Deep Dark Gingerbread
January 7, 2011
In case you didn’t notice (or you live in some place with obscenely nice weather), it has been raining A LOT this winter. (My apologies to anyone reading this who is currently snowed in or worse, lots of rain is extreme weather for us here in Northern California.) In fact, it rained nearly every day of our Winter Break from school. At first it was nice. We read books, built forts, danced, and suited up in rain gear for wet adventures through the woods. By the end of the second week though, the mere thought of constructing another LEGO plaything made me ill. Luckily my children love to eat even more than I do and given the opportunity they love to cook as well.
Cooking is naturally exciting for kids. Scooping and pouring, cracking and stirring, let us not forget tasting! I try my best to teach my kids how to properly and safely cook so they can really participate in the preparation of our food. My kids are 2 and 4 and love to help. While they are too young to safely wield a knife, there are plenty of other ways for them to be involved. They took turns scooping and leveling the ingredients. The little man added the ingredients to the mixer while the little lady buttered the pan. In between “My turn, no MY turn” and “I want to do that,” they had a great time and the bread turned out fantastic.
Oh, just thinking about this bread makes me want another piece! This is not your grandma’s gingerbread. First, it is loaded with molasses giving it a deep dark color and flavor. Second, it is spiced up with not only ground ginger, but fresh ginger too, and the surprising addition of dry mustard to give it a real punch. Lastly, it is made with mostly whole wheat flour and no additional sugar (the molasses does the trick to sweeten it). Put it all together and you have a rich spicy bread with deep flavors and a mild sweetness suitable for a special dessert or an afternoon snack.
Deep Dark Gingerbread
adapted from the Tassajara Bread Book
makes 1 loaf
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup hot water
Whipped cream (for garnish, optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour the pan.
Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and dry spices in a medium bowl.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the molasses and egg. Blend until combined. Add the fresh ginger.
Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the hot water. Blend to combine between additions. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
Pour the mixture into a 4 x 8 loaf pan (as I did) or an 8 x 8 square cake pan. Level the top with a spatula.
Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack in pan. Once bread has cooled 10 minutes, gently slide a thin knife around the outside of the pan and invert to remove. Cool bread on rack.
To serve, cut slice and serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of applesauce.
Here is a printer friendly version of the recipe: Deep Dark Gingerbread
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My Pantry Shelf 
January 7, 2011 at 1:15 pm
I can’t wait for the gingerbread aroma in our kitchen!
December 13, 2021 at 1:38 pm
Oh yes!!!
January 9, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Mmmmmm. I may have to serve this as my dessert when your mom comes over for my ladies luncheon this month. Then we can chat about this fabulous website!
January 11, 2011 at 5:45 am
There is nothing I love more than warm gingerbread and whipped cream. This is such an interesting recipe as it includes dried mustard. I can’t wait to try it.
Bryles will love an excuse to get out the stool and the mixing bowl, too.
Thanks!
January 11, 2011 at 9:03 am
[…] Oh, that Karen W. and her mouth watering recipes that have me running to the store for unusual pantry items like molasses! Need a break from your rainy day doldrums? Karen’s cooked up a way to lift your spirits and engage the kids in kitchen fun. Read on for another fabulous idea from My Pantry Shelf: […]
February 1, 2011 at 9:21 am
I was one of the lucky ladies at Kathy’s luncheon! This is the BEST gingerbread–moist and deeply flavored. It’s in my file now, thanks.
October 9, 2012 at 6:08 am
[…] Oh, that Karen W. and her mouth watering recipes. This latest entry features veggies harvested from the garden with her children. Need a break from your rainy day doldrums? Karen’s cooked up a way to lift your spirits and engage the kids in culinary fun. Read on for another fabulous idea from My Pantry Shelf: […]
February 15, 2015 at 12:41 pm
You wrote: “This is not your grandma’s gingerbread. First, it is loaded with molasses giving it a deep dark color and flavor. Second, it is spiced up with not only ground ginger, but fresh ginger too, and the surprising addition of dry mustard to give it a real punch.”
Oh, but it is! Not just my grandmother’s gingerbread, but my illegal immigrant great-great-great grandfather’s. Family lore says that the dry mustard in his gingerbread made him a successful baker in Houston, Texas, in the late 19th century. I treasure the stained recipe card my grandmother first gave my father in 1939 when he set off to college, and then to me when I sent to college in 1964. The dry mustard is missing from the ingredient list — passed along only by word of mouth, amount unspecified. By the way, Gran insisted that the water has to be boiling. (She would not have been able to find fresh ginger during the Depression, but I’m sure she’d approve the addition. I’ve done it for decades.)
Thanks very much for your recipes!
KMR Feb 15 2015
February 17, 2015 at 10:39 am
Lovely story! Thanks for sharing.
February 17, 2015 at 1:34 pm
NOT FOR POSTING TO WEBSITE Dear Karen@MyPantryShelf — would you like a PDF of the recipe card? I’ve scanned it along with the other cards that Gran gave to my father. They are a real piece of American cooking history. KMR 2/17/2015
from Karen Reeds karenmreeds@gmail.com
December 13, 2021 at 1:36 pm
Oh my gosh, the Deep Dark Gingerbread recipe is an all time favorite of mine! It is a very moist bread with tremendous flavor. If you love ginger, you will find this bread extremely satisfying. It is a rare treat and in my opinion doesn’t need anything to top it such as whipped cream, but do so if you desire. It is absolutely scrumptious toasted as well. Thank you to Ed Brown for sharing this most delicious recipe.