the pioneer history of gingerbread.
i currently have a dark dark cake baking away in the oven. it goes by the name of "gingerbread". you may have heard of this cake, mostly made up of molasses. It was featured on one of the "two fat ladies" episodes, Clarissa made a Yorkshire gingerbread. Quite similar to the one I am baking. My recipe is from the Foxfire book, a 100-year old recipe, probably from a pioneer (<3). But did you know that gingerbread actually originated in Europe in the eleventh century? Many fairs in England became known as "gingerbread fairs". Pioneers did bring with them their traditions of making gingerbread from Northern Europe. In New England, maple syrup gingerbread's are popular, and in the South, sorghum molasses is used. I use a mix of sorghum and dark molasses (but not blackstrap, maybe just a hint if you really are in love with the black goo).
The wonderful drawing is by Miss Tasha Tudor.
9 December 2008 at 06:19
THIS is my favorite. it is heartfelt AND learning.