Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce

 For many years in my youth, our traditional Christmas Eve dessert, served on our Christmas dessert plates with a cat curled up by a fireplace, was my Grandma Younce's bread pudding with lemon sauce.  But the bread pudding was made from very torn up soft bread, and tasted more like a ginger spoon bread, and with warm lemon sauce and fresh whipped cream, was like heaven in my mouth.  It was a lovely tradition.

Then my sister Tona, who usually made it, went off to college and got married and that was that.

I've never tried to make my Grandma's recipe; I should dig it up and give it a whirl.  But in the meantime, this delicious cake reminded me so much of it, I felt 13 again. 

 I shared it with a friend, and she was confused because in her mind gingerbread is hard, like The Gingerbread Man and gingerbread houses.  I was appalled because you can't really eat that stuff; it's never good.  How could someone not know about soft, edible, cakey gingerbread?  Oh, she was happy to be educated. 

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce (print recipe)
Gingerbread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup finely snipped crystallized ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and lightly flour a 2-quart square baking dish (8 x 8 inches.)  Set aside

2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice.  Add shortening, molasses, the water and egg.  Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined.  Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in crystallized ginger.  Pour batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4.  Serve warm with Lemon-Butter Sauce.  If desired, garnish with Candied Lemon Slices.  Makes 9 servings.

Lemon-Butter Sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T cornstarch
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 T butter
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
2 T finely snipped crystallized ginger

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in half-and-half and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and ginger.  Serve warm.

Candied Lemon Slices
Cut 2 small lemons into thin slices; discard seeds.  In a large skillet, bring 1 cup light-color corn syrup to boiling over medium heat.  Stir in lemon slices.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, just until lemons are tender, turning occasionally.  Cool.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010