Guinness Stout Gingerbread

Ingredients needed:

* 1 stick unsalted butter
* 1 cup turbinado sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp ground fine black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 cup molasses
* 1 cup raisins that have been soaked in red wine for several days
** I always keep on hand a glass jar with raisins soaking in dry red wine,
This goes on your shelf and keeps forever - the wine turns to brandy after
time and you just keep replenishing the raisins and wine as you use them.
* 1 cup pecan pieces (do not use any other kind of nuts)
* 1 cup Guinness, or other dark beer
* Spiced Creme Anglaise but I use lemon sauce
* Confectioners sugar, for dusting

I use Lemon Sauce on this but the original recipe called for Creme Anglaise

Lemon Sauce:

1 stick salted butter
2 cups Powdered Suger
1/4 tsp salt
Gated rind and juice of two lemons
Grated rind and juice of one orange
2 tbs heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla (the good stuff)
2 tbs Lemon or Lime Curd (English)(can omit this but it's better with it) if you omit this use 1 tbs cream or no cream and more lemon juice. I like this tart



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. In a third bowl, combine the molasses and beer and stir to dissolve. Add the dry ingredients and beer mixture alternately to the egg mixture, beating after the addition of each.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Spoon the Creme Anglaise onto the middle of 12 dessert plates. Cut the gingerbread into 12 equal portions and place on plates. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Yield:12 servings