Name: Traditional Christmas Gingerbread recipe by Amrita Iyer at BetterButter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 250 gms plain flour (maida); 1 tsp Soda Bicarb; 1 and 1/2 tsp dry Ginger Powder (Sonth); 1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice (see ingredients below); 115 gms butter; 115 gms brown sugar; 150 gms golden syrup; 2 tbsp Unsulphured Molasses ( see ingredients below); 2 large eggs – beaten; 2 tbsp milk; Mixed Spice ingredients:; 1 tbsp ground All spice – Available as a premixed powder; 1 tbsp ground Cinnamon – Dalchini powder; 1 tbsp ground Nutmeg – Jaiphal Powder; 2 tsp ground Mace – Javitri Powder; 1 tsp ground Cloves – Laung Powder; 1 tsp ground Coriander – Dhania Powder; 1 tsp ground Ginger – Sonth Powder; Unsulphured Molasses Ingredients:; 1/2 cup powdered Jaggery; 2 tbsp water

ABOUT Traditional Christmas Gingerbread RECIPE

The essence of Christmas is in the “giving” gesture. Its not always that we have an “occasion” to give. The idea of a warmth giving cake appeals to everyone and Gingerbread is THE perfect cake to be had on such occasions. Apart from being an eternal favourite on the Christmas Menu,it gives the soul satisfaction of having eaten something good and in fact made with one of the most beneficial spices and the most famous root – Ginger. As this cake is prepared primarily in the West,we may not get those specific ingredients in India.I am therefore substituting ingredients we get readily for people to make it easily and its the same flavour guaranteed.

Ingredients Serving: 20

250 gms plain flour (maida)
1 tsp Soda Bicarb
1 and 1/2 tsp dry Ginger Powder (Sonth)
1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice (see ingredients below)
115 gms butter
115 gms brown sugar
150 gms golden syrup
2 tbsp Unsulphured Molasses ( see ingredients below)
2 large eggs – beaten
2 tbsp milk
Mixed Spice ingredients:
1 tbsp ground All spice – Available as a premixed powder
1 tbsp ground Cinnamon – Dalchini powder
1 tbsp ground Nutmeg – Jaiphal Powder
2 tsp ground Mace – Javitri Powder
1 tsp ground Cloves – Laung Powder
1 tsp ground Coriander – Dhania Powder
1 tsp ground Ginger – Sonth Powder
Unsulphured Molasses Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered Jaggery
2 tbsp water

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 160 C and prepare a 7 inch square or 8 inch round cake pan.
Sift the flour,soda bicarb,ginger powder and mixed spice in a large bowl.
Take a saucepan and put the butter,sugar and golden syrup in it.Melt the butter on the lowest heat possible and keep stirring with a wooden spatula at the same time.
Melt the butter completely so that it mixes with the other ingredients and take off heat. Cool for 10 minutes. To make the Unsulphured Molasses, heat 1/2 cup powdered Jaggery and 2 tbsp water on very low heat and make a thick syrup.Strain and use this in the recipe. Take dark coloured Jaggery if possible.
Stir into the bowl of flour and spices and mix well. Add eggs and molasses and beat well.There would be a lovely dark brown colour owing to the molasses and the mixture would have a heavenly aroma.
Spoon into the prepared cake pan and thump the pan on a flat surface or the floor to break any air bubbles.Bake for 1 - 1 hour 15 minutes till well risen.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes and then cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
Use either immediately or better still keep for a fortnight for the cake to take on a super delicious flavour.
For serving: Cut the cake into neat squares.Take a small sieve and add 2 tsp Icing Sugar.Stir the sugar with a spoon to sprinkle snow white sugar over the cake squares.Garnish with a slice of Stem Ginger in Syrup.Serve!Merry Christmas!

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