Now that the indulgence of Christmas and all things yummy is well behind us, I was ready to get the mixing bowls out again. Leafing through the delicious recipes in Marguerite Patten's, 100 Top Teatime Treats, I chose to make Almond Gingerbread. Now my modus operandi is to make a recipe exactly as stated the first time and then make any adjustments required for next time. So in one bowl I had the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and ground almonds. On the stove to melt was some brown sugar, butter and golden syrup. The recipe said that when these ingredients were melted they were to be poured over the flour mixture and to stir briskly. Nothing was said about letting it cool, so in it went. How can you stir briskly when you're now faced with a bowl of hot glue?! This called for drastic measures to be taken. Getting out my speed mixer, I got stuck in...literally. The mixture wrapped around the beaters and worked its way up the stems pulling one of the beaters right out from its connection...mon dieu! There was smirking coming from R who stood close by watching what was fast become an episode of I Love Lucy. Not expecting much, I pushed and prodded the mixture off the the beaters and spread it in the pan as best I could and in the oven it went. In amazement, I watched this lovely cake start to appear! It puffed up and filled the house with a lovely ginger aroma...all was not lost. It looks a bit funny, I suspect due to its dramatic beginning, but tastes wonderfully old-fashioned, perfect with a cup of tea. This recipe, and Marguerite Patten, deserve some justice and I should have know better so I will definitely be making this gingerbread again soon.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Almond Gingerbread
Now that the indulgence of Christmas and all things yummy is well behind us, I was ready to get the mixing bowls out again. Leafing through the delicious recipes in Marguerite Patten's, 100 Top Teatime Treats, I chose to make Almond Gingerbread. Now my modus operandi is to make a recipe exactly as stated the first time and then make any adjustments required for next time. So in one bowl I had the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and ground almonds. On the stove to melt was some brown sugar, butter and golden syrup. The recipe said that when these ingredients were melted they were to be poured over the flour mixture and to stir briskly. Nothing was said about letting it cool, so in it went. How can you stir briskly when you're now faced with a bowl of hot glue?! This called for drastic measures to be taken. Getting out my speed mixer, I got stuck in...literally. The mixture wrapped around the beaters and worked its way up the stems pulling one of the beaters right out from its connection...mon dieu! There was smirking coming from R who stood close by watching what was fast become an episode of I Love Lucy. Not expecting much, I pushed and prodded the mixture off the the beaters and spread it in the pan as best I could and in the oven it went. In amazement, I watched this lovely cake start to appear! It puffed up and filled the house with a lovely ginger aroma...all was not lost. It looks a bit funny, I suspect due to its dramatic beginning, but tastes wonderfully old-fashioned, perfect with a cup of tea. This recipe, and Marguerite Patten, deserve some justice and I should have know better so I will definitely be making this gingerbread again soon.
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I LOVE Marguerite Patten - she is still very occasionally on TV here, usually when they are making a programme about the Second World War. That gingerbread looks delectable and I'm sure it smelt and tasted just brilliant. *envious*
ReplyDeleteI met her some years ago when she was already well into her 80s and still interested in everything and everybody. (I suppose she must be well into her 90s now.) A lovely and elegant lady and fascinating to talk to.
ReplyDeleteIt looks yummy and I bet it tastes even better. As for 'should have known better' I am sure I wouldn't have known to let it cool first, but then cooking has never been my strong point. I made gingerbread cookies at Christmas (an intricate Martha Stewart recipe) and I had similar problems--they didn't look like the photo, but they were tasty nonetheless!
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny story, Darlene! Sounds like something I would do! I like the idea of this recipe - I love ginger and almonds so I may give it a go, though I don't have an electric beater. Might be an issue.
ReplyDeleteMargeurite Patten is a legend! Teatime treats should definitely be brought back in!
Forgot to mention this, which will have you eating your heart out to revisit London! but maybe others who are nearer will enjoy it - an exhibition about wartime food at the Imperial War Museum. No doubt Marguerite P will feature as think she gave demonstrations to housewives about the delights of Woolton pie.
ReplyDeletehttp://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.3167
recipe please!
ReplyDeleteI Love Lucy, indeed! It looks heavenly and I'll bet it tastes even better.
ReplyDeleteverity, What torture for you! You have been such a brave soldier through your exclusion diet...hang in there.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, How lovely that you got to meet such a culinary doyenne and yes...I would give quite a lot to witness that exhibit!
Rachel, So glad to hear that you are capable of being a spaz in the kitchen too! I'm sure that a mega stir with a good size spoon would be a fine replacement for a mixer in this case.
JoAnn, You're absolutely right!
efi, The copyright gods would not be happy with me if I copied the recipe here but if you simply find a gingerbread recipe (a cakey one, not the cookie) and added 1/3 cup blanched chopped almonds, you'd be quite close.
Oh, yum! That sounds delicious and well-worth the baking anxiety! :)
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like an episode of I Love Lucy, but it looks delicious! When I made my Mary Berry gingerbread it didn't say anything about letting the butter mixture cool either so I imagine it does go in hot. Now off to look up the MP recipe in my copy! K x
ReplyDeleteI just checked another ginger cake recipe (from a workshop I did at Divertimenti) and it said to bring the melted butter-syrup mixture to room temperature before adding it--hmmm.... K x
ReplyDeletemakedoandread, I really must stop eating it as a meal replacement...delicious indeed!
ReplyDeleteKristina, Thanks so much for that! I'm interested to try again and see the difference, if any, in texture. The top should be smooth I should think. My first attempt will be chalked up to a delicious learning curve.