I suspect my title will not be accepted as common usage, but I think they make perfect partners. We’ve had snow on the ground for one whole week now, which is still novel for us. I love the snow. I love how it makes objects in the garden look different.
I love the way it twinkles in the sunlight. Almost as if a fairy city is just under the surface.
But it is cold. Part and parcel of snow, I know. Our lane was completely iced over this morning. There was a sheet of ice right across the road and all the way to the village. We took the children to school through the woods to avoid being hit by skidding cars. The cars were skidding and doing mid-road twirls, so it was a wise choice. I cancelled my Friday sewing session, as the mothers would have been driving. Blah!
So to fill my creative void, I made another batch of gingerbread. The most perfect cake when there is snow on the ground. Eldest came home this week singing the praises of the school gingerbread. How could I resist digging out a recipe and, oh, WHAT A TREAT!
I’d like to share the recipe, especially with everyone who is feeling the cold right now. Believe me, its warming.
Snow-Light Gingerbread cake
(based on a Mary Berry recipe)
8oz (225g) self-raising flour
1.5 tsp ground ginger
0.5 tsp ground mixed spice (optional)
4oz (100g) butter
4oz soft brown sugar
4oz (100g) golden syrup
4oz (100g) treacle (or more golden syrup if you have run out of treacle like me)
1 egg
0.25 pint (150ml) milk
I used my small Aga roasting tray which is about 11″ by 7″.
Top tip: When you are weighing golden syrup, weigh the sugar first, make a dip in the sugar and pour the syrup on top. Saves getting the scales sticky.Works well when making flapjacks as well. Bubble in syrup optional.
Instructions
- Put flour and spices in mixing bowl.
- Gently heat sugar, syrup, treacle and butter in saucepan until melted and runny. Leave to cool slightly.
- Mix milk and egg in another bowl.
- Add sugar and milk mixtures to the flours and combine the mixtures together until well mixed.
- Pour combined mixture into a lined and buttered tray. (Unless you’ve run out of anything that you can use as lining like me, then just butter.)
- I baked this in my 2 oven Aga. I put the tray on the grid shelf on the floor of the top oven, with the plain cold shelf on the second runners from the top. Baked for 30 mins, turning half way through. Its ready when its firm to the touch and starting to pull away from the sides of the tray. For other ovens, I’ve not tested it but other recipes suggest 350 /170 for 35 mins.
- Leave to cool in the tray, then cut into squares.
Enjoy!
(We had a square of gingerbread with custard for pudding and it was totally yummy.)
Why so sad, Little Shepherd. Ah, nobody gave you any gingerbread. Never mind, maybe next batch.
Find lots more crafting inspiration over at Natural Suburbia. So many good ideas.
The gingerbread sounds yummy,did it last long? Love the elf points from yesterdays post, what a good idea.
We still have some today. AJ decided that she preferred the school version, so only four of us are eating it! Oh well, I can’t win them all.
I think that snow and gingerbread go perfectly together! Perfect winter companions 🙂 When you mentioned how the snow twinkles in the sunlight it reminded me of our trip home last night when we drove along our driveway through the fields my youngest was shouting out the window about the snow sparkling. We are so frozen right now that it glittered like crystals in the shine of the headlights. So beautiful 🙂 I can’t wait to try your recipe to!
Our snow has been replaces with heavy frost, which works well with gingerbread as well. I hope you enjoy your gingerbread. Your drive home sounds magical.
That recipe looks so yummy. It has ingredients we don’t have here in the US…unless they are just called by different names. Is treacle the same as molasses, perhaps? I am also fascinated by the fact that you weigh your ingredients. We just use measuring cups here in the US. Totally different kitchen experience. Yours sounds so much nicer.
We love your shepard. Did you make it?
I understand that black treacle is like dark molasses and can be substituted for each other. Weighing ingredients is the norm in the UK. There are several different kinds of scales – electronic, spring and balancing. Everyone has their favourite. Personally, I love my balancing scales, with a pan one side for the ingredients and different weights added to the other side. Great for getting the children to practise adding up. I use both pounds and grams. I also have cup measures for American recipes.
Yes, I made the shepherd a few years ago. It is one of a collection of advent characters I made that the children find each day running up to Christmas.
The Cute kitten and I in the winter make snow houses for imaginary elves under the snow. 😳 It is very fun. 😀 😀 Perhaps you should try it ❗ ❗ 😀
Hee hee! I think we will have to wait awhile for our next lot of snow. Although we don’t get as much as you do. Hope you are feeling better.