This recipe is a deliciously light and bright gingerbread. My son, Max, says that it's unusual because it reminds him of Spring, instead of Christmas. It does have a special quality to it that reminds me of fresh air and summery days. It tastes wonderful with fresh whipped cream or a simple scoop of ice cream. I'd like to share it with you here, before I permanently move it to The Little Catholic Kitchen.
I think it would also be delightful to serve for St. Valentine's Day. At the very least, your kitchen will smell divine!
You could use a heart-shaped cake pan. If you do, please keep in mind the volume of this batter, so it doesn't over flow. I bake it in a 9" x 13" x 2" pan, and the baked cake fills it to just below the rim. Perhaps you'd like to bake it in the oblong pan, then cut it into a heart shape after it's cooled, which I describe below. The cake is firm yet springy, so it shouldn't crumble under your hands if you choose to do this.
This cake tastes great the day after it's baked and keeps well, but it's at its very best while it's still warm or soon after cooling. If you choose to serve it warm with some ice cream or cool with a drizzled glaze, it would make a wonderful and fresh St. Valentine's Day treat.
Happy St. Valentine's Day, everyone!
St. Valentine's Day Gingerbread Cake
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 extra-large egg
1 c. molasses
1 c. hot water
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 heaping tsp. Saigon cinnamon
1 heaping tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" x 2" pan.
In large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside.
In mixer, beat together sugar and butter until fully incorporated. Add egg and beat again. Add molasses and dry ingredients, then beat until combined. Add hot water, then beat again until the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into cake pan. Bake on oven's middle rack for 35 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean and cake is slightly pulling away from sides of the pan. Let cool in pan on wire racks.
To make this a special valentine, here are some ideas:
For a large valentine, turn the cake out of the pan when cooled. Then cut the cake into a heart shape. First cut the heart out of paper to be sure you are happy with the proportions. Place over the cake for sizing. Then using a sharp knife, cut the cake into the heart shape. Cut the left over pieces into small squares for snacking. They are delicious in a lunch box! Decorate the heart with confectioner's sugar or drizzle it with a simple glaze of confectioner's sugar, lemon extract, and water.
For small valentines: When the cake has cooled, use a sharp knife to divide it into 12 even pieces, then remove the pieces from the pan. Using paper and scissors, make a little stencil of a heart that will fit over the center of each piece. Be as creative with the heart and design as you'd like. Place the stencil on each cake piece and gently sprinkle confectioner's sugar over. Carefully lift the stencil straight up to remove it. Hold it over the sink and shake it clean before moving onto the next cake piece.
Ladies, if you have any ideas of how to embellish this delicious treat, please leave a comment and share them with us. Thanks!
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label St. Valentine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Valentine. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Catholic Icing: Catholic Saint Valentine Craft
Okay, I can't help it. As I told Lacy at Catholic Icing, her crafts bring back lots of wonderful memories of working at the kitchen table with our boys, now in their teens. Those were hours I will never forget or regret, despite glue in the rug and paint on the wall.
Check out Lacy's adorable St. Valentine paper bag puppets. If you have small children or grandchildren, they are perfect for spending a fun afternoon together. First make the puppets, then put on a puppet show. The back of your sofa would make a great puppet stage. Don't forget to take photos and videos! While you're at Catholic Icing, you might want to print out a few recipes for St. Valentine snacks, too.
Catholic Icing: Catholic Saint Valentine Craft: "There's not much that we're certain of about Saint Valentine, but he might have been a bishop and he is often depicted that way. Since makin..."
Check out Lacy's adorable St. Valentine paper bag puppets. If you have small children or grandchildren, they are perfect for spending a fun afternoon together. First make the puppets, then put on a puppet show. The back of your sofa would make a great puppet stage. Don't forget to take photos and videos! While you're at Catholic Icing, you might want to print out a few recipes for St. Valentine snacks, too.
Catholic Icing: Catholic Saint Valentine Craft: "There's not much that we're certain of about Saint Valentine, but he might have been a bishop and he is often depicted that way. Since makin..."
Sunday, February 14, 2010
St. Valentine's Day Surprise
by Kathleen Blease
I wasn't going to write a post today. I thought I ran out of things to say about St. Valentine's Day. But then I went to Mass. You never know where and when you will find suprises of the heart.
