Community Corner

Gingerbread Recipes To Savor, or as Building Materials

Whether your gingerbread house is a mansion or of more modest dimensions, or you just want to enjoy a piece of gingerbread to eat, here are some recipes to get you started.

Chef Stephan Schubert's Gingerbread Dough

  • 4 ounces brown sugar
  • 6 ounces shortening  
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 pound 4 ounces all purpose flour
  • 8 ounces molasses
  • 1 ounce warm water
  • 1/2 ounce ground ginger
  • pinch baking soda

Mix and cream together the brown sugar, shortening, salt, flour and molasses. Add in remaining ingredients and chill dough overnight. Roll out, cut into shapes and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before house construction.

* Dough can be used to make gingerbread men to hang for decorations on the Christmas tree.

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See related article on Gingerbread Traditions for Young and Old


Martha Washington's Soft Ginger Cake
(18th Century recipe updated by Suzanne Corbett)

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  • 1/2 cup butter or lard
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add molasses, ginger, and cinnamon and blend well. Beat flour into mixture; then mix in baking soda water and eggs. Butter a foil or parchment lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Spread batter into pan and bake for  50 –60 minutes.


Gingerbread Loaves
(recipe courtesy Pillsbury)

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 ( 8x4-inch) loaf pans with shortening or cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter on medium speed of mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. In a small bowl stir molasses, water and baking soda together; then ad to sugar mixture.

Gradually add flour and remaining ingredients until well blended. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 50 –60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of breads comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack form 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely (about an hour 15 minutes).  To glaze, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice and brush over cooled loaves. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

About this column: Suzanne Corbett is an award-winning writer/producer and culinary teacher, but her passion is as a food historian. She has written for Better Homes & Gardens, and was the radio host of Hot Plates, which aired on KSLG. She is the author of the award winning, "Pushcarts & Stalls: The Soulard Market History Cookbook."


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