Gingerbread brownie recipe: Spice up your winter baking
The aroma of gingerbread is often associated with December, but using an entire spice mix package in one go is rare. If you'd prefer not to let it sit until next December, risking a loss of its flavor and an eventual trip to the trash, try this delightful cake. Bake it once; you'll make it every week until winter ends.
This soft, fragrant cake combines cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, and can be elevated with the addition of chocolate. This type of brownie is practically foolproof. For extra flavor, consider adding dried fruits soaked in liqueur or strong tea to the mix. I've tested both versions with chopped apricots and cherries, and both turned out excellent!
How long can you store spices?
It's common for people to have leftover spices in their kitchen cabinets after the holidays. Spices like cloves, cardamom, and the ever-popular cinnamon, as well as convenient mixes like gingerbread spice, shouldn’t be kept indefinitely once opened. Over time, their most valuable component—their aroma—fades. Expecting an aromatic cake a year after opening the spices may lead to disappointment. Another reason to use them sooner rather than waiting for spring cleaning is the risk of moths or other kitchen pests getting into them, eventually leading to unnecessary waste.
Recipe for gingerbread brownie
Adding dried fruits soaked in liqueur or strong tea will make the cake even more moist and flavorful.
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces of butter
- 3.5 ounces of milk chocolate
- 3.5 ounces of white chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 3.5 ounces of all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of gingerbread spice
- a pinch of salt
- dried apricots or cherries (optional)
- powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped chocolates and let them melt. Set aside to cool.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until frothy, gradually adding the sugar to form a light, well-aerated cream.
- Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and gingerbread spice. Mix on low speed.
- Pour the gingerbread brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Add the drained, previously soaked fruits on top, gently pressing them in.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- After cooling, dust with powdered sugar.
