Gingerbread (Cake)

This morning I woke feeling daunted about all I have to do the next few weeks to get ready for Christmas. My next thought was what could  I possibly make for breakfast? You see we arrived home late last night after an eventful drive home from Thanksgiving spent near Zion National Park. After a glorious family hike Friday night, we hit a deer, rending our battered mini-van unfit for the long drive home. So Saturday before setting out across the Mojave desert we bought a new mini-van.  Despite all the nifty features of our new car, we are mourning a little for Martha. She was a hardworking car that carried us on countless adventures. As Bill said, "It feels like we left a child behind in St. George." (We actually did leave Zoey behind to go back to Logan for school and that may be the real reason for our glumness.)

This morning I woke to a depressing fridge: a nearly empty carton of sour milk, some hot dogs,  cream, eggs and celery. I couldn't find any fresh fruit. While I was trying to think of a good egg and hot dog breakfast, I remembered a bag of apples we hauled to and from southern Utah. And then I knew what to make: gingerbread and applesauce, the ultimate comfort breakfast and the perfect way to welcome the Christmas season. The smell of simmering apple sauce and baking gingerbread creates instant holiday cheer. Will came down and started playing Christmas songs while I baked. And I felt my Grinch-y heart swell three sizes too big.






Gingerbread (cake)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups flour

2 teaspoons soda in one cup boiling water*

2 well-beaten eggs

Cream butter and sugar; add molasses.  Add flour and spices (If you want to be fancy you can sift them together.)  Stir in the boiling water and soda. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs. This mixture will be thin. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with chunky apple sauce and whipped cream.

*Pro tip.  I always pour the boiling water into the same measuring glass I used for the molasses.  This way I get every last yummy drop of molasses. Also, the watered-down molasses combined with soda creates a fun fizzy effect.

Chunky Apple Sauce

6-10 apples preferable a mix of Granny Smith with a sweeter red apple (i.e. McIntosh, Gala of Fuji)
Cinnamon Sugar

Peel and chop apples to 1-2 inch chunks. Put in a sauce pot. Cover with water. Cook at medium heat occasionally stirring. When apples become soften taste to decide how much cinnamon sugar to add (sometimes you won't need any.) After adding sugar, cook a little longer.