Run, Run, As Fast As You Can...

For about the last decade, I think that my Grandma has been pretty convinced she’s likely to drop dead at any moment. Not in a sad, mournful, hypochondriac kind of way. Just that rather British, stoic, ‘I’m in my late 80s and so, chances are…’ kind of way.

This belief has led to a few rather quirky traits. My personal favourite, her Post-it-ing. She makes a point of watching antique shows in order specifically to see what she has that could be worth any money. If something she owns features, it’s gets Post-it-ed. The amount it’s worth in pounds sterling, date it sold at that price and which show that was on, are all noted on there for us to find once she’s no longer with us. Or, you know, when you get a plate out to put your cake on.

Anyway, as part of this slightly macabre death prep, about 6 years ago, she wrote down all her easiest recipes from when she was a baker for me. I suspect, other grandkids got ‘the best’ recipes, or ‘the pastry based’ recipes, but after a Cornflake cakes disaster she figured I wasn’t up to those.

A couple of years ago, I baked everything and typed up the recipes. I took pictures as I went, documenting the successes and failures (and yes, even with the ‘easiest’ recipes, there were a fair few of those) and gave her a hardback bound ‘cook book’ I had printed up filled with the results.

As time has gone on, I’ve used that book over and over baking with my son. He loves that there’s me and his dad and his dog and his Nan and great-gran in pictures. I love that I seem to be improving.

This last week, I nailed Gingerbread Men. Nailed them. Now, given they’re a 4 ingredient, 3 step baked good, I can see that this may not seem like so much of an achievement. But thus far, every single batch has come out so sticky that when I’ve tried to transfer the Gingerbread men to the baking tray from the bench, they’ve stretched and pulled. Ending up either legless (in the literal, non-party sense of the word) or so misshapen they look like grotesque chalk outlines.

See ‘Article 1’ as evidence below. This batch was so bad, they were deemed to look like a ‘Gingerbread Mass Suicide’ by my late mum.

I can’t tell you exactly why this time they worked out better, though I suspect it was the fact I opted to make mini men this time. Less to stick to the bench. Less sugar for my kid.

I’ve copied the recipe below in case you want to test it out for yourselves. I’m pretty sure all the flawed batches were entirely due to my lack of ability in the kitchen and not the recipe itself.

I’d love to see your efforts too – drop me a line!

Ingredients:

8ozs SR Flour

8ozs Block Marg

¼ Oz Ground Ginger

4ozs Golden Syrup

Steps:

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Rub in the margarine. Add slightly warmed Golden Syrup and mix into a dough.

2. Roll out fairly thickly onto a breadboard and cut with Gingerbread man cutter (or any shape you like).

3. Place on a well-greased oven tray and bake at 300F/160C until brown – about 10-15 mins.

#Christmas #Family #Gingerbread #Food