Thursday

gumdrop bread~





 Yesterday.... Dear Hubby... bless his soul... wanted to help do some baking for Christmas for me; since I was busy patching up his work pants for him.  
So....
he decides to make some gumdrop bread. It was his Grandma's recipe that she always made for him at Christmas time when he was a little boy... and also a grown man.  I've been making it since Grandma died; but this year Slim said he wanted to make it.



When he first started; I turned the oven on for him to preheat it.  Well... gumdrop bread has to bake for an hour and a half.  Fifteen minutes before it's done.... I realize; the kitchen doesn't smell very 'spicy and gumdroppy', I better sneak a peak at the bread.  Come to find out when Slim put the bread in the oven and went to set the timer.... he hit Cancel before doing the timer and he unknowingly turned the oven off.  So there sat his four loaves of bread, having an hour and a half yet to bake.  Three hours later... we finally had the gumdrop bread done from start to finish. 
~~~
G'ma Inez Donner's Gumdrop Bread
 makes 4 loaves    300 degrees  1-1/2 hours. baking time


4 cups sugar
2 cups butter
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
3 cups applesauce
2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in the applesauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lbs. of spicette gumdrops
raisins/ dates / walnuts


In a large bowl cream the sugar, eggs and shortening.  Add the applesauce with the baking soda dissolved in it.  Add the remaining dry ingredients, gumdrops, raisins, dates and nuts.


The dough will be very stiff like a cookie dough.


Divide into 4 well-greased and floured loaf pans.


Place in 300 degree preheated oven on the center rack.


On the lower rack of the oven place a cake pan filled half way with hot water.  This is a very important step to assure a moist gumdrop bread.  It also keeps the bread from browning too fast.


Bake 1-1/2 hours until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a loaf.
Remove from pans to cool.
~~~
Dear Hubby left today for North Carolina for work.  I just got a phone call from him a little bit ago... seems he missed his flight to Detroit from Mosinee.  On his ticket it said his flight flew out at 6:00 and he gets to the airport at 5:15 .... plenty of time to check in.  Well... come to find out his ticket was wrong... his flight took off at 5:00... not 6:00.  So... he missed his flight by an hour.  Then to make matters worse, there are no other flights until tomorrow night that he could take... and he's suppose to be at a plant in North Carolina in the morning.  What a mess!

So now he's on his way back home; but decided to take a motel for the night because he has a bunch of stuff to pick up down by Athens before coming home; which he was originally going to pick up on Saturday.  
Who knows when he'll be rescheduled now to go to North Carolina.  He's so bummed.  I wish I was with him.



Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

7 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Wow ... I'm surprised when they issued the ticket that they didn't figure in the time change!! That explains the hour difference.
    AND ... there better be some gumdrop bread left when I show up. We'll be at Mom's on the 27th. Be there or be square.
    Love you :)

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  3. Oh now isn't that the way with stoves now-a-days I've done that a time or three myself. lol I love the recipe and the tradition of it being from his Grandma. There's an extra sense of comfort and charm in recipes handed-down through generations. I bet the bread tastes absolutely yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe and story with us. Sweet!

    It's ashame about Slim's flight. I know it must be totally frustrating for him and you too. I hope he gets home safely and soon (and they reschedule his trip with tickets that are right.)

    Wishing you a weekend of Holiday Happiness.
    (((hugs)))

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  4. Gumdrop Bread eh? Just the name gets me exceptionally intrigued :) I had to chuckle at the stove being mistakenly shut off, been there a few times myself but on the better side of it, at least the bread did not get burnt! Been on the end wayyyyyyy more then the non-cooked side :)

    I know it can not make up for Guy not being at the work but will the Airline correct/reimburse this mistake that they made? Yeah an extra bag of peanuts is nice but . . . I think something more especially with so many people not choosing to fly some nice gestures on their part would be really grand . . . .Happy Belated B-Day to your Hubby! I bet he had a grand grand one :)

    ~ May you ALWAYS be Blessed & may you ALWAYS Bless others ~

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  5. RE: thanks for all the nice comments; and Bogart... just a little correction... my guy is Slim and Dee's guy is Guy. lol

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  6. So that's where Guy was at the other day.... lol

    Thanks so much Bogart and Mel.
    You gave me a good giggle... ((hugs))

    I'm off to go shopping this am. burrr it's a freezing day to be out. Wish us luck... ;)

    Wishing you warmth and smiles!
    :)

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  7. Looks like I'm days behind again...was so happy to see the recipe of Grandma D's...and glad it turned out...eventually...a good giggle tho Slimmer...
    Sorry about his flight, I'm sure he was devastated to have to come back home to a houseful of warmth...
    so did they reschedule him yet?
    hope they wait til after the New Year and all the flight grief
    Have a good one...

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