Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

This is wonderfull stuff with lots of childhood memories. Made new by Cooking Smart for a Healthy Heart, Readers Digest.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or make a mix of your favourite spices)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1⁄4 cup light molasses
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 4  tablespoons margarine
• 1⁄2 cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3  tablespoons  finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 3⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Generously coat 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place cooling rack on waxed paper.
4. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
5. Blend applesauce, molasses and egg in separate bowl.
6. Cream margarine and brown sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed until light, 3 or 4 minutes.
7. Reduce speed to low and beat in applesauce mixture.
8. Stir in flour mixture with wooden spoon just until combined.
9. Blend in fresh ginger.
10. Scrape batter into cake pan.
11. Bake until cake tester inserted in centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging, about 45 minutes.
12. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
13. Remove from pan and set right side up on rack.
14. Cool completely.
15. Scatter crystallized ginger on top of ginerbread.
16. Blend confectioners' sugar with enough water (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to make spreadable glaze.
17. Drizzle glaze over crystallized ginger with fork, letting some glaze drizzle down sides.
18. Or do not glaze, add a dollop of whipped cream.