Old-fashioned Gingerbread

Old-fashioned Gingerbread

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to the Barefoot Contessa

• Ingredients:

1/4 cup dark rum or water
1/2 cup golden raisins (regular work fine also)
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 cup molasses
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup dried crystallized ginger
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbs + 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice

• Preheat:
• oven to 350. Grease 8 x 8 inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the pan.
• Place:
• rum and raisins in small pan, cover, and heat until rum boils.  Turn off heat and set aside.  Place butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Pour mixture into bowl of electric mixer.  Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in sour cream and orange zest.
• Sift:
• flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in small bowl.  Whisk lightly until combined.  With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth.
• Drain:
• raisins and fold them into the crystalized ginger to mixture with spatula.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Set aside to cool completely.
• Whisk:
• confectioners' sugar and orange juice and pour over gingerbread, allowing it to drip down sides.  Allow glaze to set.  Cut into 9 squares and serve.