Gingerbread Squares With Lemon Sauce Recipe
For the cake:
1 C. dark molasses
1/2 C. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 C. fresh orange juice
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
2 T. chopped crystallized ginger
1 T. peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground ginger
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T. vanilla extract
For the sauce:
2/3 C. granulated sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 C. water
Finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons
1 T. Grand Marnier
2 T. unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 375� F. Butter an 8-by-12-inch baking dish. Dust with flour and
tap out excess.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the molasses, brown sugar and
butter. Cook, stirring until the butter is melted and the mixture is bubbly,
about 5 minutes. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, crystallized ginger and
fresh ginger. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper. When the molasses mixture is lukewarm, beat in
the eggs and vanilla. Pour into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until
well combined. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted into the center
comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking and cooling, prepare the lemon sauce. In a medium saucepan,
combine the sugar and the cornstarch. Place over medium-high heat and pour in
the water, whisking until the mixture just boils and is smooth and thickened,
about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, juice and
Grand Marnier, if using. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until
it melts and is well incorporated and the sauce is glossy. Serve over squares of
the cake.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: The sauce can be made up to three days ahead, cooled, covered and stored in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before serving. The cake has a long shelf life because of the ginger (a natural preservative). Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week and bring to room temperature before serving.
Source: "Savoring America"
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