I'm going to tell you a secret. Yes, I'll make it public. I am a claustrophobic. Haven't always been, but I am now. Sitting in crowds is a big problem, including at Mass. And so there's one thing I need to do every Sunday-- I sit in the second pew, as close to the altar as I can possibly get, with everyone else behind me. (In the first pew sits the same elderly couple every week, so I don't want to take their seat. It's a small pew.) In my usual seat, I see only the priest and the altar. And I also have the privilege of seeing special moments, like the one I witnessed today.
Right after the homily, Father reminded us that today is National Marriage Day, as well as St. Valentine's Day, so he called all married couples to the front of the church. Little by little, couples timidly made their way to the altar. Father had one child hold a rose for the wives. Another child held a candle for the husbands. Then Father announced that the couples were there to repeat their Baptismal promises and their Wedding vows.
One young father seemed a little nervous. He stood with his wife, looking back to his small children. He took a few steps to rejoin them, but thinking twice, he returned to his wife and took her hand. When I peeked over my shoulder, I saw three children, the youngest about two years old, quietly peering over the pew.
Father continued with the baptismal promises and the vows. Then I noticed some movement up the center aisle. The two year old toddled up to the man. Without even looking up to be sure he had the right person, he wrapped his hands around his daddy's leg. Dad's hand came down to rest on the little one's head. Eventually, the little guy scootched down, and his Daddy and Mommy repeated their wedding vows while their little boy was sitting on Dad's foot. Tiny penny loafers peeked out from between Dad's feet. Tails from his oxford shirt hung out from under his cable sweater. He arms were wrapped tightly around his dad's leg.
Oh, how I wish I had a camera! What a way to celebrate the Feast of St. Valentine. Somehow, I think the saint is in Heaven smiling in pure delight. Yes, I'll bet he's thinking, this is good. God bless.
I wasn't going to write a post today. I thought I ran out of things to say about St. Valentine's Day. But then I went to Mass. You never know where and when you will find suprises of the heart.
I'm going to tell you a secret. Yes, I'll make it public. I am a claustrophobic. Haven't always been, but I am now. Sitting in crowds is a big problem, including at Mass. And so there's one thing I need to do every Sunday-- I sit in the second pew, as close to the altar as I can possibly get, with everyone else behind me. (In the first pew sits the same elderly couple every week, so I don't want to take their seat. It's a small pew.) In my usual seat, I see only the priest and the altar. And I also have the privilege of seeing special moments, like the one I witnessed today.
Right after the homily, Father reminded us that today is National Marriage Day, as well as St. Valentine's Day, so he called all married couples to the front of the church. Little by little, couples timidly made their way to the altar. Father had one child hold a rose for the wives. Another child held a candle for the husbands. Then Father announced that the couples were there to repeat their Baptismal promises and their Wedding vows.
One young father seemed a little nervous. He stood with his wife, looking back to his small children. He took a few steps to rejoin them, but thinking twice, he returned to his wife and took her hand. When I peeked over my shoulder, I saw three children, the youngest about two years old, quietly peering over the pew.
Father continued with the baptismal promises and the vows. Then I noticed some movement up the center aisle. The two year old toddled up to the man. Without even looking up to be sure he had the right person, he wrapped his hands around his daddy's leg. Dad's hand came down to rest on the little one's head. Eventually, the little guy scootched down, and his Daddy and Mommy repeated their wedding vows while their little boy was sitting on Dad's foot. Tiny penny loafers peeked out from between Dad's feet. Tails from his oxford shirt hung out from under his cable sweater. He arms were wrapped tightly around his dad's leg.
Oh, how I wish I had a camera! What a way to celebrate the Feast of St. Valentine. Somehow, I think the saint is in Heaven smiling in pure delight. Yes, I'll bet he's thinking, this is good. God bless.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
St. Valentine's Day with Kids
by Kathleen Blease
These last few days I have been pondering what I can write about St. Valentine's Day that could stir the soul and make it a memorable feast. But to tell you the truth, I don't have anything grand to tell you. (I think St. Valentine's life is testimony enough!) My favorite valentine memories are quite simple, and they revolve around our kids.
When our boys were little, my husband and I tried in vain to enjoy a romantic dinner for two at a posh restaurant, only to find it expensive and empty. Then it finally dawned on us what was missing--our kids! Perhaps it was the babysitter who had the best time, drawing and crafting with the kids while we dined in quiet surrounds.
