Fruity Gingerbread

This gingerbread is made extra moist by the addition of bananas and golden raisins. It can be made in a shallow baking tin or square, loose bottomed cake tin - whichever you have to hand. Before you start line your tin with baking parchment.

Ingredients

10oz plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
4 oz soft light brown sugar
4 tbsp sunflour oil
2 tbsp black treacle
2 tbsp malt extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp fruit juice (orange or pineapple will do)
3 ripe bananas
4 oz golden raisins

For this recipe you will need an oven pre-heated to 180 C or 350 F.

The flour, bicarb and spices can be sifted into a good sized mixing bowl. Scoop some of the sifted mixture back into the sieve and add the sugar. By mixing a little of the flour with the sugar it will break it up and make it easier to push through the sieve.

Hollow out a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil, treacle, malt, eggs and juice. A good tip is to add the oil first, as the oil that is left on spoon will make the treacle and malt slide off, when it would other wise stick so badly you get into a big mess!

At this stage it looks far from appetising, but rest assured it does improve! Mix thoroughly until it looks combined.

Set aside and get out a plate. Using a fork, mash the bananas on the plate until it looks even and mushy.

Add the raisins and mashed bananas to the mixing bowl and stir until it is sully mixed in.

Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin, making sure it neatly pushed into the corners and does not escape around the edges of the baking parchment.

Bake for 40 or so minutes. The time will greatly depend on your oven, so its best to check on it every five or ten minutes from the half hour mark just to make sure its cooking evenly. My oven takes about 45 minutes.

When the top is looking cooked press it lightly and see if it springs back. If it does it should be done. You can try the knife test, but it is difficult to tell for sure this way as the bananas stay moist after cooking, so the knife may not come out clean. Allow to rest a while before turning out onto a cooling wire.

Gingerbreads tend to develop a more mature flavour after a day or so, but it is equally yummy if eaten while still warm!

Recipe: Imam bayildi (Fainting Imam) * Sweetly Spiced Aubergine *

There are many recipes out there for this dish and this is as it should be because its a fabulous meal! But none of the other variations I've tried have been as good as this one - the first and best one I ever came across. I can't remember where I first found it - I've had it since I took cookery class at school. Being vegetarian I always caused my tutor some problems - not 'fitting in' with the rest of the class. That, however, was my blessing as I was allowed to browse the recipe books having a go at anything I liked! Although I never much liked aubergines (egg plants to my American friends) I was intrigued by the story of this one. The legend that the Imam fainted with delight when it was brought before him. In fact there are many variations of the legend, but whatever the truth it doesn't change the fact that this dish IS worth a mild swoon at the very least!
Ingredients


6 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Onions, very finely chopped
4 small Aubergines/Egg Plants - cut into lengthwise halves
Juice of half a Lemon
4 tinned Plum Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 ounces Sultanas
2 teaspoons Ground Mixed Spice
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed or very finely chopped
2 Bay Leaves
Parsley to Garnish

Method

Gently cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until soft and just coloured.

While keeping an eye on that, carefully scoop out most of the flesh from the aubergines. Leave enough flesh in the shell to ensure that you don't accidentally break the skin. The mixture will be served in these, so think about the condition of the fruit while you are scooping! Cut the flesh into small pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Brush inside the aubergine shells with olive oil, arrange in a baking tin and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees centigrade.

Add the chopped aubergine to the onions with the tomatoes, saultanas, mixed spice, sugar, garlic and bay leaves. Cook (covered) over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has the consistency of chutney.

It is at this point you realise where the legend may have come from! The smell while it is simmering is divine!

Remove the shells from the oven when cooked and fill with the mixture. Garnish with the parsley. Traditionally this dish is to be served cold, but I enjoy it just as much - if not more - while still warm.

This dish is so very easy to make, but the great bit is that it smells and looks so much more complicated! Happy cooking!