So, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I had this wonderful gingerbread recipe. It was my favorite gingerbread recipe in the whole wide world. That gingerbread recipe hung the moon and invented the wheel.
Then I lost it.
I’ve been thinking, longing, agonizing, over that gingerbread recipe ever since. Okay, it was just gingerbread, right? But no, Little Feather, it was not just any gingerbread! It was gingerbread with this wonderful, fabulous, delicious, mouthwatering, die-and-go-to-heaven topping.
Then I thought, what are you doing? Just play around and figure it out! You know what it tasted like!
So I did. And here it is. And because I love each and every one of you, I’m going to share its splendor with you. (I couldn’t remember what it was called, so I made that up, too.)
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How to make Gingerbread with Nutty-Buttery Broiled Topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/2 cup water
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Add shortening, molasses, egg, and water.
Using an electric mixer, beat on low till combined then beat on high for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake at 350-degrees for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Go ahead and poke holes all over the gingerbread with the toothpick so the topping can soak into the cake.
Nutty-Buttery Broiled Topping
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped finely
Combine butter, brown sugar, and pecans. I always like to “chop” my nuts by pounding them inside a small baggie.
After gingerbread is baked, pour topping over the top of the cake. Place back in oven on broil for two minutes.
Get some vanilla ice cream.
Eat the entire cake.
You can die now.
You’re welcome.
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
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Julie Andrea says:
Ohhhhh my goodness! It’s 4:30 am, I can’t sleep, it’s starting to turn daylight and I want a piece of that cake for breakfast! LOL Mmmmm, I think I know what I will be doing later on today, will have to run out and get some good ice cream .. hey, do you make your own ice cream?? Did I miss that somewhere?
Julie Andrea
On June 24, 2009 at 2:37 am
Kathryn says:
Julie, I didn’t see your reply when I posted! How funny. I just came in to stick the homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer to set up.
On June 24, 2009 at 5:16 am
Kathryn says:
Oh. Oh. Oh. You do realize that it is five in the morning? I am on my way out the door to get outside stuff done before it gets too hot to breathe, and you are tempting me with the most incredible, magnificent gingerbread pictures I have ever seen? And, that gingerbread is my favorite. And, that we have no ice cream in the house? And that I am going to go make a custard quickquickquick to throw in the ice cream maker to do its thing while I am outside? I am thinking you are just a tad mean. 😆
On June 24, 2009 at 4:09 am
Kim Lynch says:
If you combine 1/3 cup of flour with the topping ingredients it will make the toppping crunchy.
On June 24, 2009 at 4:28 am
Runningtrails-Sheryl says:
That looks fabulous! and I will make it after I lose the 10 pounds I am working on. Soon… Its not that “I don’t eat those things”. I just don’t eat them right now. After I lose the weight, then I will eat them. Its just a postponement. I’ll just jog further…
On June 24, 2009 at 4:31 am
Debbie in Memphis says:
That looks so YUMMY!! I’m going to have to make it today!
On June 24, 2009 at 4:44 am
Diane says:
Yummy :snoopy: I will have to try this one. I need to go and get some ingredients to make it. But tomarrow morning I will be trying out this recipe. Have to bake in the morning before it gets too hot.
My dd was just asking me when am I going to make rum cake again. lol. I might have to make this gingerbread cake and rum cake for our long 4th of July weekend at a 4 day festival. We set up as demostrators. And I will have people to share with. lol. Plus hopefully keep the temptation of buying expensive food away. 🙂
Thanks for all the great yummy not so diet friendly goodies.
Diane
On June 24, 2009 at 5:06 am
Carol Langille says:
Mmmm, mmmm, mm, mm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! Looks delicious, Suzanne, but all your recipes do and I’ve tried several. Always wonderful and easy to make….win-win situation, right?
The Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose plate that beautiul piece of cake is sitting on…..do you have the whole set? One of my all-time favorite patterns! My very favorite, though, is the Homer Laughlin Blue Bird China…the one with the fat, rosy-breasted little blue birds carrying little roses in their beaks! It was my Mama’s favorite, too.
