Chocolate Gingerbread

 photo credit: http://www.laraferroni.com

 Chocolate Gingerbread

original recipe: http://www.laraferroni.com/2010/09/13/chocolate-gingerbread/

Ingredients:

• 135 grams (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• a pinch of ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional)
• 2 tablespoons crystalized ginger chips
• 3/4 cup chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a baking pan (I used two small paper loaf pans, but you can also use an 8 inch round cake pan or a single full sized loaf pan).

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter & brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Mix the buttermilk, molasses and flaxseed meal (if using) together, and add all at once to the butter mixture. Don't worry if it looks a bit curdy. Add the flour mixture and mix just until you get a smooth batter. Fold in the crystalized ginger and chocolate chips being careful not to overmix.

Bake until a cake tester comes clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.