LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Homemade gifts from the kitchen are great around the holidays. Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen's Janine Washle loves to put on her apron and embrace the taste, fragrance and spirit of the season.

She's sharing recipes with a Kentucky connection including Jennie Benedict's rum cake. She is best remembered by her classic "benedictine spread," which is a rich part of Bluegrass history. And Washle is sharing the secrets to her English-style gingerbread.

 

Gingerbread, and tall cakes either layered or baked in special pans are a big part of Christmas traditions. Gingerbread cookies range from soft like cake to crisp similar to crackers. Cakes can be multi-layered showstoppers or eye candy from an intricately detailed cake pan's design.

If you have never tried gingerbread, it is loaded with warm spices, and a sweetener that is either honey, or molasses. If you can't handle the flavor of molasses, substitute sorghum which is milder, and more like a spicy honey.

Ginger came to Europe around the 11th century. Spices were highly prized among the royal and noble classes, and really could only be afforded by them. It was against the law for common folk to cook with spices. Ginger was purported to have healing properties, so it was regarded with great esteem. Baking with ginger was actually a profession and required a license. Germany embraced the profession especially around the Nuremberg area where recipes were developed that created a cookie-like treat with a cake-like texture. This German gingerbread known as lebkuchen was the first cookie associated with Christmas.

There are two types of gingerbread, honey based German style gingerbread, and English/Scottish types which use molasses, or treacle. Gingerbread came to the United States via German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. Gingerbread cookies became very popular not only due to taste but they were inexpensive to make, sturdy enough to stand up to early ovens or even fireplace baking, and stayed fresh for a long time.

Gingerbread played a role during the Civil War when southern women would bake gingerbread to help feed the confederate soldiers marching through on their way to battle. Because it stayed fresh, and didn't cost much to make, it was an effective way to help soldiers feel full, and the ginger actually helped settle stomach ailments.

Gingerbread also played a role in early politics. Politicians would contact the best bakers in a district and ask them to bake an easily transportable, tasty baked good. Even though women couldn't vote back then, this was a way for them to participate in the political process. In fact, gingerbread at polling stations in Western Kentucky was a sought out treat making it easy for politicians to gain votes. Knott County started a gingerbread festival to celebrate their political influence with gingerbread.

Showstopper cakes whether layered or towering from a special pan like a tube pan, or bundt pan is a perfect dessert for holiday gatherings. While layer cakes were popular with larger families, these days layer cakes don't make an appearance except around special occasions whether that is due to the effort of making a homemade cake, or the temptation of sugar-laden leftovers, one cannot deny the beauty of a swirled frosting on a layered beauty sitting high on a cake plate.

Many holiday layer cakes, especially southern cakes, bear the names of the people who baked them, or for whom the desserts were intended for. Cakes like Lady Baltimore, Dolly Varden, or Robert E. Lee cakes are named after literary, and political personalities. Sometimes the cake bears the name of a talented baker like Lane cake after the Alabama state fair winner, Emma Ryder Lane, or Jennie Benedict of Louisville, Kentucky. Jennie was destitute, and started selling her baked goods to make money. She became so popular for her skill that she was able to open a tearoom, and make a living from her talents. She is best known for creating benedictine spread which is a must have to this day at Derby time.

Kentucky Gingerbread

Makes:  Approximately 15-18 rectangles

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard

1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

2 TB ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 cups all purpose flour

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar, shortening, and molasses.

Add egg and mix; mixture will look grainy.

Stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Stir into mixture.

Add baking powder, ginger, and salt.

Stir in flour by the cupfuls until dough is no longer sticky. Test by pushing finger into dough. Finger should not have any dough clinging to it, but it should still be tacky and hold together like cookie dough. You may end up adding more flour depending on how humid your kitchen is.

On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough by folding it over on itself 3-4 times. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Simply cut into 3" x 4" rectangles.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until top are puffed, and edges start to look dull.

Allow to cool about 3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely then store in a covered container at room temperature.

NOTE:  This recipe's preparation has been modernized for today's kitchen. The cookie's ingredients are the same as the original recipe.

A variation to the ginger spice is to cut back the ground ginger to 1 TB. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves for a little more complexity and less of a gingery bite.

Second variation: If you like ginger's spiciness, cut back ground ginger to 1 TB, and add 2 TB grated fresh ginger.

FREE RECIPES BY EMAIL!

Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen also has a special Christmas Gingerbread Booklet available by email. To ask for a complimentary copy, just email Janine Washle at cloverfields.farm.ky@gmail.com

Janine Washle's CloverFields Farm & Kitchen

Hardin Springs Area

Big Clifty, KY 42712

Connect with Janine and Cloverfields Farm & Kitchen on the website, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest.

About Janine Washle:

CloverFields Farm & Kitchen is primarily an on-line destination.  They are not open to drop-in visitors as it is a private residence.

"Authentically from Farm to Table"

CloverFields Kitchen researches and reinterpretes many traditional recipes using local produce, much from their own gardens, and adding a global perspective.

"Exploring Global Tastes through Local Foods"

Janine is working on her first cookbook, but she also has a long resume developing recipes for several companies. She has also won several contests and cook-offs with her original recipes.

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