Eve of Christmas Eve!!

It's an uncelebrated holiday to most but this is one of my favorite days of the year. It is when you can almost smell and taste Christmas morning and the excitement of the day is building to a point that you almost can't stand it.

Time Out! for Family Sharing
The bustle of holiday preparation slows at least a few times during Advent as we prepare and share a simple Gingerbread recipe. The late James Beard, "dean of American cooks", hailed from Oregon, United States. His directions for gingerbread, slightly modified here, result in a lovely, moist cake. It takes little time or effort, but provides a festive cap to family Advent meditations or Christmas prayers.

Directions and Ingredients (Metric Conversion below)

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees, and have ready a 9 inch x 9 inch by 2 inch baking pan. Do not grease or flour the pan.

Measure 1 cup molasses, light or dark, with a glass (liquid) measuring cup. Pour the molasses into a reasonably large bowl, perhaps 2-3 quart size. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water into the now (mostly) empty glass measuring cup, and then into the bowl. This will help rinse the last of the molasses from the measuring cup. Coarsely chop up 5 tablespoons butter and add quickly to the bowl; stir to help the butter melt into the combined hot water and molasses.

To the bowl, stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger (more ginger results in a spicier, "hotter" cake), 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 cups flour, preferably unbleached. Stir just until ingredients are mixed and moist; this is a job for a light hand with a wooden spoon, not an electric mixer.

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes. When the cake is done, it will pull away slightly from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean. Allow to cool briefly and, if desired, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Best when warm, but entirely acceptable cool.

Metric Conversion:

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees, and have ready a 23 x 23 CM baking pan. Do not grease or flour the pan.

Measure 250 ml molasses, light or dark, with a glass (liquid) measuring cup. Pour the molasses into a reasonably large bowl, perhaps 2-3 litre size. Pour 125 ml boiling water into the now (mostly) empty glass measuring cup, and then into the bowl. This will help rinse the last of the molasses from the measuring cup. Coarsely chop up 75 ml butter and add quickly to the bowl; stir to help the butter melt into the combined hot water and molasses.

To the bowl, stir in 2 ml salt, 5 - 10 ml ground ginger (more ginger results in a spicier, "hotter" cake), 5 ml baking soda, and 500 ml flour, preferably unbleached. Stir just until ingredients are mixed and moist; this is a job for a light hand with a wooden spoon, not an electric mixer.

Bake in the oven at 190 degrees for 25-35 minutes. When the cake is done, it will pull away slightly from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean. Allow to cool briefly and, if desired, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Best when warm, but entirely acceptable cool.