Colonial Gingerbread Love

I was a young girl when I had my first taste of Colonial Williamsburg's gingerbread deliciousness. At the time the blessed Colonial women baked them fresh in their old fashioned ovens and then lightly dusted them with some confectionary sugar. Later on I would be devastated to learn from Lauren Burr that now they are prepackaged. This is a travesty to the Colonial times. 


I have done some crazy things to acquire Colonial gingerbread. I have threatened Lauren's boyfriend to bring me some and I have walked through Colonial Williamsburg's back alleys just to sneak into the bake shop without paying admission. This might seem outrageous and ridiculous but the gingerbread at its peak was worth all this trouble.

One day I was wise enough to look up the recipe on the internet so that I could make these cookies whenever I wanted them so I no longer need to stoop to such low levels. For a few years in a row I made this gingerbread recipe around Christmas time. (I think I was in Grad school at the time so it was definitely something better to do than study for finals). I thought it would be easy, but I really have to hand it to the Colonial bakers. Molasses is no joke to bake with. It is SO sticky that it would take me forever to turn this dough into something workable. There were times I wanted to throw the dough out and quit because it was just sticking to my hands, but I persevered and I'm glad I did. That's just who I am, a hard worker who never quits. Haha. Let me know if you can make these better than I can. I'm sure most people are much more capable at it.

Here is the recipe that Colonial Williamsburg posted from the History.org website. 

Gingerbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup melted margarine
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup unsulfered molasses
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 4 cups stone-ground or unbleached flour, unsifted

Instructions: Combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Mix well. Add the melted margarine, evaporated milk and molasses. Add the extracts. Mix well. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to fingers. Knead the dough for a smoother texture. Add up to ½ cup additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking. When the dough is smooth, roll it out ¼ inch thick on a floured surface and cut it into cookies. Bake on floured or greased cookie sheets in a preheated 375° F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The gingerbread cookies are done when they spring back when touched.

Of course I believe it is necessary to sprinkle some confectionary sugar on after they come out of the oven. It makes a world of difference and ushers in that lovely Colonial feel. I would have been an awesome 18th Century woman. Well I would have needed a television to fall asleep, but other than that I think the 18th Century rocked.