Description
Delight in these Mini Gingerbread Loaves, a soft and old-fashioned treat perfect for holiday gifting or cozy breakfasts. Bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, these moist loaves are sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, creating a comforting classic that’s sure to please.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (or ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup applesauce as a substitute)
- ¼ cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups unbleached white wheat flour, sifted (King Arthur brand recommended)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the ideal temperature for baking the loaves evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps to incorporate air for a tender crumb.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the molasses, Greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract on medium speed until everything is well combined. Scrape down the bowl sides as needed to ensure uniform mixing.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg until thoroughly blended.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing slowly until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the loaves.
- Add Boiling Water: Carefully blend in the boiling water, which adds moisture and helps dissolve the molasses, resulting in a moist batter.
- Prepare Pans and Pour Batter: Grease and flour mini loaf pans and fill each about three-quarters full with the batter, allowing space for rising during baking.
- Bake: Place the filled pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time may vary slightly depending on the size of your loaf pans.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For a lighter fat option, substitute half of the butter with unsweetened applesauce.
- Mini loaf pans typically require a shorter baking time; adjust accordingly if using a larger pan.
- Ensure eggs and other cold ingredients are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Loaves can be wrapped and stored for several days, and also freeze well for longer storage.
- To enhance ginger flavor, consider adding crystallized ginger pieces to the batter or topping.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Bread, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
