Amish Friendship Gingerbread

Total Time: 21 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup amish starter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce (i use natural unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup milk or 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 (4 ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 1/4-1/2 cup candied orange peel (optional)
• 1/4 cup fairly thin cream cheese frosting

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• 2 combine wet ingredients: starter, egg, oil, applesauce, milk or cream, vanilla, and molasses. stir well.
• 3 combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and pudding mix in a separate bowl. whisk until well-combined.
• 4 add dry mix gradually to wet mix, and stir until barely combined. stir in candied peel if using.
• 5 spread in greased loaf pan.
• 6 bake (at 325 degrees) approximately one hour. check it at fifty minutes to determine baking time for your oven!
• 7 remove from oven and cool on a rack. when barely warm to the touch, spread cream cheese frosting over top of loaf. i like runny, glazey, drippy frosting--if you like it thicker, you'll need more frosting and a light hand to keep from tearing pieces off the top of this tender loaf!