Aunt Nell’s Gingerbread

with Rum Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

½ cup butter (1 stick of butter)

½ cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup molasses

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 cup hot water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp lemon extract

½ tsp salt

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. **(See Aunt Nell’s secret ingredient.) Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

**Shh! Don’t tell anyone, but here is Aunt Nell’s secret ingredient: add ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger.