Showing posts with label ginger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ginger. Show all posts
Gingerbread is one of my loves. I can honestly say that I have never met a Gingerbread that I didn't enjoy! There is something about the flavor of it that just whispers, "Home Sweet Home" and "Holidays" to me.
I have baked many beautiful gingerbreads through the years so when I saw this gingerbread recipe over on a page called Baking At Home, I knew that I wanted to bake it. It looked and sounded fabulous.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
It looked dense and delicious, which is how I love my gingerbreads. Dense, delicious and spiked with plenty of Ginger.
This one has ginger in spades, from a rather generous amount of ground powdered ginger and then an indulgence of chopped crystalized ginger, so you get a double whammy!
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
I confess that I misread the recipe when I was making it. I thought it said 3/4 cup of chopped crystalized ginger, instead of 1/4 cup. Blame my aging eyes.
In any case I added 3/4 cup and I have to say, it totally worked. However, if you are not really fond of the flavor of ginger, do cut it back to 1/4 cup (35g). I thought the larger amount was perfect!
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
I also cut way back on the glaze ingredients. It was my thinking that if I went overboard on the glaze, I would be taking away from the cake/loaf itself. This is just the right amount.
I did add some pretty cake dragrees for the Holidays, because, well . . . I think you just want a bit of sparkle at this time of year!
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GINGERED GINGERBREAD LOAF
Pretty basic baking cupboard ingredients, with the exception of the crystalized ginger.
For the loaf:
- 2 cups (280g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 TBS Ground Powdered Ginger
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground Cloves
- ¾ cup (180ml) Molasses
- ¾ cup milk, gently warmed
- ½ cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (135g) chopped crystallized Ginger
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 TBS milk
- Chopped crystalized ginger to decorate
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
I know that in the UK molasses can be a precious commodity if you can find it. I used to substitute equal parts of golden syrup and dark treacle for the same measure of molasses in any recipe I used that required it.
So, for this recipe you would use 90ml of each golden syrup and treacle. Treacle on its own is far too harsh a flavor. When I first moved over there, I made the mistake of thinking that treacle and molasses were the same thing.
They are not the same thing.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
Whereas they are both by-products from the sugar can juice, dark treacle has a more pronounced and almost bitter flavor in comparison to molasses. Mixing it together with golden syrup makes it much more palatable.
I remember making gingersnaps with the treacle when I first moved over there, and they were largely inedible. I had to throw them away as the flavor of the treacle was very overpowering.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
You might think that 1 TBS of powdered ginger is a lot but trust me when I tell you that it totally works in this gingerbread.
And do take a leap of faith and use the larger amount of the crystalized ginger. You will not regret it, I promise!
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
HOW TO MAKE GINGERED GINGERBREAD LOAF
This is a very simple loaf/cake to make.
Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a 9 X 5-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
Sift the flour, powdered ginger, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder into a bowl along with the salt.
Whisk the warmed milk and molasses together in a measuring cup.
Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Beat in the egg and lemon zest.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk/molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in the candied ginger.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top should spring back when lightly touched.
Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely before glazing.
Whisk the icing sugar and milk together until you have a smooth thick drizzle. Spoon this over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the chopped candied ginger to decorate.
Cut into slices to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
As you can see there is not too much crystalized ginger in the loaf. I think that 1/4 cup is not enough to really notice it. More is much better in my opinion.
Too little and it will get lost in the loaf.
My loaf did take a bit longer than the recipe stated to finish baking. I would say an extra 15 minutes in total. Just check it about 10 minutes before the end of the bake time and then check it every 5 minutes or so afterwards. You can't go wrong if you do that.
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
This is a really lovely gingerbread loaf cake. It is dense, which I love in a gingerbread. Moist, which I also love. And the ginger flavors are excellent.
I highly recommend it and do make the glaze. It goes with the cake perfectly!
.JPG "Gingered Gingerbread Loaf")
If you like gingerbread as much as I do, you may also enjoy the following:
GINGERBREAD BLONDIES - These are the most fabulous brownie type of square with beautiful ginger flavor. Moist and dense. These go wonderfully with a hot cuppa.
DEEP, DARK & DELICIOUS GINGERBREAD - This is the kind of gingerbread cake that you could imagine Meg, Amy, Jo and Beth sitting down to enjoy on cold winter's evening while the fire burns low in the grate, whilst Marmee reads to them the latest missive from their pa. It is a gingerbread cake that gets more delicious with each day that it stands. Like magic it gets denser, moister
Yield: 12 slices
Gingered Gingerbread Loaf
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
This easy loaf cake sings with lots of bright ginger flavor. Its dense and delicious
Ingredients
For the loaf:
- 2 cup (280g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 TBS Ground Powdered Ginger
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground Cloves
- ¾ cup (180ml) Molasses
- ¾ cup milk, gently warmed
- ½ cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (135g) chopped crystallized Ginger
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 TBS milk
- Chopped crystalized ginger to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a 9 X 5-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, powdered ginger, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder into a bowl along with the salt.
- Whisk the warmed milk and molasses together in a measuring cup.
- Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Beat in the egg and lemon zest.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk/molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in the candied ginger.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top should spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely before glazing.
- Whisk the icing sugar and milk together until you have a smooth thick drizzle. Spoon this over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the chopped candied ginger to decorate.
- Cut into slices to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
One thing which I really came to love when I was living in the UK was Preserved Stem Ginger in Syrup. It was one of my favourite things and something I used regulary, especially at this time of year.
I had no idea that it was not readily available in North America. It was not until coming back to this side of the pond that I started to search for it and realised just how pricy it was going to be. Outrageously so!
Preserved Stem Ginger in Syrup is created from the young roots of the Ginger plant. Preserving it in a sugar syrup means that you can keep it for longer.
The preserved pieces can be chopped and stirred into cakes and bakes. You can also sprinkle it over top, etc. The syrup makes an excellent cordial and is blissful spooned over scoops of cold ice cream.
It keeps for ages and ages so it is a great store cupboard ingredient.
When looking for fresh ginger to use in this recipe make sure you choose it very carefully. You do not want to be buying old ginger. It can usually be found in the produce section of most super markets.
You want to look for pieces that have a firm, and unwrinkled skin. You should be able to scrap away the skin easily using a finger nail. If the skin is tough and thick, this is a bad sign.
It means your ginger is old and dried out. Don't buy it. Any piece of ginger that is light in weight or wrinkled will not soften no matter how long you simmer it. You want it to be heavy. This indicates moisture.
Preparing the ginger for use is very easy to do. You will need to begin the night before by freezing it. This helps to insure a really tender finish with your ginger and it doesn't require quite as lengthy a cook time to tenderise it.
Just peel it and cut it into 1 inch slices/chunks. Pop it into a zip lock baggie and then bang it into the freezer overnight.
The next day you will need to poach it in some water. Just pop the ginger into a saucepan and cover it with cold water so that it is at least covered over top by an inch of water.
You then need to bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and leave it to simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours. At that time it should be nice and tender.
Fresh Ginger Root is actually quite fibrous. You may have noticed that when you are trying to grate or chop it. It is really important that you poach it first in this way so that you can break down some of those fibres.
When it is done you should be able to insert the tip of a sharp knife into it quite easily. After that you can drain it, but DON'T throw away the poaching water.
This poaching water is integral for making the sugar syrup that you will need to create the preserved ginger. This gets mixed with a quantity of sugar and heated to dissolve the sugar.
You can stir it to dissolve the sugar, but as soon as the sugar has dissolved you need to stop stirring it. If you don't you will create sugar crystals in your sugar syrup which you really don't want.
Sugar can be quite temperamental to work with, so trust me, just stop stirring it and leave it. It will be okay. It will take about 25 to 30 minutes to make your syrup.
You want your syrup to be quite thick as your ginger root will have retained some of the water it was cooked in, even if you have drained it well. This will transfer to the syrup and thin it out a bit.
Once you have your thick syrup it will be time to pop the poached ginger root into it. This then gets further poached in the syrup to preserve it.
Oh my, the smell when all of this is going on is phenomenal! Truly. Your home will not need any air freshener for sure!
I used the time while my ginger was poaching in the syrup to sterilise my jars. You get one full pint jar of the ginger root, plus some extra bits.
