In this week’s post, local Nelson chef and guest Blogger, Grant Dicker is looking towards Christmas party food, he’s got a gingerbread recipe to share that will delight kids and adults alike! Take it away, Grant…
Christmas will soon be upon us and the season of culinary indulgence will begin. What will you be eating in terms of Christmas party food?
In Europe they’ll be hoping for snow, while we’ll be plumping for sun! Down in the Southern Hemisphere we’ve continued a lot of the Northern Hemisphere Christmas traditions, from the snow on the cards, to icicle decorations at the window. However, traditional festive food can seem somewhat unseasonal. A large roast meal followed by heavy puddings on a hot, balmy summer’s day is enough to send anybody off to snooze the afternoon away. I am sure many of you have adapted your feast to better suit our climate, perhaps cold meat, more salads, or even a complete change. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to pop into Fresh choice Nelson for your roast, barbecue, side of hot smoked salmon, or even antipasto platter goodies.
For me, there are some flavours that should always stay on the list of Christmas party food, and one of those is Gingerbread!
There’s something about the smell, perhaps it stems from my time living in the U.K., but it smells like Christmas! To me, that is what sets the scene, fresh baking aromas filling the room. You can bake this dough into shapes, or even build them into a house!
Ginger Bread
- 350g plain flour, plus a little extra for rolling out
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125g butter
- 175g light soft brown sugar
- 1 free range egg
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
- Mix the egg and golden syrup together, add to the processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. remove, and knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C. line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Roll the dough out to about 5mm thick and make whatever shapes you want. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. leave on the tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. When cooled decoaratewith royal icing.
