Jamaican ginger cake difficulty ** #50

Cuts into 10

Preparing time: 30 minutes 

Cooking time: 55-65 minutes 

Ingredients:

•  150 g butter 
• 150 g golden syrup 
• 150 g black treacle
• 150 g plain flour 
• 150 g strong wholemeal bread flour 
• 4 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 4 tablespoons milk 

For the topping

• 1 tablespoon apricot jam 
• 125 g exotic dried fruit, cut into strips 
• 1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, sliced 

1. Put the butter, golden syrup and treacle in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted 
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes 
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
4. Gradually mix in the syrup mixture, then the eggs and milk and beat well until smooth 
5. Pour into a greased and lined 1 kg or 1.3 litre loaf tin 
6. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3, for 50-60 minutes, until well risen, the top has cracked and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean 
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen at the ends and transfer to the wire rack 
8. Peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely 
9. Make the topping 
10. Spread the jam over the top of the cake, then decorate with exotic dried fruit and ginger.
11. Enjoy! I hope you will enjoy, as much as I. :-D 

Banana & chocolate muffins difficulty * #49 

Makes 12

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 150 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 150 g plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate or soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 125 g golden sugar 
• 3 large ripe bananas 
• 1 egg 
• 75 ml water 
• 75 ml vegetable oil 
• 75 g carob or plain dark chocolate 

1. Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl, tipping in the wheatgerm left in the sieve 
2. Stir in the sugar 
3. Mix together the bananas, egg, measurement water and oil in a jug 
4. Add to the dry ingredients using a large metal spoon until just combined 
5. Fold in the carob or chocolate 
6. Divide the mixture evenly between remekins or paper muffin cases arranged in a 12-hole muffin tray 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 20-25 minutes until they are erll risen and spring back when pressed 
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
9. Just 8 steps to the perfect muffins :-) 

Pomegranate & ginger slice difficulty *** #48 

Cuts into: 20 

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 50 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 200 g plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 100 ml milk
• 1 egg 
• 100 dark sugar 
• 125 g black treacle 
• 75 g unsalted butter 
• 3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup 

For topping 

• 300 ml pomegranate juice 
• 2 tablespoons clean honey 
• 1 pomegranate 

1. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl 
2. Beat together the milk and egg in a jug 
3. Put the sugar, treacle and butter in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves 
4. Remove from the heat and add to the milk mixture with the chopped ginger 
5. Add to the dry ingredients and stir together using a large metal spoon until well combined 
6. Spoon the mixture into 2 greased and lined 1 kg or 1,3 litre loaf tins and level the surface 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C (325 F),Gas Mark 3, for 30 minutes or until just firm to the touch and skewer inserted into a centre comes out clean 
8. Leave to cool in the tins, then loosen at the ends and transfer to a wire rack 
9. Peel off the lining paper 
10. Make the topping 
11. Pour the pomegranate juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil, the boil for about 15 minutes until thick and syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons 
12. Stir the honey 
13. Halve the pomegranate and push the halves inside out to release the fleshy seeds, discarding any white membrane 
14. Scatter the seeds over the top of the cakes
15. Drizzle with the syrup and cut into small squares to serve.
16. Enjoy! :-)