Autumnal cooking - a Bonfire night classic

Sticky ginger cake

 A nostalgic favourite, updated.

Misty mornings, dark, chilly evenings, the turning of leaves from green to red, gold, copper and bronze and  and Bonfire Night.

All Hallow's day, 1st November,  marks what we think of as the start of autumn, banishes the bad spirits of Hallowe'en, anticipates the spectacle of Bonfire Night and is, commercial nightmare such as Black Friday notwithstanding, probably the start of many folks' countdown to Christmas.

It also signals a change in our cooking, more soups and stews, spiked with spices, rather than the vibrant verdancy of summer herbs and salads; warming the body and the soul.

These squashes grew from seeds, carelessly tossed in to the compost heap and will be used for a number of dishes over the coming weeks.

But today is all about a variation on a family favourite, a wistful reminder of the Bonfire parties of our youth.  

What do you remember  - I can recall potatoes baked in the embers of the fire, fat sausages, home made toffee and sticky Parkin.  Mulled wine and spiced, warmed apple juice were always on hand when our children were small, although the hot chocolate we had as kids ourselves is just as welcome.

This recipe is a sticky ginger loaf, dotted with ginger tea soaked raisins and is as tasty standing round the fire, as it is served up as dessert with poached pears and ginger Chantilly cream.

Tonight I plan to serve it with Andrew Dargue's marzipan custard. 

Soak 100g sultanas in 150ml ginger tea for half an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 165ºC

Grease a 2lb loaf tin 

120g butter

120g black treacle

180g soft brown sugar

2 eggs

240g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tblsp ground ginger

2 tsp mixed spice

125ml hot ginger tea - I used an infusion of Saco ginger flakes, gifted to me at Ginger and Spice Fest

Place the butter, sugar and treacle in a pan, I used our copper milk pan, and warm gently until the butter has melted and all three ingredients have melded together.

Tip the dry ingredients in to a large mixing bowl and stir well to distribute the spices and bicarboanate of soda.

Strain the raisins and add to the bowl.  Beat the eggs lightly and add those along with the melted butter mix.  Stir well, then beat in the hot tea.

Puir into the prepared loaf tin and pop into the oven.

Cook for around 40 minutes, until it passes the skewer test.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the tin.

then carefully turn out onto a cooling tray.

Serve around the bonfire in thick slices, perhaps accompanied with a classic Whisky Mac

Or serve as a delicious dessert, with poached pears and a Chantilly cream made with some syrup from a jar of stem ginger.

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