The Ginger Group

Let’s hear it for ginger – the wonderful food in all its various forms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[root ginger for grating into savoury stuff, ground ginger for sprinkling into cakes, stem ginger for eating straight from the syrupy jar with a teaspoon…]

…and ginger cats in books [Beatrix Potter’s Ginger- with Pickles, Orlando, Bendigo Bung-Eye etc]

ginger haired children [many related to me!]

…and of course, the very talented Ginger Rogers

When we were down in London with Liz, she served up some delicious ginger cake [accompanied by low fat crème fraiche] and said it was a Nigel Slater recipe. She later emailed me the recipe

Double ginger cake

NS says “I am rather proud of this cake. Lightly crisp on top and with a good, open texture, it is light, moist and delicately gingery. It will keep for a day or two wrapped in paper and foil.” Serves 8.

250g self-raising flour
2 level tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
200g golden syrup
2 tbsp syrup from the ginger jar
125g butter
3 lumps of stem ginger in syrup (about 55g)
2 heaped tbsp sultanas
125g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
240ml milk

You will need a square cake tin measuring approximately 20-22cm, lined on the bottom with baking or greaseproof paper. Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 3. Sieve the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and the salt. Put the golden and ginger syrups and the butter into a small saucepan, and warm over a low heat. Dice the ginger finely then add it to the pan with the sultanas and sugar. Let the mixture bubble gently for a minute, giving it the occasional stir to stop the fruit sticking to the bottom. Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and beat gently to break up the egg and mix it into the milk. Remove the butter and sugar mixture from the heat and pour into the flour, stirring smoothly and firmly with a large metal spoon. Mix in the milk and eggs. The mixture should be sloppy, with no trace of flour. Scoop the mixture into the non-stick or lined cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. Unless you are serving it warm, leave the cake in its tin to cool, then tip out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap it up again in foil and leave to mature for a day or two before eating.

So whilst Bob was watching the Belgian Grand Prix at the weekend[Well done Lewis, tough luck, Jensen!] I made my own…

It tasted very moist and gingery – although I admit it did sink a little in the middle, and on cutting it, we discovered [unlike Liz’s superior version] that much of the ginger had settled to the bottom. But it did look good in the tin! As we are only two persons and not eight, I have put half into the freezer for another time!

never forget – Ginger Rogers did the same dances as Fred Astaire – but most of the time, she did them going backwards in high heels!!