Mary Ball Washingtons Gingerbread Recipes

LAFAYETTE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch-square cake pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a large bowl beating by hand, combine the butter and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, and continue to beat until well combined. Sift the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Alternately add the eggs and flour to the butter mixture, beating very well after each addition. Add the orange juice and zest, and continue beating for several minutes until the batter is smooth and light. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a rack to cool completely in the pan before slicing. Serve squares of the cake spread with Fairy Butter, if desired.

MARY BALL WASHINGTON'S GINGERBREAD 1784

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer till creamy; gradually add sugar, beat well. Add honey, molasses and sherry, beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.
• Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternate with milk, beginning and ending with four mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition till blended. Stir in orange juice, rind and raisins. dissolve soda in warm water; add to batter, stir well. Pour batter into greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes till toothpick tested comes out clean. cool in pan on wire rack.

MARY BALL WASHINGTON'S GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil, making sure to cover the sides of the pan as well as the bottom. Butter the foil and set pan aside.
• Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
• Cover the raisins with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain in a strainer, then spread on paper towels to dry.
• In large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter until soft. Add sugar and beat to mix. Add molasses and honey and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with bourbon and milk in one addition, and eggs and orange juice in the other addition.
• Dissolve baking soda in warm water and mix into the batter.
• Remove bowl from mixer and stir in grated orange rind and raisins.
• Turn into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake 45-50 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
• Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then cover pan with a cookie sheet, invert pan, remove pan, peel off foil, cover with large rack, and turn gingerbread so it finishes cooling right-side up.

MARY BALL WASHINGTON'S GINGERBREAD, 1784

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*F. Grease 13x9x2-inch pan; line with wax paper; grease paper.
• Cream butter until light. Add brown sugar; beat well. Add molasses, honey, sherry and milk. Beat very well.
• Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and cream of tartar together.
• Add alternately with beaten eggs to sugar mixture. Add orange rind and juice, raisins and baking soda dissolved in warm water.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake is firm in center. Cut in squares to serve.