Grandmother Gingerbread does it for me

Grandmother Gingerbread

This recipe came from a cherished family handwritten folder belonging to Peggy Burton who lived in Mansfield. Her Grandmother Gingerbread was very popular with family, neighbours and friends. I wondered  how the recipe would turn out with so much black treacle but my fears were unfounded. I used half the sugar and omitted the salt in Peggy's original version since I was using salted butter.

 Peggy Burton’s Grandmother Gingerbread

10oz/275g self-raising flour

3 level tsps ground ginger

1 level tsp cinnamon

40z/110g soft brown sugar

6oz/175g black treacle

6 tbsps vegetable oil

2 eggs

150ml/¼ pint milk

2oz/50g chopped walnuts

2oz/50g raisins

Pre heat the oven to 180C/ Mark 4/350C. Mix all the ingredients together (Peggy says for not less than 2 minutes!). Bake in a greased or lined cake tin (I used a cake tin measuring 8 inch x 10 inch (21cms x 25 cms ) for between 1 and half to 2 hours.

 Meryl says : This is a lovely traditional recipe which ticks all the boxes for me – easy to bake, keeps well and full of taste. The heat of the ginger is perfect on those autumn days which herald the darker winter months ahead. Thanks, Peggy for a fabulous recipe!

What's your favourite autumn recipe? 

Orange Cake says ‘We still do’

We were invited to a Renewal of wedding vows ceremony at a venue was the in a room I know well, The Great Kitchen in The Mansion House Doncaster  which now serves as Doncaster's Registry Office.  

I did some filming with a group of university students studying for their media degrees so I was pleased to see the Kitchen Range still proudly in place alongside display cabinets in its reconfiguration as a wedding venue.

Renewing your vows has been around in Italy for some time and is a way to celebrate marriage after any length of time 2, 5, 10, 25 or 50 years together. You want the world to know you’d do it all over again. So, it called for a suitable cake at the ‘We still do’ party afterwards. C and J just wanted something simple so I baked one of my favourites, Grandma’s Orange Cake. It’s such a versatile cake and fits any occasion. 

Orange Cake

12 oz (175g) butter

12 oz (175g) caster sugar

6 eggs

12 oz (175g) self raising flour (sieved)

Grated zest of 2 oranges

Strained juice of 2 orange 

To decorate

Orange Slices

Icing Sugar 

 Orange Butter cream filling

Preheat the oven to 180°C, Mark 4, 350F. Line the base of 2 x 25 cms /10 inch cake tins with non-stick baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add a little at a time, adding a dessertspoonful of flour with each egg. Fold in the remaining flour, orange zest and orange juice. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for about 25-30 minutes until it starts to shrink from the sides and a cake skewer inserted into the centre comes away clean. Place on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the rack and leave until cool. Spread butter cream on the top of one cake and place the other cake on top. Decorate the top with orange slices or sprinkle with icing sugar. I made initials of their names cut out from stiff card to use as templates for the icing for a simple but effective decoration.

It was brilliant to see The Great Kitchen being put into use once again for such a lovely occasion. And everyone likes a piece of cake to celebrate!