Gooey Gingerbread

Today the weather is awful. Miserable, grey April drizzle.  A day for enjoying the comforting, uplifting  aromas of baking.  I’ve already made a loaf of bread for lunchtime doorstop sandwiches filled with ham & hot mustard but I can see the need for something sweet later on with a nice cup of tea.

I ♥ gingerbread – not the biscuit type – but big, gooey, chunky squares topped with a citrus icing.

I also ♥ simple recipes, a couple of bowls at the most and no longwinded method. This recipe can be split into 3 easy speedy steps:

Step 1  (takes less than 10 seconds!)

Preheat Oven to 170°/GM3 and line an ovenproof dish with non stick baking paper

Step 2 – Hob (about 5 minutes)

Melt together:

• 150g butter
• 200g golden syrup
• 200g black treacle
• 125g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 balls of stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger & ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

Step 3 – Mixer (about 3 minutes)

In the bowl add:

• 300g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 250ml milk ( I use semi skimmed but full fat would work too)
• 2 eggs
• the warm syrup and treacle mix

Beat until you have a well mixed batter.

Pour into the baking dish and cook in the oven for around 40 minutes.

If you fancy a Stage 4, then all you need to do is mix icing sugar and lemon or lime (my favourite) juice together to make a thick glace icing and drizzle on the gingerbread once it has cooled.

This gingerbread keeps for at least a week (if you have that much willpower!) in an airtight tin.

Gingerbread is not just for Christmas!

Enjoy!

Clare

x