blue artichoke

Ah, yes, Red Momo, that is the age old question. Did you know that the world's oldest profession isn't prostitution, but cooking? Makes sense. And those cave women, I'm sure, sat around the fire grumbling about sifting the flour they've just gathered and milled.

The answer is to read the recipe carefully. If it says, for example, 1 c. sifted flour, it is important to sift the flour, then measure it. This is because flour gets packed in tight when sitting in the bag or in a container on the shelf. 1 c. unsifted flour is a significantly more flour than 1 c. sifted flour.

But, when the recipe says, for example, 1 c. flour, sifted, you can use your discretion. Sifting the flour with the leavening agents and the spices makes sure they are evenly distributed. I'm not sure how important this is, because all of the mixing will surely distribute those small amounts of powder. The amount of flour or the distribution of leavening agents and spices aren't really the issue here, it's the resulting texture. Sifting aerates the flour and makes for a lighter texture. If this is important to you for that particular recipe, sift! If not, skip the sifting. For this particular recipe, I'd sift. One reason why I liked this gingerbread was it's light, spongy texture.

I made the second of the Ten Gingerbreads of Christmas last night. This recipe didn't ask me to sift anything, though it did ask me to stir spices into the molasses and add baking soda to coffee, which seemed a bit unorthodox. This gingerbread was really good, but not nearly as good as the first. Why? The texture was a bit heavy (no sifting!) and the flavor was borderline too molasses-ish. The first was light and spicy; this was dark and heavy.
Scorecard: First Gingerbread 1-0-0.

Gingerbread is so versatile. It's great for dessert with a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but it's also great for breakfast, with a little bit of butter. Yum.

Getting to Know All About You: What's your typical breakfast? What's your favorite breakfast?