Now, every year, my husband cooks a gourmet dinner. I set the table with china, linen, silver, and crystal, and the boys fashion valentines out of construction paper and stick glue. Candles stand at the center of the table. We eat, we drink (sparkling cider for the boys), we tell the boys stories of how we met, fell in love and married, and, of course, we share those times when we were anxiously expecting the arrival of our baby boys. The food and drink are wonderful. The company is terrific. And the valentines are adorable; each year they reflect the boys' ages, artistic abilities, and, of course, their sense of humor. To top off the evening, we savor chocolate-covered strawberries.
The pile of valentines I now have is growing, and the years are certainly rolling by! Now in their teens, our children still look forward to our traditional St. Valentine's Day feast here at home.
It all seems to make sense to me. I asked a little girl last week what she plans to do for St. Valentine's Day. She looked at me a little confused and said, "Oh, no. Valentine's Day is for grown-ups, not kids." I have to disagree. St. Valentine devoted himself to marriage and family. What better time to instill in our children how much we (husband and wife) love each other with tender devotion! What better time to throw open the heavy curtains of daily life and let your children see your warm, fuzzy, googly-eyed feelings for your sweetheart! It might become a habit. And, you know, they just might like it.
Happy St. Valentine's Day! God bless.
(learn to make your own at 808-creative-cards.com)
When our boys were little, my husband and I tried in vain to enjoy a romantic dinner for two at a posh restaurant, only to find it expensive and empty. Then it finally dawned on us what was missing--our kids! Perhaps it was the babysitter who had the best time, drawing and crafting with the kids while we dined in quiet surrounds.
Now, every year, my husband cooks a gourmet dinner. I set the table with china, linen, silver, and crystal, and the boys fashion valentines out of construction paper and stick glue. Candles stand at the center of the table. We eat, we drink (sparkling cider for the boys), we tell the boys stories of how we met, fell in love and married, and, of course, we share those times when we were anxiously expecting the arrival of our baby boys. The food and drink are wonderful. The company is terrific. And the valentines are adorable; each year they reflect the boys' ages, artistic abilities, and, of course, their sense of humor. To top off the evening, we savor chocolate-covered strawberries.
The pile of valentines I now have is growing, and the years are certainly rolling by! Now in their teens, our children still look forward to our traditional St. Valentine's Day feast here at home.
It all seems to make sense to me. I asked a little girl last week what she plans to do for St. Valentine's Day. She looked at me a little confused and said, "Oh, no. Valentine's Day is for grown-ups, not kids." I have to disagree. St. Valentine devoted himself to marriage and family. What better time to instill in our children how much we (husband and wife) love each other with tender devotion! What better time to throw open the heavy curtains of daily life and let your children see your warm, fuzzy, googly-eyed feelings for your sweetheart! It might become a habit. And, you know, they just might like it.
Happy St. Valentine's Day! God bless.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Three Days Until St. Valentine's Day
"The water, air, and trees just outside the window fill the head with scent, and at last, the face in the mirror looks like the person it always wanted to be; it's gleaming, rosy, and smiling. True love simply can't be hidden. It radiates the undeniable quality of feeling alive!"
from Introduction by Kathleen Blease, from Love In Verse: Classic Poems from the Heart
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
St. Valentine and Our Priests
by Kathleen Blease
I interrupt this countdown to St. Valentine’s Day for a special report.
St. Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Sunday. St. Valentine was a wonderful priest, who gave his life for the conferring of the sacraments. On his feast day this year, give the priests of your parish a special valentine. Pray for them!
Let’s not forget that their love is deep and abiding. It is their love of Christ that makes our Lord a spiritual and physical reality for us. They bring Christ to our weddings, through their consecrated hands. They baptize our children and bring them into the Light of the Family of God. They consecrate the bread and wine and bring Christ Himself to us at every Mass, so we can have Christ in us and with us; we needn’t go through life without Him. Our priests bring Christ’s compassion to us in the sacrament of Reconciliation, to lift our burdens and cleanse our souls. They bless our homes. They pray for us. They anoint us when we are sick. They bury our loved ones and pray for their happy repose. They educate us. Provide for us. And tell us what we need to hear and know. Because of them, we are God’s people! Just what would we be without these shepherds? What would our hearts be?
After Mass this weekend, spend some time with the Lord and thank Him for our priests. Don’t just leave after the recessional hymn. Walk up to the front pews, or the kneeler in front of the tabernacle, and spend some time with Christ, offering Him your heart. Thank the Lord for your husband, who a priest has bound to you. Praise Him for your children, who a priest welcomed into the parish family. St. Valentine was devoted to marriage and children! And so are our priests!
