Sweet treat Saturday Gingerbread, a great cake all by itself.
If you wish, you can make the little fruit sandwiches a fruity favorite finger food for all!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tspn baking soda
• 2 tspn ground ginger
• 1 tspn ground cinnamon
• ¼ tspn ground cloves
• ½ tspn salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup molasses
• 2/3 cup apple juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch baking pan with foil that extends 1 inch past two ends of the pan. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Blend with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Slowly add dry mixture into butter and brown sugar mixture and beat for 1 minute.
4. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Heat apple juice in microwave until hot and add to mixture. Beat until batter is smooth and creamy.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and carefully take gingerbread from pan by grabbing the extended foil edges to pull the entire piece out at one time. Cool on rack on foil for 15 minutes.
7. Remove rack to a flat surface and cut into 2 inch square pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 10-12 servings

Little Lady Fruit Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe gingerbread tea cake
• 1 container soft-spread cream cheese or mascarpone
• 1 tbspn honey
• 1 tspn cinnamon
• pink paste food coloring
• 1 kiwi, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup raspberries
• 2 bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 nectarine, thinly sliced
• 6-8 strawberries, thinly sliced

Decorating:

1. Slice the gingerbread into 2-inch squares and then cut the squares in half horizontally. Set aside
2. Place cream cheese or mascarpone in a small mixing bowl and add honey and cinnamon. Stir with a spatula to blend. Add food coloring and stir to mix in color.
3. Spread gingerbread squares on top with the mixture. Decorate with your choice of fruits and serve.

*This recipe only uses about half of the gingerbread.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.
THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
www.thasc.com