The village lady who helps in the garden loves them, kids adore them, neighbours pop in when they know Mary has baked some. They’re called “Ginger-nuts” and they are delicious home-made biscuits. The recipe is from a very well known cook of yesteryear whose columns were widely read in newspapers and magazines in the UK in the 1960s and 70s. Katie Stewart did many books including several for “The Times Newspaper” for whom she wrote for some years. Her books can still be found on the Internet and if you want good, basic all round recipes that work, try and get hold of a copy. Ours have been constantly in use since the 1970s.
Ingredients for 18 Biscuits
120 g / 4 oz plain flour
¼ level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon ground ginger
60 g / 2 oz butter
60 g /2 oz castor sugar
1 heaped tablespoon golden syrup
Time taken: 45 minutes
Method
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the ginger.
- Add the butter cut in pieces and rub into the mixture.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Measure the syrup into a saucepan and warm over low heat until runny.
- Add the syrup to the other ingredients and mix, first with a spoon and then with the fingers, to make a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out on to a clean working surface and shape into a long sausage. Cut into eighteen equal-sized pieces.
- Using the palms of the hands, round up each piece of dough and roll in castor sugar. Place well-
apart on greased baking trays—about six on a tray. These biscuits spread flat while cooking and are best baked in batches. Flatten each ginger-nut with the base of a tumbler dipped in castor sugar. - Place in the centre of a moderately hot oven (180°C / 350°F) and bake for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool on the tray for a few moments until crisp, then remove to a cooling tray. Store in an airtight tin.
