One of the benefits of joining an online baking group where other members select the weekly recipe is that you end up baking things you never in a million years would bake it on your own. This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection is probably the very last recipe I would bake in Dorie Greenspan‘s Baking…From My Home to Yours.
Heather of Sherry Trifle (<–go here for the recipe) selected Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread for this week. I’m not a gingerbread fan. I don’t like gingerbread cookies and gingerbread people send me screaming around the holidays. On the otherhand, I love ginger. Fresh, pickled, crystillized. It doesn’t matter the form.
Never one to back down from a challenge, I forged ahead with the task at hand and made a half-recipe. I made a few other changes too. Instead of using bittersweet chocolate in the cake, I used milk chocolate (I stuck with bittersweet for the glaze) and instead of molasses (I’m not a fan of it) I used Golden Syrup. I also didn’t bother to look for stem ginger.
The result: OMG. I couldn’t stop eating it. It was so good. I loved the flavor, I loved the texture. I loved it still warm when I removed it from the pan. I loved it at room temperature. I loved it the next day. I loved it with the glaze. The next time the holidays roll around I am going to make this.
It turns out that I like gingerbread just fine, well more than just fine obviously. It’s the MOLASSES flavor I can’t stand. Molasses is the culprit. In the end, my co-workers only received 1/2 of the 1/2 recipe I made, but that’s okay because I again went back and completed another recipe that was selected before I joined TWD: Russian Grandmothers’ Apple Pie-Cake.
Natalie from Burned Bits (<–go here for the recipe) selected the apple pie-cake way back in March 2008. One of the Playing Around options given by Dorie was to make turnovers and that’s what I did. Apple Pie-Cake-Turnovers. These were absolutely wonderful. The crust is cakey and the filling is out of the world. In fact, making the filling recipe as is gives you way more filling than you need for the turnovers. I’ve been eating the leftover filling for breakfast with yogurt. Very delicious.
So on Monday, my co-workers received very delicious gingerbread and yummilicious apple pie-cake-turnovers. Everyone loves me. Yes, they do.
I’ve seen Golden Syrup around, but was never sure what one did with it…now I want to try it. And Apple Pie Cake Turnovers. Wow. Just wow.
Oh wow! Both look fantastic!
Both recipes look terrific! And I love that you bring your sweets into the office — sharing what you’ve made is the best part.
Ciao ! I didn’t have molasses so I used golden syrup too !
How wonderful that you made smart substitutions to suit your tastes, and that you loved the finished product! Your cake looks great – so nice and golden, and I think the milder chocolate probably helped this too. I use golden syrup a lot, especially in place of corn syrup. I don’t sub molasses because I’m one of those who loves the stuff.
Kudos on the catch-up recipe. Your turnovers are so professional looking. No wonder the coworkers love you!
Nancy
It’s great that you discovered a way to like gingerbread – I happen to love it though mine was too molasses-y for me this time around. I’ll have to pick up some Golden Syrup and try it. The turnovers look luscious, too!
You have so many cool improvisions! I wish I would’ve not followed the recipe to a T… Although I really did like the gingerbread… It was so strong with the molasses, ginger and bittersweet chocolate.
Yours look fabulous!
Dang. That sounds like something I should try. I liked these, but I bet they would be way more up my alley if I used golden syrup instead of molasses. Good idea!
OMG, woman both look so darn good. I am so hungry again. I want to try those turnovers. You right about the baking club making us try things we normally wouldn’t! You did an awesome job!
I’m glad you liked it. It’s true, molasses is quite strong, almost bitter and dark. At least you now know you like gingerbread (sans molasses)!
They both look and sound wonderful! Kudos to you for going back to the recipes you missed.
Oh they BOTH look SO GOOD! I love that you used milk chocolate… I’m sorry, but I like it more than bittersweet!!!
Glad you overcame and made this anyway thinking you didn’t like gingerbread. Looks like it turned out great!
YUM! what is Golden Syrup??? i love how yours has a lighter color and moist texture, how tasty. i want to try your recipe!
