GINGER DELIGHT: FRESH GINGERBREAD AND SPICY GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease a cake tin with 1 teaspoons of butter.
• Tap in 1 teaspoons of flour to the tin so that the tin is lightly dusted with flour.
• In a clean bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and the spices.
• Beat the egg into a large bowl.
• Add brown sugar and cream well.
• Fold in the butter, molasses and ginger.
• Pour in the coffee and vanilla essence. Mix well to combine.
• Now, add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternating with each other. Keep mixing as you gradually add these to the bread batter.
• Pour the prepared batter into the greased and floured cake tin.
• To distribute the batter evenly in the tin, beginning at the edge of the bread, move your index finger in a spiral through the top 1/4 inch of the batter until you reach the centre.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a thin, sharp knife inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.
• Cool the bread on a wire rack for 20 minutes and then unmould carefully by running a knife around the edges of the pan and then inverting the bread onto a rack.
• Allow it to cool completely.
• Place the bread upside down on a plate.
• Sift the confectioner's sugar on top of the bread, slice and serve!
• Note: If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can prepare it at home. Here's how:.
• Take 3/4 cup of milk and add the juice of 1 lemon to it. Do not mix. Let the mixture curdle. After 10 minutes, mix and use instead of buttermilk.
• For the Spicy Ginger Cookies:.
• Combine the sugar, baking soda, ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and cayenne in a bowl.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar mixture until it appears pale and fluffy.
• Add maple syrup or honey and the molasses and beat well.
• Fold in the flour, one cup at a time.
• If the dough is too dry, you may stir in the milk.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
• Shape into 4(9-by-1-inch) logs.
• Wrap in plastic wrap or clingfilm.
• Refrigerate for atleast 24 hours or freeze the dough for upto 2 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator many hours before slicing.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Use a sharp thin knife to slice the dough into 1/8 inch-thickness discs.
• Arrange discs on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes, i.e., until the cookies are firm and just beginning to brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.
• Enjoy!
• Note: The amount of pepper can be cut back on and the cayenne omitted altogether for a less spicy cookie.