I’ll give the Gingergbread a try soon and I’ll put mine on a blue bird plate.
Have a great day…
Carol
On June 24, 2009 at 5:25 am
Kimberly says:
ooo…that looks devine. I never was a big gingerbread person until i met my hubby from western PA. His family is big on warm gingerbread with a warm lemon sauce poured over the top. It is TO.DIE.FOR. And often his mom will go the simple round and use lemon cook and serve Jello pudding to pour over the top.
On June 24, 2009 at 6:15 am
Angie says:
Yummy – looks good!
Question, how do you get frozen items home, such as ice cream, and them not melt? Do you have some sort of cooler/cooler bag that you use?
I know, as close as I am to the store, getting them home in this hot Texas heat, they are almost milkshakes by the time we make it – LOL
On June 24, 2009 at 6:22 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
I hurry, LOL.
On June 24, 2009 at 6:41 am
Diane says:
Wow, love the gingerbread/ice cream photos! I am inspired. Found your blog by way of Nancy K’s Shepherd’s Voice blog.
Diane L./Bloominton,IN
On June 24, 2009 at 6:25 am
KentuckyFarmGirl says:
That looks so good! Puts my bowl of cereal to shame! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
On June 24, 2009 at 6:40 am
thecrazysheeplady says:
That looks good enough to warrant heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven.
On June 24, 2009 at 6:57 am
Nancy in Atlanta says:
Oh, heavenly – not only did you make me drool on the keyboard again, but you brought back very vivid memories of Mom’s warm gingerbread with what she called “hard sauce” on top! She was from PA and had some wonderful things in her kitchen. Thanks, Suzanne!
On June 24, 2009 at 7:30 am
monica says:
:hungry: :hungry: OMG :hungry: :hungry:
On June 24, 2009 at 7:32 am
Elaine says:
Ok. I am quite the cake addict but what struck me about your post was the beautiful hammer! Even your hammers are pretty! Ugh. I can’t compete. Love the blog.
On June 24, 2009 at 7:37 am
JeannieB says:
Ohhh, my sister used to make me gingerbread, I haven’t had any in a long time. Love the plate and what a cute hammer!!
On June 24, 2009 at 7:49 am
Kathleen H from Bloomington IN says:
I want the hammer! Yum Yum. I love gingerbread, and the topping looks fabulous. My mom always used a lemon sauce which was delicious. Anyway guess what I am making for dessert today? Thanks for another great recipe. Oh, I made the apple pie and my hubby was impressed. (before I always used canned apples and refrigerator dough – I am so creative on my own) Yes he couldn’t believe this apple pie. :shimmy:
On June 24, 2009 at 8:14 am
Bev says:
It’s official…I believe you want us all to be fat…LOL
Love the girlie hammer!
On June 24, 2009 at 9:48 am
JoAnn says:
Ohhhh delicious. Here’s something I do – when pounding the nuts I turn the hammer sideways and get more surface to whack with. Makes it go faster – though you might not be in a hurry when whacking pecans.
On June 24, 2009 at 9:55 am
Tori Lennox says:
Angie, it’s hot here in Arkansas too. We use those brown freezer bags the store supplies plus an ice chest to store frozen items.
On June 24, 2009 at 10:02 am
cgReno says:
YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK !!!!! This is the receipe that my granny always used and it has been lost for about 20 years of my life! I have read a million gingerbread receipes and NEVER found one with the topping!!!! Assembling ingrediants as I type!!! Thank you 4Ever and everrrrrrrr.
On June 24, 2009 at 10:29 am
Kacey says:
Oh. My. Gosh. I have to have some of that RIGHT. NOW.
On June 24, 2009 at 11:52 am
Marley Delarose says:
:shocked:
Woman, I’ve seen everything. A hand decorated hammer. Does your husband know he’s married to the perrrrfect woman? I mean who else thinks of making their hammer beautiful. I couldn’t concentrate on the luscious picture of gingerbread after I saw that!
