Gingerbread and Seven Minute Frosting / Buttermilk Substitute for Baking - Margaret Ullrich

I've never understood Gingerbread.

It seems a bit sweet to call a bread.

I sure wouldn't make a sandwich with it.

It's an old recipe.

Maybe, in those days, people just needed more calories.

Or had bigger sweet tooths.

So, I'll stick to calling it Gingerbread.

Gingercake just doesn't sound right.

Don't have sour milk?

Just pour a Tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup.

Add enough milk to make 1/2 cup.

Stir and let sit a few minutes.

This also works when a recipe calls for buttermilk.

Just don't drink it.

                        Gingerbread

Grease an 8 inch square pan

Preheat oven to 350º

In a large bowl sift together

1 3/4 Cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

In a large mixer bowl cream together

1/4 Cup oil

1/2 Cup sugar

Add

1 large egg

Stir in

1/2 Cup molasses

Add alternately with the sifted ingredients

1/2 Cup sour milk

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes.

Gingerbread is just fine warm from the oven.

It also goes nicely with

Seven Minute Frosting

In top of a double boiler combine

3/4 Cup sugar

pinch of cream of tartar

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons cold water

1 egg white

Cook over boiling water, beating constantly with an

electric mixer or rotary beater,

(scraping the sides and bottom of the pan occasionally)

until the frosting forms stiff peaks (4 to 7 minutes).

Remove from heat and fold in

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Let cool and spread.

If you really want to go all Christmasy on this, 

you can add with the sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg or ginger

or use

3 or 4 drops of peppermint extract instead of vanilla

and tint it a pale green.

Peppermint frosting on bread?

See why I get confused?