You also get one full pint of extra syrup which you really want to keep. (Trust me, it is delicious!)
To sterilise jars simply pop clean jars onto a baking sheet and bang them into the oven. Turn the oven on to preheat to 99*C/ 210*F. Let it heat up and then turn it off and leave the jars to cool in the oven.
You will also want to sterilise the lids. Just pop them into a pan of boiling water and leave them to sit for a few.
Once your preserved Stem Ginger is done, you can strain off the syrup and pack the hot pieces of ginger into a sterile jar. Ladle the hot syrup over top, filling to within no less than 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Wipe the rim with a clean cloth and then place the lid on.
Put any leftover syrup into another jar and seal. Set both aside to cool and the lids should pop in and seal as it cools.
This really is a great thing to have in the larder/refrigerator. You will find that it comes in useful for a great many things. It adds a lovely firey touch to all kinds of desserts and even main dishes. You will find it is really quite versatile and that syrup is like liquid gold. Add it to coffee, or sparkling water, or even fizzy lemonade for a real taste treat!!
Preserved Stem Ginger
Yield: 2 X pint jars
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 2 H & 30 Mtotal time: 2 H & 45 M
A delicious condiment that is very easy to make and adds a lovely touch to homemade ginger cakes, puddings and cookies. The syrup can be used as a cordial and added to sparkling water, etc. for a lovely gingery drink. This is not complicated to make in the least.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (650g) fresh ginger root (you will need to freeze the ginger overnight)
- 3 cups (600g) granulated sugar
- water to cover the ginger root
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) of the reserved ginger cooking water
Instructions
- You need to begin this the night before you want to make the preserves. Peel the ginger and cut it into 1 inch thick pieces. Place into a zip lock baggie and bang into the freezer overnight.
- The next day when you are ready to begin, put the frozen ginger into a saucepan and cover it with water. (You will need about an inch over top of the ginger.) Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the ginger is nice and tender.
- Drain the ginger, reserving the ginger cooking water. Set aside.
- Measure 2 1/2 cups (600ml) of the ginger cooking water into a saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring only until the sugar has totally dissolved. DO NOT stir beyond that point or your syrup will crystalise. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a quick simmer.
- Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until you have a lovely thick syrup. Add the drained ginger root to the syrup.
- Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for a further 20 minutes before transferring the ginger and syrup into a sterile jar and sealing. Store in a dark cook place for up to one year.
notes:
You can bottle any leftover syrup to use as a cordial or flavouring for bakes, stir fries, ribs, roast pork or chicken, steamed or grilled fish, marinades,etc. It will last up to 12 months unopened. Once opened refrigerate and use within 2 months.
Here are a few ideas on how you can use some of it up over the holidays:
Lemon Ginger Snack Cake. A deliciously moist snacking cake that is mixed together right in the pan prior to baking.
Honey Ginger Jumbles. These are lovely and not overly sweet, with the mild flavour of honey, orange and a bit of a ginger kick!
Irish Whiskey & Ginger Cake. This
is about to become your favourite teatime cake. It is fantastic, with a
warm golden colour and a pleasant sweet spicy flavour.
Squidgy Prune & Ginger Cake. This may not look like much, but it's fabulous. If you like cakes that
are rich, squidgy moist and totally indulgent, you will LOVE this easy
loaf cake!
Pear and Ginger Trifle. A delicious trifle filled with moist Jamaican Ginger Cake squares and sweet ripe pear.
Sticky Lemon and Ginger Drizzle Cake. This is a lovely and moist dark gingerbread type of cake, filled with
lots of fiery ginger flavours . . . there is a full 4 tsp of powdered
ginger in the cake itself and it is filled with a lemon and ginger curd
filling, along with a ginger flavoured buttercream and is topped off
with a sticky lemon drizzle. I added some chopped preserved ginger on
the top to add even more gingery goodness.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
This week I was craving a cake. Oh, we still have Christmas cake left, but I wanted cake cake. Something without raisins and currants and peel . . . just cake.
Something that I could just sit down and enjoy a slice of with a nice hot cup of herbal tea.
