Ginger Gems

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cookessentials, Mar 30, 9:00am
160g Golden Syrup
110g Butter
1 Cup Standard Flour
½ Cup Brown Sugar
½ t-spoon baking soda
1 tsp-spoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
½ t-spoon cinnamon
Pinch of mixed spice
Pinch of Nutmeg
½ Cup milk
1 Egg (lightly beaten)

Preheat the Gem irons in the oven to 180C

Melt the butter and Golden Syrup together in the microwave.

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and work out lumps with fingers or fork.

Put milk and egg into melted butter and syrup.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well.

Put a knob of butter into each gem mould and spread around.

Nearly fill each mould and bake for 20 - 25 mins.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 5:15pm
MOIST GINGER LOAF

1½ cups plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
125g butter, chopped
1 cup golden syrup

Grease two 14 x 21cm loaf pans; line bases and two long sides with baking paper.

Sift flours, soda and spices into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in sugar, eggs and milk until combined.

Place butter and syrup in a small pan; stir over a low heat until butter is melted. Add to batter; stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pans.
Cook in a moderate oven, 180C, for about 50 minutes or until cooked when tested. Stand for five minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve bread cut into thick slices.

Makes two loaves.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 5:21pm
OATY GINGER SQUARE

150 g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
4 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons icing sugar
4 teaspoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Preheat oven to 180 C. Melt butter, golden syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan; remove from heat. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl; stir into the pot and mix thoroughly. Press mixture into a non-stick or lightly greased 20 x 30cm slice pan; bake for 15-20 minutess . Mark into square while still warm. When cool, ice with hot ginger icing:

Heat all icing ingredients in saucepan until melted; beat until smooth and pour over the cool base. When completely cold cut through icing and separate squares.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 5:22pm
I really enjoy something spicy, especially now the weather is a little cooler. I have some great recipes using ginger so shall post what I have for you to try.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 5:27pm
OLD FASHIONED GINGER BEER

to start the bug
preserving jar
warm water
Add 2 tsp of active yeast,
2 tsp of raw sugar
2 tsp of ground ginger

Fill a preserving jar ¾ full with warm water. Add yeast , sugar and ginger.
Keep the jar sitting on the kitchen bench

feed it every day with
1 tsp raw sugar and
1 tsp ground ginger

after one week
3 cups of raw sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1litre of boiling water and 5 litres of cold water.
juice of 2 lemons (through a strainer)

In a large bowl, put sugar and cream of tartar, then add boiling water first, cold water next. Add lemon juice.
The jar of bug will have sludge in the bottom and liquid on the top – pour the liquid part into the bowl. Stir and pour into 5 well rinsed /sterilisedbottles. Write the date on the lid and wait two weeks before drinking. Open carefully especially if the bottle is hard.

With the leftover bug in the preserving jar, fill the jar with water and throw half away or give to a friend. Fill back up to ¾ full and start feeding again

cookessentials, Mar 30, 5:38pm
ORANGE AND GINGER KUMARA

1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp finely chopped crystallised ginger
4 medium kumara

Cook kumara till tender, cool and dice.
In a jar, shake together orange juice, oil, ginger and seasoning.
Pour over kumara.
Chill and serve.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 6:08pm
GINGER RHUBARB CRUMBLE

10 rhubarb stalks, chopped into 5cm pieces
¼ cup sugar
juice ½ orange
2 tablespoons water
1 cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
100g butter, softened
100g demerara sugar
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger

cream or ice cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C (fan forced).

Place rhubarb, sugar, orange juice, water and ginger into a 4 cup capacity baking dish, toss to combine. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until just cooked. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, mix the butter and sugar together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Then add the flour and ground ginger, stir to combine.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the rhubarb and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden-brown.

cookessentials, Mar 30, 6:14pm
INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
1-2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
½ one small cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon garam marsala
coriander, for garnish

METHOD

Heat wok. When wok is smoking add oil. Stir-fry onion, ginger and garlic until just tender.

