Ginger Bread

Here’s a nice recipe for the runup to Christmas. On a cold day, it will make you feel comfy, and baking it will make your house smell wonderful. Serve it warm with whipped cream for a tasty dessert!

Ginger Bread

Ginger Bread

Makes 2 loaves 

 4 cups flour

4 teaspoons powdered ginger

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoons ground cloves

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup butter

¼ cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/3 cups 2% milk (I use lactaid)

¾ cup dark molasses

3 heaping Tablespoons apple sauce or apple butter

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter sides and bottoms of 2 glass loaf pans.
2.  Mix together the first 7 dry ingredients and sift twice into a large bowl.
3. Whip butter with flat beater for 1 minute in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add canola oil and sugar. Cream mixture to make it light and fluffy, then mix in egg and beat until smooth.
4. Measure 1½ cups milk in a 2 cup measuring cup, but don’t pour it out yet.  Instead, measure the ¾ cups molasses in the same measuring cup (the molasses will sink to the bottom) and then stir these with a spoon.
5. Pour 1/3 of the dry mix and 1/3 of the milky molasses mix into the creamed butter and mix until just incorporated.  Do not beat.  Continue to add the dry mix and wet mix by thirds, each time mixing until wet but not overly smooth.  Note:  If the mix is beaten too hard, the resulting bread will be dense and gummy instead of crumbly and rich. 
6. Scrape bowl and beater, add the apple sauce and swirl together for 5 or 10 seconds.
7. Pour into the buttered loaf pans and bake at 350º for 1 hour.
8. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, and then on racks for 1 hour. Once cooled, wrap in plastic to develop the moist outer layer that is characteristic of gingerbread.
9. This bread freezes well.