Louisiana Gingerbread (Stage Planks or Mule Bellies)

• Butter for pan and parchment paper
• 1 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup shortening, preferably trans fat-free
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, like muscovado
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 cups flour, more as needed.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter a rimmed sheet pan and line it with buttered parchment paper.
3. In a small pan, melt molasses, shortening and ginger together over low heat.
4. Transfer to mixer and mix at medium speed until well blended and slightly cooled, about 3 minutes.
5. Mix in sugar.
6. Dissolve baking soda in a tablespoon of hot water and mix into molasses mixture.
7. Working in alternating batches and mixing well after each addition, mix in buttermilk and flour; batter should be quite stiff, not runny.
8. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time, if needed.
9. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
10. Bake in lower third of oven 10 to 12 minutes, until risen and firm.
11. Cool in pan on rack.
12. Cut into rectangles or use cookie cutters to make shapes.

butter, molasses, shortening, ground ginger, brown sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, flour

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015817 (may not work)