With temperatures hovering in the 30s in Christchurch last week, the last thing anyone has really wanted to do is turn the oven on. We've all been baking outside the house, let alone in it. So with this in mind, I turned to the cute little book I picked up at a Vintage Market a few weeks ago, for some unbaked inspiration.
I'm not sure when it was published as it doesn't have a date, but it is full of loads of old fashioned fudgy recipes to try out. Here is a modified take on their Ginger Square. I've converted the weights to metric for you.
Ginger Walnut Fudge with Coffee Icing
115g butter
half a cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons condensed milk
250g crushed wine biscuits
half a cup crystallized ginger
1 cup walnut pieces
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Melt the butter, brown sugar and condensed milk together.
Crush the biscuits in the food processor. Once finely crumbed, add the ginger and walnuts and pulse until they are broken up but not crushed.
Pour the crumb mixture into the melted butter mix and fold together.
Press into a lined slice tin and refrigerate until hardened.
Coffee Icing
3 tablespoons condensed milk
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 shot of espresso coffee
about 2 cups of icing sugar
Blend the condensed milk and butter together. Stir in the hot espresso, followed by the icing sugar. Blend to a smooth paste and spread onto the chilled fudge slice.
Cut up into small squares once the icing is set. Store in an airtight container.
Happy baking!
Our little blossom used to be such an adventurous eater. Now, as an over opinionated nearly-7 year old, she has all sorts of ideas about what she likes and what she doesn't. Every weekend I ask the family what biscuit or slice they might like for lunch boxes for the coming week, and ever weekend she says 'Chocolate chip biscuits'. Boredom and wanting to improve the overall nutritional value has led me on an adventure of reinvention of this humble biscuit. This week's incarnation is a nut and seed version that's dairy and egg free. If you are looking for a biscuit more like your Granny might make this is not the one, and you might like to try the more traditional version.
Oat, Nut and Seed Chocolate Chip Biscuits
125g coconut oil
200g honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons warm water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
half a cup walnuts
half a cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C. Bake setting.
Place the coconut oil and honey into a small saucepan and melt together. Don't overheat; it it only just needs to melt. Set aside to cool.
In a food processor, blend the oats until they form a fine meal.
Add the walnuts and sunflower seeds and briefly process again until they are chopped, but still retail some chunks. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl, and add the coconut and wholemeal flours, and the cinnamon.
Dissolve the soda in the warm water and stir it into the cooled honey and coconut oil.
Add the liquid ingredients into the oat and flour mixture and stir to combine.
Lastly stir in the chocolate chips. It is essential that the oil and honey are cool, or else they will start to cook the flours and melt the chocolate chips once they are added.
Using a soup spoon, take teaspoon lots and place them on a lined baking tray.
Flatter the biscuits a little, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
These biscuits keep well and are a perfect brain food snack for school and work.
Happy baking!
