Graciesbakes

I was starting to get a little tired. Working a full time job, cooking lots, visiting radio stations AND getting ready for Christmas is very tiring for me. Very Tiring indeed.

My sofa has been calling me for a few days now. And what started as a whisper has become a loud noise from the living room. The final of Strictly Come Dancing was on Saturday evening, and even though I got home late from work (on a Saturday), I had recorded it.

The weather here has been so so cold over the past few days and it even snowed on Friday night. It was bitterly cold on Saturday night when I was getting in, so I was quick about putting on my PJ’s and a fluffy hoody and snuggling up on the sofa with a steaming hot cup of tea and some Sticky Gingerbread, courtesy of Nigella’s Christmas.

Light, dusted lightly with icing sugar, and just as nice served slightly warm, this gingerbread zings with ginger and cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 170C and line a roasting tin or ovenproof dish ( about 30cm x 20cm) with parchment.

150g Butter, cubed, 200g golden syrup, 200g black treacle, 125g dark muscovado sugar, 2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1tsp ground ginger, 1tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp bicarb of soda dissolved in 30ml warm water, 250ml  full fat milk, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 300g plain flour.

Melt the butter, golden syrup, treacle, sugar, fresh and ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves over a low heat until combined.  Take off the heat and add the milk and eggs. Add the bicarb of soda that has been dissolved.

Sift the flour into a bowl and pour in the wet ingredients. Beat the mixture until well mixed. The batter will be very wet but this is the way it is meant to be.

Pour into the baking tin and place in the middle of the oven for 45-60 minutes. It will be well risen and firm but bewares as it it overcooks, it will be bitter. And dry. Which will mean it will no longer be sticky ginger bread! When cooked, let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before cutting into about 20 squares.

This is better a couple of days after cooking. Wrap in parchment and store in an airtight container. To serve, dust with icing sugar. If you wish, heat ever so gently and have with a strong coffee or tea while watching celebrities dance for our entertainment!

This would be perfect any time of year, not just christmas.

Enjoy,

Orlsxxx