Grandma's Gingerbread

Recipe from The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

Cream:

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. lard
1/2 c. sugar

Add:

1 c. hot water

Beat smooth and add:

1 egg
1 c. molasses
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat until smooth. Bake in greased shallow pan at 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

Gingerbreadland

I tried out a new recipe from a new cookbook my mother gave me. It's a cakey, molassesy gingerbread. It was a very odd way of making the batter as well, but it did work out very well. The recipe starts by creaming the fats and sugar together then adds hot water, which is odd. I did let the butter soften first, which the recipe doesn't mention. It suggests a "shallow pan" which I translated to a 9x13 pan, which worked out very well. I also sifted together the dry ingredients before adding them to the mixture. The gingerbread's texture turned out very nice and fluffy. By itself it is fine, but a little too molasses heavy for my taste. It made me think of Lebkuchen, a German gingerbread cookie.

Lebkuchen traditionally has a lemon glaze, so I figured I would try adding one. I mixed up a lemon's worth of juice and probably roughly a cup of powdered sugar and a little bit of milk. I poured it over the top of the gingerbread and let it soak in a bit. Eventually it will set up and harden a little, but for now it is all gooey and wonderful.

AB's Kustom Kitchen Lube

From I'm Just Here For More Food by Alton Brown.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine on low:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. shortening

Hike the speed to medium to aerate it a bit for easy spreading. Store it in a resealable plastic container and use it to lube up anything and everything.

From the Book of Alton

So I have the baking book by Alton Brown I'm Just Here For More Food and I do love it ever so much. It is part science book, part cookbook, and a hell of a lot of fun. Within its hallowed pages lies a recipe. Simple yet amazingly useful. It's not something you'd want to eat, but never bake without it. And lo, I give unto you, AB's Kustom Kitchen Lube. Love it and use it on every pan you bake in. I'm not a big fan a parchment lining merely because I am lazy. I hate cutting out those damn circles. If you lube up the pan well enough, you will not have a problem. The cake will satisfyingly plop onto the cooling grid. A joyous sight to behold. So learn it and love it.