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Grasmere-style gingerbread
Crumbly, chewy Lake District ginger shortbread slab
BritishThe village of Grasmere in the Lake District has sold its own gingerbread since the 1850s, a cross between shortbread and a biscuit with a crumbly top and chewy base, wrapped in paper for walkers and visitors to Wordsworth's grave. The real recipe is a closely kept secret; this is our home version, made with oatmeal, brown sugar and plenty of ground ginger. Chef's tip: press only the bottom half of the crumb mixture firmly and scatter the rest loosely on top, which gives the two textures.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz fine oatmeal
- 4 ½ oz light brown soft sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 knob stem ginger (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line a 20 × 30 cm tin.
3 minStep 2: Mix the 7 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz fine oatmeal, 4 ½ oz light brown soft sugar, 2 tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, then rub in the 4 ½ oz cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the 1 knob stem ginger if using.
6 minStep 3: Tip two-thirds of the crumbs into the tin and press down firmly and evenly. Warm the 1 tbsp golden syrup and drizzle it over, then scatter the rest of the crumbs on top and press very lightly.
4 minStep 4: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and firm at the edges. A common mistake is waiting for it to feel hard; it crisps as it cools.
30 minStep 5: Mark into 16 pieces while warm, then leave to cool in the tin before breaking apart.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does grasmere-style gingerbread take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of light brown soft sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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