Mary ball washington's gingerbread, 1784

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
½ cup Butter; softened
½ cup Dark brown sugar
1 cup Dark molasses
½ cup Warm milk
2 tablespoons Ground ginger
1½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Each mace and nutmeg
¼ cup Best brandy or sherry
3 Eggs; well beaten
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 Orange; grated zest & juice
1 teaspoon Baking soda
2 tablespoons ;Warm water
1 cup Sultanas or seedless raisins

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.

Using the electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light. Add molasses, warm milk, spices and brandy.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.

Sift together the flour and cream of tartar. Then add eggs and flour alternately to the batter in the mixer bowl, with the mixer running on appropriate speed. Add the juice and zest of the orange. Remove beaters from batter.

Dissolve the baking soda in 2 tb. warm water and add to the batter, stirring in by hand, making sure to blend thoroughly.

Toss the raisins in a small amount of flour and fold them into the batter. Turn into greased pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan, then turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Kluger writes: "I have adapted Mrs. Washington's recipe to use the electric mixer and tossed the raisins in flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan. Obviously, other cooks have adjusted the recipe here and there since 1784 - the leavenings are modern, and where is the 'wine glass of brandy'? "When storing gingerbread, place a small piece of apple in the container with it."

From Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington. Martha Washington also used the recipe at Mount Vernon. In Special Writer Marilyn Kluger's 10/21/92"Gingerbread: When the Air is Nippy and the Fire is Crackly, a Little Spice is Nice" article in "The (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal." Pg. C8. Typed for you by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 11-26-94

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