Silverdale Gingerbread Brownies

Today is a day for catching up on mending and sewing, washing and baking. 

Mid morning, I fancied a mug of tea to go with my next repair - fixing a small hole on my thermal leggings. As I was sipping the brew I could smell the fruit cake as it quietly simmered on the stove. A heady fragrant mix of spices, fruit, treacle and butter. I thought now is a time as good as any to share the latest new-to-me recipe.

On the quest to find tasty baking which is simple and easy and quick - I tried another gingerbread recipe. This one is a Mary Berry version and I have halved the quantities and cooked it in my new brownie tin (which was a rather excellent chrimbly gift from my folks).

You pour the batter into the dish then gently lower the grid into the mix before placing in the hot oven. Then, when it is cooked and slightly cooled, holding the handles (they can still be hot so I use a tea towel to grasp them with) give them a gentle 'wobble' until the brownies shake free.

On Sunday I filled our large baking tin with the sticky and succulent gingery squares of brownie goodness and took them with us as we met up with Youngest. The plan was to leave them in the van to come back to when we'd finished our walk and needed that much needed energy boost.

When we arrived at Youngest & GF they'd already made us mugs of tea and it seemed churlish to turn them down so Himself collected the tin of gingerbread brownies and we nibbled and slurped and chatted as they got themselves ready. Himself and Youngest seemed to eat a number of squares (at that point I hadn't noticed the wholesale scoffing) !

We set off and arrived in Silverdale - the gentle beautiful rolling landscape of the lower Southern Lake District. We loaded our bags and set off for our walk which was sublime.

When we finally returned to the van in almost total darkness, we cracked open the gas cooker and brewed mugs of steaming hot tea and once again the tin was opened and passed around. Again several squares were devoured - probably did not even touch the sides!

So, on Monday when I was getting Himself's lunch ready for work - I was rather surprised as the lack of gingerbread brownies .... cue making more today. 

I have reduced the quantities (I do query my wiseness seeing how they seem to vanish) and added more spices - so really although a Mary Berry original it has now morphed into ...

'Silverdale Gingerbread Brownies'

• 137gms syrup
• 137gms treacle
• 112gms light brown sugar
• 112gms butter
• 225gms self raising flour
• Heaped teaspoon ginger
• teaspoon mixed spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs

Temperature 160 deg C or 140 deg C for fan ovens

I used a brownie tin (approx 30cm x 20cm ish) can't measure it accurately as it is presently in the oven!

1. Preheat oven
2. in a microwavable bowl weigh out the syrup, treacle, sugar, butter and spices. Gently warm until the butter has softened enough to stir into the syrupy sugary gloop (alternatively use a pan on the stove to gently melt)
3. mix well, add flour and beaten eggs and pour into the lightly buttered brownie tin
4. bake for 30 - 40 minutes - I have a fan oven and I find that 30 minutes is enough. You will know your own ovens and may have to adjust accordingly - but do use a skewer or tooth pick and check if the batter is fully cooked.
5. take out and cool.

The recipe did mention that it is better the next day and we noticed that the squares were definitely squidgy-er and gingery-er.

Hope you give it a try - they are simple and tasty and seem to have a really good vanishing trick up their sleeves .........

#52newrecipes