You do indeed Rrrrrock! :dancingmonster:
On June 24, 2009 at 11:53 am
Melinda says:
Ok now you have done it! I am going to HAVE to make the gingerbread this weekend even tho the temps here in Okla will be 103! I dont care, Im turning on the oven!!!! Then once my husband takes one bite of this, he will forgive me for heating up the house!
Thanking you in advance, I think! :sheepjump:
On June 24, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Christine says:
O. M. G. If I were a man I would ask you to marry me. :hungry:
On June 24, 2009 at 1:29 pm
shirley says:
:hissyfit: Dang! I wanted to be first to comment on your hammer early this morning, but I got distracted and just now came back to look at the gingerbread again.Tell us where you got it so we can all have one of our own for pounding pecans. :yes:
On June 24, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
My mother got me that little hammer about 15 years ago and I’m sure not even she remembers where, but from what I recall, it was a mail order catalog. Believe it or not, I saw some similar little flowery hammers sitting by the cash register for sale at the little store in our town! So they’re out there somewhere…..if our little store in our little tiny town has them!
On June 24, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Bev says:
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=floral+hammer&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3108447355&ref=pd_sl_8im8aygjnv_b
Many flowes hammers at Amazon.com
On June 24, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Myrna Mackenzie says:
Suzanne, You always make such yummy things. There was an article in the Food section of the Chicago Tribune today that made me think of you. The gist of it was that with today’s ice cream makers, making your own “homemade” ice cream is not only incredibly easy, but it’s also very easy to be creative (i.e., fiddle with the recipe to make it yours). So, is homemade ice cream next on the list of things you make? I have to say that with this heat, I have a real desire to buy an ice cream maker, especially if all I have to do is pop the thing in the freezer overnight, mix some stuff up, throw it in the ice cream maker and let it do its thing for 30-45 minutes. So much better than the crank kind that took all day (it seemed). Not that there isn’t a certain amount of romance to an old fashioned ice cream maker, but I don’t like any kind of “cooking” that gives me muscles.
Myrna
On June 24, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Thanks, Myrna! I have never made ice cream, but it’s on my list! It would be fabulous right about now. It’s hot!
On June 24, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Estella says:
The gingerbread looks sooooo good!
On June 24, 2009 at 3:20 pm
dina says:
I am definitely going to have to make this! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I ADORE gingerbread! I, too, once had a fabulous (from my great-grandmother) gingerbread recipe and lost it – I’m still having fits over it!
Thanks again!
On June 24, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Amber says:
Ohhhhh, if I only had pecans I’d bake that right now! Even if it is 100 degrees outside here that still looks amazing!!
On June 24, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Joan says:
This looks absolutely heavenly! I cant wait to try it.
I have really enjoyed your blog. I just love all of your animals!
On June 25, 2009 at 11:43 am
Traci says:
This looks sooooo good. I swear my friends and blogger buddies must think I’m your biggest fan because I’ve been going through your recipes and keep sending them links, etc. because they’re all so delish. I haven’t tried one yet that I haven’t raved over and this one looks like it’s going to be a sure winner too. It might be the one thing that will top those chewy molasses cookies of yours. Mmm..
Thanks for sharing!
On June 25, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Ellen says:
Oh my. That looks amazing. You do realize you should do a cookbook? AND you must do the photography for it too. I would carry them in the shop. You could come up and do a celeb book signing and we would all become rich and famous. I think this is a good plan, Suzanne.
On June 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Lisa says:
IMHO, there is nothing in the whole world that smells as amazing as gingerbread baking.
My mom usually made a big pan of gingerbread on the first cool day of fall. I can clearly remember gettting off the bus, crunching through the fallen leaves, and walking inside to that heavenly aroma.
On June 25, 2009 at 8:46 pm
MousE says:
This is in the oven right now. MMMMMM thank you!
On March 15, 2013 at 9:41 pm