Gramma Fred’s Gingerbread

When I was in high school, if my mum knew my friends were likely to be calling, she’d answer the phone with “Fred’s Pizza!” Said friends and I all started calling her Fred. It stuck around long enough that when her grandsons arrived - MANY years after my high school days - she was dubbed Gramma Fred. 

I was looking through family recipes the other day for something festive to take to a party, and I thought this might just be the ticket, if I could safely turn it out of the beautiful snowflake pan my boys gave me for Christmas last year. I sprayed the pan with Pam for baking, and it came out like a charm. 

The original recipe called for margarine; I used butter. This is for an 8x8 pan, but according to Mum’s recipe card, you can double this for a 9x13” baking pan.

Hot Water Gingerbread 

½ cup molasses
¼ cup granulated sugar 
1/6 cup butter
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt 
½ cup boiling water
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375F.

Grease and flour an 8x8” baking pan. 

Mix molasses, sugar, and butter.

Add dry ingredients, boiling water, and beaten egg. Batter will be thin.

Transfer to prepared baking pan, and bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes. Cool on rack. You can serve directly from pan; if it is a decorative pan, cool for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan onto rack to finish cooling.

Serves 9. Great with some whipped cream on top!