A Vintage Recipe for a Scrumptious Super Moist Gingerbread

This is another of the recipes from my mother's bride chest. My oldest sister copied these recipes from miscellaneous used envelopes and scraps of paper into a notebook. After the death of my parents, I was given a copy of that notebook. My father had his cane processed into molasses because he loved the flavor and that is why there were so many recipes using this product.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening (such as Crisco)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup boiling water

Cream together the sugar and shortening; add the egg and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix well: the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and soda. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the water and molasses and continue to mix until well blended.

Pour into a 10x10 inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper (for easier cleanup) Bake at 325 for 45-60 minutes.

High altitude: You might want to reduce sugar by 1-2 tablespoons.

Note: The gingerbread will be slightly sticky but do not over bake.

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• dash of sea salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium pan. Stir in the water until well blended and heat on stove (stirring constantly) until it boils. The sauce will be thick and clear and the cornstarch cooked. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon extract, and the butter or margarine.

Drizzle the hot sauce over the warm gingerbread fresh from the oven.

This is an excellent and well-flavored dessert, moist and irresistible even if you think you do not like molasses!!