Try before you cry
Whenever we home-cook a meal, or just one dish, we do need to be sure it is edible before we offer it to someone, so the tip of the day is to always practice first to discover problems if any. Often a recipe may be correct but each and every oven can be different, so a burnt offering is not always our fault. Today with Halloween and Bonfire Night on the horizon, time to practice making Gingerbread and Treacle Cake, both with a difference.
Apple Gingerbread
5 fl oz apple puree, 2 oz soft brown sugar, 4 oz golden syrup
3 oz butter, 6 oz S.R. flour, 3 level tsp gr. ginger
1 level tsp mixed spice, 1 egg, beaten
Into a pan put the sugar, syrup and butter and heat until melted. Remove from heat.
Sift together the flour and spices and stir into the syrup mixture with the apple and the egg.
Pour mixture into a greased and lined 7" square tin and bake at 180C, 350F, Gas 4 for about 35 - 45 minutes until brown and cooked through. Cook for five minutes before turning out onto cake airer. When cold wrap in greaseproof and then foil and keep for at least a day before eating.
Treacle Cake - adapted from Grandma's recipe when eggs and sugar were in short supply, and originally made with molasses, chicken fat and sour milk - my version uses somewhat different ingredients. .
2 oz soft margarine,
2 good tblsp. black treacle,
8 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp. bicarb. soda,
1 tsp. ground ginger,
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tblsp. yogurt blended with milk to make it up to 4 fl oz.
Beat together the margarine and treacle until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, bicarb and spices and stir into the treacle mixture together with the milk/yogurt. Add a little extra milk if too stiff. Pour into a greased and floured loaf tin and bake at 180C, 360F, Gas 4 for about 45 minutes until centre springs back when gently pressed. Turn out and cool on rack. As for above recipe, wrap and keep for a day before eating.
Tip: You'll maybe have noticed that in most of my recipes I use the same baking temperature. This is to save me having to remember. Your oven may need a slightly higher or lower temperature (esp. a fan oven), but once you've got it right, remember your temperature and ignore mine.
Apple Gingerbread
5 fl oz apple puree, 2 oz soft brown sugar, 4 oz golden syrup
3 oz butter, 6 oz S.R. flour, 3 level tsp gr. ginger
1 level tsp mixed spice, 1 egg, beaten
Into a pan put the sugar, syrup and butter and heat until melted. Remove from heat.
Sift together the flour and spices and stir into the syrup mixture with the apple and the egg.
Pour mixture into a greased and lined 7" square tin and bake at 180C, 350F, Gas 4 for about 35 - 45 minutes until brown and cooked through. Cook for five minutes before turning out onto cake airer. When cold wrap in greaseproof and then foil and keep for at least a day before eating.
Treacle Cake - adapted from Grandma's recipe when eggs and sugar were in short supply, and originally made with molasses, chicken fat and sour milk - my version uses somewhat different ingredients. .
2 oz soft margarine,
2 good tblsp. black treacle,
8 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp. bicarb. soda,
1 tsp. ground ginger,
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tblsp. yogurt blended with milk to make it up to 4 fl oz.
Beat together the margarine and treacle until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, bicarb and spices and stir into the treacle mixture together with the milk/yogurt. Add a little extra milk if too stiff. Pour into a greased and floured loaf tin and bake at 180C, 360F, Gas 4 for about 45 minutes until centre springs back when gently pressed. Turn out and cool on rack. As for above recipe, wrap and keep for a day before eating.
Tip: You'll maybe have noticed that in most of my recipes I use the same baking temperature. This is to save me having to remember. Your oven may need a slightly higher or lower temperature (esp. a fan oven), but once you've got it right, remember your temperature and ignore mine.
posted by Shirley at 7:12 am
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