Superb sticky gingerbread loafSo far we have been looking specifically at cookies. But as you will have read if you looked at the history of gingerbread, it has a wide variety of meanings - and not all of them are cookies!
There are a lot of ingredients for this one - that's why it has such a gorgeous, intense flavor. IngredientsAll purpose flour - 6 ozSoft brown sugar - 3 oz Unsalted Butter - 3 oz (this must be well softened) Molasses - 4 oz Golden syrup - 4 oz 1 egg (beaten) Bicarbonate of soda - 1/2 tsp Zest of a lemon Salt - pinch (or use salted butter) Ground Ginger - 1 teaspoon Ground mixed spice - 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon Milk - 5 tablespoons
Bicarbonate of soda - 1/2 teaspoon Preserved stem ginger in syrup - 1 oz (drained and chopped. ToolsScalesSmall pan Electric mixer (not essential) Large bowl 2 pint non stick loaf tin Greaseproof paper MethodSet the oven to warm up to 325F, Gas Mk 3.Grease the tin. Drain the stem ginger and chop into small pieces. Place to one side. Line the base of the tin. Not sure how to do it? Click for the tin lining tip. Sift the flour and the ground spices into the bowl, the mixer bowl if you are using one. Add the grated lemon rind. Place the butter in the pan with the molasses and syrup. Put on a low heat so the butter begins to melt. Immediately remove from the heat and stir until it melts. You do not want it to be hot, as that can cause cooking of some ingredients before they hit the oven. Stir in the sugar so it dissolves. Beat the egg gently by hand. Add the molasses mixture, beaten egg and milk to the flour and spice mixture. Beat well to mix. The mixture will be very runny compared to the cookie mixes you have been using. Do not panic! Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in a tablespoon of warm water. Add the chopped ginger and the dissolved bicarbonate to the mixture and whisk in. You will see bubbles start to form. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and place in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. It is done when a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Do not overcook; this is a moist loaf. Remove from the oven and place on the side for five minutes.
Turn it out onto a wire rack, peel off the greaseproof paper, turn it the right way up and leave to cool. Tip! for easy turning out click here. Some like to frost these loaves, if so see below. I prefer to leave them plain and ready for buttering. FrostingTake another small piece of stem ginger and chop like before.Sift 2 ozs of powdered sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice slowly until it is just loose enough to pour stiffly from a spoon. Drizzle over the top of the loaf and then dot the pieces of ginger on top to decorate.
Now for the really hard part. Store in an airtight container for a few days before serving. This loaf improves with keeping.
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From this recipe you will get a traditional English teatime sticky gingerbread loaf. It is just ready to be sliced and spread with lashings of soft butter to be washed down with that refreshing cup of afternoon tea. Ideal for a winter's afternoon by the fireside, or for a summer's afternoon tea on the verandah.
Using your flat bladed knife slide the blade down the sides of the loaf tin to make sure the loaf is free from the tin's sides.