Add spices, stir-fry about 1 minute or until spices are fragrant.

Add salt, cauliflower, tomatoes and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, covering if necessary, until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in garam marsala. Serve with raita and steamed basmati rice.

winnie231, Mar 31, 3:25am
Miss 13 & I love ginger so thanks for the great collection of recipes Pam!

cookiebarrel, Mar 31, 4:54am
Mmmm... . thanks from me too. I made gingernuts the other day. . yum and now can try something different.

holmsies, Mar 31, 6:48am
Mmmmm... I love ginger.
Can I make ginger gems without having gem irons?

chrisynz, Mar 31, 7:15am
i have four sets of gem irons. . two of these were my grandmothers. . andthey r cast iron. . i love ginger and currently have 4 jars of crystallized ginger in 80% whiskey, ,

cookessentials, Mar 31, 7:30am
holmsies, I had someone in the shop the other day that reckoned you could do them in the petite loaf pan(8 cup variety) however, it has always been my understanding that you need the cast iron to get the "sizzle" when you add the batter, but someone may be able to guide you in this regard

cookessentials, Mar 31, 7:34am
Molasses Spice Cookies

These are really tasty. My Mum makes these and I always look forward to visiting them In Auckland as I know she will have them in the jar to have with a cuppa!

2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Preheat oven to 180c. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

Use an electric mixer and beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks .

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

cookessentials, Mar 31, 7:35am
Glad you like them, I like the spicyness without being too sweet and ginger is great for the digestion.

510, Mar 31, 9:07pm
Thanks Pam, what a wonderful array of recipes. I am off to buy some golden syrup for the gems today.

cookessentials, Apr 1, 4:13am
You are most welcome Paul. Have a great Easter weekend.

familychch, Apr 1, 4:44am
Pam, is the ginger gem recipe in #1, enough mixture for just one 'tin' (i can't think what you call them) or more? thanks.

griffo4, Apr 1, 6:32am
Thank you so much for those recipes Pam
l have a heap of ginger so l will be baking up a storm this weekend.
Happy Easter
l hope everyone has a lovely weekend

cookessentials, Apr 1, 8:09am
Hi Alex, yes it should be - usually they gem irons are about a 12 hole rectangular, although you can also get round ones.
Hi Michelle, you are very welcome. I do know I have a few more recipes somewhere so shall endeavout to find them over the weekend. We are open on Saturday but have tomorrow, Sunday and Monday off - bliss.

cookessentials, Apr 1, 4:09pm
Ginger Parkin - a recipe from Yorkshire ( where my Mum is from) I really like this, it's nice and gingery.

225g self raising flour
110g caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
200mlmilk
55g butter
110g golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 150C. Line a 22cm/8in tin.
Sieve the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
In a small pan gently heat the butter and syrup until melted.
Beat the egg into the milk.
Gradually pour the butter and syrup into the flour and stir. The mixture will be thick.
Pour in the egg and milk and stir until smooth and pour into the lined tin.
Bake for 1 hour

serendipitous6, Apr 2, 12:13am
i really want some gem irons any ideas where to find some?

cookessentials, Apr 2, 12:39am
They are available - the rectangular 12 hole at around $72 and the small round ones around $35 from memory.

serendipitous6, Apr 2, 12:51am
thanks for that where have you seen them?

cookessentials, Apr 4, 6:43am
DARK SYRUP GINGERBREAD

90g butter
360g dark cane sugar
140ml treacle
60ml golden syrup
2 eggs
150ml milk
250g standard flour
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
125g walnut pieces
250ml water

Preheat oven to 140ºC. Grease a 32cm x 22cm x 5cm baking tin with butter then line with non-stick baking paper. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, 60g of the sugar, treacle, and golden syrup. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and set aside.

Sieve the flour, spices and soda into another bowl. Pour the eggs and syrup into the flour and whisk until smooth. Stir in walnuts and pour into the tin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. While the cake is still warm, bring the water and remaining sugar to a simmer. Pour over the cake and let the syrup soak in.