Gingerbread Squares

If you have a Trader Joe's grocery store close by and you like gingerbread, pick up a box of their gingerbread mix. It's quite good! To make it more of a special treat fit for a holiday table, ten minutes before it's done baking, pull the bread out of the oven, brush it with melted butter, sprinkle the top liberally with a mix of sugar and nutmeg and then put it back in the oven to finish baking. This gives the gingerbread an extra kick of flavor and adds a pretty sparkly top. A friend of mine did this with the Trader Joe's pumpkin bread, using a mix of cinnamon and sugar, and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe!

These would also make tasty (and easy... and cheap) neighbor gifts. You could bake the gingerbread in mini loaf pans and then wrap them in plastic and finish them off with a bow.

So, if you've ever walked past the gingerbread mix at Trader Joe's and wondered if it was good, I would say definitely pick up a box and keep it on hand so you can whip up yummy and easy gingerbread anytime!