Gingerbread, Pleasingly Plain or Dressed Up (Published 2002) (2024)

GINGERBREAD isn't the prettiest sister home for the holidays. She is plain and pensive, preferring family and close friends to fancy parties.

But throw a shimmering sash around her, a well-chosen jewel or two, and everyone runs to her side. Gingerbread is out on the dance floor while her sisters are still getting dressed.

The best gingerbread has a glazed umber surface, a deep velvet crumb and a synergy of warm spices that rush into a wall of molasses before you can nab them. There they smolder seductively until the trail ends and you have to take another bite.

A good gingerbread recipe is equal parts boldness and reserve. No one wants gingerbread to be light on its feet (a buoyant open crumb is all wrong and suggests overzealous leavening), but it shouldn't be ponderous. The surface sheen and guardedly bitter sweetness can be traced to molasses.

Moisture in the batter is important; the spices create a suggestion of dryness. The molasses, butter and brown sugar counteract this, aided by a couple of eggs.

Balance is central, too: skirmishes among seasonings that result in an alpha hit of powdered clove, say, or a bitter jolt of molasses, can downgrade gingerbread's come-back-for-more appeal.