There's the smell of gingerbread in the air.
Well, not really, not yet, but it's that time of year when people start thinking about gingerbread houses and Sugarplum fairies, twinkling lights and gifts under a tree. Christmas is creeping down the chimney.
Years ago dau. Shirley started adding gingerbread houses to her Christmas goodies for sale at Shirley Anne's Bake Shop.
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I'd never made a gingerbread house and here I was, 54 years old. I decided I didn't need to wait any longer. So, I made my very first... and I might add, only gingerbread house.
My idea of gingerbread didn't come in the shape of a house. It was the smell of a cake baking in my Mother's oven. Gingerbread, warm and toasty, slathered with lemon sauce. There just isn't anything better!
People can sit their gingerbread houses out to look at, dust settling on the icing decorated shingles and sticking to the gumdrops and candy canes. If that's what they want to do.
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Me... Just sit me down with a plate of my Mama's gingerbread. With her gone now, I carry on the tradition for Christmas. Below you will find her recipe, just as she wrote it so many years ago. I hope you'll try it and enjoy!
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Merry Christmas!
What an interesting recipe to include mashed sweet potato! Thanks for this, I’m saving it. Two different types of gingerbread cookies are on my list to make this year. They always smell like heaven when they’re baking.
ReplyDeleteI'm 62 and still never made a gingerbread house. :) Yours looks great!
ReplyDeleteYears ago my DH made a couple of basic wood houses which my grands decorated and kept for 2 years before throwing them out. They were very sturdy little houses. Last year I bought kits at the grocery store and convinced 2 grands to build houses along with me. Let me just say that my result was not even close to the ones your daughter makes. It does seem that the grands have outgrown a lot of the fun things we used to do together. They're growing up. ( the youngest is 13).
ReplyDeleteGranny Marigold
What a treasured memory!
ReplyDeleteI too have never made a gingerbread house...it seems like such a waste to me. I love gingerbread and can't wait to make it your mom's recipe! I will leave the hard work to those creative ones, and I'll enjoy eating it a thinking of your mom. Hugs
ReplyDeleteThat sweet potato adds a bit of a twist to your mother's gingerbread. I bet it is tasty! I made one gingerbread in my life and, believe me, it did not look as darling as yours.
ReplyDeleteI've never made a gingerbread house either. I like gingerbread men cookies!!
ReplyDeleteThe last gingerbread house I made was made with graham crackers. I do remember gingerbread my mom made that was a cake dessert for us. DOn't remember what we had on it.
ReplyDeleteI have never made a gingerbread house either. I have a good excuse, I'm allergic to ginger. It's nice that you have your Mom's recipe. I bet it tastes great.
ReplyDeleteI love love love ginger, gingerbread, molasses cookies, pumpkin muffins...all of it, so I try not to make it/bake it, cannot resist it. We have made gingerbread houses here a few times through the years, it was quite fun with the kids (we have sixteen kids, had to keep them busy!). Now, I just bake a batch of gingerbread cookies each Christmas season, along with the butter cut outs...easier, and so good. Your mama's recipe does sound intriguing, I might just try it for Christmas morning...thank you for sharing!!!
ReplyDeletethat recipe is a treasure, the script handwriting and the smudges...pass that on to your daughter when the time comes!! we decorate the pre-made ones every year, not to eat but just for fun. and it is a lot of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteLatane, I have never made a gingerbread house myself, so you are not alone. What a treasure you have in your mother’s original recipe. Thanks for including it here.
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