A Southern Grace: gingammonbread

August 15, 2008

gingammonbread

Yum

Here's a Friday morning poser for you (TGIF, by the way): Why is it called gingerbread when the ingredients call for just as much cinnamon as ginger? That's cinnamon discrimination, and I won't stand for it! Henceforth, I shall refer to any such creation as gingammonbread instead.


This gingammonbread is particularly unique because it's made with a sourdough starter. That's right, Eb is back again. I'm really trying to find every possible usage for a sourdough starter, and I was delighted to find a recipe for sourdough gingammonbread. It has all the necessary components--ginger, cinnamon, and molasses--with the added use of a starter.


I must confess that I'm not too keen on gingammonbread. The culprit is the molasses--the taste just makes my face scrunch up (quite an unattractive look, I assure you). (There does seem to be one exception to my distaste for molasses and that, oddly enough, is molasses cookies. I'm not sure what it is about them, but the flavor of the molasses just doesn't bother me. But I digress.) As far as gingammonbread goes, this was good. The sourdough flavor wasn't too strong, it just made the other flavors a little more complex. It was also extremely moist, which I consider a good thing in cake-type breads.

My beloved Mamboni always tops her gingammonbread with a lemon glaze, so I went ahead and did that too. As it turns out--surprise, surprise--the Mambourine does, in fact, know best. The glaze made all the difference. Good call, Mammy.


(I wouldn't mind a dip in that pool...)

The person responsible for the original recipe called it Alaskan Sourdough Gingerbread, but since I'm not Alaskan and since I don't condone cinnamon discrimination, I've renamed it as I see fit.

Virginian Sourdough Gingammonbread
(adapted from this recipe)

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup Eb-like creation

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water, if needed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease up a 8x8-inch baking dish or mini loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter. Add the molasses and egg, beat until well blended, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and blend into the hot water. Warning--you'll end up with a gloppy mess. Beat this mess into the creamed mixture like there's no tomorrow. Gradually add your Eb, mixing carefully to maintain a bubbly batter.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until the toothpick test is passed.
For the icing, whisk the lemon juice into the powdered sugar and gradually add the water, if needed. Spread over the cooled gingammonbread and try to let it set before cutting.


P.S. Please visit this post on my good friend Katie's site, The Kitchen and Beyond. She needs to pick your brains for some good frozen entree ideas.

P.P.S. I'm submitting this to Sunita for her Think Spice event, celebrating its one-year anniversary. Cinnamon rules.




P.P.P.S. Did you know that Julia Child was once a covert operative? My respect for her just grew even more.

67 comments:

Lore said...

You've done cinammon justice Grace :) Drooling over that last pic...whish I was good with sourdough.

Rosie said...

Oh boy this gingammonbread is just SO mouth-watering good!! I am sat here drooling over your pic mmmmm...

Rosie x

Anonymous said...

sourdough starter + gingammonanything. now that's a complex idea i could get behind. i'm off to your Eb link to get started. i've always been intimidated by sourdough, but this gives me a reason to jump in! it looks so good...

Veronica said...

I tried sticking out my finger to get that bit of dripping icing...now that looks so good.

Katie said...

Graceful, thanks for the help in the post there, I appreciate it. Bread looks great, and sounds jamaican, mon!

Anonymous said...

That looks sooo moist and of course how did I know you'd have as much cinnamon as ginger? ;)

I read that about Julia Child today too-wow, who'd have thought it?

KJ said...

you crack me up!! cinnamon discrimination - oh my!!! LOL

LyB said...

Here, here! Gingammon bread it is! And boy does it look scrumptious. Adding a lemon glaze is genius, I'll have to try that!

And isn't that incredible about Julia Child? I spent last night reading article after article about her life, she was quite the lady!

Anonymous said...

So much good info in one post, a recipe and a bit 'o' history to boot. Grace, who eats all your lovely baked goods? With gingammon and the like wafting through the place it must smell super yummy!

sunita said...

