‘In the room on the left a long supper table was seen, set forth with great pitchers of new milk, piles of brown and white bread, and perfect stacks of the shiny gingerbread so dear to boyish souls.’ -Little Men (Life at Plumfield With Jo’s Boys)

Old-fashioned gingerbread is at the top of my holiday comfort food list. There is something incredibly warming and unique about its taste, scent, and texture.

My grandmother always made gingerbread during the holidays. It was one of the few things that could draw me back inside and away from the outdoor excitement with neighborhood friends. I still recall holding a warm piece of that delicious gingerbread between my cold hands. It tasted like heaven!

Our family continues making memories with gingerbread during the holidays. It’s now a family tradition to serve gingerbread with fresh whipped cream (or occasionally sprinkled with powdered sugar) on New Year’s Day, and we usually make it several other times throughout the season as well. It brings back fond memories from my childhood whenever we serve it. I also associate gingerbread with one of my favorite childhood novels, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Men. Jo had gingerbread waiting for her boys at Plumfield. This part of her story left such a warm and inviting image in my young imagination. Baking and sharing gingerbread still makes me feel a connection with Alcott’s story and her beloved characters. I like to remind our boys that we’re eating the same heavenly treat as Jo’s boys whenever it’s served.

As usual, we made our gingerbread again over the holidays this year. And our boys helped out in the kitchen too. They are very enthusiastic little helpers! I’ve used the same recipe for years, from Fine Cooking, only slightly adapted. It’s the closest I’ve come to the gingerbread of my childhood. It’s perfectly moist and simply delicious.

If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned gingerbread recipe, give this one a try!

Ingredients:

-1 & 3/4 cup flour

-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

-1 & 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (up to 2 & 1/4 tsp.) -The little ones like a bit less ginger, but we adults prefer it strong.

-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

-1/4 tsp. ground cloves

-pinch of salt

-5 tbsp softener butter

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 large egg

-3/4 cup dark molasses

-3/4 cup water

For the fresh whipped cream (so delicious that my 2 & 1/2 year old requests his own bowl full, ha!), or sprinkled powdered sugar as an alternative:

-1 cup heavy cream

-1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

-Preheat the over to 350F and butter an 8×8 inch cake pan.

-Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt into a separate bowl and set aside.

-In your mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Then, add sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined.

-While on lowest speed, slowly pour the molasses into the mixing bowl.

-Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Then, add the remaining dry ingredients.

-Slowly add water and mix until just combined.

-Pour the gingerbread batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Or until a toothpick comes out from the center clean.

-Let it cool for an hour and serve topped with whipped cream!

-For the whipped cream: Mix heavy cream in the mixing bowl and beat until thick. Slowly add the maple syrup and beat until soft peaks form. It’s as simple as that!

-And most importantly, ENJOY! We sure do!

What are your favorite childhood recipes? Do you still make them? 

Thanks for stopping by!