Those who know me well will not be surprised to learn that many of my happiest childhood memories involve cake. My mother, grandmother and aunt were all excellent bakers, and there was always a delicious homemade cake or two to be enjoyed at family gatherings.
The recipe I have chosen to share is for my mother’s gingerbread, which was a winter favourite – it always made an appearance at Christmas and the wonderful aroma as it baked whilst carols played on the radio was an essential part of our festive preparations, second only to decorating the tree. It is best left in a tin for a couple of days after baking until it goes sticky, but I confess that we usually found it impossible to resist the temptation of sneaking a piece before then.
In addition to the many special memories that the gingerbread evokes, this copy of the recipe is doubly precious as it is in my father’s distinctive handwriting.
My favourite items in the family archive are those that are handwritten, and I always experience an extra thrill when an online record bears the signature of an ancestor from long ago. Handwriting is so personal that a sudden feeling of close connection to the scribe is inevitable and I can sense my father’s presence as I read the gingerbread recipe.
Having grown up in the time when cards and letters were delivered in envelopes rather than emails, I can instantly recognise the writing of all my close relations so I can tell you with absolute certainty that the bonus recipe below was written by my maternal grandmother, Mildred Howe. Sadly, I can’t also vouch for what Date Dreams will taste like as I don’t remember ever trying them.
Sleuthing Notes 