I seem to be trying to hasten the seasons this year. I was hell-bent on spring arriving early, and then spent the latter part of spring longing for summer. In hindsight, that was probably a mistake. But no matter. One cannot change the past, or can one?
In any event, I had promised co-workers some baked deliciousness for tomorrow, but forgot to buy additional butter at the market this morning. As I wasn't feeling like going back to the store simply for butter, I decided to make do with what was on hand, and I always seem to have the makings of gingerbread knocking about. So, though I don't necessarily consider it the taste of summer, I appear to be ushering in autumn early. We'll see how that turns out.
I do adore gingerbread. All of those earthy, fragrant spices seem to speak to my old soul. Autumn and winter find me making this quite a bit. Over the years, I have tinkered with the formula, and still do on occasion. But what you find below in the crux of things and will leave you quite happy indeed.
Yorkshire Gingerbread
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon allspice
Heat the oven to 350º. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until they are well incorporated, then add the molasses and water. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and mix well into the wet mixture. Pour into a greased 8x8-inch tin and bake about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Note:
Remember this is gingerbread, so don't be put off by the amount of ground ginger called for. If, however, you want to ring the changes, instead of the quantities of ginger and allspice above, you can use 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon of allspice. As always, for creaming your butter appropriately, it must be at room temperature, which requires it sitting out on the kitchen surface for a minimum of 15 minutes.
