It's the most wonderful time of the year -- the time when the aroma of gingerbread wafts through the air! Served warm with either dairy cream or whipped cream, it's so good for a winter dessert!

Many think of gingerbread as the cookies, as in the Gingerbread Man story.  True gingerbread is really a cross between a bread and a cake. You can bake it in a bread pan, but the moistness says cake.

The batter is very thin, so recipes usually call for it to be baked in a cake pan. However, this year I put it into four mini loaf pans like a bread. There was too much batter, so it overflowed a little. Using these pans again, it would be wise for me to take out about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of batter and bake it in a smaller pan (or maybe a few ramekins).  Another recommendation is to line the pans with parchment paper or preformed liners. The gingerbread is so moist, it is difficult to remove from the pan, even one like mine with a non-stick finish.

This recipe for gingerbread came from a cookbook with recipes from women in Kentucky. It is so moist and delicious, you might even bake this treat any time of the year. Enjoy!

Gingerbread

1 cup molasses

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. ginger (more if desired)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 cup hot water

2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup boiling water

Sugar for topping, optional

Combine molasses, oil and eggs. Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. In separate bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1/8 cup hot water. Add to first mixture. Next, stir in flour. Finally, add boiling water, then beat lightly and quickly. Pour into greased and floured (or lined) 8x12x2-inch pan. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Adjust baking time for other sizes of pans.