'Gingammon' has such a nice ring to it :-D...thank you for snding your gingammonbread over :-)

Suze said...

I so love cinnamon...and sourdough. What a heaven made match!
I'm with you on molasses though...a bit strong sometimes!
And the lemon glaze? Sinful!

Melanie said...

Oh, my, you always make me smile. And the sourdough GINGAMMON (pretty sure I massacred the spelling) bread looks so delicious.

Mike of Mike's Table said...

lol, you are the cinnamon master--this looks great! This is a really interesting twist though--I can't picture how the sourdough starter would influence the taste, but I'm intrigued. I need to have an Eb in my house, too!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you could go far as to call in cinnger bread, giving cinnamon the lead position!

It looks amazing. Amazing. I didn't think I could crave coffee more strongly than I do but this is doing it!

Haley said...

i was listening to some morning radio hosts talking about julia childs as a spy! a chef spy! i kind of like the sound of that... makes the kitchen sound more dangerous and intriguing!

The Blonde Duck said...

I'm so ready for fall now! Between the new fashions and this gingammonbread, I'm ready to start Christmas shopping!

crunchLin said...

yummmy.! gingammon with a sourdough starter! what a unique & tasty combo!

La Bella Cooks said...

The dripping icing looks luscious! What a tempting photo.

Susan @ SGCC said...

I'm not usually a fan of gingerbread, but I'd certainly make an exception for this one. It looks marvelous! Love the lemon glaze too. Excellent!

Pam said...

I agree Grace... gingammonbread is much more accurate. It looks absolutley amazing - it' my kind of bread.

Lisa said...

Great looking bread and that lemon glaze sounds like a nice touch. And how about that Julia? Isn't she just too much! :-)

Deborah said...

I'm impressed at how many ways you are able to use your sourdough starter! And I'm not a big molasses fan, either, but the sound of the glaze sounds great!

Cate said...

Not a big fan of gingerbread either, but it looks so incredibly moist, and with that glaze, incredibly hard to resist!

OhioMom said...

That looks absolutely delicious! Gingammon ? LOL

Bunny said...

The bread looks so good dripping in lemon sauce. Good choice. I can't wait to get started on my sourdough. You post so many good recipes for it. I didn't know that about Julia Child! awesome!!!

Peabody said...

Well I love me some gingerbread and that looks awesome.

Leslie said...

Soooooo moist..and that frosting drip...ohhhhh ahhhhhh

vanillasugarblog said...

Oh no not another gooey, sweet cake. Girl you are killing me with these photos!! I've been doing so good about laying off the sweets. I could lick the computer screen, but I know hubby would look at me funny. HA!
I just love your creations.

Anonymous said...

Well I am a molasses fan, so this is my kind of dessert. How about bringing some over.......say in an hour. I'm hungry and it was a long day at work.

pam said...

I bet cinnamon is glad it has you to speak up in it's behalf.

giz said...

I'm so glad you're an equal opportunity spicer...I mean what would the world be if bloggers were discriminatory about letting certain spices shine through. I bet your house smelled incredible. Soon they'll called you The Pied Grace.

Helene said...

I used to work for a restaurant owner who loathed cinnamon...never understood that! The gingammonbread looks delicious..and that glaze...Yum!

Anonymous said...

This just blows my mind a little bit - in only the best way. Looks incredible!

Rachel said...

Yummy bread..cinnamon going to love you for the name...:)

Anonymous said...

What a cute name.. Just rolls off the tongue and I can't help but smile while saying it.

Paula said...

Way to stand up and be counted! I envision Cinnamon all over the planet applauding you for standing up for them. As for me, you're killin' me with this recipe. It looks utterly fantastic with that glaze dripping down the side. I've not had anything other than sourdough bread made with sourdough starter, so this would be a new thing for me. I like new things!

Emily said...

Ohhhh, man. Does that look good!
Lovely pics.

Congrats on 200!

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

I'm not a fan of gingammon bread either but that last pic really makes me want to stick my finger between the rack and lick some of that lemon glaze.

