Both my mom and Ben’s mum have been feeling very unwell lately. It’s hard enough watching a loved one go through an illness when you live in the same city as them, but it’s especially hard when you live on a different continent!
I feel a bit helpless. And, unfortunately that helplessness coincides with an age I seem to have reached where I nag my mom more than she nags me.
It’s not pretty.
I am coming to close to harassment.
Sending unsolicited nursing advice through my various technologies: “Are you doing your deep breathing? Have you taken your medication? Are you eating well? What are you eating? Why are you eating that?”
Every time I open my mouth, my mom from 15 years ago comes out. It’s obnoxious, it’s uncalled for, but it’s a little sweet… right, Mom?!
And while I can’t do much more than worry about her and nag her, when Ben’s mom isn’t feeling well, I can at least do the things for her that I would do for my own mom if she were close enough.
I can bake for her.
And, because she is my (very) soon-to-be mother in law, and I’m still trying to impress her, I won’t even nag her.
Well, not personally, anyway. No, because I’m my mother’s daughter, I’ll nag Ben to do it instead.
- 2½ cups (220g) all purpose (plain) flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (112 g) vegan butter or refined coconut oil, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250 ml) molasses (treacle)
- 1 cup (250 ml) very hot water
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350°F).
- Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt in large bowl.
- In another bowl whisk butter until fluffy, gradually incorporating brown sugar. Add vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
- Combine molasses, vinegar and hot water together and then gradually stir mixture into liquids.
- Add dry mix and mix to combine. Mix only until flour is no longer visible.
- Batter will be quite thin.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then invert on to a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
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