Sticky Toffee Gingerbread

Sticky Toffee GingerbreadGinger Fix
I have had gingerbread on the brain. I blame my sister because while I will be here braving the crowds to finish up my holiday shopping, she will be in London for a storybook, Charles Dickens Christmas adventure with her family and the queen. Gee, how awful for her.

Ginger is a major player for my family during the holidays. Most of the holiday treats of my childhood contained some sort of ginger…ginger cookies, gingerbread men and of course, good old-fashioned gingerbread. It’s definitely a Scandinavian addiction, and for me, it’s not the holidays without it.

I have tasted some good gingerbread over the years, but if I had to choose one recipe to make a classic gingerbread it would be this one. Though, I don’t serve it the way you would expect. I go rogue and serve my gingerbread with the same sauce I use for my Sticky Toffee Pudding. Is it over the top? Perhaps. But it is appropriate for the holidays—if you can’t over-indulge at the holidays then when can you?

Try using Blackstrap molasses instead of regular. It gives it a dark chocolate-like intensity that is delicious. You can also bake this in individual ramekins, or even muffin tins for a more elegant presentation—just be certain to adjust the cooking time.

Sticky Toffee Gingerbread

Gingerbread
Serves 12
This portion of the recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook

Ingredients
Butter for greasing the pan
1-2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses (Blackstrap if available)
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sugar and molasses. Mix until well incorporated.

Pour the boiling water and the oil over mixture, and stir thoroughly until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until top springs back when touched and the edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan.

Set on a rack to cool in the pan.

Toffee Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, preferably Plugrà
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped and reserved
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions
Simmer the sugar, butter, and vanilla bean with seeds in a 4- qt. saucepan over medium, stirring until sugar is dissolved, or for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cream, lemon juice, and salt.

Strain sauce and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour over gingerbread and serve.

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