Black Plantation Gingerbread Low Sugar Recipes

PLANTAIN GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the sugar and water in a sauce pan over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Peel plantain and add to the boiling sugar syrup. Add the plantain and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the plantain and drain. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan heavily. Spread the plantain slices evenly over the bottom.
• Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Place the butter and molasses in a sauce pan over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Combine this heated mixture and the boiling water and stir. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, stirring, and then beat vigorously. Pour the batter over the sliced plantain. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Let the pan stand for 5 minutes on a rack, then loosen with a spatula and turn the cake upside down on a serving plate. Cut into squares. The cake is topped with shipped cream. Serve warm or cooled.

BLACK STICKY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper that has been cut to hang over two opposite edges by a couple of inches. This overhang will make removing the cake from the pan clean and simple.
• Combine the butter, water, molasses, honey and brown sugar in a medium non-reactive saucepan and place over low heat. Stir the mixture frequently until the butter is melted, and all of the ingredients are well blended. Remove from the heat, pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and set aside. When the molasses mixture feels just warm to the touch, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and stir to combine. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter in four additions, using big, long strokes. Don't be concerned if you can't get all the lumps out--settle for most of them! Stir in the grated ginger.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then, using the overhang of parchment, lift the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Well-wrapped in plastic, this gingerbread actually improves with age. If stored at room temperature, it will have a sponge-cakey texture and will keep for about 4 days. Refrigerated, it becomes stickier, denser, and wonderfully chewy and will last at least a week. Allow the cake to return to room temperature before serving. This cake is fabulous warm, and the only adornment it needs is mounds of softly whipped cream.

BLACK PLANTATION GINGERBREAD--LOW SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans on a baking sheet (about 10 minutes until fragrant) Cut the cherries in half. Grease baking pans. I use Pam or butter. Mix water, Splenda, and butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter and sweetener are mixed well. Add the buttermilk and instant coffee to the warm mixture, stir well. Let cool. Mix eggs and molasses together along with extracts and add the other liquids. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well but do not overmix. Fold in cooled pecans and cherries. The mixture should be very wet and just a bit thicker than a cake batter. Add more water or buttermilk if necessary. Fill the pans about 2/3 full. Bake for one hour or until the center when poked comes out clean. Sprinkle with Swerve powdered sweetener or powdered sugar while bread is still barely warm. Let cool. Remove from pan(s). Allow to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!
• Note: If using a stand mixer, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing will cause the gluten to become like glue and make this bread tough. Only mix it enough to incorporate all the ingredients and fold in the cherries and pecan gently.
• This bread comes out more like a cake in texture so it must be completely cooled before cutting. I use my metal meat thermometer to test the bread or cake center. In the past, broom straws were commonly used. I sincerely hope you enjoy this old Southern favorite!