GRANDMA APPLEGATE'S GINGERBREAD

Here are two gingerbread recipes from Grandma Ina's box.

Grandma Applegate's Gingerbread
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter (now you're talkin')
1 tsp each of cloves, cinnamon, and ginger
2 tsp soda stirred into 1 cup of boiling water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 well-beaten eggs stirred in last thing
Bake in moderate oven 40 minutes.

On the back of this recipe card Ina glued a newspaper clipping dated 1940 about Mrs. Virginia Estes Applegate of Roseburg, Oregon, who was celebrating her 93rd birthday. Her husband was Daniel W. Applegate, son of Jesse Applegate of early pioneering days' fame. (Jesse Applegate was instrumental and finding a less dangerous river crossing along the Oregon Trail.) Under Mrs. Applegate's photo, Ina had written "Aunt Jennie," which implies she knew Mrs. Applegate personally -- and also wanted the rest of us to know. And then next to that clipping, there's another for "Tasty Gingerbread." Unfortunately, a corner of the clipping is torn, so I had to guess as to the words that might have been there.

Tasty Gingerbread
Cream 3 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar and add one beaten egg.
Sift together one and a half cups flour, one teaspoon soda, a quarter teaspoon salt, a teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon, and add to the first mixture alternately with a half cup milk and a half cup molasses mixed together.
Pour into a shallow buttered pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes.

That recipe concludes with the following statement: "Good gingerbread solves the problem of what to offer when unexpected company drops in." Hmmmm. How will I know when to expect the unexpected company so that I'm ready with the gingerbread? KW

[Update: I baked Grandma Applegate's Gingerbread. I think it's the best I've made to date -- the best flavor and the best texture. I really like cloves.]