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Christmas: Gingerbread

Source of Recipe

From "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea" by Martha Foose


Recipe Introduction

"My mother is a Christmas lights enthusiast. She barely puts up any kind of display herself, mind you, but she is the most fervent supporter of folks who do. She has been known to drive 210 miles, up to Jackson, Tennessee, to that stretch of highway leading into town just to drive really slow and wonder, 'Who put that up? How long did that take them?' and, 'What their power bill must be!'She loves as much as anything when my son accompanies her, peering out the window from his booster seat in the back. He judges displays by squealing with approval at houses Santa would particularly like, with little slices of gingerbread clutched in his dimpled fingers."

List of Ingredients

◦  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
◦  ¼ cup vegetable oil
◦  ¾ cup molasses
◦  ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
◦  2 large eggs
◦  2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
◦  2 tsp baking soda
◦  ½ tsp baking powder
◦  1 Tbsp ground ginger
◦  1½ tsp ground cinnamon
◦  1½ tsp ground cloves
◦  ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
◦  1 cup boiling water


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter, oil, molasses, brown sugar, and eggs. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Combine the molasses mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine. Pour in the boiling water and stir very well. Pour into the prepared tube pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top springs back slightly when touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a serving platter. Serve now or later. Wrap up the gingerbread if you'll be waiting more than 2 hours to serve it.


Makes one 10-inch tube cake