Happy Birthday On The Prairie

"The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes,
and surely it is in the everyday things around us
 that the beauty of life lies."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

(1867-1956)

Author of "The Little House" series of books

"As you read my stories of long ago
I hope you will remember that things truly worthwhile and
 that will give you happiness are the same now as they were then.
It is not the things you have that make you happy.
It is love and kindness and helping each other
and just being plain good."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura's Gingerbread Recipe

Laura often made this special dessert to celebrate

both her and Almanzo's birthdays. 

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup boiling water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8-9 inch square baking pan

In a medium mixing bowl cream together
shortening and sugar and molasses.
In another larger mixing bowl
 mix flour, spices, and salt.

Dissolve baking soda in 1 cup boiling water.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and then add the dissolved baking
soda in 1 cup water. Stir well and then stir beaten eggs into mixture.
Pour into prepared baking pan and bake around 40-45 minutes,
or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

You may icing the gingerbread with vanilla buttercream or
chocolate icing, or dust with some powdered sugar before serving.