Gingerbread was a favorite treat in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Many vendors sold it in the streets and markets. Many believe gingerbread possesses special medicinal properties, so it was even used to treat things like the sniffles.

• 2 cups Flour
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• Pinch Allspice
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tablespoons Freshly Grated Ginger
• ½ teaspoon Pearl Ash or Baking Powder
• 2 tablespoons Melted Butter
• ½ cup Mild Molasses
• 3 tablespoons Water

Mix together flour, cinnamon, allspice, salt, ginger, and pearl ash or baking powder.
In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter, molasses and water.

Carefully add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until completely absorbed then turn out and knead until well mixed.

Roll out dough to about 1/8^th inch thick and cut into desired shapes.

Place on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in oven at about 400 degrees for just a few minutes until golden brown.

Aren’t they beautiful? They smell wonderful. Crunchy and spicy. A perfect treat for an autumn day.

Transcription of Video:

My papa is well occupied. He is preparing for the winter months ahead. He’s busy; ergo I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about gingerbread. Gingerbread was a favorite treat in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Many vendors sold it in the streets and markets. I think it’s yummy. I have an idea! Let’s make some!

My papa told me never to play with fire, so I’m letting him start the oven. It needs to be a good hot oven. I’ll start with 2 cups of flour, and I’ll add to it ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, a little bit of salt, about 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger and finally, I’ll add a ½ teaspoon of pearl ash, but wait, I don’t have pearl ash. Oh dear, what shall I do? I’ll use baking powder instead. Next, in a separate bowl, I’ll mix 2 tablespoons of melted butter with ½ cup of mild molasses and 3 tablespoons of water. Wow, this is really sticky. And now it’s time to mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and I’ll carefully stir this together until the liquid is absorbed. Then I will turn it out and knead it until it’s well mixed. Next, I’ll roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8^th of an inch thick. I’ll use a cookie cutter to make pretty shapes. This one even looks like a flower. And I’ll put them on a well-greased  cookie sheet. Some of these cookies I’ll impress with a stamp, that will make a pretty design on the top. And some of them will roll into a snake and cut into little brown shapes. Now it’s time for papa to put them in the oven. He says the oven is about 400 degrees. That’s really hot.

It shouldn’t take very long at all, only a couple of minutes. And here they come.

Many believe gingerbread possesses special medicinal properties, so it was even used to treat things like the sniffles. Aren’t they beautiful? They smell wonderful. We’ll let these cool for a while. Yum, crunchy and spicy. A perfect treat for an autumn day. Maybe you should make some too.