Gingerbread 101

 Who would have ever guessed that two boxes of gingerbread mix could provide so much fun.

Kindergartners have been prepping two weeks for this day. Their teacher had read them many different versions of the gingerbread man story. 

A variety of activities included   

practicing their lacing skills on a gingerbread man

   coloring their gingerbread books

and making foam gingerbread ornaments.

But the highlight was the actual making of a gingerbread man. The recipe was posted on the smart board.

Ingredients were set out and each got a turn to do something.

The pressure from 24 students was on me to create a gingerbread man just like the one in their books. 
At the end we had to assure many that the lunch cooks would not let the gingerbread man escape from the oven to be lost somewhere in the school and never to return to their classroom again.
Unfortunately, I had to miss the best part enjoying the gingerbread man for afternoon snack. 
Perhaps you have a favorite memory of kindergarten days. Mine was making gingerbread cookies with our teacher Miss Anne.

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Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup mild-flavored molasses
• 1 TB. orange or lemon zest
• 1-1/4 cups water
• optional 1 cup raisins

Lemon Icing/Glaze:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 TB. fresh lemon juice

Directions: 

• Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes
• Grease a 13x9 baking pan
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, zest and cloves; set aside
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds
• Add sugar; beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and add molasses; beat until well combined
• Alternately add flour mixture and water to butter mixture; beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. 
• Pour into prepared pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean
• Serve warm with lemon icing/glaze