2 ounces dark corn syrup

1 ounce light corn syrup


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3 ounces blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

About 2 ounces buttermilk



For caramel sauce:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup turbinado or raw sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 to 6 calamyrna figs, diced fine

1/4 teaspoon salt



Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring 10 ounces water to a boil. Add teabags, raw ginger, and cinnamon sticks. Cover and remove from heat. After 5 to 6 minutes, remove tea bags. Leave cinnamon and ginger to infuse; keep covered.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, dry ginger, ground cinnamon, ground clove, white pepper, salt and baking soda and set aside.

In another bowl, cream together butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine dark and light corn syrups and molasses, and add slowly to creamed butter mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until very well combined.

After tea cools, remove ginger and cinnamon from tea. Add enough buttermilk to tea to measure 10 fluid ounces total liquid.

Alternately add dry ingredients and tea-buttermilk mixture to creamed butter mixture, beating until well combined.

Butter and flour a 9-inch-square pan, and line it with parchment. Fill pan with gingerbread batter. Gently drop pan from a couple inches against counter a few times to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake for 15 minutes, turn pan 180 degrees, and bake for another 15. Check with toothpick or cake tester.

For the caramel, combine sugars and 1/4 cup water in a sauce pan and cook on low heat to dissolve sugars. Continue cooking until syrup turns very dark brown. Brush edges of pan with a wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization.

Scald cream and milk over low heat while constantly stirring then remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour slowly into sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Add salt and diced figs. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until smooth and thickened.

Remove gingerbread from pan and allow to continue cooling while caramel begins to cool. Serve together warm.

Serves 12 to 16.
— Courtesy of Alisha Hanlin of Pressed Flour in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Contact her at www.facebook.com/pressedflour.