The weather at the end of June was glorious, followed by a run of foggy, rainy days in July that gave vacationing residents a chance to catch up on their reading, and working residents a chance to feel like they weren’t missing all the fun. Regardless of the weather, everyone is busy with the summer increase of friends and family on the islands. More than any other time of the year, summer creates opportunities to provide refreshments for a variety of events. Whether it is for Ruth Westphal’s July 4th community pot luck lunch celebration, the Neighborhood House sponsored picnic at the Islesford town field, contra dances, historical society meetings or even the monthly selectmen’s meetings, a batch of brownies or cookies is always appreciated.
I like to bake, as do most of my friends, but it can be hard to find the ime to do it, much less enjoy it, in the middle of a hectic summer. One of the fastest and easiest things I know to throw together for a bake sale or pot luck dessert is something that has come to be known as “island” gingerbread. If you’ve ever been to Islesford, chances are you have tasted this sugar-topped nutmeg-flavored white cake. The taste is reminiscent of doughnuts. For some reason the recipe is particular to Little Cranberry Island, but it is not a secret. Ask anyone who lives here and they will give you the recipe or tell you from whom to get it. The owner of the Islesford Market printed it out on refrigerator magnets to sell a few years back. The Cranberry Island Kitchen company uses a version of the recipe for their delicious “Crazy Clam” buttermilk cakes, which can be ordered from their Web site. 50 years ago, Lil Alley’s mother, Eleanor Spurling, used to sell squares of sugar gingerbread and regular gingerbread along with steamed hot dogs and cold soda from the office of the Spurling Dock, owned by Elmer and his father, Bert Spurling. Ironically, the area of the dock that once held huge wooden barrels of salted herring used for lobster bait is now a kitchen where delicacies such as tuna tartar and halibut with red curry sauce are created. It has been the home of the Islesford Dock Restaurant for 15 years.
Lil Alley learned to make sugar gingerbread from her great grandmother, Grammy Young. As a child, she remembers often having this for breakfast, but only after she and her sisters had finished their oatmeal. The ingredients are ones people usually have on hand. No eggs are needed. No buttermilk? No problem. A teaspoon of vinegar stirred into a cup of milk and left to stand for 10 minutes will sour the milk enough to substitute it for buttermilk. This is an easy recipe to adjust. Lil adds lemon extract, my mother-in-law adds vanilla, and many bakers add blueberries, dates or raisins. All are delicious. For the July 4th picnic I tried my own new variations to the recipe. The addition of lemon powder and sweetened coconut was quite successful, and I will make it again soon. The cocoa powder and vanilla extract version was less than exciting; prompting one of my sons to remark, “Why not leave it alone. It’s great just the way it is.” q
Islesford, July 17, 2007
Island Gingerbread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 15″ x 10″ x 1″ cookie sheet.
Whisk together:
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Add in:
1 cup oil (canola or corn oil)
1 and 1/3 cups buttermilk
Add in: 4 cups flour
Spread mixture in cookie sheet and sprinkle top with about 1/2 cup white sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Top will be light brown, toothpick will come out clean.