Spicy Gingerbread

Yes, it's nearly June, the kids are out of school, the weather's warming up again, and we've got more than 6 months to go until Christmas, but here I am making gingerbread anyway.  While it may be out of season right now, gingerbread is one of my favorite treats any time of the year.  Which is how it was traditionally enjoyed all over Europe, actually.

Gingerbread is likely one of the oldest traditional recipes I'll ever post on this site, as it dates to at least the 10th century.  In the centuries before the Spanish started to import chocolate from the new world, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and other spices imported from Asia were some of the most exotic flavors available to European bakers, so gingerbreads, usually sweetened with honey or molasses because sugar was too expensive, became a delicacy seen at festivals and royal courts year-round.  Elizabeth I was known to impress foreign  dignitaries by serving gingerbread men (probably without the candy buttons we add today).  English towns held "gingerbread fairs" as late as the nineteenth century, and gingerbread was believed to have some medicinal properties, as an aid to digestion.  (In fact, this is quite true, provided the cake contains enough ginger.  We still use ginger teas and ginger ale for that purpose today.)

While gingerbread, particularly in cookie form, has undoubtedly been eaten at Christmas time since the middle ages, it was not strongly associated with that particular holiday until the mid nineteenth century, at least in the English speaking world.  When Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Koburg (in Bavaria) in the 1830's, they imported many German Christmas traditions to England, including Christmas trees, Saint Nicholas, and gingerbread houses.  Around the same time, a wave of German immigrants were bringing the same traditions with them to the US.  Obviously, the traditions stuck, and while some bakeries today might have gingerbread and other spiced cakes year-round, they're mainly associated with Christmastime.

Which obviously isn't to say that you can't enjoy this spicy cake any time of year, as long as you're willing to make it yourself.  Whether it's June or December, this cake is the perfect not-too-sweet treat to have with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, so I highly recommend making the effort.  And it's actually really easy to make.  There's not even any decorating involved!

This recipe comes straight from one of my Irish cookbooks and is very heavy on the ginger and molasses.  The resulting cake is dense, moist, sweet, and a little spicy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter a 9-inch loaf pan.  Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add molasses, and finally add the buttermilk.  The mixture will appear runny and not emulsified.  Stir in the dry ingredients until combined, then pour the batter into the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50* minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool before serving.

*The cookbook, written by someone who lives at sea level, says to bake for 40-50 minutes.  Here at 5280 feet, it's more like an hour.  The center was still runny at 40 minutes.

Cottage Pie

In the US, the pie made with ground meat, a few veggies, and mashed potatoes, but no pastry crust, is generally called Shepherd's pie regardless of what kind of meat is used.  In the UK and Ireland, however, this is not the case.  On the other side of the Atlantic, it's only shepherd's pie if it's made with lamb, and it's called cottage pie when beef is used.  Either way, though, it's a delicious, hearty comfort food.  It's very easy and relatively cheap to make in huge batches, which makes it common in pubs across the UK and Ireland, and perfect for feeding a crowd.

School may already be out for the summer, but it's been cool and rainy in Denver this month, and I felt a little warm British comfort food was in order, so I decided to make this this week based on several British and Irish recipes.  I skipped the customary peas and tomato paste, added garlic, and substituted Kerrygold Dubliner cheese for the usual yellow cheddar.  While very easy to make, this recipe can be a little time consuming, since you have to reduce the stock to make the gravy, though you can definitely save time by using leftover mashed potatoes rather than making a fresh batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 14 oz beef broth*
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, 1/4" diced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/3 cup grated Dubliner or sharp cheddar cheese
  

For the mash:**

• 3 medium potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 stick butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Dubliner cheese

Instructions:

First, make the mash.  Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and place in a large pot.  Just cover with water, and place on the stove over high heat to boil.  Once the potatoes are tender (after about 20 minutes), strain and return to the pot.  Add butter and milk, and mash.  Add grated cheese and stir or mash to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat half the oil and fry the meat until browned.  Set aside.  Add the rest of the oil and fry the vegetables until soft.  Add the broth, flour, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce.  As the liquid cooks off, put the meat back in the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Once the gravy is thick, discard the bay leaves and transfer to a medium oven-proof dish or 4 large individual dishes.  Top with mashed potatoes and 1/3 cup grated cheese and bake at 425F until cheese is melted and begins to brown, about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Total time:  Approx 90 minutes.

*Next time, I might substitute half a bottle of Guinness or 1/2 cup red wine for half of the broth, like I often do with Bangers and Mash.

**You can, of course, also use leftover mashed potatoes.  Just re-heat about 2 to 3 cups worth and stir in the cheese.