Showing posts with label #gingerbread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #gingerbread. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

YUMMY AND CHEWY: Origin of Molasses Cookies by Marisa Masterson


Gingerbread. That's how molasses cookies began. By the late 1800s, this cookie was called a chewy ginger cookie. While gingerbread is typically crispy, the molasses cookie is always soft and chewy.
The recipe for the cookie traces back to the Boston Cooking School. It appeared in the school's cookbook--a book that connects with the famous Fannie Farmer.


In my novel Molasses Cookies by Minnie, the men
settling Norman, Oklahoma are quite taken by the flavor of Minnie's cookies. Interestingly, the cookie would have been new to them. Most would never have tasted soft and chewy gingerbread.






When the recipe was invented in the late 1800s, baking powder hadn't yet been created. Because of that, it used baking soda and sour milk--the same as was used in teacakes. It also called for eight cups of flour, enough to feed a large family. My molasses cookies recipe still calls for this large amount. They freeze so well, that I make the whole recipe and enjoy cookies for months afterward.




You'll find my molasses cookies recipe at the end of my new book. It was given by a pastor's wife to a dear older friend of mine when she was young. That friend passed it on to me when I was young. Over the last twenty years, I've made it at Christmas for my children. The spices are a perfect compliment to the holiday.


Free with Kindle Unlimited!

Gossip forces them into a marriage. After all, Minnie's been trusted to raise her precious baby sister. She and her husband are determined to make the best of this hurried marriage, but strange things keep happening. Then, Granny is kidnapped...

Will getting the old woman back take the life of the man she's only now coming to love?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5RYC1HR

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Gingerbread Cake

by Shanna Hatfield


The holidays might be over, but there are just certain foods, flavors, and fragrances that say "winter" to me. Gingerbread is one of them. It's a hearty slice of heavenly flavor, one that has roots that go back centuries.


Ginger root was first recorded in ancient China. It was commonly used for medicinal purposes. Eventually it spread to Europe along the Silk Road. During the Middle Ages, it was a favorite spice, often used in preserved meats. Henry VIII reportedly used a ginger concoction in hopes of building resistance to the plague. 

Gingerbread became a popular treat at European festivals and fairs during medieval times. 

A documented business of gingerbread in England dates to the 17th century, where they were sold in monasteries, pharmacies, and farmers' markets. By the 18th century, gingerbread was widely available.

It traveled to America with settlers from Europe. Molasses, which was less expensive than sugar, became a common ingredient and produced a softer cake.  One of the first American cookbooks, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, published in 1796, contained seven different recipes for gingerbread.

I hope you'll enjoy this simple yet yummy recipe for gingerbread cake! 


Gingerbread Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup applesauce

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two loaf pans, two round cake pans, or a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Beat in egg, molasses, and applesauce. Spray your measuring cup with a shot of non-stick spray before you pour in the molasses. It will slide right out of it without leaving a big sticky mess behind.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to batter 1 cup at a time. When it is well-blended, add the cup of hot water and stir to incorporate.

If you are using loaf pans, bake for about 50 minutes. If using cake pans, baking time will decrease to around 20-30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Top with frosting, sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with caramel sauce or dollop on whipped cream. You can finish it however you like!

Happy New Year!


USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes. When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at: ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Newsletter | BookBub