Gingerbread

Gingerbread has been baked in Europe since the eleventh century. In some places, it was a soft, delicately spiced cake, in others, a crisp, flat cookie, and in others, warm, thick, dark squares of "bread," sometimes served with a pitcher of lemon sauce or whipped cream. It was sometimes light, sometimes dark, sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, but it was almost always cut into shapes such as men, women, stars or animals, and colorfully decorated or stamped with a mold and dusted with white sugar.

In Medieval England gingerbread meant simply "preserved ginger" and was an adaptation of the Old French gingebras, derived from the Latin name of the spice, Zingebar. It was only in the fifteenth century that the term came to be applied to a kind of cake made with treacle, an uncrystalized syrup drained from raw sugar during the refining process, and flavored with ginger. Ginger was also discovered to have a preservative effect when added to pastries and bread, and this probably led to the development of recipes for ginger cakes, cookies, and flavored breads.

During the nineteenth century, gingerbread was modernized. When the Grimm brothers collected volumes of German fairy tales they found one about Hansel and Gretel, two children who, abandoned in the woods by penniless parents, discovered a house made of bread, cake and candies.



At Christmas, gingerbread makes its most impressive appearance. The German practice of making lebkuchen houses never caught on in Britain in the same way as it did in North America, and it is here still that the most extraordinary creations are found.



Gingerbread making in North America has its origins in the traditions of the many settlers from all parts of Northern Europe who brought with them family recipes and customs. By the nineteenth century, America had been baking gingerbread for decades.



American recipes usually called for fewer spices than their European counterparts, but often make use of ingredients that were only available regionally. Maple syrup gingerbreads were made in New England, and in the South sorghum molasses was used. Regional variations began occurring as more people arrived from Europe. In Pennsylvania, the influence of German cooking was great and many traditional Germany gingerbreads reappeared in this area, especially at Christmas time.



Nowhere in the world is there a greater collection of gingerbread recipes than in America ?there are so many variations in taste, form and presentation. With the vast choice of ingredients, baking aids and decorative items the imaginative cook can create the most spectacular gingerbread houses and centerpieces ever. 

Info by ultimategingerbread.com/gingerbreadhistory

Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the pan with parchment paper. Mix together flour, ginger, salt and baking powder into bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until soft. Beat in eggs. Then add molasses, mix. Add dry ingredients, stir. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Serve with a dollop of cool whip or vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!