Remembrance Sunday,
Tea Time Treats
and
Dark Sticky Double Gingerbread
My tea time treats entry was an easy choice……I knew what I was going to make ages ago, and I make no apologies for it being a simple recipe; for me it conjures up the month of November and all that is great about British winter baking…..it’s not a light, airy fairy cake or a short crumbly scone, nor is it a glossy glazed tart of seasonal fruits, no, it is a classic old fashioned recipe that has been baked in my family for generations, it’s GINGERBREAD! And it’s not just a plain old single gingerbread, no, it is a double whammy of the hot stuff for me, as I am a ginger junkie.
This is not a shy retiring kind of gingerbread, this is a very dark and sticky piece of culinary work with a wicked secret, MORE ginger lurks beneath its plain exterior, I always add chunks of crystallised ginger for that extra kick. It is best made at least 2 days before liberating the cake from the tin, and it just gets better the longer you keep it. It can be eaten naked ~ that IS the cake not you, but whatever floats your boat, OR it is divine when toasted and spread liberally with butter and maybe even a dollop of golden syrup for a total overload on the “sucre” front.
Please do join in our new monthly bake and blog challenge, it is a perfect excuse to make that favourite tea time treat, and Kate and I are so excited with the entries that we have received already. Anyway, back to my dark and sultry gingerbread; I made this batch of gingerbread several days ago, just before I became ill, and it was the perfect pick-me-up today with a big mug of hot tea, on this sad day of Remembrance. If you dislike ginger, steer away from this recipe; however, if like me you are a ginger junkie then put this on your winter tea time table ~ it’s an old fashioned fluffy slippers and quilted dressing gown type of cake, unpretentious and a veritable British classic.
So that’s my Tea Time Treats offering, see you all later, oh yes before I go, and I am sorry that my printable recipes are not working; they were scuppered when my blog was hacked into last week; Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes has given me an alternative site to use, but I have not got around to it yet ~ but I will do soon!
Karen.
Dark Sticky Double Gingerbread
(makes 12 slices)
INGREDIENTS:
225g self raising flour
pinch salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
50g soft brown sugar
100g Stork margarine or butter
150g black treacle
75g golden syrup
150ml milk
2 large free range eggs, beaten
75g chopped crystallised ginger
METHOD:
| 1 | Pre-heat oven to 150ºC, 300ºF, Gas Mark 2. Grease an 18 cm (7 inch) square deep cake tin. |
| 2 | Sieve together flour, salt, ginger, spice and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the sugar. |
| 3 | Melt margarine, treacle and syrup gently. Gradually beat in milk and allow to cool. |
| 4 | Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Stir treacle mixture into the flour and add the chopped crystallised ginger pieces. |
| 5 | Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for about 1¼ hours until firm and well risen. |
We are ginger junkies in this house as well. We just can't get enough! Your gingerbread looks wonderful. Hope you are feeling better! xxoo
Your gingerbread looks like a really delicious treat. Yum!
I made 'A trifle Rushed' Banana Gingerbread this weekend and a dark Gingerbread, I had a Spinning, Weaving and Dyeing Exhibition and we 'Needed' cakes. I doubled the ginger in both recipes and it still wasn't enough! The Banana and Ginger is delicious. I will definitely be coming back to this recipe soon.
LOl Gingerbread junkie! Sounds like a yummy cake, time to put the kettle on!
This looks yummy – reminds me of my childhood.
sounds and looks utterly delicious!
I am a total ginger junkie and will definitely give this a try.
I'm planning a bake for Teatime Treats do, but when are there ever enough hours in the day!!!
Oops, that should say Teatime Treats *to* … see what being overworked does to me ;D
Looks amazing~Mouth watering photos.
I'm loving all of these sticky gingerbread recipes!
I have something for this challenge – hopefully I will get around to posting it this week :o)
The PERFECT tea time treats entry Karen and I love that first Autumnal photo with the beautiful leaves!
Lovely gingerbread. Do you remember those Jamaica Gingerbreads? Used to slather them with butter lol!
Will be trying this recipe soon as it looks so tasty.
Love the photo. I was thinking about photographing some of my preserves outside amongst some leaves but I bottled out as I don't have a garden and would have had to do it on the side of the road. I think people would have thought I was bonkers!
These look wonderful Karen. Right up my street. But then I adore ginger. I'm thinking of making a ginger Parkin this week. Just have to find a window!!
This is just about the perfect cake for the month of November, the only trouble is you can't win your own competition although I would vote for you!
Dear, dear Karen,
You are just the lady to ask; where do I find black treacle in France? Or do I need to ask my friends to bring it over from the UK next time they are over?
I adore gingerbread for its taste AND fairytale associations… As soon as I get my hands on some treacle I shall be whisking out my baking tray.
I hope the UK is treating you well 😉
Stephanie ~ you can get black treacle in most French supermarkets in the specialist English section….it is pricey however! I always bring some back from the UK, but you can get it like I said in SuperU, Leclerc or Carrefour!
Karen
I am a ginger junkie too, I love the extra pieces of ginger in your cake and the treacle of course
I adore gingerbread. Absolutely delicious looking recipe here. making me want to bake some soon x
Absolutely love gingerbread! This looks so delicious and perfect!
Yum – you can't beat a good dense sticky gingerbread! This one looks perfect, and cuts so neatly – mine always fall apart!