Tasty Tuesday ... Glorified Gingerbread

When it comes to spending time with family during the holidays, food is a wonderful ambassador.  It can serve as a bridge, a topic of conversation, an olive branch, and an occasional source of humor. A wife is wise to set aside her pride and resist embracing some of her mother-in-law's recipes.  A mom-in-law is wise to encourage her daughter law's contributions as they learn to blend their tastes (literally) into the family album.



Since we talked about "Holiday In-Laws" yesterday and will be talking more about holidays with in-laws the rest of the week, it seems fitting to share a recipe from my extended family.  This is a recipe my husband shared with me when we were first married. It's a traditional cake from his mom, and it has become a fall and winter favorite at our home. I think of it as "Jeff's Gingerbread," but it was first given to me as "Glorified Gingerbread."

This doesn't take long to make, has simple ingredients, is comforting enough for a family game night, but rich enough for company. Last week I made it and forgot the molasses ... it became "Cinnamon Cake" and was still delicious. :)  I added a caramel sauce to drizzle over it, and Jeff said I may've hit on a new dessert all it's own. Here's the basic recipe for "Jeff's Gingerbread," from my mother-in-law's cookbook:

Glorified Gingerbread

Sift together: 2 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, a pinch of salt.  

Add:  1/2 c. shortening and crumble it together with the dry ingredients, until it looks like crumbs. Take out 1/2 c. of the crumb mixture and set it aside for topping later.

To the main mixture add:

• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 3 T. molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk to which you add 1 T. vinegar (That makes it sour) and after that add 1 teaspoon of baking soda ... then add this milk mixture to the rest of the batter.

Mix the batter well.  Pour into a greased pie pan.  Sprinkle the reserved topping over the center.

Bake it for 35 min. Cut into pie wedges to serve. Serves about 8.

This is amazing fresh out of the oven. You can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream to make it more special.  We loved it with the caramel sauce addition. That's for another Tasty Tuesday.


I hope you enjoy this little taste from my hubby's family table and now our table together. What can you "bring to the table" this holiday season that shows you embrace your extended family? 



Thanks to Jen and Lisa for hosting Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday to encourage us to make great food a family tradition!