Alas, for me the combination of chocolate and gingerbread was a poorly arranged marriage. (I even tried to perk it up with whipped cream, but alas...)
It's a bit like the brief business partnership between Donald Trump and Martha Stewart. Who really thought it would last? How can two bull-headed, type A, oldest children possibly cooperate? Trump and Stewart, Chocolate and Gingerbread. Both are fighting for top billing, and instead of noticing their separate strengths, I only noticed their collective failure. It's really better that they live quietly apart. I could have gone away and thrown out the whole recipe, like the proverbial baby with the bathwater, but because the recipe is from Dorie Greenspan, THE Dorie Greenspan, I gave the gingerbread another try, sans the chocolate. This time, I hooked the gingerbread up with a silky cream cheese icing. They fell in love immediately and were last seen thumbing through wedding magazines and picking out names for their babies. I knew true love would win out in the end. For my fellow penny pinchers, bake up Dorie's recipe in two loaf pans so that you have one to share with a friend. Head over the lovely Sherry Trifle for the recipe.
It's a bit like the brief business partnership between Donald Trump and Martha Stewart. Who really thought it would last? How can two bull-headed, type A, oldest children possibly cooperate? Trump and Stewart, Chocolate and Gingerbread. Both are fighting for top billing, and instead of noticing their separate strengths, I only noticed their collective failure. It's really better that they live quietly apart. I could have gone away and thrown out the whole recipe, like the proverbial baby with the bathwater, but because the recipe is from Dorie Greenspan, THE Dorie Greenspan, I gave the gingerbread another try, sans the chocolate. This time, I hooked the gingerbread up with a silky cream cheese icing. They fell in love immediately and were last seen thumbing through wedding magazines and picking out names for their babies. I knew true love would win out in the end. For my fellow penny pinchers, bake up Dorie's recipe in two loaf pans so that you have one to share with a friend. Head over the lovely Sherry Trifle for the recipe.Estimated Cost: $4.00 for two plain loaves
P.S. I loved reading your sweaty, weak-kneed, panicky comments from my last post. I almost got hives reading about your nervous moments. Thanks for cheering me up! I've got to write more about this topic; it's way too good!
Come Back Soon for that Chinese New Year Dinner:
Sesame Orange Chicken, Year Long Noodles, Soy and Honey Broccoli and Brown Sugar Almond Cookies
Im with you on this one. In my mind they just don't go together. The cream cheese topping sounds delicious though - will have to try that one.
ReplyDeleteI do love your posts! You always seem to cheer me up. I love gingerbread, but I'm not sure about the chocolate either. That topping looks delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteIf ginger was a child, its' report card would say "does not play well with others, except garlic and soy". I think you did the right thing splitting them up.
ReplyDeleteWhat doesn't benefit from a yummy cream cheese frosting? YUM!
ReplyDeleteGingerbread is my favorite! Can't wait to try this one!
ReplyDeleteGingerbread and cream cheese! now that's a combination I can go with. Chocolate doesn't even sound good at all!
ReplyDeleteLooks fabulous!
ReplyDelete"It's a bit like the brief business partnership between Donald Trump and Martha Stewart. Who really thought it would last?"
ReplyDeleteHAHA!! You're too funny :-D Love your variations of the TWD treat!!
Loved this post! You can always put a smile on my face in the morning!
ReplyDeletehehe. Love your post...
ReplyDeleteI love the topping you added!! It looks great smothered on top!
ReplyDeletecream cheese topping! *nodding in agreement*. that seems like a well thought out marriage arrangement. haha. Nonetheless, the gingerbread looks wonderful plain!
ReplyDeleteLooks gorgeous Prudy, the baking club kinda seems fun! Love cakes with anything ginger in it.
ReplyDeletemmmmm..cream cheese frosting! Glad it turned out good once you seperated the ingredients!
ReplyDeleteI love your MS + DT analogy. It seems that a lot of people had the same experience.
ReplyDeleteCandied ginger, dipped in dark chocolate is a favourite Treat over here in the UK and I happen to love it, so I loved this cake. We thought it was wonderful, but I guess it's not for everyone! I didn't do a chocolate icing though. I opted for vanilla buttercream instead.
ReplyDeleteThis look SO GOOD. YUM!
