Ginger Bread and Blitz Kuchen in Gramma's Webster's Cookbook - Family Recipe

My grandmother's recipe book, sadly, calls for chocolate http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifin only three recipes. But then her recipes are probably healthier than mine (except that she used lard). Instead of chocolate, she frequently used flavorings such as lemon, molasses, and sweet spices.

Blitz Kuchen, which translates to Lightening Cake, is a German recipe. Was it given that name because it's quick to make, because it disappears as quick as lightening, or for some other reason? I don't know if Gramma's recipe came from her German in-laws or if she had neighbors with German traditions. The cake looks very much like some of our American coffee cakes.

______________________________________________________________________

Ginger Bread
1 cup Sugar.
1 " lard.
2 eggs.
2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of Salt.
1 cup Molasses.
2 teaspoon Soda.
1 cup milk or Coffee
4 cups flour.

Blitz Kuchen
3/4 cups Sugar.
butter size of egg
one cup milk
1 teaspoon Baking P.
flavor to taste,
cream butter, sugar
then, add egg, milk
& finally flour
with B.P. Sprinkle over
top with one half
cup nuts 1/2 cup
Sugar. 1 teaspoon
cinamon, bake
[tattered lower edge unreadable]

_______________________________________________________________

Below is my immediate family's favorite gingerbread recipe. My daughter found it in our local newspaper when she was about ten. For a school assignment she was asked to double a recipe and when I received a copy from her, I didn't realize it had been doubled. We had a lot of gingerbread to eat. This recipe has a wonderful mix of spices and, unlike most gingerbreads, is moist. (The recipe below is the single version.)

Mount Vernon Gingerbread

Mix:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup light molasses

In a separate bowl, mix:
2 3/4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves

Mix in a measuring cup:
3/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk
1/4 c. orange juice

Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk/juice mixture to the butter/sugar/molasses mixture, stirring after each addition.

Lightly beat:
2 eggs. Add to above mixture, folding in gently.

Bake in a greased and floured 8: x 8" pan in a 350 degree oven.
How long? No times are noted on the recipe card but probably at least 30 minutes or longer, until a toothpick comes out clean.

_______________________________________________________________

This gingerbread recipe is almost as good as chocolate.