Tabby said...

I love the name you came up with...you're right that WAS discrimination...and the bread looks delicious!

BTW, my mom made your cinnamon cake recipe a couple weeks ago and it was yummy!

Gloria Baker said...

Grace, absolutely nice and tasty!!! look so nice, Gloria

Anonymous said...

Two of the greatest flavors out there-- and a fun new word! Looks fantastic.

Chef Jeena said...

You are so kind to the cinnamon!

Looks fabulous, as always Grace I could eat the whole 'gingammonbread'.

Anonymous said...

It will forever be known as gingammonbread now.

PS - I left a comment about frozen casseroles

PPS - I'm looking forward to the Spice Round Up, I'm sure I'll find lots of new dishes!

PPPS - I think they alluded to it in her autobiography that came out many years ago, but I was happy to see Julia finally recognized for it.

Anonymous said...

It will forever be known as gingammonbread now.

PS - I left a comment about frozen casseroles

PPS - I'm looking forward to the Spice Round Up, I'm sure I'll find lots of new dishes!

PPPS - I think they alluded to it in her autobiography that came out many years ago, but I was happy to see Julia finally recognized for it.

Anonymous said...

Cinnamon shouldn't be discriminated against!
Your gingammonbread looks delicious and I love the icing.
And I love that you call the starter 'Eb-like creation' :)

Anonymous said...

The dripping lemon glaze is making me drool!

Lucy..♥ said...

Uh la la.... that looks so tempting, & mighty YUMME!!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

I do like your gingammon bread. It is one of my favourite, but I don't like it with the lemon icing. I prefer it plain or spread with butter,if I am feeling like being bad!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Ooh, what great timing. I've got my starter sitting on the counter begging to be used. This looks fabulous!

Anonymous said...

i cannot WAIT to try this one out...I still have to make my own "eb" though. I'm nervous to do so...YIKES...may need to email you!!! :)

Sophie said...

Oh boy does that look perfectly moist, I think your desserts know my name by heart...especially the ones with tons o' cinnamon! I love the name change, too, what a great snack!

judi.0044 said...

Well ... a bit late but I had all the ingredients including three starters which I rotate (whew), so my pan just came out of the oven. Baked up just great and we can't wait to sample and see how the starter affects the taste. Thanks for sharing. I'm always looking for ways to use my starter(s).

Vera said...

Grace, I love how you renamed the cake :). Very original recipe, I must say!

toontz said...

When I get out of my "daze" I am going to try this. The lemon glaze is what sold me! What a great idea!

Anonymous said...

I love your new name for this. Better trademark it so you can get rich ;)
This photo has my mouth watering. Yum!

lubnakarim06 said...

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Chibog in Chief said...

oh my goodness this is absolutely delicious!! love it!

Katie said...

Yum, And Fall is just around the corner. This sounds so good right now.

Anonymous said...

yay, justice for all! that gingammonbread with lemon glaze is making me drool...

Elle said...

If there's anything I can't stand, it cinnamon discrimination. Angers me, no end. Great looking bread!

test it comm said...

That looks so moist and good!

Jaime said...

hahhaha... gingammon?? it looks so good!

Jeanne said...

Holy guacamole, that looks good. I'm throwing my weight 100% behind the anti cinnamon disctimination effort!

Laura said...

I've always wondered that too! (about cinnamon and ginger) Only, well, actually, to me the cloves are usually the best part (and I add them in when they are not called for). Gingammove Bread?

Min said...

I do believe this is The Very Best gingerbread/gingammonbread/cingerbread/etc. I have ever tasted. Ever. I mean it. YUM.

leethie said...

I halved the sugar and substituted 1/4 c. Coconut oil for the butter to make it dairy free. Cooked it in a bundt pan and it has an amazing texture and wonderful taste! Plenty sweet for us and we haven't put the glaze on yet (we rarely eat sweets though).

grace said...

@leethie: Awesome! I wouldn't mind trying a coconut oil substitution myself--great idea!