Ginger pick me up

Earlier this year, we had a great time at the first Ginger and Spice Festival in Market Drayton.  This Shropshire town is most notable for its association with Clive of India, but less well known for the far more palatable Billington's gingerbread; a spicy delight that has been baked by artisan bakers in this historic market town since 1817
Traditionally this crunchy biscuit is dunked in port, which seems like an admirable idea to me, biscuit and booze, what more could you ask for?
But it struck me that this notion of dunking these biscuits is akin to the dunking of Savoiardi biscuits in a classic tiramisu, so why not have a go at a Shropshire ginger pick me up, the English translation of tiramisu.
So here we are.....

12 Billington's gingerbread fingers
2 eggs
50g sugar
15g cornflour
250ml double cream
80g 70% dark chocolate
175g Mascarpone
50g icing sugar
1 sachet powdered gelatine
40g stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped
50ml, more or less, ginger wine, port, rum or brandy

Lightly oil a 1lb/ 0.5kg loaf tin.
Crush 4 of the gingerbread biscuits into crumbs and spread evenly in the bottom of the loaf tin.

Put the chocolate and cream into a saucepan and heat gently until the chocolate has melted.
Whilst that is heating, separate the eggs and mix the yolks with the cornflour and sugar.
Pour the hot chocolate cream into the egg mix and mix thoroughly.  Return this mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the custard coats the back of the spoon.
Carefully pour half of the custard over the crumbs and put the tin in the fridge.

Sprinkle the gelatine onto 80ml of cold water and when it has become absorbed and sponge like, heat gently until liquid. (read the instructions on the packet).


Beat together the Mascarpone, icing sugar, chopped ginger and the dissolved gelatine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and the gently fold into the Mascarpone mix.
Remove the tin from the fridge, by now the custard layer should have set.
Briefly dip 4 of the gingerbread fingers in the alcohol of your choice and lay them on top of the chocolate custard.

Cover these with the Mascarpone mix and return the tin to the fridge.
Once the Mascarpone layer has set, remove from the fridge.
Dip the remaining gingerbread fingers in the last of the alcohol, topping up if necessary, and place them on top of the set Mascarpone.

If, by chance any alcohol is left, tip it into the remaining chocolate custard and give it a stir.
Pour the chocolate custard over the gingerbread fingers and put back in the fridge to set.

To serve, briefly stand the tin in a dish of hot water to loosen the dessert and then invert on to a serving dish.  
Serve with additional gingerbread fingers, if desired.
Serves 8

Head over to the Billington's website to buy their goodies

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www.netherton-foundry.co.uk