Recipe: Gingerbread with Pecan-Bourbon Topping

GINGERBREAD WITH PECAN-BOURBON TOPPING

FOR THE GINGERBREAD:
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup hot coffee
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Pecan-Bourbon Topping (recipe follows)
Sweetened whipped cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the molasses, boiling water and coffee in a measuring cup and set aside to cool, then stir in the baking soda.

Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat 1 minute on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the molasses mixture in three parts, mixing well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula.

Bake the cake 25 minutes, or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the pan cool slightly on a wire rack. Then pierce with a wooden skewer, making holes a little less than an inch apart. Spread the Pecan-Bourbon Topping evenly over the gingerbread.

Let the topping cool completely before cutting. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

PECAN-BOURBON TOPPING

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon or rum
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, corn syrup and bourbon, stirring until melted and well blended. Remove from the heat and beat in the powdered sugar. Stir in the pecans.

Makes 12 servings
Source: The Four-Sided Cookie: 55 Recipes for Delicious Squares and Bars by Lorraine Bodger