What's cooking: Sugar and spice and everything nice

Barb Macfarlane

This week, they collaborated with John Hinman, the former owner of Nosh (now Kaos) and the current baker at Marczyk's, on gingerbread, a quintessential holiday dessert that Pete says has "got a little of everything -- a little light, a little dark, a little spice and a little booze."

Oskar Blues Gingerbread

1 cup Oskar Blues Gordon Ale
1 cup Blackstrap molasses
1/2 tablespoons baking soda
3 eggs
2 teaspoons high-quality vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees

1. In a saucepan, combine the beer, molasses and baking soda and bring to a boil.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir well.
5. Add the beer and molasses mixture. (Don't worry if the batter appears thin.)
6. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan or cupcake pans and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes, or until cake springs back when you touch it.

Pete and John like to serve the gingerbread with a little crème anglaise and Stanahan's Whiskey Brickle ice cream from Sweet Action Ice Cream.

For more from Pete, Barbara and Marczyk Fine Foods, visit the market website. And be sure to check out Who's Drinking with Pete.