Warm Delicious Gingerbread

Chunky Beef Noodle Soup + Bin 45

A few weeks ago on a Sunday evening, after making the Chunky Beef Noodle Soup for the second time (still very delicious!) with an equally delicious bottle of Bin 45 from Avondale Sky winery, we decided to try our hand at making gingerbread (neither one of us had made it before).

The recipe we chose was from the 'Grandma's Best Recipes - Traditional comfort food just like Grandma used to make' book. This was the first time that we were trying a recipe from this book and it was a great first success!

Here are the ingredients that the cookbook calls for:

•  3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup maple syrup or corn syrup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk

And here is how the cookbook recommends that you bring all of those ingredients together:

1.  Line a 9 inch / 23 cm square cake pan, 2 inches / 5 cm deep, with wax or parchment paper
2. Preheat the oven to 325 F / 160 C
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground ginger into a large mixing bowl
4. Place the butter, brown sugar, molasses and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter had melted and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool briefly
5. Mix the beaten egg with the milk and add to the cooled syrup mixture
6. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat well using a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and glossy
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 1-1/2 hours until well risen and just firm to the touch. This makes a lovely sticky gingerbread, but if you like a firmer cake cook for an additional 15 minutes
8. Remove the from oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack. When cooled, remove the cake from the pan with the wax paper. To store, wrap tin foil and place in an airtight container for up to one week to allow the flavors to develop
9. Cut into wedges and serve as an afternoon snack or with cream for dessert. Drizzling some warmed maple syrup on the top is an added extravagance

And the 'Grandma's Tip' that is shared is:

• A very moist gingerbread is a delight. It can be made even better by mixing in 2 ounces / 55 grams of chopped preserved ginger just before turning the batter into the pan

This recipe was perfect and delicious! It did make a whole cake pan full though - so we were able to share with it friends and family. This is a recipe that I think I will try again near the holidays.

Give this one a try when you're looking for a dessert or snack that will give you that 'warm hug'.

Bon appetite and enjoy!

Recipe is from:
Grandma's Best Recipes
Parragon Books Ltd. - UK. 2007
Gingerbread, Page 194

Simple Pepper Slicing Practice

I love learning new techniques and tricks to improve my cooking skills (and of course to speed up certain tasks in the kitchen). One of the tasks in the kitchen that I find is tedious, but I do enjoy, is cutting/chopping/dicing/slicing vegetables.

The other day I was watching the Food Network when I heard that the host would be showing a great tip on how to quickly chop up a green pepper - so of course I was intrigued and my eyes were glued to the screen. And of course it was a great tip!

Here are the steps:

1. Cut the 'top' and 'bottom' off of your green pepper
2. Stand the pepper on one end and cut the pepper down one side

 

3. Slide the knife along the inside of the pepper to remove the seeds and core









4. Cut the pepper in half or smaller more manageable sections
5. Cut pepper into julienne slices and then cut bunches of julienne slices (dice)










I also found this handy YouTube video of the whole process as well (as soon as I finished typing up my notes of course!).

If you are not already preparing your green peppers this way I suggest you give it a try - it works every time!

Bon appetite and enjoy!