It didn't have to be fancy smancy . . . just pleasant and satisfying. I toyed with making a Victoria Sandwich Cake (which is our favourite cake).
I also though about making a Coffee Walnut Cake (another favourite), but they just weren't ticking the boxes of my desire.
I wanted something spicy and dense, dark and delicious. I then remembered this gingerbread cake recipe.
I have had the recipe in my big blue binder for about a bazillion years. In fact I think its been about a bazillion years since I have made it.
You cannot call it a pretty cake by any stretch. It is the ugly step sister of pretty cake.
It is like the country cousin of the city mouse. This is a cake you might be tempted to overlook when glancing upon it sitting in the glass case of a bake shop.
Were you to do so you would be making a grave mistake. This is the kind of gingerbread cake that sonnets could be written about, poems . . . novels.
This is the kind of gingerbread cake that you could imagine Meg, Amy, Jo and Beth sitting down to enjoy on cold winter's evening while the fire burns low in the grate, whilst Marmee reads to them the latest missive from their pa . . .
It is a gingerbread cake that gets more delicious with each day that it stands. Like magic it gets denser, moister . . .
It is just like magic. Trust me on this . . . just leave it sit, you will see.
This is the cake you will find yourself sneaking down the stairs to steal a smidgen of in the middle of the night. Midnight feast cake has no calories, everyone knows that!
Don't burst my bubble if that is not true.
This is the kind of cake as a child I imagined Mary Poppins picking up for Michael and Jane Banks. Decorated with shiny gold stars stuck to its surface, all wrapped up in brown paper . . .
I love the Mary Poppins Books when I was a child, did you?
Oh, I know I do have a fanciful mind. It comes from a lifetime of reading books. I come by that habit honestly.
My father inspired a love of the written word in me when I was very young . . . I can still hear his voice reading to me in my mind's eye. He would change his voice with each character in the story. It is a beautiful memory that I hold dear and close in my heart.
In any case I do hope you will bake this lovely ugly step sister of a cake. I hope that you will enjoy it.
The ginger glaze icing is quite tasty . . . and it would be lovely spread with softened butter as well, or . . . dare I suggest it, lemon curd.
Today I fancied a little bit of indulgence with a small squirt of squirty cream . . . .
They do say a little bit of what you fancy does the body and the mind good . . . I believe that's true.
Yield: 16
Deep, Dark & Delicious Gingerbread
A moist, sticky and dense slice with plenty of ginger spice!
ingredients:
- 250g butter (1 cup +1 1/2 TBS)
- 250g soft dark brown sugar (1 1/4 cup, packed)
- 250g molasses or dark treacle (9 fluid ounces)
- 300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 large free range eggs
- 5 knobs of preserved ginger in syrup, chopped finely
- 375g plain flour (2 1/2 cups + 3 TBS)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
instructions:
How to cook Deep, Dark & Delicious Gingerbread
- Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a 9-inch square baking tin and line it with baking paper. Set aside.
- Put the butter, sugar, and molasses into a saucepan. Cook over low heat to melt the butter and sugar. Whisk in the milk. Set aside to cool some.
- Whisk together the flour, soda, ginger, allspice and cardamom in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped glace ginger. Make a well in the centre.
- Beat the eggs into the liquid ingredients thoroughly. Pour into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir together, gradually drawing in the dry ingredients from the side of the bowl until you have a smooth and thick batter. Pour into the prepared baking tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, until well risen and firm to the touch. Do NOT be tempted to open the door prior to that time or the cake may sink in the middle. Once an hour has passed, check the cake. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. If it doesn't cook for a further 10 minutes and try again. The cake is done when the skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cold remove from the tin and either wrap tightly and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Optional Icing - Whisk together 65g of sifted icing sugar (1/2 cup) and enough ginger syrup to give you a smooth drizzle icing. Drizzle decoratively over the cold cake.
NOTES:
Note - if you can't get preserved stem ginger, you can use candied ginger. I would say about 12 pieces, chopped finely. Instead of syrup in the glaze icing use some fresh lemon juice
I enjoyed this with a hot cup of Taylor's Spiced Apple Tea. It was definitely a "Home Sweet Home" moment and made for a great beginning to my year.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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