I’ve been making this Gingerbread with Tart Lemon Jelly for eons. Okay, years at least. It’s a family favorite and traditionally shows up on our Christmas menu. It’s the dessert our daughter often asked for growing up. These days, I use the recipe to make mini muffins for the grands’ snacks or lunch boxes.
When Rob Evans of THV11’s This Morning mentioned on air that he had never eaten gingerbread, well.. you know what I had to do. I presented him with a pan of this delicious gingerbread with an even deliciouser (Take it from me, that’s a word.) Tart Lemon Jelly.
I could eat (I may or may not have eaten) that jelly, also known as Lemon Curd, straight from the bowl. Lemon is absolutely one of my most favorite flavors, and this stuff is TO. DIE. FOR.
The tarter, the better for me.
These days I make the jelly in the microwave, but you can easily make it in a double-boiler instead. The key is to keep it whisked smooth. If it curds, you’ll be faced with the task of whisking til as smooth as possible then straining it.
That’s my sweet friend Pauline of Pauline’s Coconut Pie fame on the cover. These days Pauline hangs out in NYC volunteering her time at The Bowery Mission each day. The young girl was a neighbor, Stacy Aguilar. I have no idea where she is since the family moved out of town shortly after this. I saw a copy available for $196. 00 on Amazon! I should’ve kept boxes of these:)
My recipe originally appeared in Benton Junior Auxiliary’s Calico Cupboards cookbook we published in 1980. That cookbook is out of print, but it’s still one I turn to more often than not. You might be able to find a copy on Amazon. (That was 2 years out of my life people!)
Notes
The Tart Lemon Jelly (or lemon curd) can be put in a pint jar and given as a gift. It's absolutely delicious over gingerbread, in crepes over strawberries--- even pancakes!
Note: Substitute 1 Tablespoon homemade gingerbread spice for the spices.
See links for those on the post.
Ingredients
Gingerbread
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 egg, well beaten
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (See Note)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Tart Lemon Jelly
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 6 - 8 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- fine zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Gingerbread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, pour boiling water over shortening. Add brown sugar, molasses and egg. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer.
- Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, soda, ginger and cinnamon.
- Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and beat until smooth.
- Bake 35-40 minutes.
- Serve warm with Tart Lemon Jelly.
Tart Lemon Jelly (Microwave Directions)
- In a small glass bowl, combine sugar with cornstarch; mix with beaten eggs until smooth.
- Add lemon juice, zest and salt, whisking well.
- Cook in microwave in 1-minute increments until jelly thickens to jelly consistency,
- Add butter, allowing it to melt; whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour into jar or storage container and cool before sealing
