A TRAIL OF GINGERBREAD CRUMBS

I had already started to post the advent story when I discovered doll costumes on gingerbread themes and was immediately intrigued. I remembered an old booklet, “The Little Gingerbread Man,” published by Royal Baking Powder in 1923, not to mention the “Gingerbread Boy” storybook published in the same era. Suddenly I saw gingerbread recipes and themes everywhere. Silly of me but I hadn’t realized that gingerbread in its various forms is so popular. I altered the direction of my story, which hadn’t much direction anyway, and built it as a “gingerbread pageant.” The project proved to be way more than I could undertake in a busy month, so I’m continuing the fun into the winter.

When it comes to baking gingerbread, my most recent gingerbread cakes have not been successes. One was a Betty Crocker recipe for “Old-fashioned Gingerbread” (here). If I had to describe the flavor, I would say bitter (scorched?). Most reviewers raved over it, which said to me that the problem was mine. The other was “Harvest Apple Cake” from an old recipe booklet of my mother’s, “Brer Rabbit’s Modern Recipes for the Modern Hostess,” 1940. [You can find it on Amazon (here).] When I first tried this recipe more than 20 years ago, a son called it “the best dessert ever,” but today I make it with disappointing results.

Image from Pixie Faire

Molasses being a main ingredient in gingerbread, this booklet contains a number of gingerbread recipes. When it fell open to page 5, it was an “ah-ha” moment for me. “Watch your oven! In molasses cookery, the temperature of the oven is very important, as molasses burns easily.” Who knew?!! It goes on to say that gingerbread bakes best in a moderate oven (350 to 400). I bake my breads and cakes at 350, but I admit I have a tendency to overbake. I’m anxious to experiment with this newfound knowledge.

So, during these winter months I’m going to practice baking gingerbread, and I’ll share a few recipes. I only wish I could share the product of my efforts (provided they are good, of course) because it might be more than the two of us can eat. (Maybe I’ll rent some freezer space from Mike.) KW