Guillermo baked Gingerbread

Guillermo (my sweet William) has a very sweet tooth.  Not for candy, or gum.. but milk chocolate, cakes, cookies, squares.. if they’re anywhere NEAR the house.. he’ll sniff them out.  I’ve taken to trying to find the most obscure hiding places.. but when his sweet tooth calls.. he finds whatever I’ve hidden.  Even the darkest chocolate that he normally would never touch and I can keep in the house for months so it’s there when i need a small bite.. he’ll find that and finish it off.  and HE’s the thin one.  So unfair.  LOL.  Good thing he’s very handsome!

When he was a wee lad, he said to his mother one day… “I want chocolate cake!” and she promptly replied, “well then, you better learn to bake one!”  and so he did.  He has a chocolate cake recipe that is quite incredible – he baked 2 of them for my birthday earlier this year. 

I was supposed to blog that recipe and him baking last year, and realize now that I never did.. .I will definitely do so next time he makes it.  He also makes the most amazing silky smooth cheesecake.. mmmmm… cheesecake.  Honey, if you’re reading this.. when Covid is over and we can have company again for dinner.. you’re on dessert duty!

THIS week though, it wasn’t the chocolate cake or cheesecake that he was craving.. it was Gingerbread.   Now, being a good Dutch girl.. when I hear gingerbread.. my mind doesn’t go to cake.. it goes to Speculaas.. Gingerbread cookies.  I learned that gingerBREAD is an actual thing when I married my Sweet tooth William.

I was busy doing something elsewhere in the house, when I  started hearing pans clanking in the kitchen, measuring spoons clunking around, and tell tale signs (murmuring, singing, humming, mumbling) that he was about to go to work.   This VERY old recipe of his that came from some newspaper likely 40+ years ago is glued into his own Hillroy lined paper recipe book. (think school workbook)  Unfortunately the COLOR photograph is not included in his recipe book)

This bread/cake has an overwhelming molasses taste… it’s NOT my cup of tea, but he loves it.  And it’s pretty simple.  He doesn’t include the poached apples – which actually may temper the molasses a bit, but you can BET he includes the whip cream!

 

We don’t actually have a 9×9 pan that this recipe required.. we may have had one before the “great upheaval” renovation/move-out/purge in 2018.. but we no longer do.. so he used two loaf pans instead.

Looks like chocolate cake, doesn’t it?  That rich darkness is all from the Black strap molasses.

And below his first serving… yes, I can hear you laughing… I finally understand.  He only needed a vehicle for his whipped cream.  HAHAHA

In other news, and for the sake of rememberence… we’ve had SNOW this week.. in almost mid May.. other years we’ve had to turn the AC on in late April.  May 12th and we’re still running the heat every day.

We’re not happy.

We want to porch visit our parents.  Go for long walks.. garden, be outside!! But the weather is not cooperating.  We’re still hovering in single digits (Celcius) most days, and have another frost warning for tonite.

I planted some kitchen scraps that I was growing on the window sill a couple of weeks ago when I had hope for them.. but they’ve wilted.. likely frozen.

Never fear.. i have more Romaine lettuce growing on the windowsill, and will plant them when we are sure that Jack Frost has left the area.

I had a rutabega on the counter also growing sprouts.. so i’ve decided to see what that will do.. not sure if the wax will be an issue.. but it’s growing, so I’m gonna try it!

In keeping with our hopeful theme of “Bill and Amy’s garden” for the next few weeks… here’s a pic of our poor magnolia that isn’t having any luck this year with all the frosty nights.

BUT… we are Very pleased to have our friend Mr. Redbreasted Grosbeak return.. plus quite a nice little flock of Baltimore Orioles that I’ll share with you on your next visit to billandamyskitchen.ca