Damp Gingerbread Food

LAURIE COLWIN'S GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. Cream remaining 4 ounces butter with the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy, add molasses, then beat in eggs.
• Add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
• Add lemon brandy or vanilla extract and buttermilk and turn batter into pan.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes). Cool on a rack.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DOUGH & ICING

Steps:

• Bring sugar, molasses, ginger and cinnamon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add baking soda (it will boil up). Place chopped butter in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and pour the molasses mixture on top. Mix to combine and stir in beaten egg. Gradually add flour. Knead until thoroughly combined, adding additional flour to obtain a stiff dough as needed. Divide in two. Form into rectangle-shaped mounds and cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• Roll dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangles according to the size you need for the templates. Cut out shapes and transfer to lined or prepared or non-stick baking sheets. Bake in a moderate oven 325°F for approximately 20 minutes or until the dough turns a uniform dark golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from sheet pan.
• Royal Icing: Place all ingredients in clean mixing bowl. Using whisk attachment combine ingredients on low speed. Increase speed to high and whip until mixture is stiff, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from mixer. (Hand held mixer will take few minute longer).
• Remove 3/4 of the mixture to another bowl and cover bowl with a damp towel until you are ready to use icing, or icing will dry and a crust will form. Replace mixer on machine, and on low speed, add additional powdered sugar for "cement" used to hold walls up.
• Note: If worried about raw egg whites, use meringue powder available at decorating supply and specialty food stores. Replace each egg white with 1 tablespoon meringue powder and 2 tablespoons warm water. Proceed with recipe.
• Icing tip: Caramelize about 1/2-1 cup of sugar use as "superglue" to construct the house. Dries fast and hard. Use the royal icing to cover up the seams and to stick on the candy.

GINGERBREAD CRUMB DUMP CAKE

Steps:

• For the crumb topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers until it is no longer floury and crumbs form; clump them about the size of large peas. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes before using.
• For the dump cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Fill the prepared pan with the apples and evenly top with the cake mix. Drizzle the melted butter over the top, trying to cover as much of the mix as possible. Evenly sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until set and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

DAMP JAMAICAN GINGERBREAD (ENGLISH RECIPE)

Steps:

• Line a buttered 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper and paint the paper with a little melted butter.
• My tin measures 6½ x 3¾ inches at the base and is 3 3/8 inches high.
• Do not use a smaller tin as the mixture rises above the rim of the tin.
• Measure the molasses, syrup, sugar and butter into a saucepan with ½ cup of water, gently heat on a medium/low flame and stir gently until thoroughly melted and blended.
• Don't let it boil!
• If it gets very hot, allow the mixture to cool slightly.
• Sift the flour, and spices into a large bowl.
• Mix the baking soda with the milk and set aside.
• Next add the syrup mixture to the flour and spices, a little at a time and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth with no flour lumps.
• Beat in the eggs a little at a time.
• Add the baking soda and milk.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the center of oven at 325 F convection (300 F fan assisted) for 1 to 1¼ hours, until it's well risen and firm to the touch.
• Allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
• Once cool, put into a tin for 24 hours then enjoy.

DAMP GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• 1. preheat oven to 350º, grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan
• 2. melt the butter with the syrup in a small saucepan (I have successfully substituted other syrups such as maple, or even Log Cabin, all molasses is a bit too strong, but ½ molasses and ½ Lyle's makes a nice rich cake.)
• 3. sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl; add the beaten egg and milk and beat well, add the syrup/butter mixture and beat well, the batter will be quite liquid
• 4. pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 - 55 minutes until just done (if it is overcooked, it becomes dry.)

MOIST GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 18 to 20 cm square cake tin and line with greased greaseproof paper
• put marg treacle and syrup into a saucepan heat gently until marg has melted stirring from time to time remove from heat and add milk
• allow to cool for 5 mins and add eggs
• seive the dry ingredients into a bowl then add treacle mix and beat well together
• pour into the prepared cake tin and cook in a very moderate oven for 1 to 1.25 hours at 170c 325f gas mark 3
• turn out of tin and cool on wire rack and keep in airtight tin for 3 days then enjoy
• n be eaten once cooled if you cant wait

DAMP GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• First weigh out the syrup into a small saucepan, it helps to place the opened tin in a pan of barely simmering water for 5 minutes to make it easier to pour. Then weigh a saucepan on the scales, and weigh the syrup into it. Then add the butter to the saucepan and melt the two together over a gentle heat. Meanwhile measure the dry ingredients into a bowl, then gradually pour in the syrup mixture, mixing thoroughly. Now beat the egg and milk together in a separate basin then add that bit by bit, again mixing very thoroughly. The cake batter will seem very liquid at this stage but that's quite normal so don't worry, just pour it into the prepared tin and bake near the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes or until the centre is springy. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire tray to cool. When it's cold, cut it into squares and store in an airtight tin.