Bready or Not: British-Style Gingerbread
I adore famed British baker Mary Berry, one of the original judges on the Great British Bake Off. This British-Style Gingerbread recipe is modified from her cookbook Cooking with Mary Berry.
She has published a ton of cookbooks in the UK, but this particular cookbook has the measurements translated to American standards! Click on the picture below to order a copy for yourself–but maybe try my take on one of her recipes first, as it’s a great example of what you’ll find.
I’ve eaten and baked a number of American-style gingerbread recipe. This one is different in a lot of ways. First of all, the cooking method. It’s prepared on the stovetop, then baked.
The end result is tall, spongy, and cakey, with a solid ginger kick. And like chocolate recipes, this gingerbread actually improves after a day, as the flavors become deeper and more complex. Almost coffee-like, though it contains no coffee.
Oh yeah, and it’s REALLY REALLY GOOD.
The sporadic candied ginger pieces throughout add vivid pops of flavor, in an already ginger-filled cake.
This would be especially good paired with tea, coffee, or a good, stout beer (Guinness, in particular, comes to mind).
Bready or Not: British-Style Gingerbread
This recipe, modified from Baking with Mary Berry, produces a British-style gingerbread cake that is spicier and more complex than the usual American gingerbread. The flavors deepens and improves after a day.
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)
1 cup molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3 pieces candied ginger (coarsely chopped)
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum and apply butter or nonstick spray.
In a large pot, warm the butter, sugar, and molasses until it is combined and smooth. Set aside to cool.
Mix the flour and spices into the big pot, followed by the eggs and the candied ginger pieces.
In a small saucepan, warm the milk–don’t boil! Add the baking soda. Pour into the gingerbread mixture and mix together.
Pour everything into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. When done, it will be spongy to the touch and pass the toothpick test in the middle.
Let cool in pan, either at room temperature or in the fridge. Once cool, use the foil to lift onto a cutting board and slice into bars.
Store in a covered dish with waxed paper or parchment between the layers. Flavor will grow deeper and more complex over the next day.
OM NOM NOM!
