Simply the zest
Our Bake of the week is a lime delight.
We love this ace recipe for gingerbread. It’s really easy to make but mixing things up a bit by adding zesty lime icing as a topping adds a new twist to a traditional classic. It’s from chef Kevin Connolly, who leads the team at Dalkeith’s Restoration Yard. If you fancy a day out that includes shopping, a cafe and even a Wellbeing Lab, it’s where you should head. You can even take in a yoga or Pilates class while you’re there.
You’ll need
● For the gingerbread ● 320g plain flour ● 22g ground ginger ● 9g mixed spice ● 16g bicarbonate of soda ● 226g of butter plus extra for greasing ● 256g caster sugar ● 180g golden syrup ● 320ml milk ● ● For the topping ● 300g icing sugar ● 1 lime
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 2 and line a 30cm x 7.5cm loaf tin with non-greaseproof baking parchment. 2. Sieve together the flour, ground ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda, then set aside. 3. In a thick-bottomed pan heat the butter, sugar, syrup and half of the milk until the sugar has dissolved and the butter is melted. 4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Beat well until you have a smooth batter with no lumps. 5. Pour into the lined loaf tin, then pop in the oven for 35 minutes. Once ready it should have a nice spring to it. To test it, insert a clean knife or skewer into the centre – it should come out clean. 6. Carefully remove from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack. 7. Zest the lime and set the zest to one side before juicing. Mix the icing sugar, gradually, with water – a drop or so at a time – until you have a thick paste. Add the lime juice and mix well. 8. Once the gingerbread is cool, pour the icing over the top and sprinkle lime zest to finish.