I used maple syrup instead of molasses, but I stuck with the bittersweet chocolate. I bet it would have been even better with milk chocolate, though!
How do you love dem apples. What a great idea. I have some pears that I can use, too. Ginger and pear combo? What do you think? 😉
I wondered why your pic looked light compared to mine. Glad you liked it. The apple recipe looks great too.
Gosh these look great! You have very lucky co-workers.
Beautiful, Pinkstripes!
Although you don’t like molasses… it didn’t taste much in the cake, hummm… but perhaps I’m not a good judge of that, for I could myself… bathe in molasses, I like it so much! LOL
Great job!
I never would have made this either, but it turned out good! The apple cake looks great too!
Looks fantastic! I love molasses, but know that other don’t – great you were able to substitute! Your icing looks much “smoother” and moist than mine. It tended to get rather “stiff” and hardened off quickly… still good though!
Both of your treats look great! Great ideas with the substitutions on the gingerbread. I wish I’d used milk chocolate in mine as bittersweet chocolate is really not my favorite. I still need to go back and make some of the earlier TWD recipes and those apple pie cake turnovers are quite tempting!
I used golden syrup too – I’ve never cooked with molasses but it sounds like it might be a bit strong for me!
Oh, you must be a rock star at work! I am so intruigued by your golden syrup-for-molasses swap. I love the color it gives to your gingerbread. How great to realize that molasses was the problem and not gingerbread itself — an easily rectified problem! Your gingerbread and your apple pie turnovers look FABULOUS!!
Both look so great. I have been wanting to try the Russian Grandmother’s cake but haven’t gotten to it.
Looks so good and moist! Glad you LOVED it. I liked it better than I thought I would, too.
Someday I’m going to start baking through the months I missed doing TWD as well. Great looking turnovers!
I like your variations on the gingerbread. I loved that apple cake recipe when I made it too!
I like the changes you made to this and good for you, finding out that molasses is actually the ingredient you don’t care for. The Apple Turnovers look so yummy!
Molasses have a weird taste to me, too, but I tolerated them in this recipe. The golden syrup substitution sounds perfect, but they don’t sell it in my area, darn!
both recipes look awesome! great idea to sub out the molasses, it is definitely a strong flavor. glad you’ve discovered a new love for gingerbread:)
Wow. But do you REALLY REALLY love this? 🙂 I could tell you did. Your cake is awesome.
I love your subs! Golden syrup is a great idea. I’m so glad you loved this and plan to make it again.
I went back to the Apple cake myself a few weeks ago, and similarly loved it! I hope to get my family turned on to it for Thanksgiving, too. Congrats on two successes this week!
Everything looks so good. Glad you liked the gingerbread.
What a revelation…no to molasses yes to ginger 🙂
I may have to try this recipe molasses free one day. The apple cakes look really good, that is the kind of baking that I just can’t resist.
OMG-that sounds delish! I love molasses ginger cinnamon all that stuff, oh yea, dark chocolate too. However, yours really sounds good and I think I’ll make a note and add your “playing around to Dorie’s playing around notes. Yippee Thanks a million.
AmyRuth
I love the improv. Another reason to make this when I get back from paradise. If I can only recover from the margarita hangover!
Hi Wendy,
I love your blog!
Thanks for visiting mine 🙂
Oh my goodness, your apple pie turnovers look and sound AMAZING! I want one! And I’m so glad you enjoyed the gingerbread, it looks great too!
Thats what I thought too! I really didn’t want to make this, but I was so glad I did. Im pretty sure I’ll even make it again!
Your gingerbread looks fantastic! The thick layer of icing has me salivating. For real. Yum! I’ll have to go back and make the apple pie turnovers – they sound wonderful.
Wow, your gingerbread looks delicious. I love apple turnovers, so I may have to try this recipe as well. I like that you’re trying ones that you missed. I’m going to have to back and see what I’ve missed and pick a few to try.
Your cake and pie looks wonderful!!! BRAVO!
molasses is…assertive! i’d love to try golden syrup next time.
i too am addicted to ginger, especially candied ginger on fruit salads…
I almost thought you had put apples in the gingerbread – whoa, that sounds good. But I really liked the molasses taste in this, and the apple pie-cake was to-die-for as I recall. So I’m glad you ended up liking it!
