"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread. – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost"
There are few recipes out there which make me re-incarnate an old saying into "Slow and Steady wins the taste"!! Some recipes are such. They take their own sweet time to blossom and develop, but when they do - their taste and smell etch an everlasting impression in your tastebuds. One among the few such is Gingerbread.
I read that Nuremberg(Germany) is referred to as "Gingerbread Capital of the world". Although when I think of Gingerbread I simply remember the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread house The origin and the taste has come a long way and its been adapted like no other by US where a Christmas celebration would be considered incomplete without the good old Gingerbread - be it made like a cake, or gingersnap , or house or the more famous Gingerbread man. I came across many gingerbread recipes all varied but also which were quite rich by way of calories.
I had one recipe given to me by an aquaintance which was far lesser calories than the one I have seen and which I adapted further more to be more of healthy and nutritional value than the calories. Its made eggless but if you want, you can add one Egg to the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour (gram flour), sifted
- 2 tsp ground ginger plus couple more to get that additional zing of ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 7 tbsp milk (low-fat works fine too)
- pinch of salt
Method
1.Preheat Oven 325F. Take a skillet and mix together sugar,shortening,honey,molasses and heat them in low flame until blended and melted. Cool it slightly and then add the milk.
2.In another bowl add the sifted flours along with the spices,baking powder and salt and mix them well.Now pour the syrup mixture into the flour and blend them well.
3.Pour this mixture into a well greased loaf pan, smoothen out the top and bake for 1-2 hrs or until the top of the bread is firm to touch and the sides turn brown.
4.Allow it to cool and then turn it out into a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap the leftovers in foil. It tastes better with time.
This is my entry to Zorra's World Bread Day
Other Thanksgiving Specials
1)Moist Cornbread -Low Calorie
2) Nutritious Gingersnaps
3)Cranberry and Apple Pie
4)Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crusts and Honey Pecan filling
