Name: Childhood Gingerbread with Molasses
Yield: Makes one 8-inch square cake with a shiny, dark surface and a tender, aromatic crumb
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon powdered ginger, or up to 2 teaspoons for a stronger ginger bite; 1/2 teaspoon allspice; 1 cup blackstrap molasses or dark molasses; 1 cup boiling water; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients), cut into small chunks, softened; 2 large or extra-large eggs, at room temperature

Working on this book has taken us new places, and also back to explore taste memories from the past and from travel. Sometimes we've stumbled on childhood tastes, and sometimes we've gone looking for them.

This dark gingerbread is from scribbled notes I found in an old cookbook of my mother's. I don't know where she got the recipe, but I do know that she made it regularly, especially in winter, when its rich, warm scent would draw us into the kitchen at dinnertime. Serve it as a snack or for dessert.

Recipe notes

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