Mini gingerbread loaf in a mini loaf pan.
I’ve been thinking a lot about weeds. Well, I’ve been pulling a lot of weeds and therefore I’ve been pondering their existence.
Let me back up. I told y’all that I have a Master’s degree in horticulture and agronomy, yes? My specialty is weed management. Did you even know you can specialize in that? Did you know lots of people are weed scientists? Oh, the career options they don’t tell you about in high school never cease to amaze me! Before you even ask, I’ll tell you that studying and eliminating weeds is important because they are a major contributor to crop loss. You like to eat food, right? Then you should care about weeds. Farmers yielding food is important. Tell me you get this.
As I’ve been pulling copious amounts of amaranth and morning glory weeds out of my garden to make room for the onions and baby broccoli plants to survive, I’ve been asking God why the weed has the easier life. Why do weeds freely grow without much care, while the plants that we depend on for food need to be meticulously coddled? Doesn’t it seem like one of God’s mistakes?
Well, I think I discovered the reason behind it all. Manual labor clears my mind. I totally dig it. (Get it?) I decided that the tomato plant that struggles for existence is worth it because it yields delicious fruit, while a weed bears things of little importance. Doesn't it seem like another way of saying the best things in life are worth the struggle and the fight? Doesn't it always feel better to earn something you worked hard for, rather than accept something that dropped into your lap? Say yes.
I'm telling myself the struggle and mess required of baking homemade Christmas gifts are worth it because they mean so much more than a store-bought something or other. Someone please verify that this is true, and while you're at it, please send someone to deal with all of these dishes.
Mini Gingerbread Loaf
Makes 1 mini loaf in a 5" x 3" x 2" pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 large egg white
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon molasses (not blackstrap)
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and grease a mini loaf pan (5? x 3? x 2?).
- In a medium bowl, stir together with a spatula the butter and brown sugar. Mash the butter into the sugar with the spatula until the mixture is incorporated. Add the egg white and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle on top the flour, spices, and baking soda. Stir it together lightly before adding a tablespoon of molasses. Add 1 tablespoon of boiling water after the molasses (do it in this order to help clean out your spoon so you ensure you get every drop of molasses). Add the remaining tablespoon of molasses followed by the last of the water.
- Scrape the batter into the mini loaf pan and place it onto a sheet pan. Bake for 33-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with only moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool it slightly in the pan before tipping it out and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 69mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
AnnaG says
Hello! Yummy recipe -- moist and spicy -- delicious. I doubled the recipe (using 1 whole egg instead of 2 egg whites) -- one loaf for us and one to give away. Rave reviews all around. Merry Chistmas and Happy New Year!
Indre says
Hi :) I am sooo up to making this! Went to Starbucks few days ago and can not stop thinking of gingerbread latte... But. A question. I haven't seen molasses here, in Finland. Could I use honey instead? Or something else?
Barb B says
Made this cake tonight but did it in a small rectangle. It was wonderful and just what I wanted. A keeper.
Barb B says
Made this cake tonight but did it in a small rectangle. Great cake just what I wanted. A real keeper.
Katelyn says
Do you think this would work in a 6x4x2 pan? If not, do you think I could make a few muffins instead? Looks delish!
Christina Lane says
Not sure, Katelyn. Never tried it. But if you do and it works, let us all know :)
Cath says
This is a fantastic category. Because my partner is Type 1 diabetic and can only eat desserts when his sugar is low (middle of the night quite a lot!) I spend a lot of my time dividing every recipe I find into small batches. And he loves hollandaise so we always have egg white left over. Do you have any more recipes for diabetics? We find ourselves going through an inhuman amount of xylitol, which sometimes does unexpected things to texture- and we cannot get Stevia liquid here (UK) without waiting for deliveries :/ Thanks so much!
Deb B says
Had this with an old fashioned lemon sauce (the old red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook) like my mom served it to us. Delicious.
Rachel says
Hi! these look really yummy How long can they last? if kept in the fridge
Christina Lane says
2 days :)
Rachel Pestano says
hey what would happen if I use black strap Molasses
Christina Lane says
It doesn't taste good :)
jen says
I made these and they were really good. Only change I made was adding salt. I thought it was odd that there wasn't any salt.