bread! It stayed moist and flavorful for days! I know I’m not going to wait until next December to bake it again!

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

¾ cup molasses

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

¼ pound butter (1 stick), melted

2 eggs

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon mace*

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter one 9-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch or four 6-inch x 3½ inch x 2-inch mini loaf pans and lightly dust with flour. Combine molasses and brown sugar in bowl of food processor, blender, electric mixer or by hand in a mixing bowl. Add butter and process for a few seconds, add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, mace, baking powder and salt; stir and add to molasses mixture. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water, stir and add to molasses mixture, continuing to beat until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for 50-55 minutes for a large loaf or 35-40 for mini loaves. Allow to cool slightly.

 Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

*I drove to two grocery stores looking for mace. No luck. Ended up adding a sprinkle more nutmeg. Feel free to skip it.

Looks like this book can be found on Amazon and other used book sites!