Wow! Your gingerbread looks so moist and delicious! And the apple turnovers….well no wonder your co-workers love you. Great job!
Great post! I would think this post could convince anyone to try the cake, since you seemed to enjoy it so much. That pie is on my list of things to try, too.
Great job and gorgeous pictures.
Molasses has a very, um, distinct flavor – so I’m glad you identified the culprit and learned to love the gingerbread.
I made the apple pie cake for my dad a few months ago, and it was great. I think turnovers would be an even better idea.
Oh, thank goodness you can eat gingerbread (sans molasses)! It looks great!
wow…you always impress me with your variations to the recipes. They both look wonderful. I wished I would have thought to use the syrup vs. molasses. Great Job
Now you have a perfect work-around solution any time you run into molasses in a recipe. I on the other hand love molasses and would feel cheated if I left it out. The catch-up recipe looks fantastic. It was before my TWD time too and now I want to get this one made as well.
I would love you too. Just try me, send me treats!
I am loving the little hand pies, so cute!
WOW! What a great idea! I never liked the taste of strong molasses either. Although I always loved molasses cookies. Go figure!
The apple turnovers were another good recipe. Glad you and your coworkers loved them. Yes, everyone does love you!
Your gingerbread looks great but I am in love with your turnovers!! That recipe was before I joined as well, so now I must try it. Your pictures are amazing!!
I would love you to if you brought those to work. I didn’t make those turnovers. I think I will have to go look them up.
I love the golden syrup sub that you made. My brother and I like to joke that you can’t say molASSes without saying a** because neither one of us like the smell or the flavor of it. I thought that the molasses flavor in this recipe was really strong. I think that I might try it again with the golden syrup substitution, what a great idea!
i love ginger, when i eat sushi all i care about is the ginger. we loved this gingerbread too, it was delicious.
I’m going to have to try the gingerbread with golden syrup once I get my hands on some more. (I’m hoarding the one jar I have because my source has been out of it for several weeks.) And I should really make the apple pie-cake again. It was very well-received when I made it last year.
I love your blog, added it to my google reader. I am a new TWD’er and think I will go back and make those apple turnovers, they look super yum.
Oh my gosh…I have Lyle’s in my cupboard, I should have tried that..what a good idea!
and no, we don’t have ducks but my husband has a friend who has a friend…etc. They are bigger, like an extra large egg, and both the whites and yolks are kind of “thick”…interesting to use!
I could eat your cake off the page…I love the crumbs!
Your gingerbread looks lovely and light, not as dense as mine. the golden syrup was a great idea!
I bought Golden Syrup at an English import store and haven’t used any yet- I just may give this a shot because it sounds like such a good idea. Thank you!
I’m with you – I have baked so many things since joining TWD and Daring Bakers that I would never dream otherwise of making, and have been pleasantly surprised. Your gingerbread looks amazing – isn’t it great that you discovered that molasses was the problem?
UUUMMM!!!!!! That looks great.
I’m so pleased you like this cake – you are right about using Golden Syrup; there’s nothing to compare to it.
Both creations looks wonderful…I don’t mind molasses, but I think the gingerbread would be great with some Lyle’s. And I still need to work on the apple cake – love the turnover idea!
Beautiful & very tasty looking! I’m off to go look for Golden Syrup now. Those turnovers look spectactular too!
They look delicious, i’m glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Regarding your comment E=effort and D=delicious. You have very lucky co-workers! I’ve been wanting to try the apple cake.
oh i’m SO glad you found out you liked gingerbread. wasn’t it so yummy? yours looks wonderfully moist…love the thick, thick chocolate topping 🙂
your dumplings looks scrumptious too!
Glad you found a solution for the molasses problem.
Oh, my, now I need to try those turnovers! 🙂
Actually, I’ve seen some English recipes calling for the use of Lyle’s Golden Syrup in gingerbread. I would love to try that next time. I own several tins of it.