That Very Special Gingerbread by Ella Buchan from A Gothic Cookbook
Ella Buchan, food, drink & travel writer has gifted Foodie Book Club this tasty recipe for a special gingerbread straight from her new cookery book.
Not just an everyday cookery book, A Gothic Cookbook.
Ella, Alessandra Pino and illustrator Lee Henry are crowdfunding their book via Unbound and you can help them – click the link here , and find out how to help Ella get her book out on the shelves.
This recipe is from the chapter focused on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (free excerpt here in case you fancy a read! https://unbound.com/books/a-gothic-cookbook/excerpt).
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Look out for more from Ella and friends through Foodie Book Club, we are going to be showcasing more of her recipes and other stuff too, meanwhile, enjoy the recipe.
That Very Special Gingerbread
Gingerbread by Ella Buchan
Among the dishes that make up the lavish afternoon tea spread at Manderley in Rebecca is “that very special gingerbread”. Daphne du Maurier doesn’t elaborate on what makes it so very special, so we’ve based ours on the classic Victorian loaf style, brightened it with a crisp, brisk lemon icing and elevated it with a glug of rum.
Makes 1 medium loaf (around 10 slices)
Ingredients
400g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tbsp ground ginger
125g unsalted butter
200g soft brown sugar
250ml black treacle
Zest 1/2 a lemon
2 eggs, beaten
50ml rum (or you can add 1tsp rum flavouring or lemon extract)
For the lemon glaze
50g icing sugar
Zest 1 lemon
Juice 1/2 lemon (plus a little more if needed)
Method
Butter and line a medium loaf tin. Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4.
Add the butter, brown sugar and treacle to a small saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth (around 5 minutes).
Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the mixture from the saucepan along with the rum (or extract) and lemon zest. Beat, using a wooden spoon, until combined.
Beat in the eggs, working quickly to avoid them scrambling (as the batter may still be warm).
Pour into the prepared tin and bake, testing after around 45 minutes with a wooden skewer. If it comes out almost clean (you still want a little stickiness), it’s done. If not, pop it back in for another 5-10 minutes, covering loosely with foil if needed.
Leave in the tin until cooled enough to touch, then tip onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, mix together icing sugar and lemon zest, then gradually add lemon juice until you have a smooth, slightly runny icing, adding more juice, if needed.
Once the loaf has cooled completely, drizzle over the icing. Allow to set before slicing, to serve.
Make it vegan
Substitute 5tbsp of chickpea water (aquafaba) for the eggs and use 125g of plant-based butter or margarine.
Illustration by Lee Henry
