Soft gingerbread with fruit

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Glengarry Fencible
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Soft gingerbread with fruit

Post by Glengarry Fencible » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:12 pm

Anonymous, The Cook Not Mad, Or, Rational Cookery (James MacFarlane: Kingston, Upper Canada 1831; The Cherry Tree Press: Toronto, 1972 and 1982), page 42, number 127.

Original recipie:

"One pound and a half of flour, half a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, one pint of molasses, four eggs, one teacup of milk, two teaspoons of pearlash, one ounce of ginger, one of cinnamon, one nutmeg, one pound of currants."

Modern equivalent, thanks to Historic Fort York.

The quantity of the original receipt has been halved.
125 mL soft butter 1/2 cup
125 mL white sugar 1/2 cup
2 medium eggs 2
250 mL molasses 1 cup
5 mL pearlash, 1 tsp.
dissolved in 10 mL.(2 tsp.) milk
OR
5 mL baking soda 1 tsp.
10 mL ginger 2 tsps.
10 mL cinnamon 2 tsps.
10 mL nutmeg 2 tsps.
250 mL currants, plumped in hot water 1 cup
750 mL white flour 3 cups
125 mL whole milk 1/2 cup
Cream: butter and sugar until very light
Whisk: egg yolks to a pale yellow cream, about 5 minutes
Blend: yolks into butter and sugar
Add: molasses, baking soda, spices and plumped currants

Blend in: flour, one cup at a time, alternately with milk
Whisk: egg whites until stiff

Fold: whites into batter

Turn: into a well-buttered or greased 23 x 23 cm (9" x 9") cake pan or about 15 muffin tins

Bake: in a moderate oven, 180°C (350°F), for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean

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pud
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Posts: 370
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:48 pm
Location: Upper Canada

WOW!!

Post by pud » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:43 pm

It sounds amazing!

:D

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