Soft Molasses Gingerbread

One cup and a half of molasses, one of beef-shortening or butter, or half of each, two cups of sour milk, half cup of brown sugar, and two teaspoonfuls of saleratus. Have ready in a pan two or three cups of flour, with the sugar, a little ginger, and cinnamon; and when you have boiled up the molasses, butter, and shortening, pour it upon the ingredients in the pan, and stir well. Then add the sour milk and saleratus, and flour enough to make it as thick as cup-cake. Gingerbread is as much improved by being thoroughly beaten, as any other cake. You can make it more delicate by using butter only, adding the juice of a lemon to sour the milk, and using grated nutmeg instead of ginger. On the other hand, very good gingerbread is made by omitting the butter, and using shortening instead, and cold water or cider in place of the sour milk. A teaspoonful of salt is necessary where the butter is omitted.

Hard Molasses Gingerbread

A half a pint of molasses, a gill of butter, half a gill of nice drippings, half a gill of sour milk, two teaspoonfuls of saleratus, and the same of ginger. Melt the butter, drippings, and molasses together, and pour hot upon a quart of flour; add the ginger and saleratus, and when well mixed add more flour until it can be handled without sticking. Then roll it out about as thick as the little finger, stamp or mark it, and bake it in shallow iron or tin pans. Bake it in a moderate heat. When done, cut it up before you take it out of the pans, as it cannot be done after it is cold without crumbling the edges.

If you prefer to have it thin, and cut into rounds like cookies, it is a very good way.

By omitting the sour milk ana adding a cup of sugar, a rather nicer gingerbread is made.

Another

Melt one cup of butter in two of molasses, pour it hot upon a quart of flour; dissolve one teaspoonful of saleratus in a little hot water and add it. Put in flour enough to roll it out neatly. Make it very thin, cut it in rounds, and bake it quick. These cakes are very crisp, and keep so in a tin chest.