Dame Jen Greenhalgh shares a childhood favourite, just in time for Guy Fawkes night.
You can read more about her adventures on our Substack.
Ingredients
250g plain wholemeal or white flour
190g brown or white sugar
100g porridge oats
2 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
75g soft margarine
50g lard
190g golden syrup
75g black treacle*
1 slightly rounded teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 dessert spoon vinegar
150 ml milk
*If you have no treacle use 275g golden syrup.
Method
Combine the flour, sugar, oats and ginger together in a bowl, making a well in the centre.
Melt the margarine and lard in a pan. Before they get too hot, add the syrup and treacle and allow it to dissolve. Do not overheat, take care not to boil.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients in bowl. Put the bicarbonate of soda into the centre, sprinkle the vinegar on the soda and watch it fizz.
Put the milk in the syrup pan, warm it a little to clean the syrup from the pan and then add to the bowl.
Combine thoroughly until a batter consistency.
Pour it into a greased and floured 20 cm x 20 cm deep baking tin.
Bake slightly above the middle of a moderate oven 180°/Fan 160°/Gas 4 for 1 hour. Check after 15 to 20 minutes to see if the middle has lifted. If so, shake it to let it sink again, turn tin around and allow to continue cooking.
Cool in tin. Cut into quarters. Keep for 3 days before eating if you can stand it. Store in an airtight container.
