Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Fresh Ginger

Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Fresh Ginger

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to cooksillustrated.com

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbs minced crystallized ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 8 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3  tbs grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat:

• oven to 350 with rack in middle position.  Grease pan bottom and sides of pan (11 x 7 or 9 x 9) and dust with flour, removing excess.  

Whisk:

•  first 9 ingredients in medium bowl.  

Beat:

• butter, molasses, and sugar with electric mixer on medium until combined.  Add egg, mixing until incorporated.  Add milks, mixing until incorporated.

Add:

• dry ingredients to liquid, mixing on medium until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides as needed.  Don't overmix.  Fresh ginger will make batter a bit lumpy.  

Scrape:

• batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until springs back when touched, and edges have pulled away from pan.

Cool:

• on rack for 5-10 minutes.  Serve hot, warm, room temp.  Good with whipped cream or ice cream.  Will keep covered in refrigerator for 5 days.