Gingerbread With Warm Cinnamon Bananas And Rum Food

OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
• Place the rum and raisins in a small pan, cover and heat until the rum boils. Turn off the heat and set aside. Place the butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth. Drain the raisins and add them and crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice and pour it onto the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set. Cut the gingerbread into 9 squares.

GINGERBREAD PANCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE AND RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with two kitchen towels stacked on top of each other and place in the oven. This will keep your cooked pancakes warm.
• For the pancakes: Whisk the flour, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the cornstarch, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt together in a large bowl. Whisk 1 1/4 cups of the milk, the molasses, melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and the eggs together in a medium bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until batter is thick and ingredients are just incorporated (it's okay if there are some lumps). Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the cream cheese sauce: Combine the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with the cream cheese and rum in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the cream cheese melts completely and mixture just begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and keep warm.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Use 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter per pancake, making enough to just fill the skillet without crowding. Cook until pancakes are golden on the bottom and bubbly on top, about 30 seconds. Flip the pancakes and cook until lightly golden on the bottom, about 30 seconds more. Transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet in the oven, tucking them between the kitchen towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• When ready to serve, divide the pancakes between four serving plates, dust with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with the cream cheese sauce. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.

GINGERBREAD WITH WARM CINNAMON BANANAS AND RUM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Butter and flour an 8 inch square dish and set aside.
• Whisk together the spices, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Stir together the molasses, soda and hot water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the egg into the creamed mixture.
• Add the cooled molasses mixture, then the dry ingredients, mixing only until blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the oven until tests done, 30 to 40 minutes.
• In the meantime do the banana sauce. In a medium saute pan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon and rum. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for several minutes longer, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes longer. Gently stir in the bananas and heat until heated through.
• To serve, cut the gingerbread into rectangles and place on dessert plates. Top each portion with some of the banana sauce and then a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

MOIST GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour, spices and salt; stir in dates and ginger.
• Melt molasses and butter Beat egg with sugar.
• Add the two mixtures (above) alternately to dry ingredients, beating all the time.
• Dissolve baking soda in milk; stirr into mixture.
• Pour in 8" square pan lined with non-stick baking paper. Level top and bake at 350 F 45-50 minutes. Let cool on wire rack before removing from pan.
• Remove baking paper and wrap in foil. Store in air-tight container up to 8 weeks.

EXTRA MOIST GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x9x2 straight sided square cake pan (10 cup volume minimum) with the butter and lightly dust with the granulated sugar. Do not use a smaller pan or you will have a big but very tasty mess in your oven.
• In a small bowl, stir the oil, molasses and eggs until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
• In a small pot, bring the brown sugar and root beer to a boil. Meanwhile, add the molasses mixture to the flour and stir to combine. Add the hot root beer mixture and quickly beat until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (35-45 minutes). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until warm (40 minutes).
• Invert the pan to remove the cake and turn the cake right side up (cake may be prepared up to 4 hours ahead).
• In a chilled medium bowl, beat the cream and sugar with a hand mixer until soft peaks form (3 minutes). Cut the gingerbread into 8 pieces of whatever size you choose and place one on each of 8 plates. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and serve.
• Cupcakes: (20 cupcakes) Fill each just a bit above halfway. Bake trays at 350 degrees F for 19 minutes (rotate & switch midway).

CINNAMON SAUTEED BANANAS

Steps:

• Cut bananas crosswise into 1/4" slices.
• Toss slices in a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.
• Heat saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter.
• When butter is bubbly, add the bananas.
• Holding the pan by the handle, toss the bananas every 10 seconds or so for 2-3 minutes until tender.
• (The slices should hold their shape and be carmelized) Serve on a warm plate-- good with ice cream or angel food cake or by itself!

FLOUNDER WITH BANANAS, ALMONDS AND RUM

Steps:

• Warm oven to 200 degrees F. or lowest setting - to keep fish warm.
• Mix the flour with the salt and pepper on a large plate.
• Dredge the flounder in the flour, shake off excess, and dip in the beaten egg.
• Combine the butter and oil in a large saute pan and put over med-high heat.
• Add the flounder fillets and saute quickly, about 2-3 minutes per side.
• Remove from the pan and set aside in a warm oven.
• To the same pan, add the almonds and saute briefly, then add banana slices.
• Hold pan away from the heat (very important so it doesn't flame) and add rum. * Never pour rum directly from the bottle into a hot pan, since it is highly flamable.
• Return the pan to heat.
• Add the butter and nutmeg - adjust seasoning.
• Cook briefly and pour sauce over the flounder.
• Enjoy!