Grasmere Gingerbread

from the kitchen of Lou Hanson Pottery

I first tasted Grasmere gingerbread while traveling through the English Lake District.  It was

spicy  with ginger and tasted delicious. I was unable to find a recipe, but with a bit of work,

created one of my own. It is especially tasty for the holidays.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Butter a 9x13 pan

¾ Cup rolled oats

1 Cup flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 T. Ground ginger

½ Cup + 2 T. Butter

1 Cup brown sugar

¾ Cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 T. Golden syrup

Place rolled oats into a food processer and using the pulse button, process on high until

quite  fine.  (They should look like gritty sand, not flour)

Add  next   4 ingredients and process 30 seconds until mixed.

Add butter and using the pulse button, process until the butter is mixed well into the dry

Ingredients.  Remove 1/3 Cup of the mixture and set aside.

Stir  the chopped crystallized ginger into the remaining mix.

Drizzle the Golden syrup over the mixture and stir in with a spoon.

Spoon the dough into the 9 x 13 pan.  It will seem dry.  Press firmly into the pan using

Your hands.   Make it as even as possible. 

Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 cup of dry mixture over the top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden around the edges.

Remove  from  the  oven .  Cool for 15 minutes and then cut into squares, but leave in pan.

Cool completely before removing.

Store  in  tin for 2-3 weeks or freeze for longer storage.