Memory Maker ~ Spicy Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

Gingerbread.

Gingerbread is the smell of childhood Christmas to me.  I remember my ornery grandmother, Frances, making gingerbread several times a week in the months of November and December.  She baked it in a plain, aluminum 9×13 that had long since seen its heyday and always had warm lemon sauce to go with it.  I don’t remember ever having fresh lemons around, but I do remember the big bottle of lemon flavoring and watching her indiscriminately pour and taste until it was just right.  No recipes for Frances.

I am not as experienced or brave as my grandmother was, but I do love gingerbread with lemon sauce … and I’m sure I always will.

Here is my version of her timeless classic ~

Gingerbread:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• Butter and flour a bundt pan
• Sift together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and allspice, 2 tablespoons ground ginger

• Add to sifted dry ingredients 1/4 cup freshly grated ginger

• In a mixer, cream 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of dark brown sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes)
• Beat in 1 egg
• Beat in 1 cup of  molasses

• Alternately add dry ingredients (3 times) and 1 cup of buttermilk (2 times) to the ingredients in the mixer bowl.  BEGIN and END with the flour mixture

• At the very end, blend in 1/2  teaspoon of black pepper

• Bake at 350 degrees about 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
• Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes

• Invert onto rack

• Tap to loosen the cake from the bundt pan

• Gently pull the pan away from the sides of the cake

• Let the cake cool for at least half an hour before you cut into it (easier said than done because it smells just like heaven!)

Lemon Sauce:  

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in 1 cup cold water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, till thick and clear.

Stir small amount of hot mixture into 2 lightly beaten egg yolks, then return to hot mixture. Cook and stir one minute. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Return to heat for one minute and stir until butter is melted and ingredients are well combined.

I always pour the sauce on the plate so it soaks into the whole surface of the cake.  Top with whipped cream and drizzle a little more of the sauce over the top. 

Serve the cake and the sauce warm … Sugarplums will surely dance in your head.