Dear St. Valentine,
What a wonderful priest you were. Even imprisoned, you healed the blind and gave hope to hearts in love. How those hearts sought you out! You then gave your life for the sake of the sacraments. Pray for our priests today, St. Valentine. Pray that they realize how much their parishioners love them! Help them find comfort away from their homes and families. And may they feel the joy of your feast day! Amen.
Upon leaving the church, be sure to say to your priest, “Happy St. Valentine’s Day, Father!” Perhaps you can ask your children to make a valentine for him, with a prayer card of St. Valentine placed in the center. Or you could present him with a goodie bag of valentine cookies. Something to show him how much you appreciate his love of Christ! You might want to visit Lacy's Catholic Icing for some terrific baking and craft ideas.
Now…our countdown continues. Four days left until St. Valentine’s Day! God bless.
I interrupt this countdown to St. Valentine’s Day for a special report.
Headline: Priests worldwide are in need
of St. Valentine greetings!
of St. Valentine greetings!
(photo source: http://www.priestsunday.org/)
Let’s not forget that their love is deep and abiding. It is their love of Christ that makes our Lord a spiritual and physical reality for us. They bring Christ to our weddings, through their consecrated hands. They baptize our children and bring them into the Light of the Family of God. They consecrate the bread and wine and bring Christ Himself to us at every Mass, so we can have Christ in us and with us; we needn’t go through life without Him. Our priests bring Christ’s compassion to us in the sacrament of Reconciliation, to lift our burdens and cleanse our souls. They bless our homes. They pray for us. They anoint us when we are sick. They bury our loved ones and pray for their happy repose. They educate us. Provide for us. And tell us what we need to hear and know. Because of them, we are God’s people! Just what would we be without these shepherds? What would our hearts be?
After Mass this weekend, spend some time with the Lord and thank Him for our priests. Don’t just leave after the recessional hymn. Walk up to the front pews, or the kneeler in front of the tabernacle, and spend some time with Christ, offering Him your heart. Thank the Lord for your husband, who a priest has bound to you. Praise Him for your children, who a priest welcomed into the parish family. St. Valentine was devoted to marriage and children! And so are our priests!
Dear St. Valentine,
What a wonderful priest you were. Even imprisoned, you healed the blind and gave hope to hearts in love. How those hearts sought you out! You then gave your life for the sake of the sacraments. Pray for our priests today, St. Valentine. Pray that they realize how much their parishioners love them! Help them find comfort away from their homes and families. And may they feel the joy of your feast day! Amen.
Upon leaving the church, be sure to say to your priest, “Happy St. Valentine’s Day, Father!” Perhaps you can ask your children to make a valentine for him, with a prayer card of St. Valentine placed in the center. Or you could present him with a goodie bag of valentine cookies. Something to show him how much you appreciate his love of Christ! You might want to visit Lacy's Catholic Icing for some terrific baking and craft ideas.
(craft from Lacy's Catholic Icing)
Now…our countdown continues. Four days left until St. Valentine’s Day! God bless.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Five Days until St. Valentine's Day
How you gave your life to bind love, but not just for love's sake! Your mission of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony was also for children, that they may be filled with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ under the mantel of Our Lady and a blessed marriage. St. Valentine, dear saint and martyr, pray for our children. Amen.
"How sweetly your child longs for you as he grows and explores the world.... And it is little wonder: He began as a tiny individual tucked under your heart where he grew, cell by cell, until he was ready for the world.... Perhaps, then, it is biologically built into us to seek our mothers for comfort...for life!"
from Introduction by Kathleen Blease,
Monday, February 8, 2010
Six Days Until St. Valentine's Day
Dear St. Valentine,
Pray for our hearts and minds. Pray that we are filled with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may celebrate the love that has walked into our every day lives!
Amen.
(photo from www.zastavki.com/.../wallpaper-4959.htm)
"The first time two hearts connect, that is the day to mark and celebrate, for it’s the birthday of life. The first day of life as it should be!”
from Introduction by Kathleen Blease, from Love In Verse: Classic Poems of the Heart
"The first time two hearts connect, that is the day to mark and celebrate, for it’s the birthday of life. The first day of life as it should be!”
from Introduction by Kathleen Blease, from Love In Verse: Classic Poems of the Heart
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Countdown to St. Valentine's Day!
Seven days until St. Valentine's Day is upon us! So why do we celebrate love so urgently?
Maybe because...
“The path we travel before love is found often seems to be a tangent without destination, but then love steps in front of us and our destination is made perfectly clear. The path brought us right here. Arriving at a beautiful surprise, arriving at love."
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