I actually don't remember my great-grandmother ever making gingerbread, but there are two gingerbread recipes in her collection and well, 'tis the season.
The main ingredient in gingerbread (or this recipe anyway) is molasses. My great-grandmother used to buy molasses by the quart jar from a man down the road named Roger Toney. Mr. Toney, in addition to working on cars, still grows his own sugar cane, which he then boils down into molasses. My dad still buys it from him and pours pools of the tar-colored liquid onto his plate, cuts in a dabs of butter and slathers it onto biscuits. He makes it look incredible. I've tried to follow suit, but have never quite developed a taste for the stuff straight.
As a result of growing up seeing my great-grandmother cook with the homemade stuff, I don't really trust molasses that don't come in an unlabeled mason jar. But I live almost four hours away from Mr. Toney in a relatively urban area, so I had to settle for the one brand the grocery store carries.
This was my first time making gingerbread and despite my store-bought molasses, this bread was a revelation.
As quick to whip up as a loaf of banana bread, it came out of the oven deep and rich. Sliced warm, it was spicy, moist and comforting.
And even though gingerbread wasn't a part of my holiday tradition growing up, this tastes like Christmas.
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