Gingerbread Showdown

Only hours after I wrote my last post about gingerbread (Gingerbread! Oh my!) I saw the Food Network feature a gingerbread on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  The gingerbread was from a restaurant in Denver called Bang!  (It's not that I'm excited about the name of the restaurant, it's actually called Bang!, with an exclamation point.)  Well, hurray for the internet, because I was able to find the recipe, on a site called 5280.com, dedicated to Denver. (Do you get the reference?)

So the Kammer household had a gingerbread showdown.

Gingerbread A - Pie in the Sky Gingerbread:

Mild, sweet, pronounced ginger flavor.  I discovered that I loved it best plain, warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, as an afternoon snack (or even for breakfast!).  You can find the recipe here.

Gingerbread B - Bang! Gingerbread:

Darker, more intense, spicier, more assertive.  I left this piece plain for the picture, but I think this gingerbread would be a better match for a Lemon-Rum Sauce, or the Pear-Raspberry Sauce. (You can find the recipes here.)

So, in the end, which gingerbread is better?  Wouldn't you like to know?!  Ultimately, I preferred the Gingerbread A, but Steve preferred Gingerbread B.  (The kids didn't participate because I didn't share with them.  Ha!)  I think if you want to know which one you like better, you'll have to have your own showdown!

Here's the recipe for Gingerbread B:

Bang! Gingerbread
Serves 20, more or less

1 1/2 cups water, boiling
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses (I recommend Brer Rabbit's Full Flavor)
2 tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger
1 lemon, zested
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs.

Combine boiling water and baking soda.  In another small bowl, combine fresh ginger, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, and salt.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add molasses and cream until light.  Add in water and soda mixture and flour mixture alternately, blending well after each addition.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Beat for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.