Kyrgyz Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup hot water

Directions

1. Butter and flour a 9x 9 cake pan.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and spices together.
4. Set aside.
5. Mix molasses and hot water.
6. Stir and set aside.
7. Cream shortening and sugar.
8. Add egg and mix well.
9. Alternately add dry ingredients and molasses mixture to creamed mixture.
10. Resulting mixture will be rather thin.
11. Pour into cake pan and bake for 45 minutes or more until a toothpick comes out clean.
12. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out.
13. Serve with whipped cream flavored with pure vanilla and sweetened with sugar.