Warm Gingerbread

We have a bounty of eggs now that all of our chickens are laying. We sold several dozen eggs last week and have had requests for more. The new "Fresh Eggs" sign is almost completed, just waiting for my husband to letter it this week. I enjoyed painting the graphics of the chickens on the sign, but will not even attempt to do the lettering. Hopefully the sign will be up by the road this weekend.

Laying hen in nesting box

 

The sheep have one late apple tree, at the very back of the pasture, where they spend their lazy days  waiting for the last apples to drop. I think they will be quite sad when these apples are gone, since they have so loved eating apples the last two months. They still run out of the barn every morning and check the ancient, crooked apple tree they have been getting all their apple treats from, even though it has been barren the past ten days or so. At least they have this one more tree to satisfy their apple cravings. Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees on our property and within our view so these red apples on this tree are a little bit of color for us to see.

The chickens, duck, and sheep are in their barns by 6:30 now, so I find myself curled up with a book on the couch by 7:00. I like this time of year with no urgency to get things done in the evenings. I do enjoy baking, so I sometimes pop something in the oven for an evening snack. My latest baking endeavour is an October favorite- gingerbread. Once you make this from scratch gingerbread, you'll never use a mix from the grocery store again. Served with a dollop of whipped cream it is undeniably an autumn treat. 

 

Gingerbread

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour( plus extra for dusting pan)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ( or ground nutmeg)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large farm fresh eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup light raisins

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8" baking pan with butter and dust with flour.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended. Set bowl aside. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and brown sugar until well blended and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until just blended. Continue beating while slowly adding the molasses. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture and stir just until incorporated.  Add the water and stir until blended. Gently fold in raisins. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack. Serve warm with whipped cream.