ReplyDeleteYour concoction looks delicious. I'm glad you were happy with it. The little dance costumes are just aprons. Arent' they cute? And then they have a full skirt that wear underneath and a white shirt from a Target. There's not much to them, but they are so cute!
ReplyDeleteThe cream cheese frosting sounds delicious. I loved this gingerbread with chocolate, but I guess it wasn't your type. (although I have a stinking suspicion that gingerbread and cream cheese would also be my type.)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh -- chocolate and gingerbread ARE Martha and Donald, Prudy!!!! But the cream cheese icing is totally Melania Knauss to Donald's gingerbread -- it's pretty, doesn't require too much thinking, and lets Donald be the star. Once again Prudence Pennywise saves the day!
ReplyDeleteWe made your good for you tomato soup and foccacia for dinner last night. It was delicious! We loved it! It was a favorite with everyone, even vegetable despising Annabelle loved it!
ReplyDeleteGingerbread and chocolate are wrong on many levels. I made a "plantation cake" last night that was somewhat gingerbready, with lemon sauce, and it was wonderful! I think you need more subtle flavors to play well with ginger.
ReplyDeletePrudy, you are so smart.
ReplyDeleteThere were lots of complaints about the chocolate in this from people in my house too, but others loved it.
I should have tried it again.
It looks yummy!
your non-chocolate version sounds great! looove cream cheese icing. i liked the combo, myself, although i've never had just plain gingerbread in cake form :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your idea of a cream cheese topping!
ReplyDeleteGreat commentary! Could that icing look any better globbing down that bread?
ReplyDeleteQuestion, is Martha the chocolate or the gingerbread and vice versa about Donald? Just wondering.
I would have eaten it! LOL
ReplyDeleteI love both!
That looks fabulous Erin! I'm with you on the gingerbread and chocolate combo. I'm glad your cake found bliss with cream cheese icing (that's certainly good on top of everything!)
ReplyDeleteWell, at least you gave it another go around, I opted just to trust my instincts for what they would or would not eat around here, and figured I would save myself the trouble that I went to with the rice pudding just to have them turn up their noses and say "No thanks." Your cream cheese version looks really great.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm gonna faint.....
ReplyDeleteThose both look SO wonderful!
While I loved the recipe a whole bunch, your cake with the cream cheese frosting looks perfectly decadent! Yummy!!
ReplyDeletenice to know it is nice without the chocolate as well. I actually liked the chocolate in it, but i think I could almost eat chocolate with anything - other than mole - I dont really get mole!
ReplyDeleteThe cream cheese topping sounds great! I'm actually going to shoot you an email in a minute, I saw something really cool about your site!
ReplyDeleteLook at that luscious glaze...yummm. I agree with you about the chocolate--I didn't glaze mine for that very reason. It was good plain:)
ReplyDeleteGingerbread with cream cheese frosting... new for me but seriously a great idea :)
ReplyDeleteI love the cream cheese icing. Yum!
ReplyDeletecream cheese icing... yummy.
ReplyDeleteIf cream cheese is wrong, I don't want to be right! This looks so decadant. I'll pick a cream cheese icing over chocolate any day.
ReplyDeleteI actually like ginger & chocolate together, esp when it's candied ginger dipped in dark chocolate. So I didn't mind the two together here but I have to admit it was not my favorite gingerbread, regardless. Cream cheese frosting makes everything better, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteDelicious!
ReplyDeleteYou are hilarious! Love this post! And wish that meeting a guy was as easy as hooking up the gingerbread and frosting!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I would never have thought to put cream cheese with gingerbread. We usually do a butterscotch glaze that is out of this world. Ugh. My stomach just did a little tap dance at the thought.
ReplyDelete~Cat
Can I just tell you how much I love to watch you cook? You inspire me!
ReplyDeleteI love your gingerbread Prudy it looks so scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the food blog awards, but your nomination is how I found your great blog. You do a great job with it. When I popped in for the first time I fell in love with all of your great ideas and smart sense of humor, and your site is one of the most visually attractive I've ever seen, lovely! Keep it coming, Sister Prudy. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI actually liked the two together. But I used semi-sweet choco and that may have made a difference. Yours looks really yummy!
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing about chocolate and gingerbread. They were in total conflict. Good save with the cream cheese.
ReplyDeleteNancy