Granny Irenes Ginger Crunch Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line a deep-sided 18 x 27cm shallow baking tin with grease-proof paper.
• To make the base, put the flour, sugar, baking powder and ginger into a mixing bowl and combine together, then add the butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Heavily press the mixture evenly into the tin so it is well compressed and flatten well using the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Whilst the base is cooling make the icing by putting the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and heat until just melted. Add the sifted icing sugar and ginger and cook for a few more minutes, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat and poor over the cooled base. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Remove from the tin and cut into squares.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
• Make shortbread base:
• Sift together dry ingredients and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press evenly into bottom of pan (base will be thin). Bake in middle of oven until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make topping just before shortbread is done:
• Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.
• Pour topping:
• Remove shortbread from oven and pour topping over, tilting pan to cover shortbread evenly. Cool in pan on a rack, then cut into small rectangles (8 rows lengthwise and 8 crosswise).

Steps:

• Slice apples and process enough slices in juicer, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 3 1/2 cups juice, then transfer juice to a large bowl and stir in vitamin C and lemon juice. Process ginger in juicer, then stir 1 tablespoon ginger juice into apple juice.
• Pulse together sugar and basil in a blender until sugar is bright green and basil is finely ground, then stir into apple juice until sugar is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8- to 9-inch metal baking pan.
• Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every hour, until evenly frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8- by 2-inch cake pans.
• For crunch topping:
• In a small bowl combine crunch topping ingredients, stirring until combined. Divide topping among pans and press evenly onto bottom.
• For ginger cake:
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add remaining ginger cake ingredients and with an electric mixer beat on high speed 2 minutes. Carefully spread batter over crunch topping in pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center of each layer comes out clean.
• Immediately invert cake layers onto racks lined with wax paper and cool completely. Cake layers may be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped separately in plastic wrap. Thaw layers in refrigerator before proceeding with recipe.
• In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer beat 2 cups cream with vanilla and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Cake Assembly:
• Arrange 1 cake layer, crunch side up, on a cake plate and spread with a heaping cup whipped cream. Repeat with another cake layer and another heaping cup whipped cream and top with third cake layer, crunch side up. Leaving top plain, spread remaining whipped cream on side of cake to coat (a final coating will be added later). Chill cake, covered loosely with plastic wrap, at least 4 hours (to facilitate slicing) and up to 24.
• Hull strawberries and slice half of them. In a bowl with a potato masher mash sliced berries with lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. In a food processor purée remaining berries and strain through a fine sieve into bowl with mashed berry mixture. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer, beat remaining cup cream until it just holds stiff peaks and spread decoratively on side of cake. Arrange some whole strawberries on top of cake and garnish plate with additional whole strawberries.
• Serve cake with strawberry sauce.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar.
• Beat in the egg and molasses.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls.
• Dip one side of each ball into sugar; place with sugar side up on a greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and crinkly.

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients and pour melted butter over them.
• Blend well and press into shallow sponge roll tray.
• Bake in slow oven at 350°F for 1/2 an hour or 375°F for 20 minutes.
• Ice with chocolate icing while hot.
• Cut while still warm.