Makes 12-16 pieces
Ingredients
125g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp baking powder
125g fine or medium oatmeal
125g soft brown sugar
175g unsalted butter
50g fresh root ginger, grated, or 50g glacé ginger, finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of one lime
2tbsp flaked almonds
Equipment
20x25cm shallow baking tin (or a tin with similar dimensions), lightly greased and base-lined with baking parchment
1.Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Sift the flour, ground ginger and baking powder together into a mixing bowl.
Add the oatmeal and sugar and mix well.
2. Put the butter into a small saucepan and heat gently until completely melted. Pour into the dry ingredients, then add the ginger and the lime zest and juice. Using a wooden spoon, pound until the mixture forms a moist dough.
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3. Press the mixture into the prepared tin. It may seem a bit skimpy, but don’t worry, this is how it’s meant to be — it will swell up in the oven. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the surface and bake for about 30 minutes until slightly risen and lightly brown. Immediately mark the mixture into the squares or fingers, then leave to cool in the tin.
4. Once cold, wrap the gingerbread in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.
Recipe taken from Cakes — River Cottage Handbook No 8 by Pam Corbin with introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Bloomsbury on Monday, March 14 at £14.99. It is available for £13.49 at timesbooks.co.uk
Text © Pam Corbin 2011