Cake and eat it!
Travelling cook publishes her favourite recipes
TESSA KIROS’ upbringing and lifelong wanderlust has seen her collect culinary experiences from all over the world. In her new book Now & Then Kiros gathers the recipes she returns to time and again — the diverse and colourful array of go-to dishes that grace her table and connect the threads of her life.
Kiros was born in London to a Greek-Cypriot father and Finnish mother, grew up in South Africa and left home at 18 to travel and cook.
Discover cherished favourites alongside her most recent culinary inspirations in this formidable collection of more than 150 recipes.
GINGERBREAD
I love this not-too-sweet gingerbread with molasses. The cake will keep in the tin and it is so wonderful to have this in the house — Christmas or not! You can fry some of the crumbs or any last couple of slices in brown sugar and butter and serve with ice cream.
Ingredients
140g unsalted butter, softened 160g soft dark brown sugar
220g (2⁄3 cup) unsulphured molasses 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3cm chunk of ginger, peeled and mashed in a mortar
280g plain (all-purpose) flour
11⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 pinches of ground cloves 1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄2 scant tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
110g sour cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 175C and line a 26cm springform tin with baking paper, flattening the sides well.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large, wide bowl with electric beaters until creamy. Add the molasses and whisk to combine, then beat in the eggs, vanilla and fresh ginger (about 11⁄2 teaspoons).
Combine the flour, ground spices and salt together in a separate bowl. Put the bicarbonate of soda into the empty molasses cup and add 125ml (1⁄2 cup) just-boiled water.
On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture until combined, then add the water mix. Beat in well, then beat in the sour cream until everything is smooth and well combined.
Scrape the mix out into your prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, rotating the tin about 15 minutes from the end, until the gingerbread is smelling good and the top is quite firm and well coloured. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.