Gingerbread Biscuits

Before Christmas I went on an epic baking spree. My standard Porter Cake featured but I also made some gingerbread stars because a) gingerbread is super simple to make and b) I have some lovely star shaped cutters that my friend gave me. Stars are pretty much my favourite thing – second are fireworks and then balloons. However, enough about my love of fun things and on to the recipe.

Ingredients

250g butter

200g dark muscovado sugar (regular dark brown sugar can work)

4 tbsp golden syrup (buy the new squeeze bottle they do – it make it to easy)

4 tbsp maple syrup

600g plain flour

2tsp bicarb of soda

4 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/GM6.
2. Put the butter, sugar, golden and maple syrup into a saucepan and melt together. You want it to boil and then turn off the heat.
3. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients – flour, bicarb, spices and zest – and then stir in the butter mixture. If it’s too stiff then you can use some orange juice to bring it together.
4. Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to about 5mm. Then start cutting. I used stars but any shape will work. Gingerbread hold their shape really well so suit being cut into shapes.
5. Ideally put the shapes in the fridge for about 20 minutes before baking for 8-10 minutes. You want them to be going a little brown. They’ll harden outside of the oven as they cool.
6. You can decorate these if you like but I tend to just want to eat them.

Marshmallows (with no sugar thermometer)

So I'm writing this while waiting to run up and down a hill. It's The Thew's fault as he signed up for a race up and down three hills (hilariously called The 3 Molehills) and of course his family followed suit. My sister-in-law asked if I'd do one of the stages, so she could do only two, and for some reason I said yes.

Outside its pouring with rain and fairly cold. I'm surrounded by people waiting for their stage who seem genuinely excited about running and it's not helping my mood. I don't enjoy running and somehow I seem to do so much of it. I suppose it keeps me fit and gives me a focus for the monotony of the gym but it's annoying I don't enjoy it. Seriously it would make my life easier if I was super thrilled to run around all day, get muddy and sweat in public.

However the place where I'm waiting has a little Christmas shop so it's better than a tent in a field. It's getting all festive and before Christmas hits we have Thanksgiving to do first. If you know Americans, or anyone who has lived there for a while, try and celebrate it with them. There is all the good food and marshmallows play a large part. I mean they put them on top of sweet potatoes!!!! However, these ones are destined to be put on top of a chocolate pie. I thought I should try making them and sugar thermometer be damned. These are sufficiently good and I did it based on time rather than temperature. You can flavour and colour them however you like but I kept these white and vanilla to complement the dark richness of chocolate.

Ingredients
175ml water
300g granulated sugar
100ml golden syrup
5 sheets (about 9g) gelatine sheets
1/2tsp vanilla extract
Optional food colouring
Icing sugar
Oil
Cornflour

1. Put the water, sugar and syrup in a pan. Dissolve everything together on a medium heat and them put on medium/high. Once boiling set your timer for 9 minutes.
2. Put the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water. Once soft transfer to a large bowl and add the vanilla.
3. Get a loaf tin and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Then coat with cornflour. This is going to help you get the marshmallow out. It will be a pain still but at least you're ahead of the game.
4. Once the timer goes off slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl while whisking. I did it with hand held but a free standing with balloon whisk would be easier. Once all the syrup is in mix for 10 minutes. Yep - 10 minutes. This will transform the golden liquid into white fluffy sticky mallow.
5. Pour into tin and let set for a few hours.
6. To get it out I recommend having a pile of icing sugar on hand. Cover your fingers in it and gently prise one end away from the shortest side with the tin as upside down as you can. Then keep re-covering your fingers in icing sugar and slowly ease it from the tin onto a surface covered in icing sugar.
7. Cut with a sharp knife dipped in icing sugar and seal any sticky edges with some. There done!



Rocky Road Shambles

I was seeing some friends and wanted to bring them some goodies. I decided to make my Fruit and Nut bars as one of my friends is vegan and these don't contain any ingredients derived from an animal source. However Holland and Barrett were out of flame raisins so I got regular ones. BIG MISTAKE. The juiciness of flame raisins basically helps hold everything together.

So I found myself with fruit and nut rubble. It tasted great but it definitely wasn't a gift so I just left in the fridge and went with flowers and wine. After a lovely weekend I returned the rubble. I hate wasting food and was desperately trying to think what to do with it all. Then the eureka moment happened. What about just bunging it all in melted chocolate? I had some chocolate chips in the fridge and some golden syrup to bulk it out. Brilliant. But was chocolate going to be enough?

A quick trip to the local shop later gave me some marshmallows to complete the mixture. There isn't really a recipe here, just some lessons. If you make Fruit and Nut bars use flame raisins. Most things can be improved by chocolate and marshmallows.