So simple, so easy. It's not fancy, but it is spicy delicious, great in the Fall and Winter.
GRANDMA TILLIE'S GINGERBREAD
- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- butter well a 9 x 9 baking pan
In a large bowl, whisk together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (note: reduce this amount by half if you use salted butter in the next step)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking SODA
Set aside for now.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat:
1 stick unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, reduce the salt in the flour mixture above by half)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
Beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy.
Add:
1 egg
Blend well.
Then, slowly add in:
1/2 cup molasses (I highly recommend Brer Rabbit Molasses -- nothing else is quite the same)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Mix until well blended.
Scrape the bowl down.
Add the flour mixture on low speed until smooth, then add:
1/2 cup hot water
Beat for 1 minute. (mixture may look curdled, but that's ok.)
Scrape the bowl and mix a little longer if there are unincorporated bits.
Spread in the well buttered 9 x 9 pan, then bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack.
Cover tightly with foil when cool. Cut into large squares and serve with a dollop or so of whipped cream.
