Prune Armagnac Gingerbread

• unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting pan
• 1 cup chopped pitted prunes
• 1/2 cup Armagnac or Cognac
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh gingerroot
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 4 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• creme fraiche or sour cream for serving
• sliced kumquats for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
3. In a skillet cook prunes, Armagnac, and gingerroot over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is evaporated.
4. Remove pan from heat.
5. Into a bowl sift flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
6. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream shortening.
7. Add sugar, beating, and beat mixture until light and fluffy.
8. Add molasses in a stream, beating until combined well.
9. Beat in coffee, flour mixture, eggs, and vanilla until batter is just combined.
10. (It may separate at this point.)
11. Reserve 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger and stir remainder into batter with prune mixture.
12. Turn batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with reserved ginger.
13. Bake gingerbread 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and cool on a rack 1 hour.
14. (The gingerbread will fall slightly in center.)
15. Serve gingerbread warm or at room temperature with creme fraiche and kumquats.

cocoa, prunes, cognac, gingerroot, allpurpose, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, cayenne, salt, vegetable shortening, brown sugar, unsulfured molasses, coffee, eggs, vanilla, ginger, creme fraiche, kumquats

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/prune-armagnac-gingerbread-11624 (may not work)