Tessa Kiros’ gingerbread for any time of year
Enjoy this not-too-sweet gingerbread with molasses. The cake will keep in the tin and it is so wonderful to have it in the house – Christmas or not.
I am obsessed with collections. The kitchen – my favourite part of the house – is filled with tins, plates and cloths I have brought home from my travels, and with them, the stories.
My treasured basket of spices that I fill and refill (I know exactly where the tamarind is, and where each rumpled packet and intriguing scent comes from) are all in there. I travel and collect things that I love. Memories, tastes, colours and stories.
I love this not-too-sweet gingerbread with molasses. The cake will keep in the tin and it is so wonderful to have it in the house – Christmas or not! You can fry some of the crumbs or any last couple of slices in brown sugar and butter and serve with ice cream.
This is an edited extract from Now & Then by Tessa Kiros (Murdoch Books, $59.95). Photography by Manos Chatzikonstantis.
If you like this, try:
- Lennox Hastie’s showstopping trifle
- Elizabeth Hewson’s quick and easy citrus and coconut tart
- Jamie Oliver’s easy tzatziki chicken
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Gingerbread
Ingredients
140g unsalted butter, softened
160g soft dark brown sugar
220g (2/3 cup) good-quality or unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 x 3cm chunk of ginger, peeled and mashed in a mortar
280g plain flour
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ scant teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
110g sour cream
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175C and line a 26cm springform tin with baking paper, flattening the sides well.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large, wide bowl with electric beaters until creamy. Add the molasses and whisk to combine, then beat in the eggs, vanilla and fresh ginger (about 1½ teaspoons).
- Combine the flour, ground spices and salt together in a separate bowl. Put the bicarbonate of soda into the empty molasses cup and add 125ml (½ cup) just-boiled water.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture until combined, then add the water mix. Beat in well, then beat in the sour cream until everything is smooth and well combined.
- Scrape the mix out into your prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the tin about 15 minutes from the end, until the gingerbread is smelling good and the top is quite firm and well coloured.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
Serves 8-10